Happy West Virginia Day!

I was scanning the web, looking for a topic of inspiration for tonight's post, and stumbled upon the fact that today is West Virginia Day! This brought me to another bright idea: A new recurring post on the blog! When it's a state's special day, I will feature a dish from that state in my post. This will not only help us all learn more about our good ol' USA, but the things we want to eat when we visit new places. This is definitely in keeping with the Wiki Project I wrote about last week, mycitycuisine.org. I tried searching for a list of all the state days but can't seem to find one, so I'm going to need your help! Comment on this post with your state's special day, so I can be sure to include it in this series!

from Flickr - by fsmphoto

Supposedly invented in 1927 in Fairmont, WV, miners began bringing pepperoni rolls to lunch with them. These soft bread rolls were baked with pepperoni inside, and could also include cheese, tomato sauce and banana peppers. Apparently, they are popular throughout the state, and can be found in convenience stores, bakeries, and local restaurants. I really couldn't post this entry without the inclusion of this very special website, The Pepperoni Roll Homepage. This website is amazing! It's got recipes, restaurants that serve pepperoni rolls, and it even tells us that in Virginia, pepperoni rolls are illegal because the meat is baked inside the roll. Crazy, right!?

from Flickr - by Author Erica Rivera

Another thing I learned while researching West Viriginia is that the ramp originated here. I wrote briefly about ramps in a past post, I believe, but they are seriously delicious, and now that I know that there are ramp festivals held in the state of West Virginia, I have a feeling I will be making a concerted effort to attend. The ramp is a wild leek that looks a bit like a scallion, with a very potent scent that is quite reminiscent of garlic. They are delicious in salads, but the season for them in Massachusetts is a short one. I tried to find them for a recipe on this current menu, but alas, I think I just missed them. I also found a website all about ramps, including recipes and some of the festival dates. Richwood, West Virginia is the Capital of Ramp Country!

from Flickr - by Harris Graber

I think we learned a lot about West Virginia today! I had no idea that ramps originated in this state, and I would definitely like to try one of those pepperoni rolls sometime...reminds me a bit of a calzone, no? So all you readers out there, send me info on your state's special day, and tell me what delicacy you couldn't live without. I'll try and keep up with the states and feature them as the days pass!

Tip of the day: When working with a new ingredient, do your research. Read about it, check out some other recipes to see what flavors tend to meld well with it, and most importantly, taste it. Don't throw something into a pot without knowing what flavor you are throwing in there. That's the best way to broaden your palate!