Pagemike@standardsmichigan.com, Author at Standards Michigan

Beef & Sour Cream

Beef Stroganoff originated in 19th-century Russia, named after the wealthy Stroganov family (likely Count Pavel Alexandrovich or a relative). It first appeared in cookbooks like Elena Molokhovets’s “A Gift to Young Housewives” around the 1870s, featuring sautéed beef strips in a simple sauce of mustard, bouillon, and sour cream (smetana)—no mushrooms or onions in the earliest versions.

Russian aristocrats often employed French chefs, blending French techniques (like mustard seasoning and sautéing) with Russian ingredients (heavy sour cream). Legends claim it was created for a toothless count or due to frozen Siberian beef, but it’s likely a refined take on older Russian beef dishes. It spread globally after the 1917 Revolution via émigrés (so-called White Russians) that settled in Nebraska.

Thesis: The History of the German-Russian Colony in Lincoln (June 1909)

CLICK IMAGE FOR RECIPE

Standards Nebraska | Nebraska Extension

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Iowa Variant

Welsh rarebit

What started as a tongue-in-cheek 18th-century English jest about Welsh poverty and cheese-loving habits has since found its way onto college town pub-fusion menus. Not a bit of rabbit in it. The phylogenetic origin of Domino’s Stuffed Cheesy Bread.

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Guinness Shepherd’s Pie

The Recipe

Shepherd’s Pie is an traditional meal in the United Kingdom featuring a savory meat filling topped with creamy mashed potatoes. Traditionally made with ground lamb or beef, the filling is cooked with onions, carrots, peas, and a rich gravy, often flavored with herbs like thyme or rosemary. The mixture is then layered into a casserole dish and crowned with a generous spread of mashed potatoes, sometimes sprinkled with cheese. Baked until golden and bubbling, it’s a hearty, comforting meal, perfect for cold days. Its origins trace back to resourceful shepherds using leftover meat, making it a staple of home cooking.

Standards Nebraska

Ibid.

Sweet Apple Pork Chops

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Grandma’s Chicken Soup

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Kentucky Hot Brown

An American hot sandwich originally created at the Brown Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky, by Fred K. Schmidt in 1926. It is a variation of traditional Welsh rarebit and was one of two signature sandwiches created by chefs at the Brown Hotel shortly after its founding in 1923. It was created to serve as an alternative to ham and egg late-night dinners requested by its guests in the early hours of the morning after an evening of dancing; its ballroom accommodating upwards 1200 guests.

Standards Kentucky

Kentucky

Corned Beef and Cabbage

Standards Iowa

Corned beef and cabbage traditionally comprise a St. Patrick’s Day meal. While St Patrick’s Day is celebrated around the world, corned beef is strictly an Irish-American tradition. It isn’t the national dish of Ireland nor the food you would eat on St. Patrick’s Day in Dublin.

Food Standards | Kitchen Standards

DIY Corned Beef

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North Dakota

“Standard Root Beer” is typically made using a combination of ingredients that include water, sugar, sassafras root or extract, and various other flavoring agents. Here’s a general overview of the process:

Sassafras Flavoring: In traditional root beer recipes, sassafras root or extract is a key ingredient. However, it’s important to note that sassafras contains safrole, a compound that has been deemed potentially carcinogenic. For this reason, commercial root beers often use a safrole-free sassafras flavoring.
Sweetener: Sugar is commonly used to sweeten root beer, although some recipes may use alternatives like corn syrup or honey. The amount of sweetener can vary based on personal preference.
Water: Root beer typically starts with plain water as its base. The water is heated to dissolve the sweetener and other ingredients.
Flavorings: Besides sassafras flavoring, root beer can include a range of other flavorings to create its distinct taste. These may include wintergreen, vanilla, anise, licorice, molasses, or other herbs and spices. The exact combination of flavors varies among different root beer recipes.
Carbonation: Carbonation gives root beer its characteristic fizz. This can be achieved by using carbonated water or by introducing carbon dioxide gas into the mixture. In commercial production, carbonation is typically added during the bottling process.
Yeast Fermentation (optional): Some traditional homemade root beer recipes involve a fermentation step. Yeast is added to the root beer mixture, which consumes the sugar and produces carbon dioxide as a byproduct. This creates a natural carbonation in the beverage. However, this step can also increase the alcohol content, so it’s important to be mindful of the fermentation duration.
Bottling and Aging: Once the root beer is prepared, it is typically poured into bottles or kegs and sealed. Some recipes may recommend allowing the root beer to age for a certain period to develop the desired flavors.

It’s worth noting that the commercial production of root beer may involve different processes, as well as the use of artificial flavors, stabilizers, and preservatives to ensure consistency and shelf life. The specific recipe and production methods may vary among manufacturers.

Standards North Dakota

Stuffed Cabbage

From the Badger Insider: Eat Like a Freshman

Ingredients

1 pound ground beef

¼ pound ground pork

1 onion, chopped

¼ cup rice, parboiled

½ can tomato sauce

Parsley

Salt

Pepper

Procedure

Mix all ingredients together. Cut the core from a head of cabbage. Cook cabbage until just heated through and leaves are pliable. Peel off leaves. Put a handful of filling in each leaf and roll up the leaf. Place cabbage rolls in a baking dish.

Mix the remaining half can of tomato sauce with an equal amount of water. Pour this over the cabbage rolls. Cook in a moderate oven about one and a half hours. Serve the gravy on this dish on mashed potatoes.

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