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United States Regional Cuisine

maschef — Thu, 13 May 2010 00:37:35 +0000

The United States of America is often referred to as a giant melting pot – but when it comes to regional cuisine throughout the United States, nothing could be further from the truth. From New England to San Francisco, from Dallas to New York, there are regional specialties that are inextricably associated with a particular city, a specific state, even a neighborhood – foods and cuisines that are so much a part of the culture of one little area of the nation. Just the mention of one quickly brings a thought of the other.

If you take a drive down the Atlantic seacoast starting in Maine and concluding in Florida, what will unfold before your eyes is a delicious map, dotted with seafood delicacies, spiced with the culture of those who settled the region. In Maine, the seafood is stick-to-your-ribs no-nonsense. There's nothing simpler, or more satisfying than a steaming pot full of Maine lobsters. Littlenecks, cherrystones or mussels, steamed in beer and dipped in pure creamery butter, is a treat fit for those who understand that serving food au natural allows the flavor to stand on its very own. New England is famous for its "plain cooking;" clam chowder, baked beans, New England boiled dinners and famous Yankee Pot Roast are all dishes that simply aren't the same anywhere else in the country.

However, seafood is just the beginning. Everyone is well aware that the only place to get a cheese steak is in Philly, a bagel and lox in NYC, and Chicago does the best ribs in the world. You can't leave New England without trying the salt- water taffy or travel through Vermont without picking up a keg of maple syrup. No trip to Georgia would be complete without a slice of pecan pie, and if you think you're going to find real chili anywhere outside of Texas, well, Texans will tell you different.

For some, regional cuisine is a matter of the culture. In New Mexico, the blending of Native American and Spanish foods gives us blue corn tortillas with salsa, along with a mingling of piquant flavors sparked with native herbs and spices. Many Pennsylvania favorites have grown from Pennsylvania Dutch roots, such as shoofly pie and apple pandowdy, which have graced many a hausfrau's table back in the old days. In Louisiana, the influence of the Caribbean and African cultures shine through in dishes such as gumbo and blackened swordfish, both of which are mouth-searingly delicious.

Even within regions there are smaller pockets that are bastions of regional cooking. On opposite sides of the country, both San Francisco and New York City are famous for Chinese food. This is in large part due to their heavy immigrant populations. Boston's North End is a feast for any lover of Italian food, but is renowned throughout the United States especially for its Italian pastries.

Like its people, the cuisine of the United States is a mélange drawn from other nations and other cultures. From coast to coast and border to border, each region has its own specialties and delicacies. There exists no true 'U.S. cuisine'. Instead, each region, state, city and neighborhood has its own unique style and flavor, drawn from the people who settled there and first called it home.

Chinese Cuisine In America

maschef — Sat, 01 May 2010 04:13:35 +0000

Chinese food has become more and more popular in the Americas as time has gone by. More and more Chinese restaurants are popping up all over North, South and Central America. There are many Chinese people living in the Americas too and thus with them they bring some of their traditions, culture and food.

There's more to Chinese cuisine than meets the taste buds. There is also what meets the eye, the ear and the imagination. Chinese culture commands attention to the entire presentation of a meal, including the blend of flavors, subtlety of the spicing, how appealing the colors and arrangement of the food is and how well it plays on the imagination of the diner. This is a concept that is as foreign to most Westerners as an appreciation for the nuance of a single brushstroke in an ideograph. To the Chinese though, the name of a dish plays its own part in the presentation when meals are being served to guests.

The subtlety of Chinese cuisine is lost on most Americans, who'd rather know what's going to be on their plate than enjoy a bit of imagery with their meal. Some of the most common names survive. Seven Happiness, for example, is a dish that includes shrimp, lobster, scallop, fish, pork, beef and chicken in a delicate sauce accompanied by vegetables. Seven happiness indeed, what mouth wouldn't be happy with that? In China, however, many honored and respected restaurants still cling to the old traditions.

