The great American Independence Celebration is upon us and it seems appropriate to highlight American Cooking and American food. Seems pretty easy, right? But perhaps it isn’t really easy to define American food.
America is often referred to as the great melting pot since it is a nation of immigrants; yet, its cooking is neither a melting pot nor a sum of all the foreign dishes that different nationalities brought with them. Rather, it has evolved into a cuisine of its own. Americans have always taken the best of the “old countries” from which they came, made those dishes conform to the natural resources that are plentiful in their region of America and then……added a dash of, well, Americanism.
Thus, the cliché, “as American as apple pie” is true even though our English ancestors were baking and eating apple pie in old England long before Columbus took his famous trip. Have you ever been to England and tasted their apple pie? English apple pie is not really the same.
American cooking could be about indigenous foods that were not even in the old countries: corn, tomatoes, turkey, cranberries, black walnuts, pumpkin (and other squashes) and a great many more, but all of these ingredients have been adopted by other nations and have become a part of their own cuisine. (Tomatoes—Italy?)
So, then, exactly what is American cooking? As vast as our country is and as many different regions as there are in America, it is only relatively recently (1970’s and 80’s) that we have had ready access to the ingredients that make local dishes special and have thus taken a great interest in foods of all regions. It is a cuisine that has evolved from many nationalities, with a strong emphasis on the early influences of Britain, France, Germany, Africa and Mexico. It is a cuisine that is built on the greatest bounty of ingredients known anywhere and an affluence that makes it available to almost everyone. And it is a cuisine that reflects that ineffable quality—American ingenuity.
Here’s a great Fourth of July menu that is as American as—well as American as apple pie:
Deviled Eggs
Hamburgers and Hot Dogs with all the fixings
Corn on the cob
Potato Salad
Baked Beans
Pickles and relishes
Blueberry and Apple Pie
I will venture a guess (completely undocumented) that at least 2/3 of the population will be eating this menu or one very close to it on this great American holiday.
Deviled Eggs (adapted from American Home Cooking by Jamison and Jamison)
12 large eggs
3 Tbsp. mayonnaise
3 Tbsp. Durkee’s Famous Sauce
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 ½ tsp. prepared horseradish
Salt Paprika
Parsley sprigs
In large saucepan, cover eggs by an inch with cold water. Over medium heat, bring water to a boil. Turn off the heat, cover the pan and let it stand for 15 to 20 minutes. Pour off the water and run cold water over eggs for 1 or 2 minutes. Drain the eggs and peel them immediately. Slice the eggs in half lengthwise. Scoop out the yolks into a bowl and set whites aside. Mash the yolks with a fork and then mix in the mayonnaise, Durkee’s, mustard and horseradish. Sprinkle in salt to taste. Spoon or pipe the yolk mixture into the whites. Dust with paprika and chill for at least 30 minutes. Serve garnished with a sprig of parsley.
Lynette’s Potato Salad
8 medium potatoes
8 eggs
½ cup Good Seasons Italian dressing (from mix) mixed according to package directions
One half large onion, diced very fine
One large or 2 small dill pickles
2 Tbsp. dill pickle juice
1 cup Hellman’s or homemade mayonnaise
1 Tbsp. salt
Pepper to taste
Cook potatoes until tender; boil eggs until hard-boiled (see above Deviled Eggs recipe). Peel potatoes while still hot. Dice in medium dice. Pour Italian dressing over diced warm potatoes in bowl. In food processor, process onion and pickles until finely chopped. Add to potatoes. Shell eggs and process in food processor until finely chopped. Add to potato mixture. Stir in mayonnaise, salt, pepper and pickle juice. Chill until ready to serve. (published in this column June 6, 2006)
Boston Baked Beans (Time-Life Foods of the World Series; American Cooking)
4 cups dried pea or Great Northern beans
3 medium onions
2 tsp. salt
4 cloves
½ cup molasses
1 cup brown sugar
2 tsp. dry mustard
1 tsp. black pepper
2 cups water
½ pound salt pork, scored
Put the beans in a large saucepan and pour in enough cold water to cover them by at least 2 inches. Bring to a boil, let boil for 2 minutes, then let the beans soak in the water off the heat for about 1 hour. Bring them to boil again, add 1 onion and 1 tsp. of the salt, half cover the pan and simmer the beans as slowly as possible for about 30 minutes or until they are partially done. Drain the beans and discard the onion and bean water. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees. To bake the beans, choose a traditional 2 ½ quart bean pot or a heavy casserole with a tight-fitting cover. Place 2 onions, each stuck with 2 cloves, in the bottom of the bean pot or casserole and cover with the beans. In a small mixing bowl, combine the molasses, ¾ cup of the brown sugar, mustard, and 1 tsp. each of salt and black pepper. Slowly stirring with a large spoon, pour in the 2 cups of water. Pour this mixture over the beans and push the salt pork slightly beneath the surface. Cover tightly and bake in the center of the oven for 4 ½ to 5 hours. Then remove the cover and sprinkle with the remaining ¼ cup of brown sugar. Bake the beans uncovered for another ½ hour and serve.
