Ellen.....


Zeppoles? ZEPPOLES?!!! Let me tell you a little story about zeppoles here in RI! Zeppoles here are a cream puff sort of pastry, where the puff shell is either baked or fried, a cherry on the top, then dusted with powdered sugar. I am not a fan of this desert since cream pastries are not my favorites, but, they sure do look good. Zeppoles in RI can be found in most Italian bakeries, but, my understanding is, they make a major debut on St. Joseph's Day, in March, near St. Patrick's Day.

A local bakery (Lisa, do you know Zaccanini's on Oaklawn?) a few years ago had a very large article in our newspaper about being famous for making the best zeppoles in RI. Well, I being the thoughtful wife that I am (LOL), decided to surprise my husband with some zeppoles! Off to the bakery I go, the day before St. Joseph's day.

Well..........
The line was just about out the door. (I was the next person to actually make the line go out the door.) I pulled #31..........they were on #12!!! And as I got closer to my turn, I could hear peoples orders......."i'll have one dozen, could you put them in 2 boxes...............i'll have 3 1/2 dozens"..............."i would like 3 dozen"....."may i have a dozen, 3 boxes of 4"

I thought, jeesh.....I only want a measly 2 zeppoles...are they going to allow that?.....everyone's ordering by the dozens.....

Finally, my turn...I sheepishly ordered my 2 zeppoles and went on my way. Almost an hour later, and a cranky infant in a bucket carrier!!!!

And that is what I always think about when I hear zeppoles!!!!!

I'm sorry I made you flash back to that bad experience. My husband also thinks a zeppole is like what you described. But I swear I bought them in a bag at an Italian fair and it was fried dough with powdered sugar. But we're not Italian. I will research this with my Italian friends.

AROUND HERE WE LIKE OUR FRIED CATFISH AND HUSH PUPPIES. I DON'T KNOW IF ANY OF YOU HAVE HEARD OF DAVID BEARDS CATFISH VILLAGE... IT ORIGINATED IN MY HOMETOWN.

WE ALSO CALL EM CRAWDADS NOT CRAWFISH OR CRAYFISH.

SWEET ICED TEA IS THE DRINK OF CHOICE. "....YOU MIGHT BE A REDNECK!!" I WISH I WASN'T, BUT I THINK I AM

I think the only genuinely local food here is of the indigenous variety: wallaby stew, lovely marinated roo steaks, croc or emu pie. Not the sort of tucker that you will find in restaurants for the most part. (only indigenous Australians are allowed to shoot the local wildlife for dinner.) I can't think of a single dish that is genuinely local.

No they've always been vegetarians. When they're older they can choose to eat meat, but for now they're happy and healthy without it!

Ellen,
Don't appologize. We laugh at it as we think back.....If you could just picture it.....a novice zeppole order......an infant in a bucket car seat staring at nothing but legs.....and Italian ladies, young to old elbowing their way through the line. Let's just say I saved our #31 for Michael's memory book!!!

Lisa,
You can't forget MILKSHAKES.. ( milk and icecream blended) others call it Cabinets.

I was reminded about the stuffies too!!! Stuffed quahogs (larger clams)....minced clams and breading with spices, stuffed into the quahog shell and baked. I love them with tobasco sauce!

In Trinidad we have so many variations of creole and East Indian food. Some that are unique to us are:

Doubles: Two flat, thin pieces of fried dough with a filling of curried channa
Roti: Curried meat and vegetables wrapped in a thin, flat dough
Curried crab and dumplings (especially in Tobago)
callalloo: thick vegetable soup made of dasheen leaves (similar to spinach) pumpkin, okras and peppers usually served with other creole dishes for Sunday meal

Is it a sickness that I keep posting about food here?!

Lizzie,

My roommate in college was/is Indian and I used to visit them often (they only lived in Belmont, MA and we went to college in Boston.) for dinner. Roti was my favorite!! Gobi roti (cauliflower?), and the kind with potatoe!!! She also made great pakoras and samosas, as well as dahl!!!!!

IN South Carolina, we have somthing called Chicken Bog.....it sounded so gross when i first moved here but it is really good, we just had it yesterday after church! You boil a whole chicken (or breasts whatever you like) with an onion, garlic, and seasoning,butter, and chopped smoke sausage.Slowly boil for a few hours.Debone the chicken, and scoop out the sausage, use the water to make rice(WHITE) mix the chicken and sausage back in and voila! You ahve chicken bog, serve with rolls and seasoned green beans and ice cold sweet tea!YUMMMM!
Also we have something here called vinegar pork....it is southern bar-b-q and is SOOOo good!
Lisa- We call daughboys funnel cakes in the south.... we used to have them EVERY thursday in public school. ALL the pubic schools in the state have something called "chicken day" every thursday and they serve Fried chicken, rice and gravy, green beans, rolls and funnel cakes! GOSH I miss those days!- I am on a diet now and would KILL to eat anything remotely tastey!-Courtney

Courtney, is the chicken bog kind of like jambalya that we have here. I had a friend that always loved it from SC. Is it kind of runny or like rice with stuff in it? Just curious?

Kayla

Kayla- It is like Rice with stuff in it.....and sorta like Jambalya(which I don't really like) except not spicy at ALL.

ny is famous for pizza and bagels! there is actually a pizzeria in new york city called lombardi's(amazing) that is the very first pizzeria in the u.s.!

Zeppollis do NOT have cream in them. They are fried stretched dough dusted with sugar. They are sweet and heavy from being fried. Fantastic.

Pizza - not that deep dish stuff but nice thin pizza with sauce, cheese and maybe pepperoni or sauage. The kind of pizza that you can grab a slice and run out the door.

Jewish Deli - Pastrami on Rye with Cole slaw and Russian Dressing. A knish.

Bagels - not those bricks they sell away from NY but crunchy bagels with soft insides served hot with cream cheese and lox. Or a bialy!

Maybe in NY, the Zeppoles don't have cream, but in RI they DO! If they didn't have cream they'd be a doughboy!!! (oh, the fried dough product debate!!)

Tom, you have to come to Rhode Island mid March for St Joseph's day. I've been to Little Italy....and our Federal Hill is smaller....but the same idea. You'll see that Zeppola's do indeed have cream inside. You can also sample a doughboy dusted with sugar and fried to a golden brown. Come for the weekend....and bring a big appetite!!

We don't eat in Seattle. We just drink Starbucks coffee!!!!!!

Here in SF it's the dungeness crabs (traditional Christmas eve and New Year's food) and sourdough bread. Marin County is becoming well known for some great local cheeses. The local salmon is usually great but this year has been dismal. Our local Chinese food (especially Dim Sum) is not to be missed.

This is really interesting stuff!

My work colleague was thinking that we should bring back 'low tea' for an afternoon treat It's an experience in itself!

That would involve a pot of fresh tea, some scones with clotted cream (a cooked cream with a lovely thick crust), strawberry jam (jelly to you americans!) and butter, some cakes (battenburg, victoria sponge), some little finger sandwiches with the crust trimmed off - usually filled with egg and cress or cucumber. All served on the best china, nice white table cloth, one of those china cake stands with the little doilies on! I think that would bring back a proper English meal!!