Editing American cuisine (section)

====Delaware Valley and Mid-Atlantic====
{{Main|Cuisine of Philadelphia|Cuisine of New York City|Cuisine of the Mid-Atlantic United States}}
[[File:NY Strip Steak.jpg|thumb|[[strip steak|New York strip steak]] topped with mushrooms and onions]]
The mid-Atlantic states comprise the states of [[New York (state)|New York]], [[New Jersey]], [[Delaware]], [[Pennsylvania]], and Northern [[Maryland]]. The oldest major settlement in this area of the country is found in the most populous city in the nation, [[New York City|New York]], founded in 1625 by the Dutch. Today, it is a major cultural capital of the United States.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kurt-ellenberger/the-cultural-capital-of-e_b_1512261.html|title=The Cultural Capital of Everywhere|work=The Huffington Post|date=May 15, 2012|access-date=January 16, 2015|archive-date=March 27, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170327025815/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kurt-ellenberger/the-cultural-capital-of-e_b_1512261.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

The influences on cuisine in this region are extremely eclectic, as it has been, and continues to be, a gateway for international culture as well as a gateway for new immigrants.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.pbs.org/destinationamerica/usim_wn.html|title=Destination America. When did they come? – PBS|publisher=Pbs.org|access-date=January 16, 2015|archive-date=January 6, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150106002206/http://www.pbs.org/destinationamerica/usim_wn.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Going back to colonial times, each new group has left their mark on homegrown cuisine and in turn the cities in this region disperse trends to the wider United States. In addition, cities like New York and Philadelphia have had the past influence of Dutch,<ref name="History">{{cite web|url=http://www.culinaryhistoriansny.org/files/Newsletters/Newsletter_2002_F.pdf |title=Culinary Historians of New York: Dutch Food in Life and Art |publisher=Culinaryhistoriansny.org |access-date=January 16, 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131221000513/http://www.culinaryhistoriansny.org/files/Newsletters/Newsletter_2002_F.pdf |archive-date=December 21, 2013 }}</ref> Italian, German,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.germanheritage.com/publications/cronau/cronau6.html|title=The Life of the German Settlers in Colonial Times|publisher=Germanheritage.com|access-date=January 16, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141113083623/http://www.germanheritage.com/publications/cronau/cronau6.html|archive-date=November 13, 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref> Irish,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/eats/irish-fare-new-york-st-patrick-day-article-1.1280295|title=Irish fare in New York for St. Patrick's Day|work=NY Daily News|date=March 10, 2013|access-date=January 16, 2015|archive-date=January 6, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150106231346/http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/eats/irish-fare-new-york-st-patrick-day-article-1.1280295|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://nymag.com/listings/bar/mcsorleys/|title=McSorley's Old Ale House|work=NYMag.com|access-date=January 16, 2015|archive-date=February 11, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150211002448/http://nymag.com/listings/bar/mcsorleys/|url-status=live}}</ref> British,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.foodtimeline.org/foodschools.html#princeton |title=The Food Timeline: school lunch history |author-link=Lynne Olver |first=Lynne |last=Olver |website=[[The Food Timeline]] |access-date=January 16, 2015 |archive-date=January 6, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150106002043/http://www.foodtimeline.org/foodschools.html#princeton |url-status=live }}</ref> and Jewish cuisines,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/28/dining/everything-new-is-old-again.html?_r=0 |title=Everything New Is Old Again : The New Golden Age of Jewish-American Deli Food |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=May 27, 2014 |access-date=January 16, 2015 |last1=Moskin |first1=Julia |archive-date=April 8, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150408072352/http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/28/dining/everything-new-is-old-again.html?_r=0 |url-status=live }}</ref> and that continues to this day. Baltimore has become the crossroads between North and South, a distinction it has held since the end of the Civil War.

A [[global power city]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mori-m-foundation.or.jp/english/research/project/6/pdf/GPCI2009_English.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://www.mori-m-foundation.or.jp/english/research/project/6/pdf/GPCI2009_English.pdf |archive-date=October 9, 2022 |url-status=live |title=Global Power City Index 2009 |publisher=The Mori Memorial Foundation |access-date=June 1, 2012}}</ref> New York is well known for its diverse and cosmopolitan dining scene.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theworlds50best.com/list/1-50-winners/ |title=The World's 50 Best Restaurants |publisher=The World's 50 Best Restaurants |access-date=November 29, 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130607141909/http://www.theworlds50best.com/list/1-50-winners/ |archive-date=June 7, 2013 }}</ref> Its restaurants compete fiercely for good reviews in the Food and Dining section of ''[[The New York Times]]'', online guides, and [[Zagat's]], the last of which is widely considered the premier American dining guide, published yearly and headquartered in New York.

