# Quintessential American Food



## Lisa Mac (Jan 3, 2014)

Hi Everyone.

 I've noticed that most of the members on these boards are from the USA.

 What I often do at home is designate certain countries to the week and then dedicate that week to the cuisine of that country. It's fun and educational at the same time. In a few weeks time I will be doing a week of food from the USA.

 Now, what I would like to know from all you lovely people is, what do you think are the 7 most quintessentially American dishes.

 Looking forward to your replies.

 kind regards and thanks


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## CraigC (Jan 3, 2014)

Lisa Mac said:


> Hi Everyone.
> 
> I've noticed that most of the members on these boards are from the USA.
> 
> ...



Welcome to DC! Most all "American" and I'm pretty sure "Canadian" cuisine has its roots in other cultures. IMO, adapting immigrant cuisine using native ingredients is as close to American as you will get. Unless you are talking about native American food.


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## Lisa Mac (Jan 3, 2014)

Thanks Craig. Agreed, most Americans originated from Europe or Asia and brought their cuisine along with them. However, some adapted to the new land, maybe incorporated local produce or techniques, or just evolved and became American. For example, I think of southern fried chicken as being very American and not only because of old Colonel Saunders.   Another dish that I consider very American is Chili (with or without the beans). I'm just interested to hear what each individual considers to be American dishes.

 Also, yes, are there any dishes that are Native American and have been adopted by the nation as a whole?


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## Addie (Jan 3, 2014)

Macaroni and Cheese are definitely on that list. 

As for Native American foods, Succotash is right up there. Corn and Lima Beans. 

A lot of our Southern Foods such as White Country Gravy and Biscuits. 

BBQ from our western heritage. For Texas, it would be beef. For other parts of our country, it would be pork. 

New England is known for their chowders. Clam, corn, oyster stew. Also clam bakes. Bounty from the sea. 

The Pacific Northwest has salmon, octopus and potatoes.

The upper Midwest, cheese, dairy products. They also have a very large population of Scandinavian folks there, so foods from that part of the Globe. 

Other parts of our country has German, Polish, Irish, Italians, just to name a few nationalities, so we have sauerkraut, globlinkis, Irish stew, pizza, pasta . 

California? I have no explanation for that part of the country. Just that most of our farmed foods come from there. A lot of new food fads start there and move to other parts of the country. 

A lot of our dishes came over on the Mayflower, thus a lot of recipes from England. 

Canada has  Poutine. Whatever that is. Western Canada is the farming and ranching areas. So I am better off leaving Canada to a native of that country to tell you what their foods are. 

Anyone else care to jump in?


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## CraigC (Jan 3, 2014)

Crawfish boil, hominy, grits and true BBQ, probably fit the bill. Chili, I believe originated in early Central and South American cultures. At least the use of chili peppers in combination with meats.


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## cave76 (Jan 3, 2014)

Hot dogs

Potato salad----- the kind with mayo in it, maybe chopped up hard boiled eggs and a little onion.


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## cave76 (Jan 3, 2014)

Addie said, and cracked me up----

"California? I have no explanation for that part of the country. "  LOL

(Yeah I know she probably meant food-wise, but did she really? LOL)


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## Lisa Mac (Jan 3, 2014)

cave76 said:


> Addie said, and cracked me up----
> 
> "California? I have no explanation for that part of the country. " LOL
> 
> (Yeah I know she probably meant food-wise, but did she really? LOL)



Must have been a foodian slip.


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## Lisa Mac (Jan 3, 2014)

Thanks so much. You've all given me some great ideas and direction. Keep them coming.


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## Kayelle (Jan 3, 2014)

Lisa Mac said:


> Must have been a foodian slip.



 You'll fit right in around here Lisa. Welcome.

California has a diverse reputation in the food department. The first thing that comes to mind is a cut of beef practically unknown to the rest of the country called Tri Tip. It's wonderful for what we call Santa Maria barbeque.
The southern part of the state has lots of influence from the flavors of  Mexico, while the northern part of the state around San Francisco is well known for it's fabulous Pacific seafood, and cooking with California wine.


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## Jing (Jan 3, 2014)

Yes, poutine is uniquely Canadian. Also Tourtiere, which is a Quebec meat pie traditionally eaten around Christmas time. In both Quebec and Ontario, 'beaver tails' are big (not real beaver tails but a maple syrup concoction made by taking advantage of the snow!)

