[idw2s]

Of course anyone from the Pacific Northwest will thinking I'm talking about a long stretch with no sun breaks.

My best friend grew up in Wisconsin. She (a vegetarian) waxed poetic about (non-vegetarian) potato sausage pasty (ies? pasties makes me think of.... something else.).

I saw reference somewhere about pasties, and the yooper website said something about them, but are there... places to buy them? Can I finally try one when we get there?

Does Michigan have potato sausage pasties, or is that just a Wisconsin thing?

She first told me about them over 10 years ago, and the thought makes me drool.

Speaking of which, what kind of famous local food products is Michigan known for? My maternal Grandfather was Jewish (non-practicing). His father came from Eastern Europe, his Mother's family from England. His Mom was born in Houston and grew up in the French Quarter. He was raised in Tuscaloosa, AL. My Maternal Grandmother was from MN, but her father was from Quebec. My paternal Grandparents were midwestern Germans. For that matter my Mom's parents owned a fluff and fold next to a Scandinavian deli, and I was (those were the days) this tiny, skinny little kid with long blond hair and huge blue eyes, and when I would get bored at the fluff and fold, they would perch me on a counter when it was slow, and feed me all manner of goodies until I thought my eyeballs would bulge out of my head. My Mom was the only one of my Father's way too many wives that was not Mexican, and of course my Stepmom's family had these big gatherings and all the tias and abuelitas would sneak skinny little blond kid around the table and feed me and tell me why their arroz con pollo was better than Tia Carmen...

So, I love food.

I grew up on everything from soul food, to Cajun and Creole, to kinishes and matzo soup and latkes, to french pastry and mother sauces and pickled fish and carnitas and tamales. My husband is a missionary kid who grew up in Venezuela, so I'm learning about pabellon, and hallacas, and quesillo...

One of the most fun things for me of all the places I've lived is immersing myself in the local food, culture, etc. I've always said I want to travel the world when we retire, I think you understand people better if you eat their Mama food on their native soil, so ya, I want to do that someday. Meanwhile, we've moved a lot, and I've gotten to know our local US cultures in that way.

So what is Mama food in Michigan? What screams "home" to you natives (or beloved "immigrants")? Locations of favorite purveyors gratefully appreciated. :P

[us66]

Pasties are fairly often available in supermarkets...not always, but at least as often as not. Albie's is the main brand found in stores. I know that pasties in restaurants or for carry out are not common in SE MI, but I know of a place in Sterling Heights that has them. Never eaten there, but have seen the sign. Other local things are the "coney dog," a hot dog with chili and usually mustard and onion. They are kind of similar to the "chili dog" found in Cincinnati. I like Cincinnati-style a bit more, but a Detroit style coney dog is usually pretty good. I can't think of too many other local Michigan things (it's more in the way of Michigan brand names, like Koegel hot dogs ["serve the curve"] and Better Made potato chips, not unique items) but some of the folks downriver are said to eat muskrat. It may be an urban legend, but I've read that more than once.

[zthatzmanz28]

Used to be a great shoppe around 11 Mile and Coolidge...only thing better was a trip to Pinconning or the U P...

Wyandotte has (had) muskrat night at the Polish American hall there on Oak Street...YUM YUM YUM....

[mofromcheboygankalamazoo]

mmmmm, food

If you are in Northern Michigan (at least the northeast side) there is a huge population of Polish families (of course some generations removed)....I am not Polish but miss going to big gatherings with kielbasa and other yummy polish foods....

pasties (not what you are thinking...my mom would giggle when i was little and i mispronounced it)...are most common in the UP...they are modeled after cornish pasties and usually have beef and veggies especially turnips inside, but include some differences (not cornish style)....they are delish...I have had both

My grandmother was french canadian (her parents at least) so we had some wonderful family dishes....

Apples, cherries, just TONS of agriculture here....blueberries, cranberries....i miss the really fresh fruit and veggies (and knowing exactly where it came from)...i LOVE when i read a produce package here (philly) and it says it is from michigan!