[[File:Carnegie Deli Strawberry Cheesecake.jpg|thumb|New York–style cheesecake with strawberries. Other variations include blueberry or raspberry sauce.]]
Many of the more complicated dishes with rich ingredients like [[Lobster Newberg]], [[waldorf salad]], [[vichyssoise]], [[eggs benedict]], and the [[New York strip steak]] were born out of a need to entertain and impress the well-to-do in expensive bygone restaurants like [[Delmonico's]] and still standing establishments like the [[Waldorf-Astoria Hotel]].<ref name="Was He the Eggman">{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/08/nyregion/thecity/08eggs.html?pagewanted=all|title=Was He the Eggman?|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=April 8, 2007|access-date=November 29, 2015|last1=Beyer|first1=Gregory|archive-date=December 9, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151209020444/http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/08/nyregion/thecity/08eggs.html?pagewanted=all|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="The Waldorf - Astoria Hotel">{{cite web|url=http://www.historichotels.org/hotels-resorts/the-waldorf-astoria-hotel/history.php|title=The Waldorf – Astoria Hotel|publisher=Historic Hotels of America|access-date=November 29, 2015|archive-date=December 8, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208063730/http://www.historichotels.org/hotels-resorts/the-waldorf-astoria-hotel/history.php|url-status=live}}</ref> Modern commercial American [[cream cheese]] was developed in 1872.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://whatscookingamerica.net/History/Cakes/Cheesecake.htm|title=History of Cheesecake, History of New York Cheesecake, Cream Cheese History, Whats Cooking America|website=Whatscookingamerica.net|date=May 26, 2015|access-date=August 12, 2016|archive-date=August 8, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180808233734/https://whatscookingamerica.net/History/Cakes/Cheesecake.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>

Since the first reference to an alcoholic mixed drink called a cocktail comes from [[New York State]] in 1803, it is not a surprise that there have been many cocktails invented in New York and the surrounding environs. Even today New York bars are noted for being highly influential in making national trends. [[Cosmopolitan (cocktail)|Cosmopolitans]], [[Long Island iced tea]]s, [[Manhattan (cocktail)|Manhattans]], [[Rob Roy (cocktail)|Rob Roys]], [[Tom Collins]], [[Aviation (cocktail)|Aviations]], and [[Greyhound (cocktail)|Greyhounds]] were all invented in New York bars, and the [[Martini (cocktail)|gin martini]] was popularized in New York in speakeasies during the 1920s, as evidenced by its appearance in the works of New Yorker and American writer F. Scott Fitzgerald. Like its neighbor [[Philadelphia]], many rare and unusual liquors and liqueurs often find their way into a mixologist's cupboard or restaurant wine list.

New York State is the third most productive area in the country for wine grapes, just behind [[California]] and [[Washington (state)|Washington]]. It has [[American Viticultural Area|AVA]]'s near the Finger Lakes, the Catskills, and Long Island,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.newyorkwines.org/Regions|title=Regions – New York Wine & Grape Foundation|publisher=Newyorkwines.org|access-date=January 16, 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150106021813/http://www.newyorkwines.org/Regions|archive-date=January 6, 2015}}</ref> and in the [[Hudson Valley]] has the second-most productive area in the country for growing apples, making it a center for hard cider production, just like [[New England]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nyapplecountry.com/about/facts|title=NY Apple Industry Facts – NY Apple Association|publisher=Nyapplecountry.com|access-date=January 16, 2015|archive-date=January 6, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150106021359/http://www.nyapplecountry.com/about/facts|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/28/travel/sips-from-a-cider-spree-in-new-york-state.html?_r=0|title=Sips From a Cider Spree in New York State|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=September 24, 2014|access-date=January 16, 2015|last1=Moon|first1=Freda|archive-date=January 6, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150106021205/http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/28/travel/sips-from-a-cider-spree-in-new-york-state.html?_r=0|url-status=live}}</ref> Pennsylvania has been growing rye since Germans began to emigrate to the area at the end of the 17th century and required a grain they knew from Germany.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://philly.thedrinknation.com/articles/read/9052-Spirits-Review-Dads-Hat-Rye|title=Spirits Review: Dad's Hat Rye|work=Drink Philly|access-date=January 16, 2015|archive-date=January 6, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150106021005/http://philly.thedrinknation.com/articles/read/9052-Spirits-Review-Dads-Hat-Rye|url-status=live}}</ref> Therefore, overall it is not unusual to find New York grown [[Gewürtztraminer]] and [[Riesling]], Pennsylvania rye whiskey, or marques of locally produced ciders like Original Sin on the same menu.