At the Confucius House, one can dine on Two Phoenix from One Egg, An Oriole Welcoming Spring and As Luck As One Wishes. The Fangshan Restaurant in Beihai Park serves Phoenix in Its Nest and "Frog and Abalone". The Fangshan Restaurant has also revived an ancient tradition, known as the complete Manchu-Han Banquet. Created during the Qing Dynasty as a celebration of important events, the Manchu-Han Banquet consists of 234 hot dishes, 28 cold dishes, along with cakes and fruit. It is such a lavish spread that it is normally held over the course of a few days.

The practice of giving poetic names to dishes flourished during the Northern and Southern Dynasties. While many dishes were named simply for their appearance, many others included a play on words in their names, subtle references to the ingredients wrapped in a beautiful title. Hence, a dish of shredded fish with orange might be called "powdered gold and minced jade". Shrimp with green peas and scallions might bear the name "Coral, Pearl and Jade". Some were far more fanciful and in some cases descriptive of the elaborate preparation that turned a plate of food into a work of art. One such dish is chicken and soft-shelled turtle served in its shell and named "the Conqueror says goodbye to his concubine".

Hunan cuisine is considered to be the most visually appealing of the Chinese regional cuisines, so it is not surprising that it also features the most fanciful and delightful names. Who cares what the ingredients are when your host serves you 'Footsteps of the Phoenix' and "Pearls in the Snow"? They are truly names fit for the dishes that graced the tables of emperors.

Regional Cuisine Of Mexico

maschef — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 19:44:35 +0000

Situated just south of the United States and bordering the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, Mexico is quickly advancing culturally as well and economically. The devaluation of the peso in 1994 threw the Mexican economy into a frenzy, lowering their per capita income to a mere quarter of that of the United States. Despite repeated social and economic turmoil, the rich cultures of the original Mexican Yucatan civilizations have remained, though somewhat jaded after their emersion from under Spanish rule in the 19th century.

The history of Mexican cuisine is no mystery. When the Spaniards first landed in Tenochtitlan, which happens to be present-day Mexico City, they carefully recorded every aspect of life there in Mexico, especially the food and cooking techniques of the natives. Many of these notes have been carefully preserved in the name of history. During their observations, they realized that the Mexicans had a lot of corn-based foods. Since maize was one of Mexico's main crops, this was no surprise. If through nothing else, the Mexican culture has continued to live on through its food.

Be warned: Mexican food is not for those with sensitive stomachs. Consisting of rich, heavy foods such as tortillas, chili peppers and beans, Mexican food, with all its richness and spiciness, is not easily tolerated by some people. Mexican food is one cuisine that will always have a taste and sabor, meaning flavor, all its own.

Present-day Mexican food is actually a mixture of original Mayan and Aztec cuisine combined with the influence of the culture of the Spanish conquistadores. While Tex-Mex and local "authentic" Mexican restaurants have become very skilled in mastering the style of Mexican cooking, there is no comparison between the Americanized "restaurant" version and the real thing. Mexican food is known for its wealth of spices and intense, deep flavoring that just can't be duplicated in any franchise restaurant.

As one might guess, tortillas are the staple of Mexican cuisine. Tortillas are made by curing maize in limewater, kneading the mixture into dough, then cooking the thin patties on a flat grill. The most common tortillas found in the United States are made of corn, although this version of the corn tortilla is quite unlike the original, authentic version. Authentic corn tortillas are made by hand on a flat grill, called a Comal. The corn is ground by hand, resulting in thick, tasty tortillas that the grocery store are unable to offer. Flour tortillas were implemented only after the Spaniards introduced wheat to the Mexican region.

Chiles are another staple in traditional Mexican cuisine. They add color and dimension to many traditional Mexican dishes. Bell peppers, tabasco peppers, and paprika peppers add the color and the flavor kick that Mexican food is so known for.

