Virginia

Tavern Relish

Don’t want to hear the backstory? Jump straight to the recipe. In 1930 Nick Bullington, a former travelling advance man for the Ringling Brothers Circus, opened the Texas Tavern in Roanoke, Virginia. Nick had been travelling the country setting up the circus’ affairs a year ahead of their arrival while collecting recipes from all around. Eventually, at the height of the Great Depression, Nick opened the Texas Tavern in the booming railroad city of Roanoke, Virginia. He went to expand to Lynchburg, Virginia and opened what is now known as the… Read More »Tavern Relish

Virginia White Salsa

Don’t want to hear the backstory? Jump straight to the recipe. I have lived in Virginia my whole life, but white salsa is not something that I came into contact with until probably the time when I was in college. This is usually served at local Tex-Mex chains alongside a regular tomato salsa and thin corn tortilla chips. It is a thick, creamy, sweet salsa that balances out a spicy salsa that is it usually served alongside. When this started showing up at my local restaurants, I assumed that this was… Read More »Virginia White Salsa

General Tso’s Sauce

Don’t want to hear the backstory? Jump straight to the recipe. Zuo Zongtang (General Tso) was born in 1812 during the Qing Dynasty in Xiangyin, China. He rose to great power in his life in the military and government. The origins of General Tso’s chicken are disputed, but it was definitely never created or consumed by Zuo Zongtang. Most people believe that the General Tso’s chicken recipe was created during the 1970s in New York City. There are a lot of people that claim to have invented the recipe for General… Read More »General Tso’s Sauce

Coffee Shop Salsa

Don’t want to hear the backstory? Jump straight to the recipe. When I was in high school I worked at a coffee shop in Soutwestern Virginia. This coffee shop was a study hangout for the local college and served a lot more than just lattes and scones. They made a lot of salads, wraps, and sandwiches to fuel the late night study binges and after-church lunches. This coffee shop was the only game in town in the pre-Starbucks era, and to this day in that town if you say that you’re… Read More »Coffee Shop Salsa