[[File:PatsCheesesteak.jpg|thumb|[[Philadelphia cheesesteak]] with [[Cheez Whiz]]]]
Since their formative years, [[New York City|New York]], [[Philadelphia]], and [[Baltimore]] have welcomed immigrants of every kind to their shores, and all three have been an important gateway through which new citizens to the general United States arrive.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.history.com/topics/u-s-immigration-before-1965|title=U.S. Immigration Before 1965|work=HISTORY.com|access-date=January 16, 2015|archive-date=January 16, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150116105257/http://www.history.com/topics/u-s-immigration-before-1965|url-status=live}}</ref> Traditionally natives have eaten cheek to jowl with newcomers for centuries as the newcomers would open new restaurants and small businesses and all the different groups would interact.

Even in colonial days this region was a very diverse mosaic of peoples, as settlers from Switzerland, Wales, England, Ulster, Wallonia, Holland, Gelderland, the British Channel Islands, and Sweden sought their fortune in this region.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tenement.org/encyclopedia/lower_orchard.htm|title=Lower East Side Tenement Museum|publisher=Tenement.org|access-date=January 16, 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150228150927/http://www.tenement.org/encyclopedia/lower_orchard.htm|archive-date=February 28, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.phillyhistory.org/blog/index.php/2008/03/the-jewish-quarter-of-philadelphia/|title=The Jewish Quarter of Philadelphia|work=PhillyHistory Blog|access-date=January 16, 2015|archive-date=January 6, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150106031012/http://www.phillyhistory.org/blog/index.php/2008/03/the-jewish-quarter-of-philadelphia/|url-status=live}}</ref> This is very evident in many signature dishes and local foods, all of which have evolved to become American dishes in their own right.

The original Dutch settlers of New York brought recipes they knew and understood from the Netherlands and their mark on local cuisine is still apparent today: in many quarters of New York their version of apple pie with a streusel top is still baked. In the colony of New Amsterdam, their predilection for waffles in time evolved into the American national recipe and forms part of a New York brunch. They also made [[coleslaw]], originally a Dutch salad, but today accented with the later 18th-century introduction of [[mayonnaise]].<ref name="History" /><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.myfoxny.com/story/4624796/dutch-apple-pie |title=Dutch Apple Pie |publisher=Myfoxny.com |access-date=January 16, 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150106035726/http://www.myfoxny.com/story/4624796/dutch-apple-pie |archive-date=January 6, 2015 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.culinarylore.com/food-history:where-does-coleslaw-come-from|title=Where Does Coleslaw Come From and What is the Origin of the Term? - CulinaryLore.com|date=May 20, 2012|publisher=Culinarylore.com|access-date=January 16, 2015|archive-date=January 4, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150104104933/http://www.culinarylore.com/food-history:where-does-coleslaw-come-from|url-status=live}}</ref>

The [[doughnut]] began its life originally as a New York pastry that arrived in the 18th century as the Dutch ''olykoek'', with later additions from other nations of Europe like the Italian [[zeppole]], the Jewish/Polish ''pączki'', and the German ''Berliner'' arriving in the 19th century to complete the variety found in modern doughnuts today.<ref>See entries for ''[[oliebol]]'' and ''oliekoek'' in {{cite book
  | author = Frederic Gomes Cassidy
  |author2=Joan Houston Hall
  | title = Dictionary of American Regional English: I-O
  | publisher = Harvard UP
  | year = 1985
  | page = [https://archive.org/details/dictionaryofamer01arie/page/874 874]
  | url = https://archive.org/details/dictionaryofamer01arie
  | url-access = registration
  | isbn = 978-0-674-20519-2}}</ref>