It is important to note that Mexican cuisine varies in reference to the region where it originated. Northern-style Mexican food normally consists of dishes with a lot of beef, whereas southern-style Mexican cuisine consists more of chicken and vegetables such as bell peppers, radishes, but most off all broccoli. Coming from the coastal areas of Mexico is another common style of Mexican cuisine, called Veracruz.. This style of cuisine, which was named after a state in Mexico and its largest city, consists of seafood such as fish and shrimp. More indigenous areas have even been known to incorporate spider monkey and iguana into their meals. Especially while in Mexico, "Mexican Food" does not always simply mean tacos and burritos.

Do not confuse authentic Mexican cuisine with Americanized Tex-Mex or New Mexican food, which are versions of Mexican food in Texas and New Mexico.

Regional Cuisine New England Clam Chowder

maschef — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 16:49:35 +0000

The brisk spice of fallen leaves, the sea air and crisp apples are just a few olfactory treats that remind us of autumn in New England. Among these marvelous treats for the senses are popular dishes from appetizers to desserts that you just won't find, or at least won't find quite the same way, anywhere else in the world. If you doubt it, there's always an ad that was popular this past autumn, right after the Red Sox won the World Series. In it, a man was explaining, "Son, when you live in New England there are three basic truths… clam chowder is white…" Well, the other two truths just don't matter. We New Englanders take our clam chowder very seriously!

In autumn, up and down the New England coast nearly every town and township has its own Chowder Festival. Throughout the six states, restaurants cook up pots of chowder from their best recipes and compete for the honor of being named "Best Clam Chowder". The granddaddy of all New England Chowder Festivals is held in Newport, Rhode Island, where dozens of area restaurants compete for the title of "America's Best Clam Chowder".

Clam chowder is a simple enough dish, but like chili in Texas and crab cakes in Maryland, every cook has their own special version of the recipe. Of course, there are the basics such as clams, potatoes and milk. From there, it's every chef for himself. Some swear that clam chowder without salt pork is just potage. Others insist that clam chowder can't be made without onions. Cooks have nearly come to blows over whether heavy cream should ever be used and why a butter and flour roux is a better base than clam liquor. Secret recipes abound, with everyone having their favorites.

My own personal favorite happens to be the thick, creamy, eat-it-with-a-fork variety of clam chowder served at Legal Seafood and Au Bon Pain in Boston. Rich and full of potato chunks, meaty bits of clam, onions, garlic and salt pork, it's a meal rather than an opener for one. Served with a slab of butter slathered, homemade bread, it's guaranteed to raise your cholesterol level and please your taste buds for hours.

Chefs can be some tough critics when it comes to clam chowder particulars. Some chefs cry sacrilege, while others believe that fresh corn adds the perfect touch of crisp sweetness to the rich broth and pungent bits of clam meat. Corn isn't the only bone of contention when it comes to this regional specialty. Purists contend that the only real ingredients in clam chowder are clams, water, milk, onions, potatoes and butter. They can't agree on whether chowder should be made with mussels or littlenecks, Maine chefs choose littlenecks, while Connecticut chefs use mussels, whether to add the clam bellies or just the necks, or even whether clams should be steamed "virgin" or with garlic, wine or beer.

No matter whether you like your clam chowder thick or thin, with or without corn, flavored with salt pork or bacon, there is one thing on which all New Englanders agree, clam chowder is white. We're not quite sure what it is that they serve in Manhattan, but it's not clam chowder.

Louisiana Cajun Cooking

maschef — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 20:28:35 +0000

This particular type of cooking originated with a group of Nova Scotia residents, Frenchmen, who were expelled by the British in 1755. After many years of nomadic existence, they finally settled in the Southern Louisiana swamplands. It was here that they adapted native cooking methods using ingredients available to them in their new land. This cuisine was fit for the hardworking people who were enduring difficult situations. It was practical, strong country food that took advantage of the easily accessible local ingredients. Often, an entire meal would be prepared using just one pot, making the meal quite hearty. This style of cooking became the hallmark of these people, called Acadians, and this was later shortened to Cajun, hence the phrase "Cajun Cooking."

