"jmcquown" > wrote in message
...
> On 12/6/2013 4:28 PM, Pete C. wrote:
>>
>> jmcquown wrote:
>>>
>>> Of course I don't deep fry anything. But this was interesting to me.
>>>
>>> While I was waiting to get the oil and filters changed in my car I sat
>>> outside enjoying the decidedly sunny non-holiday weather (84°F). There
>>> was an elderly gentleman sitting outside. I asked if he's loving this
>>> hot weather. He said oh, man! It's great!
>>>
>>> Turns out he went on a church tour/shopping trip to Pennsylvania Dutch
>>> (Amish) country. They left just before a big snowstorm hit. He said it
>>> was 18°F there! (People this far south don't generally own really heavy
>>> coats.) I'm sure it felt good for him to get back here to warmer, if
>>> not hot, temperatures.
>>>
>>> I had to chuckle. He said, "I'm a black man. Been around fried chicken
>>> all my life. I've *never* tasted fried chicken as good as I got in
>>> Pennsylvania!"
>>>
>>> I googled for some recipes for Amish fried chicken. Apparently soaking
>>> the chicken pieces in buttermilk is the key. I've heard about this for
>>> years, but since I don't fry chicken... <shrug>
>>>
>>> Some might say buttermilk is a "southern thing". <shrug> My father
>>> (born in and mostly raised in Pennsylvania or western Ohio, in Penna
>>> Dutch country) grew up with buttermilk. Me, having lived most of my
>>> adult life in the South, not so much.
>>>
>>> Jill
>>
>> I've heard the buttermilk thing in southern recipes. My suspicion is the
>> real difference is/was very fresh, very high quality locally raised
>> chicken.
>>
> Probably many of the Amish who run restaurants are also farmers. He said,
> sort of amazed, "They *grow* everything they cook in their restaurants!"
> Could be they raised the chickens and delivered them freshly slaughtered
> and plucked. (I've read about and seen documentaries Amish
> restaurants.)
>
> He also mentioned the Amish fried chicken wasn't at all greasy. Maybe his
> mother or grandmother didn't really know how to make good fried chicken.
> <shrug> Just because you're from or live in a certain area southern
> doesn't mean you're born knowing how to cook something. Or that you'll
> ever master it. It sounded like he and the church group had a good trip.
> It was just a tad too cold, weather-wise.
>
> Jill

Although we moved here when I was 7, I was born in KS where apparently BBQ
is common. I did not know this because we never ate the stuff. In fact in
all of my life, I have rarely (thankfully) had an encounter with BBQed food.
We do have some BBQ places her now that mostly do catering but it is not a
big thing here given that we don't have good weather often for eating
outside.

Seafood is big here. Not something I ate much of either except for that
horrible Weight Watcher's year when both parents were on the diet. Had more
fish and liver then than I care to remember.

I thought my mom was cooking midwest cuisine. But it turns out that my MIL
in PA cooked very similarly. The only differences really were that my mom
made biscuits, cornbread, lots of popcorn and served hominy and black eyed
peas. MIL made some Italian American dishes because she is Italian. But
the other things they made like pork chops and pot roast were done the same
way.