[[File:A Delicious Crabcake at the Middleton Tavern.jpg|left|thumb|[[Crab cake]], popular in [[Maryland]], [[Delaware]] and [[New Jersey]], is often served on a roll.]]
[[Crab cake]]s were once a kind of English ''[[croquette]]'', but over time as spices have been added they and the [[Crab boil#Maryland|Maryland crab feast]] became two of Baltimore's signature dishes. Fishing for [[Callinectes sapidus|blue crab]] is a favorite summer pastime in the waters off [[Maryland]], [[New Jersey]], and [[Delaware]] where they may grace the table at summer picnics.

Other mainstays of the region have been present since the early years of American history, like oysters from [[Cape May]], the [[Chesapeake Bay]], and [[Long Island]], and lobster and tuna from the coastal waters found in New York and New Jersey.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.oysterguide.com/maps/|title=Map of Oyster Regions of North America – The Oyster Guide|publisher=Oysterguide.com|access-date=January 16, 2015|archive-date=January 11, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150111161745/http://www.oysterguide.com/maps/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.grownyc.org/greenmarket/farmers|title=Our Farmers and Producers – GrowNYC|date=August 14, 2007|publisher=Grownyc.org|access-date=January 16, 2015|archive-date=January 17, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150117052313/http://www.grownyc.org/greenmarket/farmers|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Philadelphia Pepper Pot]], a tripe stew, was originally a British dish but today is a classic of home cooking in Pennsylvania alongside bookbinder soup, a type of [[turtle soup]].

In the winter, New York pushcarts sell [[roasted chestnut]]s, a delicacy dating back to English [[Christmas traditions]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://gothamist.com/2012/12/18/chestnuts_roasting_on_an_open_stree.php|title=Some Street Cart Vendors Still Delivering On Seasonal Tradition Of Roasting Chestnuts|work=Gothamist|access-date=January 16, 2015|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150327022217/http://gothamist.com/2012/12/18/chestnuts_roasting_on_an_open_stree.php|archive-date=March 27, 2015}}</ref> and it was in New York and Pennsylvania that the earliest [[Christmas cookie]]s were introduced: Germans introduced crunchy molasses-based [[gingerbread]] and [[sugar cookie]]s in Pennsylvania, and the Dutch introduced cinnamon-based cookies, all of which have become part of the traditional [[Christmas meal]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://whydyoueatthat.wordpress.com/2011/12/20/day-20-gingerbread/|title=Day 20: Gingerbread|work=Why'd You Eat That?|date=December 20, 2011|access-date=January 16, 2015|archive-date=January 12, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150112060533/http://whydyoueatthat.wordpress.com/2011/12/20/day-20-gingerbread/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cookcfb.org/articles/entryid/97/history-of-the-sugar-cookie|title=History of the Sugar Cookie|work=Cook County Farm Bureau|access-date=January 16, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150110083343/http://www.cookcfb.org/articles/entryid/97/history-of-the-sugar-cookie|archive-date=January 10, 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref>

[[Scrapple]] was originally a type of savory pudding that early Pennsylvania Germans made to preserve the [[offal]] of a pig slaughter.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.globalgourmet.com/food/sleuth/0998/scrapple.html |title=Scrapple: Pork Mush...The Pennsylvania Treat |publisher=Globalgourmet.com |access-date=January 16, 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19990503160812/http://www.globalgourmet.com/food/sleuth/0998/scrapple.html |archive-date=May 3, 1999 }}</ref> The Philadelphia soft pretzel was originally brought to Eastern Pennsylvania in the early 18th century, and later, 19th-century immigrants sold them to the masses from pushcarts to make them the city's best-known bread product, having evolved into its own unique recipe.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://philadelphia.about.com/od/history/fl/The-History-Behind-the-Philadelphia-Soft-Pretzel.htm|title=The History Behind the Philadelphia Soft Pretzel|first=Julie|last=Davis|work=About.com Travel|access-date=January 16, 2015|archive-date=January 10, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150110083850/http://philadelphia.about.com/od/history/fl/The-History-Behind-the-Philadelphia-Soft-Pretzel.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref>

[[File:NYPizzaPie.jpg|thumb|[[New York–style pizza]] is the pizza eaten in [[New York (state)|New York]], [[New Jersey]], and [[Connecticut]].]]
After the 1820s, new groups began to arrive and the character of the region began to change. There had been some Irish from Ulster prior to 1820, however largely they had been Protestants with somewhat different culture and (often) a different [[Irish language|language]] than the explosion of emigrants that came to [[Castle Garden]] and Locust Point in Baltimore in their masses starting in the 1840s.

