Hoppel Poppel is a higgledy-piggledy breakfast found in the upper Midwest, mostly in home kitchens, but also in a few restaurants. The foundation is eggs scrambled with chunks of griddle-fried potato and usually grilled onions, too. Ham, bacon or sausage almost always is included unless the kitchen is kosher, in which case the meat will … Continue reading Hoppel Poppel

One of the first stories we wrote when we started at the late Gourmet magazine was about America’s great steak houses. New York’s Ben Benson’s was one of them; and in the course of researching the story, Mr. Benson gave us his recipe for his steak house hash browns. They’re great with steak or, for … Continue reading Steak House Hash Browns

Dutch lettuce is not like a salad you’d find on either coast, or, for that matter, anywhere outside Midwest farmland, where it, and salads like it, are a staple. The common denominators of all Dutch lettuce are hard-cooked eggs, bacon, sweet-and-sour dressing and, of course, lettuce. At The Coffee Cup, on the town square of … Continue reading Dutch Lettuce

In 1946, Robert Baker devised a marinade with which to baste chicken parts as they slow-cooked over charcoal. Crisp-skinned, plush “Cornell chicken” became a legend as it was served at Baker’s Chicken Coop booth at the annual New York State Fair in Syracuse. Long a favorite of backyard barbecuists throughout New York’s Southern Tier, Cornell … Continue reading Cornell Chicken Marinade

If you’ve never tasted ployes, you’re missing out on something truly unique. Originally a staple in the diet of Acadians in Northern Maine, ployes are a type of flatbread that is similar to a pancake or crumpet. Their distinct flavor comes from the use of buckwheat flour, which also gives ployes a slightly nutty taste. … Continue reading Ployes Recipe | Northern Maine