Catching up with long ago posts, started but not finished. As Hobbes, said, “The problem with the future is that it keeps turning into the present.” Finally bringing this Dynamite story to a screen near you.
Photo by Al’s Place
#IJustLoveThisPicture
November 10, 2010
Lisa,
As part of my food writing research for Edible Boston, I attended the French – Canadian Festival over Labor Day weekend in Woonsocket, Rhode Island. Besides some fine regional eats and a local farmer’s market, I learned a little about the iconic “Dynamite” sandwich – a VERY local institution for many decades in this most French of American cities (Woonsocket was settled by French Canadians in the mid 1800s, lured down from eastern Canada to work in the textile mill industry that was taking the Blackstone Valley by storm at that time – they decided to stay on but were very resistant to adopting and assimilating American culture and culinary traditions).
The dynamite is a FC take on the sloppy joe – lots of red peppers, tomatoes, onions and garlic cooked down and tossed with ground hamburg and served on a torpedo roll.
It is very well known in Woonsocket but virtually unknown 20 miles from there. One researcher claimed he contacted a number of French embassies – in the US, Canada and Europe, plus Gallic biased culinary schools and restaurants and got universal blanks stares – no one else had heard of or knew of it.
Here’s a link about it – your thoughts welcome. I picked up a jar of homemade sauce at the festival from “The Blackstone Valley Girls”, but have not had a chance to try it yet… maybe this weekend.
David, aka KitchenSquater
QUAHOG.ORG
Whose site includes this recipe:
(The Blackstone Valley Girls seem to have taken the dynamite name and abandoned ship. Their website is MIA. What the?)
Exhibits A and B
November 20, 2010
Lisa,
Finally made my dynamite sandwich spread at home today – using the award winning dyno spread from the French/ Canadian festival in Woonsocket from Labor Day weekend. It was good, but somehow metallic in taste, which put me off. Green peppers, onions, various herbs and spices, tomato sauce, yada, yada.. all there and strong in flavor, but that metallic thing bothered me – like I could taste remnants of the cans the tomatoes came from. Odd. And this a recent award winning sauce.
Had a home made sample last week, from an agent in our office who grew up near Woonsocket – and his tasted fine, so I think I have yet more research to do in the bowels of the city.
Stay tuned,
David
The Lunch Encounter 