Missouri’s Crossroads Cuisine by Ruth Paget
Missouri’s position in the center of the United States next to the Mississippi River has made it a crossroads of commerce and exploration of the American West, commemorated by the towering Gateway Arch in St. Louis.
The Pony Express was started in Missouri and connected the state via pony relays with the Pacific. Cosmopolitan traders worked in St. Louis and their cuisine seems to influence Missouri to this day with many very good dishes to prepare ahead and serve immediately to satisfy hunger with the exception of meat dishes that take a little longer to cook.
The following recipes in Best of the Best from Missouri edited by Gwen McKee and Barbara Moseley might interest readers who would like to prepare some deli and bakery items at home in addition to main dishes:
-saganaki – Greek Kasseri or Kefalotiti cheese ignited with brandy and doused with lemon juice when the flames die make this a sour and savory appetizer. I ate saganaki all the time as teen in Detroit, Michigan’s Greektown. It was a popular appetizer and blackened the ceilings over customers’ tables. Everyone in the restaurant yelled, “Opa!” when the saganaki came out.
-Missouri pâté – made with butter, mushrooms, shallots, bourbon, liverwurst, cream cheese, and dill -smoked fish pâté – made with salmon or trout, scallions, cream cheese, and mayonnaise
-Armenian white bread
-Jewish challah bread – egg bread made with poppy seeds -pimiento cheese bread
-wild rice soup made with milk and cheddar cheese
-Clamato aspic salad – lemon jello made with oyster and tomato flavored Clamato juice, chopped artichoke hearts, green pepper, and avocado
-pasta with vodka sauce and sun-dried tomatoes -rice and noodle casserole made with chestnuts and mushrooms
-horseradish mousse made with cottage cheese and onion
-Clinton County pork chops with sour cream sauce
-pork medallions with mustard cream sauce – I ate these in Germany to win instant acceptance at weinstubs like Trollinger in Stuttgart, Germany
-mustard mousse made with heavy cream – very welcome on dish on hot summer days Travelers might also like to sample the multicultural fare described in Best of the Best from Missouri edited by Gwen McKee and Barbara Moseley.
By Ruth Paget, author Eating Soup with Chopsticks and Marrying France