Since Cajun recipes were passed down from one generation to another, authentic Cajun recipes can be hard to find. With each generation adding their own extra ingredients and flair, the recipes also tended to change a bit from one generation to the next. For the most common Cajun dishes, there are virtually hundreds of recipes, with each kitchen adding their own signature touches, as is the independent nature of the Cajun people. Some specialties of Cajun cuisine include stews, gumbos, etouffees and rice dishes such as jambalayas.

Most Cajun dishes all share the same beginning, with a roux. Roux is a butter or oil cooked with flour. It is used to thicken as well as to flavor. There are three different types of roux, and what distinguishes each is the way in which it is cooked. There are light or blond, medium and dark roux. Using a light or medium roux can thicken gumbos, and the dark roux is used for the flavoring of dishes.

Finding the common ingredients used in Cajun cooking is quite simple, as they are native to the Southern Louisiana swamplands. Rice is a staple ingredient, and seafood such as crawfish; shrimp, oysters, red fish, crabs and speckled trout are common. Other frequently used ingredients include pork, beans, homemade sausages, tomatoes, yams, black-eyed peas, figs, okra, oranges and pecans. Game is also used, such as turtles, frogs, duck and wild turkey.

Against popular belief, few spices are actually used in Cajun cooking. Instead, the unique flavor comes from the long simmering of the prepared dishes. However, there is one spice that is used liberally, and this would be Cayenne pepper. Cayenne pepper is a finely ground spice made from the Cayenne Chile, and needless to say, it is fiery! It is usually used in conjunction with white and black pepper. File powder, also called gumbo powder, is another common seasoning in Cajun dishes. It is made from sassafras leaves that have been dried and ground. Creole mustard is yet another ingredient, it is a coarse and spicy local mustard. Furthermore, no Cajun table is considered complete without condiments like Tabasco and other pepper sauces!

Cajun cuisine is unique to Southern Louisiana and makes the best of the native resources. It still manages to retain the French influence brought to it by the migrants many, many years ago. Whether you are craving something a little exotic or some good, down home comfort food, this cuisine can answer both calls, often in the same big pot! This wonderful style of cooking offers something for everyone to enjoy.

Culinary Traditions Of South America Argentina

maschef — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 01:36:35 +0000

Snugly situated between the Andes Mountain range, the Pacific Ocean, and the South American countries of Uruguay, Brazil, Chile and Paraguay lies South America's largest country, Argentina. Being situated in this a manner allows Argentina to be exposed to many different regional influences from all directions, including countries from all the way across the Pacific. Spain took it upon themselves to permanently settle in the country in the late 1500s, and remained there until Buenos Aires formally emancipated themselves in 1853. One of the most marked differences between Argentine Cuisine and other exotic cuisines from around the world is the heavy influence that Italian and Spanish cultures had on it.

Since the Italian culture heavily influences the country of Argentina, Italian favorites such as lasagna, pizza, pasta, and ravioli are commonly seen on the Argentine dinner table, especially in the country's major cities. White bread is also a favorite of Italian's, and can be found alongside native Argentine vegetables such as zucchini, squash, cucumbers, eggplant and potatoes.

It is not hard to figure out why items such as milk, wheat, corn and meats like goat, beef, pork and lamb are common occurrences in Argentine dishes; Argentina is one of the world's largest producer of these particular food items. Argentine dishes are normally very high in protein, so grilled meats are commonly seen on a plate of Argentine food.

Pastries stuffed with meat or cheeses, commonly referred to as empanadas, are also an Argentine favorite. They are commonly served in Argentina's restaurants and are national favorites, being served routinely as appetizers at parties and festivals. They can be enjoyed fried and baked, as well. Oranges or apples, along with brown sugar make up the dessert version of the empanada, and are quite a tasty treat!