Fresh (lake) fish! Many do I love fresh and smoked whitefish, lake trout, and perch...all available in the stores and restaurants!

then there are many michigan brands of foods......pop especially..teehee

oh and wineries and microbreweries!

OH i love certain beef jerky from the petoskey area........oh speaking of jerkey...venison jerky.....might have to know a hunter though

Morel mushroom dishes...yummmmm

Big boy is still pretty popular and around in Michigan too

i am way hungry now!

[sunshineann]

I believe there are quite a few places around T.C. to buy pasties. I had my first one not long ago. We had one of the sausage and potatoe and one of the cornish.

[idw2s]

Originally Posted by zthatzmanz28

Used to be a great shoppe around 11 Mile and Coolidge...only thing better was a trip to Pinconning or the U P...

Wyandotte has (had) muskrat night at the Polish American hall there on Oak Street...YUM YUM YUM....

mmu... mmmmmuuuus.... muskrat. Muskrat????

I know about a muskrat song. People eat muskrats? Or is that a euphemism for... something?

Wow, I thought it took enough chutzpah for me to eat rattlesnake and alligator in Tx....

If you tell me it tastes like chicken, I'm going to howl.

[YAZ]

Morels.

TC cherries.

That makes me giggle more than "pasties."......

Berries. Straw, Blue, Black, Rasp.......ya get it....

Michigan sweet corn.

Sugar Beets.

Kohlrabi. Hit the festival in Hamburg.

And when ya go fishin'....pleez remove the Bluegill from the lake. They are yummy, BTW.

[YAZ]

Originally Posted by sunshineann

I believe there are quite a few places around T.C. to buy pasties. I had my first one not long ago. We had one of the sausage and potatoe and one of the cornish.

Quite easy to make yer own.

All it is really is a Michigan calzone....

[YAZ]

Originally Posted by idw2s

mmu... mmmmmuuuus.... muskrat. Muskrat????

I know about a muskrat song. People eat muskrats? Or is that a euphemism for... something?

Wow, I thought it took enough chutzpah for me to eat rattlesnake and alligator in Tx....

If you tell me it tastes like chicken, I'm going to howl.

Kinda like "possum pie." What's in it, really?

[idw2s]

Originally Posted by mofromcheboygankalamazoo

mmmmm, food

If you are in Northern Michigan (at least the northeast side) there is a huge population of Polish families (of course some generations removed)....I am not Polish but miss going to big gatherings with kielbasa and other yummy polish foods....

pasties (not what you are thinking...my mom would giggle when i was little and i mispronounced it)...are most common in the UP...they are modeled after cornish pasties and usually have beef and veggies especially turnips inside, but include some differences (not cornish style)....they are delish...I have had both

My grandmother was french canadian (her parents at least) so we had some wonderful family dishes....

Apples, cherries, just TONS of agriculture here....blueberries, cranberries....i miss the really fresh fruit and veggies (and knowing exactly where it came from)...i LOVE when i read a produce package here (philly) and it says it is from michigan!

Fresh (lake) fish! Many do I love fresh and smoked whitefish, lake trout, and perch...all available in the stores and restaurants!

then there are many michigan brands of foods......pop especially..teehee

oh and wineries and microbreweries!

OH i love certain beef jerky from the petoskey area........oh speaking of jerkey...venison jerky.....might have to know a hunter though

Morel mushroom dishes...yummmmm

Big boy is still pretty popular and around in Michigan too

i am way hungry now!

Ah, polish sausage and homemade pierogi. I love making potato cheese pierogi.

Big Boy, no way!!! I grew up with Bob's Big Boy in SoCal. My Dad used to take me there for special father daughter time. We used to take our kids when we were back in LA (that, and Farrell's.... not nearly as cool as when I was a kid, but still very cool), but there are none up here.... Awesome!