Some of the best things to come out of Rhode Island is it’s food! Some favorites are:

QUAHOGS

RI has some of the best seafood and great waters to fish and shell fish or do ‘clamming’ in.  A famous dish is called “stuffies” in which clams are steamed then taken out of the shell and chopped then added to bread stuffing of onions, garlic, butter and spices (I add linguisa to mine). They are then put back into the half shell to bake until golden.  I even go an added extra mile and put crumpled bacon and melted butter on top of mine at the end (reminiscent of clams casino) and eat them with hot sauce and a lot of lemon juice squeezed on! They are great chopped up and added to a spicy clam cake batter as well!

Hot Wieners

You just can’t get them anywhere else! They are pork and veal wieners topped with mustard, a meat sauce, onions and celery salt. When I make them at home (photo) I actually use “beef” hotdogs and sometimes I grill the butter smeared buns instead of traditionally steaming them. My meat sauce is simmered down with chili powder, allspice, onion, garlic, celery, cumin, Worcestershire, and a little ketchup for a low and slow hour or so. You can’t eat just one!

Coffee Milk

You’re not a true New Englander if you never had coffee milk! My favorite is Autocrat and when I would run out and HAD to have coffee milk, I would make a quick version of my own using left over really STRONG coffee added to a tall glass with some sugar dissolved in it, then add cold milk and stir. Just add a straw and enjoy! If you get more adventurous, add a couple scoops of ice cream and blend into a Frappe, another New England favorite!

Dels Lemonade

I could eat Dels Lemonade all year long but they close down for the summer and we are forced to drink their liquid form, which is good also but there’s nothing like the frozen kind especially in the heat of the summer. I make sure to always have a lemon simple syrup in my fridge for quick lemonade and as a mix for cocktails. Simply add 1 cup of sugar to 1 cup of water in a sauce pan with peels of lemon zest and simmer for 20 minutes. Let the syrup cool and put in a jar in the icebox. When you are in the mood for lemonade, get a tall glass, add ice and about 3 tablespoons of the syrup (depending on how sweet you like yours), a little squeeze of a fresh cut lemon and add ice water to the top and float 2-3 slices of the fresh lemon in it. Yummy summer goodness all year around. Freeze some in ice cube trays and add to cold drinks or cocktails.

Johnson and Wales University in Providence RI has a Culinary Arts Museum, and it’s the best place to learn about and celebrate the history of the culinary and hospitality industries. With 25,000 square feet of gallery space, visitors can explore the past, present, and future of all things related to cookery. A collection estimated to be more than 250,000 items. What a great place to explore and learn. They will re-open early 2014.  Some past exhibits: Rhode Island: Small State, Big Taste!

The “Ever Ready Diner” (I grew up right up the street from it in Providence and ate there a lot on my way home from school) was donated to and is housed at The Museum: Ever Ready Diner

Plan Your Visit:

The Culinary Arts Museum
at Johnson & Wales University
315 Harborside Boulevard
Providence, RI 02905

Hours: Open Tuesday – Sunday, 10:00am – 5:00pm. The museum is closed on Mondays and major holidays

Until Next Time,