Clam cakes are a summer tradition throughout New England, most commonly found in Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Massachusetts. It is a deep-fried combination of chopped clams (usually quahog clams) and batter, usually consisting of flour, milk, clam juice, eggs, and a leavening agent.
The cakes are crispy and golden brown on the exterior, with a light and fluffy texture on the interior. They are especially popular during the clamming season, when clams are in abundance and must be used quickly so they do not spoil over time. Clam cakes are served throughout coastal New England, at restaurants and roadside stands, typically consumed as finger food and accompanied by a bowl of clam chowder for dipping.
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MAIN INGREDIENTS
Lobster roll is a Maine specialty consisting of cooked lobster meat that is, ideally, drizzled with melted butter and placed into long hot dog rolls. Additionally, the sandwich might include lettuce, lemon juice, salt, and black pepper. Traditional accompaniments include potato chips or french fries on the side.
Some claim that lobster roll first appeared at Perry's in Milford, Connecticut, while others claim it was first prepared at Red's in Wiscasset, Maine. Regardless of the origins, the entire state of Maine continues to honor the tradition by offering more version of lobster rolls than the first inventor could have possibly imagined, starting an endless debate over how it should be made and who makes the best rolls.
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Unrecognizable anywhere but in New England, Indian pudding is a traditional sweetened stove-top Thanksgiving dessert that was brought over from the 17-century English colonists in the original form known as hasty pudding. Traditional Indian pudding is a combination of cornmeal, water, molasses, butter, and eggs, along with available spices, fruits, and nuts.
Cornmeal was abundant for the early settlers and made a suitable base, while molasses was used as a sweetener due to the massive amounts of rum being produced at the time. The pudding is slowly cooked over a low flame for the smoothest possible consistency, similar to the way New England kitchen stoves radiated heat long after the cooking was done, and it can be left warm, frozen, fried, or served with a scoop of ice cream.