Spanish and Italian influences in Argentine cuisine are less apparent in smaller cities. Milanesas, which are thin slivers of meat, dipped in eggs and breadcrumbs, then fried in oil, are common fare in the more rural areas of Argentina. Their simplicity makes them great snacks, but they are also favored as a main dish served piping hot with mashed potatoes, or nestled between two slices of bread and eaten as a sandwich.

Desserts are more popular in these areas, as well, with Dulce de leche being a favorite. Dulce de leche is a sweet pudding of sugar and milk. Its name roughly means "Milk Jam." This lightly brown-colored pudding is eaten alone, or stuffed in cakes or pies. Other times, the treat is crystallized into a solid, wafer-like candy substance.

The more able, master chefs are inclined to return to the more classic, provincial style of preparing and cooking food, which bears more of a resemblance to Mexican cuisine than that of Italy. In preparing Mexican cuisine, bolder, more intense spices are used. Argentine cooks are famous for their tortillas, which are made of potato dough, just like that of the Spanish. Authentic Mexican tortillas, on the other hand, are made from either corn or flour. Whenever you are enjoying a meal in Argentina, don't be surprised to taste a bit of Italy, or sense a Spanish flair.

Culinary Traditions Of The Caribbean Islands

maschef — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 00:26:35 +0000

Authentic Caribbean cuisine is truly an excellent representation of all the cultural influences the Caribbean Islands have experienced since Christopher Columbus' landing in the late 1400's. Possessing a fine mixture of French Island and African recipes, Caribbean cuisine is widely enjoyed and prepared by people of all nationalities, in many areas of the United States, as well as all over the world.

Caribbean culture and its food were forever changed when the European traders introduced African slaves into the region. Much like the slaves in the United States, they had to make due with what they had, so ate mostly the scrap leftovers of the slave owners. The African slaves blended the knowledge of spices and vegetables they had brought from their homeland and incorporated them with the precious fruits and vegetables of the Caribbean Islands, as well as other staples to that could be found in the area. This was the birth of the more contemporary Caribbean Cuisine, and created many one-of-a-kind dishes since many of the produce on the islands at the time were too fragile to make it through the exportation process. Fruits most often found in Caribbean cuisine included yams, yucca, mangos and papaya fruits. Among the produce that were too fragile to be exported were the tamarind fruit and plantains, which is a fruit grown on a tree that is similar to the banana.

Although spicy, Caribbean food is one of the healthier options existing among culinary traditions from different regions. As mentioned earlier, the lush Caribbean islands are chock full of vegetables and fruits for healthy living. In addition to that, America introduced beans, corn, Chile peppers, potatoes and tomatoes to the islands, which served to broaden their palate.

When slavery was abolished on the islands, slave owners were forced to look else where for help. Bringing in labor from India and China, different types of dishes using rice or curry were introduced and blended into mainstream Caribbean cuisine. This is how the Caribbean favorite curry goat was born.

The Caribbean islands are situated in a prime location for one of their specialties, seafood. Salted codfish is just one of the specialties on the Caribbean islands. It is usually served in a salad or stew, or at breakfast in scrambled eggs. Lobster, sea turtle, shrimp, crab, and sea urchins are also specialties on the islands. They are used to make exotic, spicy Caribbean dishes such as Antillean crab pilaf and curried coconut shrimp.

Desserts are also an integral part of the Caribbean culinary experience. Caribbean natives incorporate dessert into almost every meal. Sugar cane is one of the area's chief products, so there are always an abundance of cakes, pies, and dumplings available. At Caribbean restaurants you may notice the emphasis they put on their desserts. In their culture, dessert is just as important as the main course.

Caribbean cuisine incorporates flavors from all of the different cultures that have ever graced the shores of the islands, from Africa to China to India. The flavoring in Caribbean cuisine is intense and rich, strikingly similar African and Creole food.

