Week of July 5th – Rhode Island

After a little research on this diminutive state, I’ve come to think that all they do in Rhode Island is sail and eat. There are more local specialties then should be allowed for its square footage, it’s only 37 miles wide. I know people that drive farther than that to get to work each day.

They love their Johnny cakes, clam cakes, clams casino (actually anything to do with clams), grinders, Fish & Chips and Snail Salad (don’t ask). They have their owe version of clam chowda’ that is minus the cream and butter. And then they have something called a “New York System wiener”, which has nothing to do with New York and, apparently, can only be found in Rhode Island.

And when they get thirsty they have Coffee Milk, not to be confused with coffee with milk, or Del’s frozen lemonade. This thing they call Coffee Milk, which is milk with coffee syrup, is so popular (official state beverage) that they have it on tap in the Brown University dining halls. The out-of-towners just shrug their shoulders.

Now Del's recipe was brought over from Italy, kind of a melted Italian ice, with the business starting as a single push cart in Cranston, Rhode Island, in 1948. Today you can see their trucks in 36 states but Missouri isn’t one of them so I ordered a t-shirt.

Rhode Island is also home to CVS, Gorham and Hasbro and institutions of higher learning, Brown and RISD. It is home to the Touro Synagogue, the oldest synagogue in North America and the first circus in the United States (Newport). OK, this state is getting bigger by the minute.

Anyway the circus wasn’t in town and I don’t need a new set of silverware so food and drink wins again.

So we set the table with pots of violets (state flower) and a glass Rhode Island Red and started the celebration with a lunch of grinders. Grinders are sub sandwiches made with ham, prosciutto, salami and Provolone cheese. The Rhode Island version is left open and placed under a broiler until the cheese melts.

My husband so kindly pointed out that our violets were of the African variety but I retorted with the fact that the violets in our garden were past their flowering time and wouldn’t look as nice. Of course, his come-back was that the violets in our garden were weeds. But since the dictionary defines a weed as a valueless plant, I wholeheartedly disagree.

But the celebration continues..........

While dinner was cooking I tried my hand at making my version of Del’s frozen lemonade. I discovered 2 things. St. Louis needs to get a Del’s and I need a new blender.

Dinner was, of course, the infamous hot dog done the Rhode Island way. I also included a salad called a Rhode Island Apple & Nut Salad; the rest of the world knows it as a Waldorf Salad, and fried clam strips. (Had to get those clams in.) The "New York System wiener” is a hot dog made of veal and pork placed in a bun and topped with a nutmeg and garlic flavored meat sauce, chopped onions, and sprinkled with celery salt. All of this is crowned with yellow mustard. Hale to the “NY System Wiener”!

For atmosphere we closed the celebration with the movie “Evening” which paints beautiful pictures of the Rhode Island coastline.

Color in Rhode Island with a coastal image that extends far beyond its borders and make your way clear cross country to the “Beaver” state – Oregon. 35 down – 17 to go.