The Irish arrived in America in a rather woeful state, as Ireland at the time was often plagued by some of the worst poverty in Europe and often heavy disenfranchisement among the masses. Many of them arrived barely alive having ridden [[coffin ship]]s to the New World, very sick with [[typhus]] and gaunt from prolonged starvation.

In addition, they were the first to face challenges other groups did not have: they were the first large wave of Catholics. They faced prejudice for their faith and the cities of Philadelphia, New York, and Baltimore were not always set up for their needs.

For example, Catholic bishops in the U.S. mandated until the 1960s that all Catholics were forbidden from eating red meat on Fridays and during Lent,<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.ncregister.com/blog/steven-greydanus/meatless-fridays|title=Are Meatless Fridays Still a Thing? Does it Matter?|newspaper=National Catholic Register|access-date=January 5, 2017|archive-date=January 5, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170105180914/http://www.ncregister.com/blog/steven-greydanus/meatless-fridays|url-status=live}}</ref> and attending Mass sometimes conflicted with work as produce and meat markets would be open on high holy days; this was difficult for Irishmen supporting families since many worked as laborers.

Unsurprisingly, many Irishmen also found their fortunes working as longshoremen, which would have given their families access to fish and shellfish whenever a fisherman made berth, which was frequent on the busy docks of Baltimore and New York.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gothamcenter.org/1/post/2016/07/cant-they-be-separated-italian-immigrants-and-irish-workers-in-gilded-age-new-york.html|archive-url=https://wayback.archive-it.org/all/20170926131840/http://www.gothamcenter.org/blog/cant-they-be-separated-italian-immigrants-and-irish-workers-in-gilded-age-new-york|url-status=dead|archive-date=September 26, 2017|title="Can't They Be Separated?" Italian Immigrants and Irish Workers in Gilded Age New York|website=THE GOTHAM CENTER FOR NEW YORK CITY HISTORY|language=en|access-date=March 31, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.cornellpress.cornell.edu/resources/titles/80140100204190/extras/9780801448041_intro.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://www.cornellpress.cornell.edu/resources/titles/80140100204190/extras/9780801448041_intro.pdf |archive-date=October 9, 2022 |url-status=live|title=The Irish Waterfront}}</ref>

Though there had been some activity in Baltimore in founding a [[Holy See|see]] earlier by the [[John Carroll (bishop)|Carrolls]], the Irish were the first major wave of Catholic worship in this region, and that meant bishops and cardinals sending away to Europe for wine. Wine, with water, is consecrated as part of the [[Catholic Mass]].

Taverns had existed prior to their emigration to America in the region, though the Irish brought their particular brand of pub culture and founded some of the first saloons and bars that served Dublin style [[stout]] and [[Irish red ale|red ale]]; they brought with them the knowledge of single-malt style whiskey and sold it.

The Irish were the first immigrant group to arrive in this region in massive millions, and these immigrants also founded some of the earliest saloons and bars in this region, of which [[McSorley's]] is a still operating example.

[[File:Philly style pretzel.JPG|thumb|Philadelphia-style soft pretzel]]
It was also in this region that the Irish introduced something that today is a very important festival in American culture that involves a large amount of food, drink, and merry making: [[Halloween]]. In England and Wales, where prior immigrants had come from, the feast of All Hallows Eve had died out in the [[English Reformation|Reformation]], dismissed as superstition and excess having nothing to do with the Bible and often replaced with the festival of [[Guy Fawkes Night]]. Other immigrant groups like the Germans preferred to celebrate October 31 as [[Reformation Day]], and after the American Revolution all of the above were less and less eager to celebrate the legacy of an English festival given they had fought against [[Kingdom of Great Britain|Great Britain]] for their independence.

