Mid-Atlantic Cuisine

The Mid-Atlantic region, with its mild climate, abundance of river valleys with rich soil, and extensive coastline along the eastern seaboard, made a perfect environment for the orchards and farms established by the settlers who immigrated to America from England, Germany, the Netherlands, and other European countries.
When the colonists arrived in the Mid-Atlantic region, they discovered that over forty rivers fed into Chesapeake Bay and the mix of fresh and salt water was home to an amazing quantity and variety of seafood.  The colonists quickly learned from the Native Americans how to gather oysters and blue crabs from Chesapeake Bay, which in the language of the Native Americans meant great shellfish bay.  The oysters were a familiar food to the European settlers and were in such quantity that the colonists not only consumed them, but also used the shells for brickmaking as well as embedding them in the ground to make pathways.  The popularity of the abundant blue crabs, however, took a little longer to catch on.  In the 17^th century, even the starving settlers in Jamestown refused to eat the local crabs until commanded to do so by their leaders.  In time, the blue crab became a delicacy prepared and enjoyed in a variety of ways.
Toward the end of the seventeenth century, William Penn invited Europeans seeking religious freedom to settle in his colony.  Many people beginning with the Mennonites accepted his invitation and immigrated to Pennsylvania.  Shortly afterward, Amish and Morovians arrived, first arriving in Philadelphia and then moving west following the Delaware River.  These German-speaking people soon became known as the best farmers in the region.  Over time, many of these settlers continued their migration west; however, those who remained in Pennsylvania became known as the Pennsylvania Dutch, not because they were from Holland but because the name of their language, Deutsche, sounded like Dutch.  Many of the Pennsylvania Dutch settled in and around the area of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, where their descendents still live today.  Although the Amish people have retained their religious commitment to a plain and simple life, the Mennonites and Morovians have embraced some technology.  The food prepared by these peoples is referred to as plain and plenty and is generally very hearty and thriftily prepared.  Pennsylvania Dutch specialties include Chicken Pot Pie, Scrapple, Boova Shenkel, and Schnitz und Knepp among a variety of hearty soups and stews.
Sharply contrasting the simple lifestyles of the Pennsylvania Dutch were the wealthy English gentry who settled and built their expansive estates in what is now Delaware, Virginia, and Maryland.  The extravagant palates of these aristocratic settlers were satisfied with the rich and abundant foods in the region.  Many of these manors retained servants who were former slaves from the deep south, bringing with them the cooking traditions of the southern culture which were subsequently merged with the foods indigenous to the Mid-Atlantic.  Smoked ham, deviled crabs, and greens are but a few examples of dishes with a southern influence that are very popular today in the Mid-Atlantic.  A traditional sporting event in the eighteenth century popular with these English gentlemen during the was the fox hunt, which was held each spring and fall.  The hunt breakfast was typically served at noon after the hunt concluded and featured a table rich with culinary dishes from the region.  Many of the items were prepared with a southern flair and included scrambled eggs with cream, sausage with apples, creamed sweetbreads with oysters, baked country ham, and biscuits, spoonbread, and hominy.  No hunt breakfast could be complete without bourbon punch or mint juleps.
In the late eighteenth century, after the Revolutionary War, Presidential influence began to impact Mid-Atlantic cuisine.  America’s first president, George Washington, was an accomplished farmer as well as a gourmet and was one of the first to use fertilizer on his fields and to pen his animals to control the feeding process.  As president, Washington entertained frequently and lavishly at his estate in Mount Vernon, Virginia, dining with dignitaries both domestic and international.  Although the modern concept of American regional cuisine was centuries away, Washington practiced these principles over two hundred years ago by preparing and serving foods that were either raised on his farm or were indigenous to the surrounding area.  Accounts of meals served at Mount Vernon include dishes made from fresh sturgeon from the Potomac River and wild pigs from the forests.  Dinner was served each day at three o’clock.  Wild game and ham were served every day and were always accompanied by fresh fruits and vegetables.  After meals, brandy made with fruit from the area’s orchards was poured.
Thomas Jefferson, also an accomplished farmer and Epicurean, was America’s third president.  Before becoming president, Jefferson served as the American emissary to France, and as such lived in Paris for a number of years.  While in France, Jefferson learned many of the customs and acquired a taste for French wine and food.  In 1801, he brought his own French-trained chefs to the President’s House, now called the White House, to take charge of the food preparation.  As an experienced statesman and diplomat, Jefferson believed successful international relations would be accomplished through a table set with fine wines and good food.  Toward this objective, Jefferson’s table always included a generous variety of dishes prepared by his French-trained chefs, who used ingredients indigenous to the Mid-Atlantic  from Jefferson’s farms at his Monticello estate.  Jefferson is attributed with bringing the French technique for making ice cream to America and was also one of the first Americans to grow tomatoes, now one of the region’s most notable corps.
Andrew Jackson, John Quincy Adams, James Madison, and James Monroe, who all were known to have extensive gardens at the White House, continued the gardening tradition of American presidents.  Over the years, American presidents popularized many foods and regional dishes.  Eleanor Roosevelt served hot dogs to the King George VI of England.  Teddy Roosevelt coined the phrase “good to the last drop” while drinking a cup of coffee at the Maxwell House in Nashville, Tennessee.  The phrase would eventually become the slogan for the Maxwell House brand of coffee.  John F. Kennedy carried a thermos of New England fish chowder with him while on the campaign trail while Lyndon Johnson popularized Texas barbeque.  Most recently, Ronald Reagan influenced the jelly belly craze that swept America while George Bush had the opposite affect on broccoli after admitting that he did not like the vegetable.
