Posted in Episodes on Dec 5th, 2011
This episode examines the development of home canning and how Indiana residents have utilized various aesthetic and technological methods both in the past and today. From the innovative “Pie In A Jar” technique to family recipes for sweet pickles, from the history of the Ball Jar in Indiana to drying beans, Hoosiers contribute to a rich landscape of food preservation.
For this episode we traveled to Muncie, home of the Ball Corporation Archives; to Sechler’s Pickles in St. Joe; Lisa’s Pie Shop in Atlanta; as well as visiting with Harold and Jo Ann Jackson in Salem, who preserve foods from their home.
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Posted in Episodes on Dec 1st, 2011
Like pork tenderloins and turtle soup, which were popularized by German immigrants, many of Indiana’s food traditions have been transplanted here from other regions.
With an interest in the localization process of foods, we look at ethnic and regional foods popular in Indiana though not conventionally thought of as Hoosier cuisine.
We visit three food establishments curiously nestled in the Hoosier heartland—El Tacos Veloz in Indianapolis, Zydeco’s Cajun Restaurant in Mooresville, and House of India in Schererville—to find out what it takes to present and preserve these cuisines in a new locale.
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Zydeco’s Cajun Restaurant
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Posted in Episodes on Oct 28th, 2011
The morel mushroom fruits in the spring, signaling a Hoosier tradition of hunting the wooded areas of the state for these elusive fungi. Though serious morel hunters can be cagey to newcomers, the activity has inspired a lively folklore.
Morel lovers congregate for group hunts, festivals, clubs, and via online message boards and social media to trade outlandish hunting methods and rumored fertile hunt spots.
Lengthy foraging for this rare mushroom pays off, as it is a prized culinary treat – as good deep fried in a simple egg batter as it is sautéed with truffle oil on top a pasta dish.
Brown County State Park interpretive naturalist Jim Eagleman gives us some background on the park’s morel festival, Steve Russell of the Hoosier Mushroom Society shares his favorite cooking methods, and Ron Kerner of IndianaMushrooms.com is kind enough to give us some hunting tips.
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Posted in Episodes on Sep 30th, 2011
A staple at church socials and fall festivals in DuBois County, turtle soup is typically made in large batches, reflecting the community aspect of the dish. Government regulations concerning the sale of wild game means that the recipe is often of the “mock turtle” variety, but its unmistakable taste luckily comes more from the pickling spices than the type of meat used. Turtle soup aficionados sometimes practice “turtle noodling,” catching turtles by hand in muskrat holes by water sources.
We visited folks at a number of restaurants and diners that serve variations on this regional dish, including Fleig’s Cafe, the Ferdy Flyer, and Heichelbech’s Restaurant & Bar, all located in Dubois County.
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Posted in Episodes on Sep 1st, 2011
On this episode of Second Servings: the marvels of breaded meat.
Indiana’s pride is the breaded pork tenderloin sandwich. For a closer look at this Hoosier staple, we hauled in a few experts to share their thoughts.
First, we talked to Indianapolis food blogger Rick Garrett, a tenderloin connoisseur and critic who chronicles his adventures online.
Then, we had a chat with Don Storie, who owns Storie’s Restaurant, a Greensburg haunt that’s famous for its “BPTs”.
Finally, we hit the road for Brown County, where broasted-and-breaded pork tenderloin is always on the menu at the local Gnaw Mart. Although owner Roger Sharp remained tight-lipped about the specifics, he did share a few basic steps on the road to a tantalizing tenderloin.
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