The Catholicism of the Irish demanded attendance at church on November 1 and charity and deeds, not just faith, as a cornerstone of dogma, and many of their older traditions survived the Reformation and traveled with them. Naturally, they went door-to-door to collect victuals for masked parties as well as gave them out, like nuts to roast on the fire, whiskey, beer, or cider, and [[barmbrack]]s; they also [[Apple bobbing|bobbed for apples]] and made dumb cakes. Later in the century they were joined by Scots going [[Trick-or-treating|guising]], children going door-to-door to ask for sweets and treats in costume.

From the Mid-Atlantic this trend spread to be nationwide and evolved into American children [[trick-or-treating]] on October 31 wearing costumes and their older counterparts having wild costume parties with various foods and drinks such as [[caramel apple]]s, [[candy apple]]s, [[dirt cake]]s, [[Punch (drink)|punch]], [[cocktail]]s, [[cider]] (both alcoholic and [[Apple cider|non]],) [[pumpkin pie]], [[candy corn]], [[chocolate turtles]], [[peanut brittle]], [[Taffy (candy)|taffy]], [[tipsy cake]], and copious buckets full of candy; children carving [[Jack-o'-lantern|jack-o-lanterns]] and eating squash derived foods derive from Halloween's heritage as a harvest festival and from Irish and Scottish traditions of carving turnips and eating root vegetables at this time of year.

Bobbing for apples has survived to the present day as a Halloween party classic game, as has a variation on the parlor game of trying to grab an apple hanging from the ceiling blindfolded:<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=R2Y_AQAAMAAJ&q=hang+apple+from+ceiling+scotland&pg=PA69|title=Scenes and Legends of the North of Scotland|last=Miller|first=Hugh|date=January 1, 1851|publisher=W. H. Moore & D. Anderson|language=en}}</ref> it has evolved into trying to catch a donut in one's teeth.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.marthastewart.com/269995/doughnuts-on-a-string|title=Doughnuts on a String|date=May 17, 2011|website=Marthastewart.com|access-date=August 2, 2017|archive-date=August 2, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170802131226/http://www.marthastewart.com/269995/doughnuts-on-a-string|url-status=live}}</ref>

Immigrants from Southern Europe, namely [[Sicily]], [[Campania]], [[Lazio]], and [[Calabria]], appeared between 1880 and 1960 in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Eastern Maryland hoping to escape the extreme poverty and corruption endemic to Italy.

Typically none of them spoke English, but rather dialects of Italian and had a culture that was more closely tied to the village they were born in than the high culture only accessible to those who could afford it at this time; many could not read or write in any language.

They were employed in manual labor or factory work but it is because of them that dishes like [[spaghetti with meatballs]], [[New York–style pizza]], [[calzones]], and [[baked ziti]] exist, and Americans of today are very familiar with semolina based pasta noodles.

Their native cuisine had less of an emphasis on meat, as evidenced by dishes they introduced like [[pasta e fagioli]] and [[minestrone]], but the dishes they created in America often piled it on as a sign of wealth and newfound prosperity since for the first time even cheap cuts of it were affordable. The American recipe for [[lasagna]] is proof of this, as mostly it is derived from the Neapolitan version of the dish with large amounts of meat and cheese.{{Citation needed|date=June 2021}}<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Wallach |first1=Jennifer Jensen |title=The Routledge History of American Foodways |last2=Swindall |first2=Lindsey R. |last3=Wise |first3=Michael D. |publisher=Taylor & Francis |year=2016 |isbn=9781317975236 |location=New York |pages=266}}</ref>

[[File:Frankfurter stand LOC det.4a13502.jpg|thumb|left|Carts selling frankfurters, the predecessor to [[hotdog]]s, in New York circa 1906. The price is listed as "3 cents each or 2 for 5 cents".]]
New York–style [[hot dog]]s came about with German-speaking emigrants from Austria and Germany, particularly with the [[Frankfurter Würstchen|frankfurter sausage]] and the smaller [[Vienna sausage|wiener sausage]]; Jews would also contribute here by introducing the kosher version of these sausages, made of beef rather than pork.<ref>{{cite web |author=Chowhound |url=https://www.chowhound.com/food-news/204752/the-history-of-the-kosher-hot-dog/ |title=What Makes a Hot Dog Kosher? |publisher=Chowhound |date=July 1, 2019 |access-date=September 14, 2019 |archive-date=September 10, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190910030640/https://www.chowhound.com/food-news/204752/the-history-of-the-kosher-hot-dog/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Today, the New York–style hot dog with [[sauerkraut]], mustard, and the optional cucumber pickle relish is such a part of the local fabric, that it is one of the favorite comestibles of New York and both the pork and the beef versions are beloved. Hot dogs are a typical street food sold year round in all but the most inclement weather from thousands of pushcarts.

