In a recent episode of Food Network's Feasting on Asphalt, host Alton Brown stopped at an Evansville pub to dine on a breaded, deep-fried brain sandwich. To hear him talk, one would think brains is a much-beloved, popular Hoosier delicacy.
Perhaps it's the generation gap, but I personally do not know anybody my age who regularly eats brains - fried or otherwise. This isn't to say I don't know anybody who has ever eaten brains. My uncle, as a child, has told me he used to eat scrambled eggs and brains for breakfast. And, when I was in high school, the local supermarket I worked at sold beef brains in deli containers.
I can still that shaking gelatinous lump jiggling around on the checkout belt. (And I'm referring to the tub of brains, not the overalls-clad old farmer buying them.)
Ick. (Again, ick aimed at the brains, not the consumer thereof.)
So... let me toss this question out: what defines Hoosier haute cuisine? (Hoosier haute cuisine is not to be confused with Terre Haute cuisine, which simply requires a drive-up window and the ability to super-size one's meal). Personally, I do not believe brain sandwiches are the Indiana munchable of choice. (I say this despite the Great Beef vs. Pork Brains debate, which continues to rage to this day).
To my mind, Indiana cooking is defined by one key element: gravy. Everything has gravy in Indiana.
Everything.
Some Hoosiers take the drippings-starch-and-milk business farther than others. I had a great-uncle who used to eat milk gravy on apple pie.
I don't know if he ate brain sandwiches.
But my grandmother used to cook beef tongue. And - all due respect to my grandma, who was by far the greatest cook I've ever known - eating tongue is just wrong. I believe you never eat anything with the potential to taste you back.
So, let me pose the question to all of you again: what defines Hoosier cuisine for you? Is it Breaded Tenderloins? Biscuits and sausage gravy? Slabs of pie as big as your head?
Drop me a comment and share with all of us your ideal Hoosier edible. And - if brains and tongue are your thing, let us know.
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3 comments:
For me it's homemade noodles, but I think gravy is close behind. Eric's family even makes (or used to make) bologna gravy!
Jessica
My all time favorite type memory of Indiana is those little ma and pa type restaurants that the older people eat at. They all have the famous glass case of various pies. The cream pies always caught my attention. Thinking back about it, I don't know why they tasted so darn good. The white stuff always seemed to be slipping of the cream filling. It looked kind of gross. But oh how yummy they were.
I've never been a big gravy fan. I do like biscuits in gravy. Minnesota people have not mastered gravy for buscuits. They serve buscuits and gravy at work almost every Friday morning. The gravy should be white, not tan. I do miss Grandma Shews homemade noodles. But aside of her noodles, I'm not big fan of noodles either.
But second to the cream pies memories is the tenderloins. I'm so happy that Culver's serves tenderloins just like they had back in Indiana.
Back in the day of our Grandparents... farmers were never wasteful! So, therefore, ate things most of our generation would never think of touching much less consuming. YUCK!!! Although I am married to a man who used to take cold beef heart &/or tongue sandwiches to school! REALLY YUCKY!
My personal biggest "Hoosier" thing I cannot do without? You have to have homemade noodles on top of your mashed potatoes!
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