You must specify unsweetened tea. That stuff will give you diabetes.
Y’all ain’t from around here.
Until that instance (c. 1996 or 1997) when we were driving through Alabama, unsweetened tea was the default.
Did you have tea in any other Southern state? I have been in small rural eateries where they nothing but sweet tea.
The other notable difference I encountered in New England was that they apparently made their tea the day before.
There’s an easier way: wrap unpeeled potatoes in plastic wrap, microwave for 3-4 minutes (more if lots of potatoes), stick potatoes in the serving bowl, and mash with a fork. Add butter or salt as desired. Done. Just did this today, in fact.
Something that’s really worth the effort: scones. Few dishes are as easy.
These toasted cheese rolls are a “delicacy”* where I grew up, and I miss them dearly as they aren’t available anywhere else. I ought to make them myself, and they only really take about 20 minutes to do, but I just can’t be arsed.
*Not a delicacy, just a roadside snack, but boy are they delicious. Note the Onion Soup mix ingredient is very specifically a local product and any similar version available near you just won’t taste the same
Coconut milk. I’ve tried twice, the first time was moderately successful, the second was not.
It’s a huge, messy, pain in the ass that ends up costing more and tasting no better than canned. This is a case where the industrial process delivers more quality than homemade. It’s not easy to grind coconuts and extract the the part you want, and the right equipment does the best job.
But the real thing that makes it not worth it is this: it’s hard to buy coconuts (at least in Indiana) that haven’t gone off a bit. Aside from truly rotten ones, you just can’t tell with your senses what’s good. And if a coconut is a little bit off, the milk will taste like shit.
And Trader Joe’s organic coconut milk is da bomb. And cheap.
Wow, making your own coconut milk. That’s hardcore.
Bets? I can get Maggi Onion Soup mix at the local German deli. I just might have to whomp a batch of these up, just for giggles.
Mmmmm. I love scones but haven’t made them for years. Is there a recipe that works particularly well?
I’m pretty sure I can get it at my Mexican market, which has all sorts of Maggi products. That said, I wouldn’t be surprised if the exact composition of their products varies by market. I grew up with Maggi sauce being a staple in my mom’s (Polish) kitchen, but I discovered that they’re not exactly the same around the world.
Well, as long as I don’t use Lipton’s I figure the profile will be pretty close. 
Really good mushroom soup is one of the few things that, I’ve found, simply cannot be purchased in a grocery store. The stuff in a can (no matter the brand) bears no resemblance to real mushroom soup. As a plus, it’s rather easy and quick to make at home, even for a not-very good cook like me.
I’m with you on the canned stuff but the Polish grocery stores and delis around here have mushrooms soup that absolutely kills. It is quite perishable with the fresh dairy and stays refrigerated until heating to serve.
Yeah, you can’t put enough sugar in tea to make it that sweet after it’s already been brewed. It needs to be added while the water is still hot. Can’t stand it myself, but I’ve worked food most of my life, so have made it quite a bit.
The one good thing about it is watching a southerner’s face when they order a tea, and their reaction as they realize that it is not sweet tea.