As with all other stadiums in Major League Baseball they are an essential for [[New York Yankees]] and the [[New York Mets]] games though it is the local style of preparation that predominates without exception.

Hot dogs are also the focus of a televised eating contest on the Fourth of July in [[Coney Island]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/nathans-famous-hot-dog-eating-contest-winners-joey-chestnut-miki-sudo-today-2018-07-04-live-updates/|title=Joey Chestnut devours record 74 hot dogs for 11th win at Nathan's Famous contest|website=cbsnews.com|date=July 4, 2018|language=en-US|access-date=January 21, 2019|archive-date=March 31, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190331053851/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/nathans-famous-hot-dog-eating-contest-winners-joey-chestnut-miki-sudo-today-2018-07-04-live-updates/|url-status=live}}</ref> at [[Nathan's Famous]], one of the earliest hot dog stands opened in the United States in 1916 by [[Nathan Handwerker]]. Handwerker was a Jewish man who emigrated from what is now Ukraine in 1912 and whose influence is felt today around the world.

Coney Island is most famous for being a traditional boardwalk amusement park and the site of the world's first rollercoaster, a precursor of modern theme parks. Hot dogs are a staple of amusement parks 100 years later.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.filmjournal.com/reviews/film-review-famous-nathan |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150915142527/http://www.filmjournal.com/reviews/film-review-famous-nathan |url-status=dead |archive-date=September 15, 2015 |title=Film Review: Famous Nathan &#124; FilmJournal International |date=July 23, 2015 |access-date=September 14, 2019}}</ref>

A summertime treat, [[Italian ice]], began its life as a sweeter adaptation of the Sicilian [[granita]] that was strictly lemon-flavored and brought to New York and Philadelphia. Its Hispanic counterpart, [[Piragua (food)|''piragua'']], is a common shaved-ice treat brought to New York by Puerto Ricans in the 1930s. Unlike the original dish which included flavors like tamarind, mango, coconut, ''piragua'' is evolving to include flavors like grape and cherry, fruits which are impossible to grow in the tropical Puerto Rican climate and get exported back to the island from New York.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.traveljewels.net/the-caribbean/puerto-rico-itinerary-five-days |title=How to Spend 5 Days in Puerto Rico — travelJewels |publisher=Traveljewels.net |date=April 9, 2018 |access-date=September 14, 2019 |archive-date=July 25, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200725045855/https://www.traveljewels.net/the-caribbean/puerto-rico-itinerary-five-days |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[Taylor Ham]], a meat delicacy of [[New Jersey]], first appeared around the time of the Civil War and today is often served for breakfast with eggs and cheese on a [[kaiser roll]], a variant of a [[Kummelweck|roll brought to the area by Austrians]] in the second half of the 19th century, now commonly used for sandwiches at lunchtime, often topped with poppyseeds. This breakfast meat is generally known as [[pork roll]] in southern New Jersey and Philadelphia, and Taylor Ham in northern New Jersey.

[[File:Nighthawks by Edward Hopper 1942.jpg|thumb|''[[Nighthawks (painting)|Nighthawks]]'', a painting of a [[diner]], one type of eatery still common in the Mid-Atlantic. Each state of the region has its own signatures, and the range extends from the Canadian border in the North to Delaware Bay in the South.]]
Other dishes came about during the early 20th century and have much to do with [[delicatessen]] fare, set up largely by Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe who came to America incredibly poor, often illiterate in any other language but [[Yiddish]], and often banished from mainstream society in their place of origin for centuries. Most often they were completely unable to partake in the outdoor food markets that the general population utilized as most of the food for sale was not [[kosher]].

