Maryland Cuisine ,From Surf To Turf

Maryland is a state that offers all sorts of vatieties.There is the sleek cosmopolitan feel of Baltimore, the romantic, historic feel of the Chesapeake Bay area, the laid back, summer fun of Ocean City.The cuisine of the Old Line State is just as diverse.There are so many dishes from the land and sea,making for a rich ,exciting buffet of tasty dishes. It's no great wonder that Chesapeake mean bay of shellfish in Algonquin. The Chesapeake has always been known for it's delectable crab dishes.Blue crab abound in the many inlets.Of course the most famous dish involving the shredded crab along with the famed Old Bay seasoning, a mix of celery salt ,black and red peppers,cardamon, mustard and clove.It's actually an easy recipe ,with the addition of eggs and breadcrumbs..Blue crabs can be also served breaded and fried while still in their shells. The state is also known for soup and salad featuring the marine animal..However crabs aren't the only stars of Maryland cuisine.Oysters figure prominently as well.Many seafood restaurants pride themselves on their deep fried oyster fritters along with a savory oyster pie made with them as well as a variety of vegetables..Meats play an important part of the state culinary history.There is Maryland style pit beef which is a brisket cooked in a below ground pit or hole.Vinegar is added as the only flavoring .It's sliced thin and served on a roll with horseradish ,sliced raw onion and mayo.Since Maryland is really a Southern state there are also ham and biscuits.The ham is corned and stuffed with kale,cabbage and onions while the biscuits are made with a dough that's been mallet beaten for twenty to thirty minutes. The state is also known for some famous desserts.Many think of Lord and Lady Baltimore cakes,because of their names. Lady Baltimore actually originated in turn of the Twentieth, Century Baltimore and evolved from the lady cakes of the day.What is more reflective is the Smith Island Cake.This was brought from England when the state was a colony.It is a ten layer vanilla cake with chocolate icing.The size and richness suited the hearty appetites of the fishermen from the area.Peaches are in another popular state recipe,a peach pot pie,full of the ripe fruit,brown sugar and Madeira wine.A less decadent is the Dover cake a simple pound cake,flavored with nutmeg and rose brandy.Huckleberry pudding is also a nice end, which is a flour based pudding loaded with the sweet berries.Most of the desserts represent Maryland's rich English and Colonial heritage and many of the desserts could be straight out of a Jane Austen novel. Maryland is a state full of diversity.There's the sophisticated city of Baltimore for elegant dining and desserts and the bay and ocean front towns, with tasty seafood and hearty cakes.Each dish shows the many facets of this state ,ripe with history and nature.