Speaker A
Today on Taste Test, we are trying some iconic foods brought to us by the American Midwest. I've spent a little bit of time in the Midwest. I went to college there. Victoria, how about you?
Food Network's Taste Test hosts sample iconic Midwest foods including hot dish, Cincinnati chili, toasted ravioli, cheese curds, and gooey butter cake.
Key Takeaways
- The episode offers a tasting-based introduction to several regional Midwestern dishes.
- Hot dish is a communal, casserole-style dish popular at family and church gatherings in the Upper Midwest.
- Many Midwestern foods, like toasted ravioli and gooey butter cake, are strongly tied to specific cities such as St. Louis.
- Regional specialties like cheese curds are closely associated with particular states such as Wisconsin.
What the video covers
- The episode 'We Tried Foods from the Midwest' is part of Food Network's Taste Test series.
- Hosts sample a range of iconic Midwestern foods, with personal connections to the region shared by the presenters.
- Hot dish, a casserole with starch, meat, vegetables and canned soup, is tasted and described as originating in Minnesota, South Dakota, Wisconsin and North Dakota.
- Cincinnati-style chili is discussed as a spiced meat sauce typically served over spaghetti, with spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, clove and cumin.
- Cheese curds are explained as made by adding bacterial culture and rennet to milk to form curd, which is then cut, cooked and pressed, and are strongly associated with Wisconsin.
- Toasted ravioli, a breaded and deep-fried meat ravioli associated with St. Louis's Italian neighborhood, is served with marinara for dipping.
- Gooey butter cake, a St. Louis favorite with a sugar-cookie-and-frosting texture, is sampled and praised.
- Presenters debate flavor and texture, such as the squeak of fresh cheese curds and the sweetness of Cincinnati chili.
- The episode ends with calls to subscribe to Food Network and promotes the next episode.
Full Transcript — Download SRT & Markdown
Speaker A
Midwest a lot right I do I'm I'm from Arizona so I don't claim the Midwest as home but I go to Minnesota every summer so I do feel like a piece of my heart belongs there what else are you
Speaker A
Um, I grew up in St. Louis, Missouri.
Speaker A
upload new [Music] episodes what's under it yes looks like chicken pop pie it does this is hot dish oh I dig it mhm I can totally get down with a hot dish this is great let's read about this hot
Speaker A
Nice. You visit the Midwest a lot, right?
Speaker A
dish and sered hot per its name it commonly appears at communal Gatherings such as family reunions potlucks and church seers this feels like exactly what my grandma would make basically you can make a hot dish out of anything this
Speaker A
I do. I'm from Arizona, so I don't claim the Midwest as home, but I go to Minnesota every summer, so I do feel like a piece of my heart belongs there.
Speaker A
had this Cincinnati style chili is a Mediterranean spiced meat sauce use for topping spaghetti ingredients include ground beef tomato paste spices such as cinnamon nutmeg all space all spice clove cumin chili powder Etc and sometimes it even includes dark
Speaker A
What else are you expecting or thinking?
Speaker A
want to eat chili or I want to eat spaghetti I don't want to eat chili on top of spaghetti but I actually like the sweeter chili more than I thought I would so what is this I have no idea but they
Speaker A
Toasted ravioli better be there, definitely. That's the biggest thing. There's got to be hot dish, Charlie.
Speaker A
bacterial culture and renit are added to the to clot the milk after the milk clopped it is then cut into cubes the result is a mixture of whey and curd this mixture is then cooked and pressed to release the Whey from the curd
Speaker A
But before we begin, don't forget to subscribe to Food Network and click the bell below to get notified when we upload new episodes.
Speaker A
strongly associated with the state of Wisconsin I'm confused so when you bite into it it's supposed to squeak or when you yeah I don't think it's the fried you can't hear it as much with the fried when it's fresh you it sounds like you
Speaker A
[Music]
Speaker A
traveling for work and I really ate my way through the United States specifically the Midwest I see people are di hard about these in St Louis like it is a way of life yeah really if you don't know toasted ravioli everyone in
Speaker A
What's under it?
Speaker A
the Italian neighborhood known as the hill generally consists of some type of meat ravioli breaded and deep fried until the pasta shell becomes slightly crisp and golden brown which we have here and it's served with marinara sauce for dipping they just look like little
Speaker A
Yes, looks like chicken pot pie. It does. This is hot dish.
Speaker A
outside the Midwest cuz it's like yeah it's a great concept it's deep fried [Music] mhm yeah o gooeys gooey buttercake there it goes I have been dying to eat this for like 2 years well here we go this is
Speaker A
Oh, I dig it.
Speaker A
they're so good it's so good it lives up to his name it's gooey unbelievable St Louis thank you for all of your contributions to the world of food it's like the mix of a perfect sugar cookie yes and frosting
Speaker A
Mm-hmm. I can totally get down with a hot dish. This is great. Let's read about this hot dish.
Speaker A
thing that I don't know why it's not more popular I didn't know about gooey butter cake yeah until I moved to Missouri bringing this Midwest favorite right here to Food Network in Chelsea Market for a bite this has really made
Speaker A
Okay. Hot dish is a casserole that typically contains a starch, a meat, and a vegetable, mixed with canned soup. It originates in the Upper Midwest region of the United States, particularly in Minnesota, South Dakota, Wisconsin, and North Dakota. Cooked in a single baking dish and served hot, per its name, it commonly appears at communal gatherings such as family reunions, potlucks, and church suppers.
Speaker A
next time on taste test if you want to see more episodes of taste test click here and if you want to subscribe to Food Network click here you know you want to
Topics:Midwest foodTaste Testhot dishCincinnati chilitoasted raviolicheese curdsgooey butter cakeSt. Louisfood tastingregional cuisine
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