Contained within the Mid-Atlantic region is New York City, which according to many culinarians is a region in itself.  Since the city’s beginning it has been a magnet, attracting immigrants from all over the world.  The huge variety of cultures and ethnic backgrounds that make up this melting pot is the reason why New York City is considered one of the dining capitals of the world.  By the end of the nineteenth century, chefs from the city’s posh restaurants and hotels carried on the European culinary traditions creating many of America’s most famous dishes such as Eggs Benedict, Vichyssoise, and Lobster Newburg.  In addition to the opulent cuisine featured in the city’s finest restaurants, New York City laid the way for many, more modest dishes like cheesecake, pizza, and the blue plate special made famous in the city’s luncheonettes, diners, and steakhouses.  The ethnic makeup of the city’s five boroughs has also been a significant influence on the city’s cuisine.  The Italian and Chinese influence is seen in Little Italy and Chinatown in downtown Manhattan while the lower east side of Manhattan is home to Russian, Polish, German, and Ukrainian Jews, who brought the delicatessen to America.  Harlem brings the culinary influences of the African Americans, Caribbeans, and Puerto Ricans.  Astoria, in the borough of Queens, claims to be home to more Greeks than any other city except for Athens, Greece and Melbourne, Australia while Brighton Beach in Brooklyn is home to Russian immigrants.  More recent immigrant populations come from Asian, Middle Eastern, and Latin American cultures, who in turn have added their influences to New York City’s culinary history as well as the Mid-Atlantic region.  New York City is one of the few places in the world where so many different ethnic backgrounds and cultures have had such a significant impact on the cooking style and foods. In New York City one can experience the foods and culinary traditions from the entire world simply by walking the streets of the city—a complete culinary journey without ever leaving the city.
The delicatessen, a type of Jewish food store, began in the Mid-Atlantic region in the late 1800’s.  During this period of time, thousands of Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe settled in the Lower East Side of New York City and many opened stores, called delicatessens, which sold their favorite foods.  As many of these deli owners were of German heritage, products typically found in delicatessens included hams and dried beef, as well as Jewish foods such as pastrami, corned beef, pickled tongue, and gefilte fish.  Many of the German items traditionally made with pork, like salami and frankfurters, were made with beef to make them kosher for the largely Jewish clientele.  Kosher, is a Yiddish (a dialect combining the German and Russian languages) term meaning permitted or ritually correct and is used by the peoples of the Jewish faith to conform to the Kashruth—the Jewish dietary laws.  Some of the many rules, which are observed by many Orthodox Jews, are that meat and dairy products cannot be eaten, or even stored, together as well as prohibiting the consumption of pork and shellfish.  The term Kosher refers more to the process of what is done to foods to make them fall in line with the dietary laws.  In order for meats to be called Kosher, the beef must be slaughtered a certain way while under the strict supervision of a Rabbi. The food prepared and served in today’s delicatessen has changed little from those that first opened at the turn of the century.  One dish that is still closely associated with the deli is a hot pastrami or corned beef sandwich on rye bread, served with mustard and pickles.
The Mid-Atlantic region was the birthplace for many of America’s innovations.  The automat, a type of self-service cafeteria started in Philadelphia in 1908.  The automat featured a large variety of foods all portioned on single service plates and held inside a bank of small compartments with little doors.  Customers could buy as many portions of food as they desired by placing the correct amount of change in each compartment and then opening the door and removing the plate.  The automat, in a sense, was one of the first vending machines dedicated to foodservice.  Over the years, with the rise in popularity of the quick service industry, the automats went into decline.  The last known automat, located in New York City, finally closed its doors in 1990.
The diner, was a casual type of café common in the Mid-Atlantic from the 1930’s to 1950’s.  The diner concept began in 1872 with the first mobile lunch wagon.  A wagon was wheeled around by a horse while the vendor sold sandwiches and pies to blue collar workers.  In the early 1900’s, the mobile lunch wagons were exchanged for abandoned trolley cars that were converted into small restaurants and permanently located in one spot.  By the 1930’s, diners were manufactured in the style of railroad dining cars and many had begun to expand their hours from strictly a lunch operation to a 24-hour–a-day service.  Patrons could expect a wide variety of offerings from a simple cup of coffee or plate of pie to breakfast to a full dinner.  One of the greatest contributions diners had to American regional cuisine was the Blue Plate Special, which was a large plate of meatloaf with mashed potatoes and either peas or green beans.  The blue plate special eventually evolved into a daily special and was the forerunner to today’s chef’s daily specials common to many restaurants.  The decline of the diner started in the 1960’s with the introduction of the quick service restaurant industry and the availability of take-out food.  However, today diners are being reborn as theme restaurants and are once again becoming popular places to dine.
The food takeout concept also had its birth in the Mid-Atlantic.  Originally, takeout was simply the process of bringing ones leftovers home after dining out in a restaurant.  Around the 1930’s takeout became specific to Chinese restaurants in the Mid-Atlantic due to the huge portions served but rarely finished.  The leftovers were typically placed in small, white cardboard boxes with the symbol of a red dragon on the side of the box, and wire handles connected to the top of the box to make handling easier.  Eventually Chinese takeout was expanded to the food-to-go concept.  Today, takeout refers both to leftovers as well as food-to-go.
Delmarva is another Mid-Atlantic term and refers to the 200-mile long peninsula shared by Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia.  Due to the temperate weather conditions created by the Chesapeake and Delaware Bays, many of the region’s early settlers became egg farmers as chickens thrived in the climate of the area.  In 1923, one of the egg farmers decided to renew her entire egg laying flock after only two years and to sell the two-year old chickens, called broilers, to local butchers.  The butchers found these chickens extremely tender and flavorful and in a time when young chickens were typically rare and considered a luxury, the butchers found a strong demand for these broilers.  By the early 1990’s, the Delmarva Peninsula was producing over 11 million broilers per week.  Today, Sussex County in Delaware produces more broilers than any other county in America.
Immigrants from all over the world have been attracted to the large cities of the Mid-Atlantic and over the years have played an important role in influencing the cuisine of the region.  Foods like donuts, pretzels, and ice cream, once considered international treats, are now deeply embedded into today’s American regional cuisine.  The orchards and farms established generations ago by the European immigrants, which produced fruits and vegetables in abundance, gave rise to the American canning industry led by Campbell’s of Camden, New Jersey, and H. J. Heinz of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.  The region’s orchards, farms, and seafood are still a very important part of the Mid-Atlantic’s agricultural business, supplying produce, meats, seafood, and canned goods to the world.

