Minnesota's favorite foods

[Dina]

I have a friend who'll be visiting often (for volleyball matches...lol) and I'd like to cook up some of her hometown (Minnieapolis) favorites. Can anyone help with dinner options?

 

[suziquzie]

Hotdish!!!!

Translated..... casserole.
Quite frankly I don't think there's really anything quite spectacular here...... it's the land of 10,000 bland boring tastebuds.

 

[sparrowgrass]

Be sure not to use any salt, pepper, or anything else that might make it too "spicy".

I lived way up in Northern Minnesota for 5 years and the only foods I miss are smoked fish and wild rice.

Anything with canned mushroom soup and minute rice ought to be well accepted.

Seriously, feed her some Tex-Mex. She can live without gloppy starch for a while.

 

[suziquzie]

LOL sparrowgrass you got it EXACTLY right!!!
See why I yucked them out of Thanksgiving with my "funky veggies"?

 

[BigDog]

I agree - spice your friend up some. Y'all have far better flavors in abundance down there as compared to up here.

 

[Dina]

I agree - spice your friend up some. Y'all have far better flavors in abundance down there as compared to up here.

I'd love to guys but my friend suffers from digestive problems. I hate to feed her all of my spiced up meals. So far she's had my sushi rolls, enchilada lasagna, and mac-n-cheese (her favorite).

 

[suziquzie]

Well this should make her feel right at home....
Tater Tot Bake - Allrecipes
you can use cream of celery soup if you don't like mushroom.

 

[Katie H]

I've lived in Minnesota (northern part) for many years, but haven't been there for a long while. I do still have family there. Never considered the cuisine there dull or boring. The area I lived in was called the "melting pot" because there were so many different nationalities living there. We had folks from Italy, Sweden, Slovenia, Finland, Poland and more. Add to that the Chippewa Indians and the food was nothing short of awesome.

The Italian community had their version of barbecue with slow-roasted porketta, which was seasoned with garlic and fennel. Total yum!

Of course, there were always fabulous sausages from just about any of the countries represented.

Naturally, there was wild rice, which was prepared just about any way imaginable. My friend, Cedric Littlewolf, taught me how to pop it like popcorn. Really cool and tasty.

Best wishes "treating" your friend to some good food during her visits.

 

[jennyema]

Lutefisk

Herring

Head cheese (my mother called it "veal loaf" to fool us)

Pork roast

Aquavit

 

[suziquzie]

The wild rice reminded me I get to make this soon!!!

Suzi's Minnesota Cream of Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

1/2 lb bacon, chopped
1 1/2 cup diced carrot
1 1/2 cup diced celery
1 1/2 cup chopped onion
4 cloves minced garlic (or to taste, as is everything)
3-4 cups diced cooked chicken
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup flour
8 cups chicken broth
3-4 cups cooked wild rice (I make rice 1 cup rice, 3 cups water, use it all)
2 cups 1/2 and 1/2
salt and pepper to taste

Will need a large soup pot, dutch oven is too small.

Render bacon til crisp, remove from pot, leave drippings.
Cook carrot, celey, onion til just soft, add garlic, cook 1-2 more min.
Add butter and melt, add flour and cook 2-3 min.
Add broth, bacon and chicken, simmer 5 min.
Add cream and rice, heat thru, add salt and pepper to taste.

and as my Italian neighbors once said.....

MANGIA ANTONY!!!

 

[ChefJune]

The big specialty of Minnesota is Walleye (as far as I know), and I don't think you can get it where you are. Pretty much doesn't get shipped very far from the source.

Also wild rice, Gjetost and (horrors! ) Lutefisk.

 

[PattY1]

Naturally, there was wild rice, which was prepared just about any way imaginable. My friend, Cedric Littlewolf, taught me how to pop it like popcorn. Really cool and tasty.

That sounds intresting. Please share.

 

[GotGarlic]

I'd love to guys but my friend suffers from digestive problems. I hate to feed her all of my spiced up meals. So far she's had my sushi rolls, enchilada lasagna, and mac-n-cheese (her favorite).

"Digestive problems" can mean lots of things, and spicy food isn't necessarily going to make them flare up. Have you asked your friend specifically what her dietary restrictions are?

 

[suziquzie]

Lutefisk?!?!?!?
I think she wants this friend to come back!!!!!! LOL

 

[Dina]

Wild rice with chicken it is then. Keep them coming ya'll. Thanks a million.

 

[Alix]

Dina, I know if I were visiting you I would rather sample some of YOUR recipes than have you make stuff I get at home all the time. You can likely modify any of your usual recipes so that they are OK for her tummy. (I think you need to make her your apple crostada)

 

[Dina]

Dina, I know if I were visiting you I would rather sample some of YOUR recipes than have you make stuff I get at home all the time. You can likely modify any of your usual recipes so that they are OK for her tummy. (I think you need to make her your apple crostada)

Yep. And she loves fruity desserts too.

 

[Dina]

Lutefisk?!?!?!?
I think she wants this friend to come back!!!!!! LOL

What on earth is lutefisk?

 

[GotGarlic]

What on earth is lutefisk?

Lye fish - sounds tasty (not)

From Wikipedia:

Lutefisk (lutfisk) (pronounced [lʉːtəfɪsk] in Southern Norway, [lʉːtfɪsk] in Central and Northern Norway, Sweden and the Swedish-speaking areas in Finland (lipeäkala in Finnish)) is a traditional dish of the Nordic countries made from stockfish (air-dried whitefish) or dried/salted whitefish (klippfisk) and soda lye (lut). Its name literally means "lye fish", because it is made with caustic soda or potash lye.

Hey, that pronunciation guide is a big help, no?

Whaddaya mean, no?

 

[Dave Hutchins]

Lutefisk and Lefsa are traditional Minnesotan dishes according to my Norwegian aunt