Chicken Potpie, a hearty stew flaunting the flavor and golden color of saffron; Schnitz and Knepp, a savory concoction of ham pieces, dried apples and dumplings; Chicken Stoltzfus, a smooth, creamy stew topped with baked pastry squares; Chicken-Corn Soap, bolstered with homemade egg noodles; and Pork Loin with sauerkraut, a hearty cold-weather dish, usually served with mashed potatoes and relishes, are all fine examples of Pennsylvania Dutch cooking.
Funnel Cakes, first devised so a cook could make cakes without heating the oven, have become a favorite snack at carnivals across the country. Fastnachts (doughnuts) are baked for Shrove Tuesday.
Shoofly Pie is one of the best known Pennsylvania Dutch specialties. Its name is said to come from the notion that when the pie is cooling on the windowsill you have to shoo the flies that are attracted by its sweetness. Its delicious filling is made from a few kitchen staples including butter molasses.
Vinegar is the essential preserving ingredient in the pickles and spiced fruit that go into making the traditional "seven sweets and seven sours" of the German table. These sweets and sours are served in a great number of bowls and plates to augment and accompany the main dishes of meat and potatoes.
In 1732, a men's fishing club was founded in Philadelphia. The owner invented the famed Fish House Punch, a potent concoction of rum and brandy. Philadelphia Pepper Pot is a stick-to-the-ribs type of soup enlivened with both red and black pepper. Legend has it that pepper pot was created for George Washington and his troops during their winter at Valley Forge.
In Maryland, crab-cooking is a high art. Deep-fried Softshell Crabs, Butter-fried Softshells, Imperial Crab baked in its own shell, Deep-fried Crab Cakes and Maryland Deviled Crab --- all are epicurean delights. Maryland Fried Chicken with Gravy has an identity of its own and Lady Baltimore Cake will finish off any meal beautifully.
MID-ATLANTIC
THE FLAVORS OF AMERICA
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By Mary Eccher
page 4 of 13
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