Mid-Atlantic Indigenous Ingredients

Apple Butter: A butter-like fruit spread made by the Pennsylvania Dutch.  Apple butter is made by cooking down peeled apples in cider flavored with spices until it has a buttery consistency.  Making apple butter is many times a social event traditionally performed by groups of Pennsylvania Dutch women.  Although this type of spread can be made with any fruit, the apple variety is the most popular.
Bagel Chips: Stale bagels sliced very thin, seasoned with products such as garlic, salt, herbs, and cheese, and baked until crispy.  Bagel chips are a common substitute for potato chips in the Mid-Atlantic region. (see bagels)
Bagels: A popular bread brought to the Mid-Atlantic by Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe.  There are several accounts regarding the origin of the bagel, but the most plausible account tells us that the bagel was created in Vienna, Austria, around 1683 when the Turks captured the city.  As the story goes, Polish soldiers were asked to come to the assistance of the Austrians, and successfully recaptured the city.  After the battle some of the Polish soldiers stayed in Vienna and opened a coffeehouse where they prepared and sold a pastry shaped like a stirrup to symbolize the stirrups used by the Polish Calvary.  Supporting this account of the bagel’s origin is the German word for stirrup, buegel, which possibly is the word from which bagel is derived.  Today, bagels are one of the most popular breads in America.  Traditional bagels are hand-shaped, boiled, and then baked to attain their chewy texture. However, the bagels found in many of America’s new bagel shops are fashioned by machines, mixed with a variety of ingredients and/or toppings, and cooked with a modified process.  The resulting bagels have nothing in common to the traditional Jewish bread except for their shape.
Beef on Weck: A sandwich from western New York that dates back to 1837.  Beef on weck is made from thinly sliced, very lean roast beef served on a German caraway seed roll encrusted with salt.  The German name for the roll is kummelweck, giving way to the shortened name for the sandwich, beef on weck.  This roll is typically moistened in beef juices and filled with roast beef sliced to order.  The sandwich should be served with horseradish sauce on the side.
Beefsteak Tomatoes: Often confused with a unique variety of tomato, beefsteak tomatoes are actually not a variety at all but refer to a certain size of tomato.  Tomatoes from any variety, which grow to at least 3 inches in diameter, can be correctly referred to as a beefsteak.  The Brandywine variety of tomato, which typically grows quite large before ripening, is frequently grown large enough to be called beefsteak.  Large beefsteak tomatoes are well known for their excellent balance of sweetness and tartness due to the fact that they are usually kept on the vine through the hottest days of the summer.
Beet Eggs: An Amish preparation where eggs are hard-boiled in a seasoned liquid derived by cooking beets.  When done, the eggs turn a purplish-red color.  The first use of colored eggs for the Easter holiday is traced back to the Amish immigrants who settled in the Mid-Atlantic region.
Bialy: A doughy, chewy bread made from wheat flour, salt, yeast, and water and commonly found in delicatessens in the Mid-Atlantic region.  After the dough is shaped into a loaf, an indentation is made in the middle and then it is sprinkled with either chopped onions or poppyseeds and baked until crisp and golden brown.  The bialy is named after the Polish town of Bialystock and although the bread is said to be of Polish heritage, other breads almost identical to the bialy are found around the world, including the Onion Board in America and the Platzel in the United Kingdom.
Bloody Mary: An alcoholic beverage first served at the King Cole Bar at the St. Regis Hotel in New York City.  The drink has become a tradition frequently served during Sunday brunch.  The Bloody Mary is made with vodka and tomato juice, which is mixed with horseradish and spicy seasonings.  The non-alcoholic version is aptly named the Virgin Mary.
Blue Crabs: A common species of crab indigenous to the Mid-Atlantic and found in abundance in the Chesapeake Bay area from April through December.  Blue crabs, which are marketed and sold in both their hard- and soft-shell stages, can be easily identified by their oval shell colored anywhere from dark-blue to blue-green to brown.  The underside of the blue crab is cream colored with scarlet markings.  Crab dishes from the Chesapeake Bay area represent some of the region’s most popular dishes.  Blue crabs are used for a variety of regional preparations including plain steamed crabs, crabmeat frittata, and one of the most popular preparations, crab cakes.  The meat from blue crabs is available in three basic types.  The large pieces of meat from the muscles that operate the legs are referred to as lump meat.  The small pieces of meat from the body section are called flake meat.  Blue crabmeat can also be obtained from the claws, as well as special packs with a combination of the three types of meat.  Some of the terminology associated with blue crabs are briefly described below.