The influence of European Jewry before their destruction in the [[Holocaust]] on modern mid-Atlantic cooking remains strong and reinforced by their many descendants in the region.<ref>{{cite web |first=Leah |last=Koenig |url=https://www.seriouseats.com/jewish-food-new-york-queens-middle-eastern-bukharian-israeli-georgian |title=Beyond the Bagel: Exploring the Many Flavors of New York City's Jewish Cuisine |publisher=Serious Eats |date= |access-date=September 14, 2019 |archive-date=July 25, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200725055910/https://www.seriouseats.com/jewish-food-new-york-queens-middle-eastern-bukharian-israeli-georgian |url-status=live }}</ref> These currently form the largest concentration of Jews outside Tel Aviv and are very integrated into the local mainstream of New York in particular.

American-style [[dill pickle|pickles]], now a common addition to hamburgers and sandwiches, were brought by Polish Jews,<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://forward.com/food/399524/how-did-the-pickle-become-a-jewish-food-staple/ |title=How Did the Pickle Become a Jewish Food Staple? – the Forward |access-date=September 11, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190618044158/https://forward.com/food/399524/how-did-the-pickle-become-a-jewish-food-staple/ |archive-date=June 18, 2019 |url-status=dead }}</ref> and Austro-Hungarian Jews brought a recipe for almond horns that now is a common regional cookie, diverting from the original recipe in dipping the ends in dark chocolate.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://forward.com/articles/130404/yiddish-almond-horns/ |title=Yid.Dish: Almond Horns – Forward.com |access-date=September 11, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150318032919/http://forward.com/articles/130404/yiddish-almond-horns/ |archive-date=March 18, 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Amg_BAAAQBAJ&q=jewish+almond+horn&pg=PA271 |title=Modern Jewish Cooking: Recipes & Customs for Today's Kitchen – Leah Koenig – Google Books |date=March 17, 2015 |isbn=9781452132327 |access-date=September 14, 2019|last1=Koenig |first1=Leah |publisher=Chronicle Books }}</ref>

New York–style [[cheesecake]] has copious amounts of cream and eggs because animal [[rennet]] is not kosher and so could not be sold to a large number of the deli's clientele.

New York inherited its [[bagel]]s and [[bialys]] from Jews, as well as [[Challah bread]]. [[Pastrami]] first entered the country via Romanian Jews, and is a feature of many sandwiches, often eaten on marble rye, a bread that was born in{{clarify|date=February 2021}} the mid-Atlantic.

[[Whitefish salad]], [[smoked salmon|lox]], and [[matzoh ball soup]] are now standard fare made to order at local diners and delicatessens, but started their life as foods that made up a strict dietary code. [[Rugelach]] cookies and [[hamentashen]] are sweet staples still sold to the general public, but came to New York over a century ago with [[Ashkenazi]] Jews along with [[Jewish rye]].<ref>{{cite news|first=Julia |last=Moskin |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/10/dining/rye-grain-bread.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220101/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/10/dining/rye-grain-bread.html |archive-date=January 1, 2022 |url-access=limited |title=Rye, a Grain With Ancient Roots, Is Rising Again |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=January 10, 2017 |access-date=September 14, 2019}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://shop.russanddaughters.com/#history-1-section|title=Russ & Daughters official site|website=shop.russanddaughters.com|access-date=September 14, 2019|archive-date=October 1, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191001021102/http://shop.russanddaughters.com/#history-1-section|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[File:Buffalo - Wings at Airport Anchor Bar.jpg|thumb|220px|[[Buffalo wing]]s with [[blue cheese dressing]], served with lager beer]]
Many of their dishes passed into the mainstream enough that they became standard fare in diners by the end of the 20th century, a type of restaurant that is now the most common in the region, and the subject matter of the artist [[Edward Hopper]].

In the past this sort of establishment was the haven of the short-order cook grilling or frying simple foods for the working man. Today typical service includes staples from this large region like [[beef on weck]], [[Manhattan clam chowder]], the [[club sandwich]], [[Buffalo wings]], [[Philadelphia cheesesteak]], the [[black and white cookie]], [[shoofly pie]], [[snapper soup]], [[Smith Island cake]], [[blackout cake]], [[grape pie]], [[milkshake]]s, and the [[egg cream]], a vanilla or chocolate fountain drink with a frothy top and fizzy taste.

As in Hopper's painting from 1942, many of these businesses are open 24 hours a day.