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On a side note... is it just me or do German Americans ala Midwesterns not know how to cook? I can't believe some of the crap that G/A's cook for a main course at a get together.
In my family every large meal has mashed potatoes, corn bread, and well seasoned corn and green beans with a large meat course like roast ham or barb-e-q chicken
What kind of food have you had at a German-american get together?
Good comments on that Lexington Herald-Leader website. Seems the consensus is "southern", though I've had discussions with posters at another forum who insists Louisville isn't.
Back in the antebellum era, when Kentucky (& Ohio & Indiana) was considered "the west", I think one could make a case for an "Ohio Valley" cutlure region that straddled the river, almost like the "Rhineland" in Central Europe. There was a lot of mixing of southern (VA and NC) and middle atlantic (MD, PA, NJ) culture going on in this region in the early days, and a lot of cross river migration, too.
This was eventually overriden by sectionalism, slavery issue and the divergence of the KY ag economy compared to Ohio and Indiana, to more of a plantation economy in certain parts of the state. Railroads also reinoriented the north bank states more to the north and east.
So the river became more a boundary rather than a unifying element.
Location: New Albany, Indiana (Greater Louisville)
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My experience is that German American food is more like European food whereas Southern food is a combination of European, African, and Native American, hence beans, corn, and potatoes being a common course.
The G/A food I've had is usually undercooked and doesn't have any spice, examples being pork chops in a yucky gravy and all sorts of really bizarre casaroules (sp?). It also seems like that try to keep all the fat on the meat instead of frying it off.
I used to work at a Kroger in Louisville and was amazed at all the really fatty meats people there buy compared to Lexington - I was afraid my aerteries would get clogged just from bagging that stuff!
The fatty meats tend to be cheaper than the not to fatty ones so that could be why. Irish food is the same way Census, very little spice and kinda bland (well, the traditional kind anyway, not what you get in restaurants)
On a side note... is it just me or do German Americans ala Midwesterns not know how to cook? I can't believe some of the crap that G/A's cook for a main course at a get together.
In my family every large meal has mashed potatoes, corn bread, and well seasoned corn and green beans with a large meat course like roast ham or barb-e-q chicken
I find there to be a lot of similarities between German and Southern style cooking. Lot of fried meats, roasts, potato salads of various types, perfectly healthy vegatables turned into a deliciously unhealthy side, rich deserts... German food done right is wonderful, rich, comfort food.
Missymom is right, you cook potatoes and green beans together with bacon grease or ham (with bacon grease), until you have a homogeneous congregation. I went back to WV a few weeks ago for my family reunion and ate it every day.
Somewhere along I-65 in Bullitt County is a sign, "Welcome to Bullitt County, Where the Real South begins". I think there is some truth to that and would be interested to hear the panel's decisions.
It is strange, however if you pay attention to the Weather Channel map - we seem to be no where at all. They show the Northeast, Midwest and the South, but we seem to fall no where particularly in any of the groups. It is as if we are an entity unto ourselves, somewhere between there and somewhere else, yet we thrive and grow and take in strangers, drink our sweet tea in some counties and eat barbecue in others.
The accent changes as you travel from the north around Covington to the west at Paducah, and even moreso when you reach the mountains.
Are we south? I say we just 'are', and am quite content to be just that. Cornbread, beans, sweet tea and all! BUT...I personally need my bi-yearly dose of the beach, and like the feel of shopping in the city - but give me dirt under my feet to dig in any day and I am happy. What does that make me? Raised here and not so confused, I suppose!
KimmieyKY
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Where the Real South Begins...