• Apron – A flap located on the underside of the bodies of blue crabs.  When cleaning blue crabs, the apron is pried away from the crab’s body in order to remove the intestinal vein, which is normally pulled out when the apron is removed.
• Deadman’s Fingers – The name given to the spongy yellow matter found in a blue crab’s body.  The crab’s gills and intestines along with the deadman’s fingers should be discarded when cleaning blue crabs.
• Jimmies – The name given to male, blue crabs.  Jimmies are known to be a little meatier than their female counterparts.
• Peelers – The name given to crabs that have grown their new, soft-shell underneath and have split the hard shell on top.  Peelers are kept in separate tanks and watched carefully until they completely shed their shell.  Within just a few short hours, the soft-shell will begin to harden if left in the water after molting.
• Soft-Shell Crabs – A stage in the life of a blue crab where they begin to molt and shed their shells.  Typically around the first of May in the Chesapeake Bay area, both male and female blue crabs will lose their shells and begin to form a new one as they grow and mature.  Blue crabs will molt up to 22 times before reaching full maturity and a size between 5 and 7 inches.  Knowing exactly when this occurrence will take place is one of the specialized skills of an experienced crabber.  The difficulty involved with predicting the exact time the crabs will molt is one of the reasons why soft-shell blue crabs are so highly regarded in the region.  Soft-shell crabs are graded by the size of the shell span.  Hotel crabs are 4-4½ inches, Prime crabs are 4½-5 inches, Jumbo crabs are 5-5½ inches, and Whale crabs are 5 ½ inches and larger.  Soft-shell crabs are a delicacy in the Mid-Atlantic and are generally pan-fried and eaten whole.  A Chesapeake Bay specialty is to pan-fry a soft-shell crab and to serve it warm in a sandwich with lettuce, tomatoes, and mayonnaise.
• Sooks – The name given to female blue crabs.  Sooks are known to be a little less meaty than their male counterparts.
• Tomalley – The name given to the yellow-colored liver of the blue crab.  The tomalley is edible and considered by many to be the delicacy of the blue crab.

