Thanksgiving Plates Of The States

Thanksgiving is truly an American holiday.It's where we gather and be thankful for our freedoms and what we have. It's celebrated in every corner of the country from Maine to Hawaii, from Alaska to Florida. Best of all we are thankful the bounty that comes from these states. Each has their own special crops and dishes that symbolize both themselves and the country.

This was the topic of today's Food issue in the Wednesday New York Times.Literally every state is mentioned with some interesting and unique, sides, mains and desserts.It's the perfect guide for home chefs looking to make the unusual or varying on tradition. Some are a bit tongue in cheek like the Colorado entry which has a reference to the state's recent marijuana laws. The recipe? A stoner's dream T-Day treat , bourbon spiked pecan  pie bites dipped in turkey gravy -no fooling.The reason being is that the high  gravitate towards intense flavors, The combo of salty gravy and uber sweet pecan pie works. For more traditional, go for Oklahoma's green bean casserole.This holiday classic actually was developed in 1955 by the Campbell's Soup Company.It's a mix of green beans,mushrooms and soup, with a bread crumb topping. The Food section jazzes it up with Gruyere cheese and crème fraiche,making it perfectly elegant and even hip for a Manhattan Thanksgiving.New Hampshire gives us the traditional New England roast turkey brined in salt and sugar along with bay leaf.The cavity is filled with a savory mix of onions, carrots and celery, If you want recipes for leftovers then check out Nevada's Eric Klein a Las Vegas restauranteur  who gives his turkey au jus recipe, a take on the roast beef kind.

Many of the recipes reflect the state. There is mofungo from Puerto RIco, a traditional mash of plaintains, pork rinds and garlic, along with peppers and tomatoes. This can be served with turkey but would be excellent with a pork roast for any Christmas or New Year's. party. Louisiana gives us shrimp mirilton, with the mirilton squash indigenous to the area as is the shrimp. New Jersey's recipe  is manicotti, reflecting the state;s large Italian population. This is a great opener to the turkey dinner or better yet served the day after. I would add leftover turkey to it , although the airy light crepes are good just with the manicotti and the day after.Maine, of course, is lobster centric and the recipe is the lushly decadent lobster and mac. Again. like the manicotti would be a great day after dish, thanks to its' rich pairing of lobster and pure Cheddar. For dishes, less luxurious but just as representative of their state is Indian pudding from Rhode Island. This is a combination of both indigenous porridge and British hasty pudding with a blend of cornmeal , molasses , raisins and whole milk. Vermont gives us cheddar mashed potatoes a simple blend of the state's most famous cheese and spuds. California 's dish is its' traditional sourdough as a stuffing with kale, dates and turkey sausage. Georgia  has the ultimate traditional recipe in pecan pie.

We should be grateful that we live in the US. We actually do have a rich culinary tradition and a very good cuisine. It should make us proud - and well stuffed what Thanksgiving is all about,.