Surprising food is unique to our area
I didn't know noodles, as we serve them here in southern Indiana, were only indigenous to this locality.
As one of my favorite foods, I couldn't imagine that other people around the world didn't enjoy chicken and noodles.
Much to my dismay when I moved to another state, none of my friends "up North" served noodles, not even on Thanksgiving or Christmas. When I asked if they ever made noodles, I received a blank stare along with several questionable answers such as, "What are noodles?" or "Do you mean pasta?"
Still looking for food from my culture, I searched restaurants. Wouldn't you think if restaurants could feature chicken cacciatore, chicken paprikash, and chicken Kiev - which were foreign to me -- they could add plain chicken and noodles to their menus?
Since I was no Julia Child and equated making noodles with my encounters with pie dough, it was quite some time before I undertook the noodle adventure, but one brave day I experimented.
As I proudly served the bowl of noodles to my Italian family, there was a hush for a few seconds.
"What's that," said our son.
Our daughter who thought she had to explain everything to her younger brother quickly answered, "Can't' you see that it's pasta without the sauce."
Needless to say, the Sicilian wasn't happy about the dinner entree either.
So ended my noodle experience until I moved back to Indiana. Once again, I felt a comfort in being back to my culture seeing noodles on restaurant menus.
In fact, it was one of the favorite recipe discussions near the holidays with the question always posed, "Have you made your noodles?"
I shrank in my chair hoping no one directed the question to me.
Confessing my noodle phobia to a close friend, she said, "It's no big deal. I'll
give you my no brainer recipe."
One afternoon before Christmas, I perused the recipe and nervously and painstakingly reached for the ingredients.
So proud of the finished product, I carefully wrapped and froze them to serve during the holidays.
As I took the bowl of chicken and noodles to the dining table on Christmas, I said, "I don't want any remarks and don't ask for the marinara or Alfredo sauce. This is chicken and noodles Indiana style. Celebrate your Hoosier ancestry."
I'll be ready for that next person who asks, "Have you made your noodles?"
Jo is a staff writer at the Greene County Daily World. She can be reached by email at tojo631@sbcglobal.net.
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