Boova Shenkel: A recipe prepared by the Pennsylvania Dutch. The literal translation of Boova Shenkel in German is boys’ legs.  Boova Shenkel is a beef stew with half moon-shaped potato-filled dumplings that look like short, thick legs.
Bronx: An alcoholic beverage created in 1906 by the bartender of the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City shortly after a visit to the Bronx Zoo.  The drink is made with gin, sweet and dry vermouth, and lemon and limejuice.  The original recipe calls for a piece of burnt orange peel as the garnish.  Today, tangerine juice is frequently substituted for the orange juice in the recipe to achieve a more exotic flavor.  Either the original or modern recipe can be used to make a Bronx cocktail depending on the flavor one desires.
Brownies: A classic American dessert said to have been created by mistake.  Although the story regarding is not confirmed, many accounts of its beginning, shortly after World War I, leads to a librarian named Brownie Schrumpf who apparently forgot to include baking powder while preparing a chocolate cake.  She served the failed unrisen cake to her guests anyway…and the rest is history.  During the Great Depression, brownies gained popularity as a quick, easy-to-make dessert and served as an excellent alternative for working mothers who no longer had time to bake regular cakes.  In the Mid-Atlantic, brownies are frequently served warm and topped with vanilla ice cream and chocolate syrup.
Button Mushrooms: In 1896, the first commercial mushroom cultivation began in the Brandywine Valley near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  William Swayne is noted as having first experimented with the cultivation of mushrooms and discovered that a rich mix of soil combined with horse manure made for ideal mushroom-growing conditions.  Later, Swayne constructed the first house designed specifically to grow mushrooms.  Today, mushrooms are grown in 36 states, but Pennsylvania has the number one cash crop, accounting for almost half of America’s mushroom crop.  Button mushrooms are the most common mushroom consumed in America and are recognized by its firm white exterior, and smooth skin.
Campbell’s Soup: Shortly after the Civil War the Anderson and Campbell Preserve Company located in Camden, New Jersey, opened and soon became one of the pioneers in the mass-marketed canned produce industry.  In 1897, a chemist named John T. Dorrance joined the organization with the idea to duplicate European-style soups in concentrated form, can them, and market them to homemakers as a convenient, easy to make soup.  The first soup varieties made by Campbell’s were Tomato, Consommé, Vegetable, Chicken, and Oxtail.  In 1900, Campbell’s condensed soups won a gold medal at the Paris Exhibition.
Challah: A traditional Jewish holiday bread commonly found in Mid-Atlantic delicatessens.  Challah is a braided, white, yeast bread enriched with eggs and sprinkled with poppyseeds.  Eastern European Jews who immigrated to the Mid-Atlantic in the late nineteenth century brought challah to America.  Although this bread was originally reserved for the Jewish Sabbath and religious holidays, today it is available year-round.
Chestnuts: A nut brought by Italian immigrants.  Although chestnuts have a variety of culinary uses, those living in the Mid-Atlantic enjoy them most as a street food snack.  The chestnuts are roasted over a charcoal grill and sold hot from the vendor’s cart where their distinctive smoky aroma can be recognized many blocks away.  Eating freshly roasted chestnuts is a New York holiday tradition while viewing the large Christmas tree and watching the ice skaters at Rockefeller Center.  Due to today’s high cost of chestnuts, fewer vendors are selling them except during the Christmas holidays.
Chicken Pot Pie: A traditional dish made by the Pennsylvania Dutch and found in restaurants all over Pennsylvania.  Chicken pot pie is stewed chicken combined with pot pie noodles, which are squares of dough cooked in broth and baked in small pie or casserole dishes.
Chow Chow: The name used to describe a colorful combination of jarred, mixed pickled vegetables common to the region of the Pennsylvania Dutch.  The term’s roots are from the Chinese word cha, meaning mixed.  The vegetables used in chow chow vary each year, depending on what is being grown in the farmer’s garden.
Clear Toys: An artisan style of lollipop made by the Pennsylvania Dutch.  Clear toys are made from cooked sugar colored and poured into handcrafted molds creating miniature figures based on German folktales.  The artisan process used to make clear toys yields an exceptionally clear and brilliant color similar to colored glass.  Traditionally, clear toys were hung on Christmas trees as ornaments and then given as gifts to the children who would eat them on Epiphany.
Crab Boil: A special mix of herbs and spices used to season blue crabs as well as other seafood.  Crab boil can be found pre-blended in products such as Old Bay Seasoning. However, many families use their own recipe for crab boil, which are passed down from generation to generation and are considered to be as valuable as family heirlooms.  It is said that the taste for spicy seafood in the Mid-Atlantic has its roots from the Caribbean slaves brought to work on the region’s plantations. They prepared blue crabs with the peppery seasoning common to their homeland.  Many crab boil recipes include cayenne pepper and red chili powder, which give a spicy flavor to the meat as well as enhancing the dark red color of the crabs once they are cooked. (see Old Bay Seasoning)
Crab Cakes: A popular Mid-Atlantic preparation using blue crabmeat which, is used by itself or mixed with egg, fresh breadcrumbs, herbs, and spices and then formed into cakes and pan-fried.  Chefs from the Mid-Atlantic all agree that the best crab cakes are made only from fresh lump crab in as large pieces as possible and that smaller cakes tend to come out better than larger ones.  The history of crab cakes dates back as early as the mid-1600’s when the founder of Maryland, Lord Baltimore, was said to have eaten his first crab cake.
Delmonicos: America’s first freestanding, fine-dining restaurant, which opened in New York City in 1831. Heavily influenced by French cuisine, Delmonicos established many of America’s modern dining trends.  Aside from being the first restaurant not connected to a hotel, Delmonicos was the first to utilize a menu where the customers could choose and pay only for what they consumed.  Some of America’s most famous culinary innovations were invented at Delmonicos, including Lobster Newburg, Baked Alaska, Eggs Benedict, and Chicken à la King. Delmonicos operated for almost 100 years before closing.
Egg Cream: A non-alcoholic beverage traditionally served at New York luncheonette counters. An egg cream contains neither eggs nor cream.  It is made with chocolate syrup, milk, and seltzer water, which causes the mixture to foam up like beaten eggs.
Eggs Benedict: An dish first made by the chef at Delmonicos in New York City.  The recipe calls for two toasted English muffins, each topped with a slice of grilled ham, a poached egg, and hollandaise sauce.  It is said that Eggs Benedict was created for a regular customer of the restaurant by the same name who was bored with the regular menu.  The chef met the needs of his customer by creating the egg dish, which is still popular today.
Fastnachts: A rectangular piece of dough with a slit down the center that is deep-fried, considered to be a forerunner of today’s donut. .  The slit down the center allows the fastnacht to cook evenly and could be the reason why modern donuts have a hole in the center.  Fastnachts are typically dunked in coffee before being eaten.  They are also frequently served filled with jam or topped with molasses.
Frankfurters: Commonly referred to as hot dogs, the frankfurter was made following the German tradition of making fine sausages.  Frankfurters are a type of sausage made from an emulsified forcemeat of pork or beef that is lightly smoked and eaten on a oval-shaped bun with ketchup, mustard, and/or pickle relish. One of the most popular street foods in America, frankfurters are commonly sold from carts by street vendors and are also the traditional food eaten at baseball games and other American sporting events.  In 1939, Eleanor Roosevelt served hot dogs at her home in Hyde Park, New York, to King George VI of England. The King enjoyed them so much he had a second helping.Today, chicken, turkey and vegetarian hot dogs are available as well.
Funnel Cake: A deep-fried snack originally enjoyed by the Pennsylvania Dutch farmers who ate funnel cakes as a mid-morning snack.  Funnel cakes are made by pouring a batter through a funnel into hot fat and then swirling the strips before they fully cook.  The process results in a crisp, donut-like pastry that has a squiggly shape similar to a snail.  Funnel cakes are typically sprinkled with powdered sugar and sometimes topped with molasses or syrup before they are eaten.