Happy Fourth of July!
America is often referred to as the great melting pot since it is a nation of immigrants; yet, its cooking is neither a melting pot nor a sum of all the foreign dishes that different nationalities brought with them. Rather, it has evolved into a cuisine of its own. Americans have always taken the best of the “old countries” from which they came, made those dishes conform to the natural resources that are plentiful in their region of America and then……added a dash of, well, Americanism.
Thus, the cliché, “as American as apple pie” is true even though our English ancestors were baking and eating apple pie in old England long before Columbus took his famous trip. Have you ever been to England and tasted their apple pie? English apple pie is not really the same.
American cooking could be about indigenous foods that were not even in the old countries: corn, tomatoes, turkey, cranberries, black walnuts, pumpkin (and other squashes) and a great many more, but all of these ingredients have been adopted by other nations and have become a part of their own cuisine. (Tomatoes—Italy?)
So, then, exactly what is American cooking? As vast as our country is and as many different regions as there are in America, it is only relatively recently (1970’s and 80’s) that we have had ready access to the ingredients that make local dishes special and have thus taken a great interest in foods of all regions. It is a cuisine that has evolved from many nationalities, with a strong emphasis on the early influences of Britain, France, Germany, Africa and Mexico. It is a cuisine that is built on the greatest bounty of ingredients known anywhere and an affluence that makes it available to almost everyone. And it is a cuisine that reflects that ineffable quality—American ingenuity.
Here’s a great Fourth of July menu that is as American as—well as American as apple pie:
Deviled Eggs
Hamburgers and Hot Dogs with all the fixings
Corn on the cob
Potato Salad
Baked Beans
Pickles and relishes
Blueberry and Apple Pie
I will venture a guess (completely undocumented) that at least 2/3 of the population will be eating this menu or one very close to it on this great American holiday.
Deviled Eggs (adapted from American Home Cooking by Jamison and Jamison)
12 large eggs
3 Tbsp. mayonnaise
3 Tbsp. Durkee’s Famous Sauce
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 ½ tsp. prepared horseradish
Salt Paprika
Parsley sprigs
In large saucepan, cover eggs by an inch with cold water. Over medium heat, bring water to a boil. Turn off the heat, cover the pan and let it stand for 15 to 20 minutes. Pour off the water and run cold water over eggs for 1 or 2 minutes. Drain the eggs and peel them immediately. Slice the eggs in half lengthwise. Scoop out the yolks into a bowl and set whites aside. Mash the yolks with a fork and then mix in the mayonnaise, Durkee’s, mustard and horseradish. Sprinkle in salt to taste. Spoon or pipe the yolk mixture into the whites. Dust with paprika and chill for at least 30 minutes. Serve garnished with a sprig of parsley.
Lynette’s Potato Salad
8 medium potatoes
8 eggs
½ cup Good Seasons Italian dressing (from mix) mixed according to package directions
One half large onion, diced very fine
One large or 2 small dill pickles
2 Tbsp. dill pickle juice
1 cup Hellman’s or homemade mayonnaise
1 Tbsp. salt
Pepper to taste
Cook potatoes until tender; boil eggs until hard-boiled (see above Deviled Eggs recipe). Peel potatoes while still hot. Dice in medium dice. Pour Italian dressing over diced warm potatoes in bowl. In food processor, process onion and pickles until finely chopped. Add to potatoes. Shell eggs and process in food processor until finely chopped. Add to potato mixture. Stir in mayonnaise, salt, pepper and pickle juice. Chill until ready to serve. (published in this column June 6, 2006)
Boston Baked Beans (Time-Life Foods of the World Series; American Cooking)
4 cups dried pea or Great Northern beans
3 medium onions
2 tsp. salt
4 cloves
½ cup molasses
1 cup brown sugar
2 tsp. dry mustard
1 tsp. black pepper
2 cups water
½ pound salt pork, scored
Put the beans in a large saucepan and pour in enough cold water to cover them by at least 2 inches. Bring to a boil, let boil for 2 minutes, then let the beans soak in the water off the heat for about 1 hour. Bring them to boil again, add 1 onion and 1 tsp. of the salt, half cover the pan and simmer the beans as slowly as possible for about 30 minutes or until they are partially done. Drain the beans and discard the onion and bean water. Preheat the oven to 250 degrees. To bake the beans, choose a traditional 2 ½ quart bean pot or a heavy casserole with a tight-fitting cover. Place 2 onions, each stuck with 2 cloves, in the bottom of the bean pot or casserole and cover with the beans. In a small mixing bowl, combine the molasses, ¾ cup of the brown sugar, mustard, and 1 tsp. each of salt and black pepper. Slowly stirring with a large spoon, pour in the 2 cups of water. Pour this mixture over the beans and push the salt pork slightly beneath the surface. Cover tightly and bake in the center of the oven for 4 ½ to 5 hours. Then remove the cover and sprinkle with the remaining ¼ cup of brown sugar. Bake the beans uncovered for another ½ hour and serve.
Happy Fourth of July!
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