local favorites
 

i was hoping that some folks out west could tell me what a runza is, and maybe some people in the carolinas could clarify a storie i heard about people putting peanuts in soda and drinking it(them). i would be interested to hear about any other local specialties weather they be bbq related, side dishes or whatever. thanks.
phil

Holy smokes! Have not had a Peanut Coke in a long time! Realy popular in the 60's and 70's. You take a bottle of Coke (has to be Coke) and pour in a handfull of salted peanuts (out of the shell). The salt makes the pop fizz like crazy, so be ready to suck foam! It kind of makes the pop go flat, the peanuts taste good but the pop tastes funny if your not used to it.

Up here we put green olives in our tap beer. Alot of people from out of state have told me they never heard of that before. Don't know what the point is, the olives float for a minute or two then sink to the bottom for another minute or two then float back up......kind of like a beer "lava lamp".

rookie

Not just the Carolina's. That Peanut Coke thing was/is pretty widespread throughout the South. Works like midnight said. Our technique--as kids-- was to go to the corner store, buy an icy cold coke [it does have to be Coke], drink a couple of good sips to make room, then add a small bag of Planter's Salted Peanuts. The salt changed the flavor of the Coke, as well as partially de-fizzing it, and the Coke flavored the peanuts.
We did it all the time as kids, and I have hooked all my grandkids on doing it-except for the youngest [1 1/2 years]. For some reason her mom won't let me feed her peanuts:shock:

Here is another farm kid thing we did for an after scool treat. Pour a couple of good tablespoons of cold heavy cream into a cold bottle of Coke. Instant coke float. Watch the foam!!

Peanuts in a Coke, a real childhood favorite of mine. Not only has to be coke, but the coldest you can find (the pool hall when I was a young 'un).
Tried this not too long ago, didn't seem right in a plastic bottle, although it tasted same as always.

Runzas are great! I don't know if its a western US thing. The only place I've seen them in in Nebraska. Here's a link that describes what a Runza is. Basically, its a sandwich baked inside of the doough, so the bun is all around the fillings.

http://www.runza.com/whatzarunza.htm

Ron, what is the filling for a Runza made of? My Dictionary of American Food says the original sandwich was made with ground beef, cabbage, and onions, similar to a Michigan Pastie. Is this right?

Thanks

I thinks that's the traditional filling, and that's what I've eaten, but they put all kinds of stuff in there. I think they have cheese and mushroom, just cheese, and a few others.

Sure sounds good. Hmmm....? How long will it take me on my m'cicle from Orlando to Lincoln, Nebraska? Guess I can't make it for lunch today, huh?:roll:

Too bad those guys have not expanded over this way.

MoonPies and RC soda

Yep, Troutman, another icon of our childhood.

Did any of the brothers grow up where every eating place in town did "fish fry" on Friday night, every week?

If its bbq inside, its a Kapnini

Local VFW halls on the South Side of Chicago.

They still have them.

fish fry was at Serb Hall in Milwaukee.

They still do that up here! Every place you go all you can eat fish fry every friday night with mashed taters and gravy. I just wish they would all use fresh fish, most use the frozen pre battered fish filets like you buy at the store (like Mrs. Pauls)



Hey, I wonder what a peanut coke would taste like if you used Texoma Jap nuts??????

What childhood they still have that here for a $1.25 on the menu.

Mom would never let us have it we were too poor. We were so poor we lived in a hole in the middle of the road.