Gibson: An alcoholic beverage named after the famous illustrator Charles Dana Gibson.  The drink was created at the Player’s Club in New York City in the 1930’s and was essentially a gin martini garnished with a pickled onion instead of an olive.
Heroes: Called “the sandwich that is so big you have to be a hero to eat it,” a hero sandwich should be made using a French roll a least 12 inches long.  Typical fillings include just about any combination of sliced deli meats and cheeses topped with thinly sliced tomatoes and onions.  To prepare the hero sandwich, first split the roll and scoop out some of the bread from the inside to make room to stack the meat and cheese. Moisten the bread with olive oil and spread some mustard and mayonnaise on each piece. Finally, fill the bread with the deli meats and cheeses and top with tomatoes and onions.  Additional condiments such as pickles, peppers, and olives should be served on the side.  Several cities lay claim to originating the hero sandwich including Atlantic City, Baltimore, New York, and San Francisco.  In addition, hero sandwiches have different names depending on the regional area.  For example, in Pennsylvania the hero is called a hoagie, in New Jersey a submarine, and in New England is referred to as blimps, torpedoes, and grinders.  The name hero is known to be the original.  The name submarine became popular during World War II as the sandwich resembled the underwater vessel of the same name.
Hershey’s Chocolate: The largest confectionery company in the world, Hershey’s Chocolate, was founded by Milton Hershey in rural Pennsylvania in the late 1890’s.  After failing in a variety of businesses, Hershey noticed an unfilled demand for chocolates and went to Europe to learn the secret of making milk chocolate.  He soon returned to Pennsylvania, but without a recipe, and began to experiment on his own eventually coming up with a recipe that would change chocolate manufacturing forever.  Hershey’s recipe required extra cocoa butter, which led to a surplus of cocoa powder, a by-product that helped to establish Hershey’s success.   In 1907, Hershey introduced the individually foil wrapped chocolate kiss—an immediate hit.  Today, Hershey’s Chocolate uses 175,000 gallons of milk every day for their chocolate production and is the single largest user of almonds in America.
Ketchup: Also referred to as catsup, the tomato spread or condiment was popular long before Americans began to enjoy the tomato as a fruit or ingredient in recipes.  Ketchup was first used by the British and was brought to the Mid-Atlantic by the colonists.  The word ketchup originally came from a Malaysian term meaning a savory sauce.  In 1872, the Heinz and Noble Company started to bottle walnut and tomato ketchup.  By 1890, ketchup had become so popular that Heinz dedicated a large percentage of the firm’s resources to bottling this condiment.  By 1905, Heinz was selling over 5 million bottles per year.  Today, Heinz produces and sells over 50% of the world’s supply of tomato ketchup.
Lebanon Bologna: A unique ready-to-eat sausage developed by the Pennsylvania Dutch of Lebanon County.  Lebanon Bologna is a somewhat spicy beef sausage made from 90% lean beef seasoned with black pepper and sugar.  The sausages are hung in wooden smokehouses for 2½ days and smoked very slowly.  The moist, reddish-brown sausage is typically thinly sliced and eaten with bread as a sandwich.  Sometimes, Lebanon bologna is cut into strips and served hot with a cream sauce similar to the way dried beef was eaten by the settlers of years past.
Lox: Derived from the German word lachs meaning salmon.  Lox is a salt cured side of salmon that is usually sliced paper-thin and is a common item found in delicatessens in the Mid-Atlantic.  Lox is many times referred to as smoked salmon, but is actually cured rather than smoked.  The most frequent use for lox is as a topping for a bagel that is spread with cream cheese.  The cream cheese in the sandwich not only holds the lox in place, but also helps to cut the saltiness of the fish.
Manhattan: An alcoholic beverage named after the Manhattan Club in New York City where it was first made in 1874 in honor of New York’s governor.  The drink uses bourbon, America’s only indigenous distilled spirit, and combined with sweet vermouth, angostura bitters, and is garnished with a slice of orange and a maraschino cherry.
Marshmallows: A sticky, sweet confection brought to the Mid-Atlantic region by the colonial settlers.  Marshmallows were originally made from the roots of a common garden plant called Mallow or Marshmallow shrub and were first used for culinary purposes by the early Romans.  The extraction of the mallow from the roots of the shrub was a long and involved process.  The process was simplified over the years by replacing the mallow gum arabic.  Now, gelatin is used to make marshmallows.  Although marshmallows are frequently associated with a gathering around a campfire, Americans use marshmallows for a variety of other culinary purposes including cake frostings, toppings for ice cream, and the favorite dessert among campers—S’Mores.
Matzoh: An unleavened bread that looks like a large saltine cracker and is used by the peoples of the Jewish faith during the Passover, or Pesach, holiday.  The story of matzoh dates back to the time of Moses and the Egyptian pharaoh.  When the pharaoh decided to release the Jews from bondage in Egypt, they left so quickly that their breads did not have enough time to rise. They took the dough with them and baked it under the hot desert sun into thin, flat, crisp sheets.  Matzoh is used during Passover instead of regular bread in remembrance of this historical and religious event.  Matzoh is also used to make matzoh balls for matzoh ball soup, another traditional food of the Jewish people.
McClure Bean Soup: A tradition with roots dating back to the American Civil War.  During the war the soldiers survived on a diet primarily comprised of hardtack (a hard, stale biscuit) and some dried pork or beef. However, sometimes bean soup with a little meat in it was served.  The soup was welcomed by the soldiers to break up the monotony of their regular diet.  After the war, the bean soup was served at get togethers and reunions and eventually became a public event.  The first public bean soup event was held in McClure, Pennsylvania, in 1891.  It is still held today and is attended by the descendents of the Civil War veterans.
New York Cheesecake: A cake made from cream cheese that became a popular American dessert. It was first served at Lindy’s restaurant in New York City in the 1940’s.  Traditional New York cheesecake is a tall cake with a smooth cream cheese filling and a graham cracker crust.  Many times, New York cheesecake is topped with fresh fruit such as cherries or strawberries.
Nova Scotia Lox: A lightly cured version of lox but much more delicate in flavor.  Nova Scotia lox is typically made using salmon from the North Atlantic and is usually a little more expensive than regular lox.  Nova-style smoked salmon is used in a variety of ways similar to lox, but due to its mild flavor is more commonly eaten plain as an appetizer with some condiments such as capers and diced onions. (see lox)
Old Bay Seasoning: Developed by a German immigrant named Gustav Brunn, Old Bay Seasoning is a crab boil spice mixture.  Although the actual recipe for the seasoning blend is a secret, it does contain cloves, pimento, ginger, and celery salt, among other spices. (see crab boil)
Oysters: When the European settlers arrived in the Mid-Atlantic, they were pleased to find large oysters growing in abundance in the waters along the Atlantic seaboard.  By the 1820’s, almost every city along the eastern seaboard had oyster parlors where for less than 10 cents one could enjoy their fill of oysters prepared a variety of ways.  By the mid-1800’s, the oyster population in Long Island Sound and Chesapeake Bay began to diminish.  The first attempts at aquaculture began about this time by some ingenious American oystermen who were able to grow their own oysters.  They prepared a bed of old oyster shells in Chesapeake Bay and the East River of New York so that the new oysters had something to attach themselves to.  This feat of engineered oyster cultivation was the forerunner to today’s modern aquaculture techniques, without which the American oyster supply would have long since disappeared.  The oysters indigenous to the Mid-Atlantic are named blue point and are all of the same species.  Due to the fact that oysters filter about a hundred gallons of water every day, their flavor tends to take on the characteristics of the water where they grow so even oysters of the same species can have varied tastes.  The various names attached to oysters are not necessarily different species of oysters, but the name of the growing area from which they are harvested.  Some popular oysters from the region are called by the names Blue Point, Chesapeake Bay, Chincoteague, Kent Island, Pine Island, and St. George.  Brief descriptions of the oysters indigenous to the Mid-Atlantic are listed below.