Down Home Southern Cooking

maschef — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 19:40:35 +0000

The home of "plain cooking", New England, is where I grew up. Where corn on the cob is served as is with just a slab of butter and a dash of salt or pepper. We boil salted meats with vegetables and call it just that- a boiled dinner. Our clam chowder is white, our baked beans boast bacon and molasses, and no one in the world has ever invented a food that was improved by adding curry. By the time I was eighteen I could boil a lobster, steam clams and grill a pork chop to perfection. It wasn't until I moved to Virginia and acquired a roommate from North Carolina that I discovered an entirely new world of down home, country cooking goodness.

Being an all American, Italian girl from Boston meant that restaurant menus might have well as been written in a foreign language. Items such as chicken-fried steak, grits, corn pone pudding, strawberry rhubarb pie and sweet potato pie were all things I could have never imagined even existed! Where did these things come from and who could possibly want to eat them? Where I came from, chicken and steak were two different meats, grits came from sandpaper, corn was a vegetable, and why would anyone put crust around a sweet potato? However, once I tasted my roommates baking powder biscuits topped with sausage gravy, I was hooked on Southern cooking. From that day forward, Sue became my mentor. I stood at her side as she diced scallions to make up a mess of pinto beans, stirred the milk into a pan of drippings for milk gravy and rolled thin steak strips in chicken batter to make chicken-fried steak. I never grew tired of watching her concoct her ingestible Southern masterpieces.

At the most basic of levels, down home Southern cooking is no different than New England plain cooking. Like any regional style of cooking, it makes use of local ingredients that are cheap and plentiful. In New England we dress up our dried beans with brown sugar and molasses and serve them with thick, sweet heavy brown bread graced by raisins, which is a perfect meal for a cold winter night. In North Carolina, salt pork and onions are simmered for hours and then served with scallions for scooping and a side of flaky, hot biscuits cut out of dough with a juice glass. Just thinking about this salty, spicy, flaky, scrumptious down home meal makes my mouth water.

No matter how hard we tried, some dishes just wouldn't translate. For example, there is no substitute for a Southern barbecue sandwich. Shredded pork simmered in spices for hours and heaped over buns in a "sandwich" that you need a fork to eat. The tried equivalent, the "sloppy joe", just doesn't cut it; there isn't that spicy-sweet tang that comes with the barbecue. If you've had chicken-fried steak, you know how good it is and realize that nothing could replace this yummy dish.

Lasagna will always be one of my favorites, and New England boiled dinners still make my mouth water, so no matter where I go, my New England, Italian roots always seem to show. Secretly, of course, I pray that when I go to Heaven they will be serving flaky Southern biscuits, sausage gravy and chicken-fried steak. Southern cooking is a temptation that even the angels can't resist.

Kentuckys Unique American Cuisine

maschef — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 00:07:35 +0000

Kentucky cooking is not limited to the familiar red and white striped bucket of fried chicken from "the Colonel's." Although Harlan Sanders secret blend of eleven herbs and spices might be the best-known Kentucky delicacy, the state has a far more diverse and interesting culinary tradition. Kentucky food ranges from skewered squirrel to mint juleps. The state's eating habits reflect its unique history and heritage.

Before mining became the state's leading industry, small farmers who managed to squeeze a living out of the hardscrabble terrain populated forested Kentucky. The Kentucky diet was not based on extra crispy fried chicken breasts. Instead, it was filled with local vegetation and whatever meat one could acquire from the surroundings.

Kentuckians learned to make meals of meaty squirrels and opossum when they were unable to take down a deer while hunting. Crawfish and frogs were at the centerpiece of many tables, accompanied by family-grown corn and beans.

In time, the mines began to grow and the woods disappeared in their wake. This caused a shift in the Kentucky cuisine. Pork, often "imported" from neighboring Ohio became a mainstay of the Kentucky dinner table, as fewer locals were able, or compelled, to scare up their own dinner with a rifle. Ham was the most appreciated pork product, as it was cured and could keep for an extended period prior to electric refrigeration. That tradition lives on in Kentucky, where ham remains a popular dish.