• Blue Point Oysters – Originally, Blue Point oysters was the name for internationally renowned oysters that came from Great South Bay in New York.  Today, Blue Point is a generic term used to describe any oyster with a mild flavor that comes from the Mid-Atlantic.
• Chesapeake Bay Oysters – A variety of oysters indigenous to the bay with the same name.  Chesapeake Bay oysters are small in size, with a round shell.  They are well known for their exceptionally sweet flavor.
• Chincoteague Oysters – A variety of oysters named after the Chincoteague Bay in Maryland and Virginia.  The Chincoteague oyster is small to medium in size with shells that are flat and round in shape.  These oysters are well known for their sweet yet salty flavor and distinctive aftertaste.
• Kent Island Oysters – A variety of Chesapeake Bay oyster with a medium-sized shell and oval in shape.  Kent Island oysters are well known for their plump meat and sweet clean flavor.
• Pine Island Oysters – A variety of oysters from Oyster Bay Harbor in Long Island, New York.  Pine Island oysters are well known for their intense sweet and salty combination of flavors.
• St. George Oysters – A variety of Chesapeake Bay oyster with a smooth, dark shell and a symmetrical shape.  They are well known for their sweet flavor and tender texture.

Oyster Stew: Sometimes referred to as oyster soup, oyster stew is a thin, creamy broth made from oyster liquor (the watery brine inside the oyster) and either milk or cream.  Traditional oyster stew is made by simmering milk or cream with aromatics in one pan, while the oysters are gently simmered for just a few minutes, in their own liquor, in a separate pan, then combined with the hot milk or cream.  Folklore tells us that oysters simmered in milk are a sure cure for insomnia.
Pan Puddin: Popular among the Pennsylvania Dutch, pan puddin is a traditional item, which starts after butchering a hog.  After the butchering is completed and all of the primary and secondary cuts have been used, the bones and head of the animal are cooked to remove the scrap pieces of meat.  They are then mixed with a variety of meats such as liver, kidneys, and hearts and cooked in the broth made from the bones and meat.  The mixture is seasoned and poured into molds where resting allows the fat to rise to the top and seal the loaf.  Pan puddin is typically used as a spread for toast, pancakes, and waffles.
Perdue Chickens: A well-known brand of broiling chicken produced by the Purdue family from the Delmarva Peninsula in Salisbury, Maryland.  In 1930 a the age of 10, Frank Purdue, the son of a Maryland egg farmer, received 50 chickens to care for from his father.  In 1950, when Frank took over the family business he was already known for successfully crossbreeding chickens as well as for having developed a special all-natural diet, which he fed to his chickens.  The feed combined corn and soybeans, with minerals from ground oyster shells and marigold petal extract.  Although the marigold petal extract does not add vitamins to the birds, it is responsible for their unique yellow-gold skin color.  In 1991, Frank’s son Jim took over the family business.  Today, Purdue Farms is the second largest poultry producer in America.
Philadelphia Pepper Pot: This soup was invented by the cook for General George Washington’s troops at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, during the Revolutionary War.  In an attempt to raise the morale of his troops, Washington ordered his cook to prepare a dish the soldiers would like.  The cook, however, only had a few pounds of tripe, some vegetables, and some peppercorns.  The cook prepared soup from his ingredients, and as the story goes it did indeed fortify the soldiers and give them courage.  The spicy tripe soup became known as Philadelphia pepper pot and was one of the first 21 varieties of soup ever made by Campbells.
Philly Cheese Steak: A sandwich that originated in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, which is typically sold by a street vendor.  A true Philly cheese steak is made from shaved slices of rib eye that are cooked on a grill with diced onions and served on a hard roll topped with Cheese Whiz.  Optional toppings are usually available from the vendor and include relish, peppers, ketchup, and hot sauce.  The traditional accompaniment to a Philly Cheese Steak is a cherry cola.
Pizza: The first pizza is known to have originated in Naples in the southern part of Italy and was essentially a piece of dough topped with a tomato sauce and baked.  In 1905, an Italian immigrant named Gennaro Lombardi opened the first American pizza parlor in New York City and began to serve what would become one of the most popular dishes in the history of American cuisine—the pizza pie.  Over the years, pizza has actually become more American than Italian and has little resemblance to its Italian counterpart.  The gas oven for the most part eventually replaced the original practice of cooking pizza in a wood-fired oven and homemade doughs were replaced with commercially pre-prepared ones.  In most regions of America today, pizza is associated with quick service-restaurants that specialize in home delivery.  However, in many cities in the Mid-Atlantic, the pizzeria is still a real treat holding to the many traditions of quality passed down through the generations.
Portobello Mushrooms: A very large variety of the crimini mushroom whose top is fully opened.  Portobello mushrooms, grown in abundance near Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, have a coarse skin with a dark brown color and frequently grow to between 4-8 inches in diameter.  Due to their unique size, portobello mushrooms are many times used in vegetarian cooking and are meaty enough to be grilled and served like a hamburger or steak.  Although portobello mushrooms represent only a fraction of the overall Mid-Atlantic mushroom crop, their popularity is rapidly growing.
Pretzels: A piece of dough twisted into a shape with three holes in the center, then baked crisp and topped with salt.  The first pretzel factory in America, the Sturgis Pretzel House, is located in the heart of the Pennsylvania Dutch region near Lititz, Pennsylvania.  For the Pennsylvania Dutch, the twist of the pretzel symbolized the bond of marriage and the three holes in the center represented the holy trinity.  Children of the region, who said their prayers, were traditionally given pretzels by their parents as a reward.
Pumpernickel: A bread commonly found in delicatessens in the Mid-Atlantic made in a fashion very similar to rye bread.  Pumpernickel bread is different from rye bread only due to the addition of molasses or caramel, which gives the bread its dark brown color and the use of unsifted (unbolted) rye flour for its grainy texture. (see rye bread)
Rivel: A thrifty soup made by the Pennsylvania Dutch consisting of a simple broth with rice shaped bits of dough.  The dough is made by rubbing a ball of pasta dough through a sieve over the simmering broth.
Rueben: A popular American sandwich said to have been invented by a man named Reuben or at a deli in New York City called Reubens.  Regardless of which Reuben actually invented the sandwich it has remained a deli icon for many years.  The Reuben sandwich is made with corned beef, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, and Russian dressing that is all grilled between two pieces of rye bread.
Rye Bread: A bread commonly found in delicatessens throughout the Mid-Atlantic.  Jewish-style rye bread is made from a mixture of ground rye grain and wheat flour.  German-style rye bread uses only rye flour.  Rye breads are frequently prepared with caraway seeds that are either sprinkled on top of the dough or mixed into it before baking.  Jewish rye bread usually uses a sourdough starter as a leavening agent, which gives it its distinctive, slightly sour flavor.
Sauerbraten: A dish originally from Germany brought to the Mid-Atlantic by the Mennonite and Amish immigrants.  Sauerbraten is made with beef cured with sugar and vinegar, then braised in gravy, which is thickened with crushed gingersnaps.
Schmaltz: A Yiddish term referring to pure, rendered chicken fat.  Schmaltz is typically found in Jewish delicatessens and is used for cooking in a manner similar to butter.  Sometimes schmaltz is flavored with apples, onions, and seasonings to give it additional flavor and used as a spread.  Schmaltz is used as the fat when preparing a traditional Jewish spread called Chopped Chicken Liver, which is a type of pate common to delicatessens in the Mid-Atlantic.
Schmear: Derived from the Yiddish word shmirn, meaning to smear and grease or, more commonly, to ask for a dab of something.  Schmear is a common word used in Jewish deli’s to ask for a product like mustard to be spread lightly on a sandwich or to spread a dab of cream cheese on a bagel.
Schnitz und Knepp: A traditional dish of the Pennsylvania Dutch.  Schnitz und Knepp is a simple stew that combines dried apples with smoked ham and is topped with steamed dumplings.  If made properly, the apples become soft and plump with dumplings that are light and fluffy.
Scrapple: A form of pan puddin made popular by the Amish immigrants of the Mid-Atlantic.  Scrapple is the same as pan puddin except that cornmeal or buckwheat flour is added to the meats as they cook.  The traditional way to prepare scrapple is to cut slices about ½ inch thick and pan-fry them until golden brown.  Scrapple is frequently served at breakfast with poached eggs. (see pan puddin)
Shoo-Fly Pie: The most famous of all Pennsylvania Dutch pies.  Shoo-fly pie, also referred to as pie cake or molasses cake, is a crumbly mixture made from brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and butter baked over a layer of molasses in a pie shell.  There are many accounts how the name Shoo-fly pie originated.  One such theory is that the molasses in the pie was so sweet that one had to shoo the flies away from it.  Another account tells us shoo-fly is derived from the French word for cauliflower, choufleur due to the way the crumb topping resembled cauliflower.
Smithfield Ham: A patented curing and smoking process for Virginia hams.  The hams are cured for a minimum of 6-12 months in Smithfield, Virginia, before being cooked.  Before you can use them, they must be soaked in water for 12-24 hours to remove the excess salt.
Smoked Sable: A smoked, black codfish common in delicatessens of the Mid-Atlantic.  Smoked sable is frequently sliced thin and served on bread with onions, salty black olives, and sweet butter.
Smoked Whitefish: A common item in Mid-Atlantic delicatessens.  Smoked whitefish can be identified by its shiny golden skin and mild flavor.  It is frequently served as a salad by making a paste with the smoked whitefish and adding chopped red onions and seasonings.  Smoked whitefish is also sliced into pieces and served with pickled onions.
Tomatoes: Originally tomatoes were used only as an ornamental plant due to the belief in the early 1800’s that tomatoes were considered poisonous.  Tomatoes were one of the first and most famous products canned by the Anderson and Campbell Company in 1870 and used in the first of the Campbell’s Soup line in 1897, Campbell’s Beefsteak Tomato Soup.  Tomatoes did not become popular until the very late 1800’s, when French and Italian immigrants began to use them frequently in recipes. Ketchup, first made commercially by the Heinz and Nobel Company, also helped to build the popularity of the tomato among Americans.  By the early 1900’s, tomato consumption surpassed that of apples and potatoes.  Even today, tomatoes are the second most consumed products in the fruit and vegetable category, just behind potatoes. Tomatoes are a very important fruit crop to the Mid-Atlantic and are grown in abundance in the state of New Jersey.  Today, 20% of the New Jersey tomato crop is devoted to processing tomatoes used primarily to make canned pizza and spaghetti sauce, while the majority of the crop concentrates on growing over 25 table varieties such as Rutgers, Brandywine, Mountain Spring, Sunbright, and Old Flame varieties, just to name a few.
Vichyssoise: A chilled potato and leek soup invented by Chef Louis Diat at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in New York City.  Although the name may sound French, Vichyssoise is definitely an American innovation. If prepared properly, the soup should be very smooth and creamy with the delicate flavor of the leeks coming through in a subtle way.  Vichyssoise should always be served extremely cold and garnished with nothing but minced chives.

Menus from Mid-Atlantic Cuisine

Menu One 

Split Pea Soup

~

Corn Crepes with Smoked Shrimp and Asparagus

~

Shaker Style Turkey Cutlets

Creamy Lima Beans

Buttery Homemade Noodles

 

Menu Two

Buffalo Chicken Wings

~

Open Face Soft-Shell Crab Sandwich

~

Pennsylvania Pot Roast

Croquette Potatoes

Menu Three

Manhattan Clam Chowder

~

Waldorf Salad

~

Chicken with Dill Dumplings

Peas and Carrots

Spaghetti Squash