Today, Kentucky is better known for some of the other treats it has produced. Of course, the smiling countenance of Harlan Sanders of Kentucky Fried Chicken fame is intimately associated with the state, as is the sweet Derby Pie created in recognition of the Kentucky Derby.

In Kentucky, the food is not always the most popular item on the table. The state is known for its beverages. A strong Scot-Irish tradition came with some of the area's earliest white settlers. Whiskey and bourbon remain popular and plentiful–with many well-known brands produced within Kentucky's borders. The liquor does not always stay in the glass, either. Crushed cookies are soaked in the booze, cooked again and rolled in confectioner's sugar to produce a local delicacy known as a bourbon ball.

After enjoying a slice of the aforementioned Derby Pie, many Kentuckians enjoy the world's most famed horse race while sipping a mint julep, flavored with locally grown mint.

Those who do not imbibe are not left dry. Kentuckians, like many in the south, also appreciate a cold glass of sweet tea in the summer months.

If one is looking for complicated dishes featuring a variety of subtle flavors and gourmet treatments, the food of Kentucky may be a disappointment. However, if one is more of a gourmand than a gourmet, this southern state may be a food favorite. The simple dishes and bold flavors of Kentucky's wild game, along with the spiked refreshments that often follow, form a unique American cuisine that stretches well past the boundaries of any KFC menu.

Culinary Traditions Of The United States

maschef — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 12:31:35 +0000

Not only is the United States the land of the free and home of the brave, it is also made up of a diverse group of ethnically different people. While the majority of the United States' population are "white" descendants of Europe, it is also home to millions of Puerto Ricans, Cubans, Indians, Native Americans, and African-Americans, just to name a few. With such an extremely proverbial melting pot of people, the United States cannot help but to have the most diverse palate in the world

When you envision classic American food, you think of burgers and fries, chilidogs and an ice-cold soda, apple pie and corn on the cob! It is only in the United States that you can walk down the street and find a restaurant that serves Chinese food, a restaurant that specializes in Thai food, an Indian food joint, a Mexican cantina, a Popeye's Chicken and Biscuits, and a McDonald's all on the same block! Fast food is a true culinary tradition in the United States. It was the birthplace of McDonald's, In-n-Out Burger, Fat Burger, Tommy's, Del Taco, Taco Bell, and many, many other fast food establishments that come to be situated on any given city's major thoroughfare. There are more than 300,000 fast food restaurants in the United States, so it is not surprising that Americans spent in excess of $100 billion on fast food alone in 2000. Fast food is part of the busy, on the go American lifestyle. It is popular and predictable. The fast food at McDonald's is always available, it's always ready, and most importantly the cost is never a surprise.

During Thanksgiving, friends and family members usually congregate in the early evening or late afternoon to share a large meal together. Thanksgiving is an extremely popular culinary tradition that the United States takes part in. The central part of the Thanksgiving meal is the turkey, although some families substitute with a ham or goose. Most times, the turkey is seasoned and oven-baked, which could take all day, but as time passes by, more and more Thanksgiving turkeys are being deep-fried. Thanksgiving dinners are commonly served with mashed potatoes, green beans, cranberry sauce, stuffing, yams, and various assortments of cakes and pies for dessert. Grilling on a barbecue is also an American-style culinary tradition.

Barbecuing, often referred to as BBQ, is an American style of cooking that usually involves grilling meat or vegetables outdoors on a gas or charcoal grill. Outdoor grilling usually involves drenching the meat in a thick, sweet vinegary barbecue sauce. The famous KC Masterpiece barbecue sauce was actually invented in Kansas City, Missouri, USA. Americans love barbecued food because it is an easy eat! The slow grilling process breaks down the collagen, the tough part in the meat, making for a more leisurely and pleasurable eating experience.

It could be said that the essence of true American cuisine is ease. Americans love anything that they can put together quickly and easily.