On the East coast we have our famous lobster rolls. I believe there are also a number of unique Newfoundland dishes, but don't know a whole lot about these.

Elk and bison are eaten across Canada, both in the form of steaks and burgers. I am sure the 1st Nations and Innuit could also offer up countless unique dishes, including those involving whale meat etc.

As for the West Coast? I'm with Abbie here. No idea whatsoever, but probably something to do with berries and weed/s!


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## cave76 (Jan 3, 2014)

PNW food = 
Berries! Blueberries. Raspberries. BlackBerries. Marionberries. For just a few.
Dungeness crab!! It's in season now.
Fresh seafood is available in the PNW---- I mean fresh, not fresh frozen at Denny's, but it ain't cheap.

Quinoa--- popular here for various reasons,  one reason is because it's gluten free and the city I live in is the 'gluten free capital of the U.S.! Native Americans ate it too. But its very popular here because it tastes good.

I rarely see octopus except in ethnic restaurants and in dedicated fish markets.

Native Americans are said to eat pemmican and other indigenous foods but I suspect that most Native Americans now eat what others eat except for ceremonial activities.


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## cave76 (Jan 3, 2014)

Jing said:


> As for the West Coast? I'm with Abbie here. No idea whatsoever, but probably something to do with berries and weed/s!


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## Rocket_J_Dawg (Jan 3, 2014)

Jing said:


> Yes, poutine is uniquely Canadian. Also Tourtiere, which is a Quebec meat pie traditionally eaten around Christmas time. In both Quebec and Ontario, 'beaver tails' are big (not real beaver tails but a maple syrup concoction made by taking advantage of the snow!)
> 
> On the East coast we have our famous lobster rolls. I believe there are also a number of unique Newfoundland dishes, but don't know a whole lot about these.
> 
> ...



Don't forget Flipper Pie from our Newfoundland friends.


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## Lisa Mac (Jan 3, 2014)

Thanks guys. I can see I'm going to be doing a lot of googling. Flipper pie???


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## GotGarlic (Jan 3, 2014)

Hi, Lisa. That sounds like a fun project  I have a few suggestions:

- meatloaf and mashed potatoes with brown gravy
- cioppino - fish stew from San Francisco, with crusty Italian bread
- chili and cornbread
- fried chicken with mashed potatoes and chicken gravy
- shrimp and grits - grits are similar to polenta and a similar dish was made by American colonists and by Native Americans before them.
- smoked pulled pork sandwich on a soft white bun with cole slaw on top and fries on the side
- a big ol' steak, grilled medium-rare,  a baked potato with sour cream and chives and Caesar salad

Here's a site with more ideas and info about the different regions of the U.S.: http://americanfood.about.com/od/americancuisinebyregion/u/regionalrecipes.htm

I don't necessarily agree with all of their suggestions, but some are good. Let us know what you decide to make.


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## Rocket_J_Dawg (Jan 3, 2014)

Lisa Mac said:


> Thanks guys. I can see I'm going to be doing a lot of googling. Flipper pie???


I suppose there aren't a lot of Harp Seal's in South Africa..
It's a type of meat pie made from the flippers of Harp Seal's..
Seal Flipper Pie | Newfoundland Recipes – saltjunk.com


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## Steve Kroll (Jan 3, 2014)

I would also add that the Creole and Cajun cuisine of Louisiana is completely unique to that region. While it has French, African, and Southern US influences, dishes like jambalaya, gumbo, and red beans & rice (to name a few) are uniquely American. 

Here are some ideas:
The Creole and Cajun Recipe Page (est. 1994)

The food of the American southwest is also a fusion of multiple cultures, including Spanish and native American.
Southwestern cuisine from Fine Cooking: recipes for chili, grilled salad, Mexican stew, quesadillas, and Texmex dinners

And let's not forget the lowly hamburger. No one knows exactly where it was invented, but Americans have definitely adopted it as their own.


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## 4meandthem (Jan 3, 2014)

In no particular order


Mac n Cheese
Pizza
Hamburgers
Fried Chicken
Hot dogs
BBQ
Chili
French Fries
Clam Chowder
Pancakes


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## Kayelle (Jan 3, 2014)

*Lisa, I've been thinking more about* "*Quintessential American Food".

The one day of the year that nearly every American eats basically the same meal is Thanksgiving Day. It's a very big deal here and without going into the interesting history of the day, it revolves around a feast of roasted turkey, mashed potatoes with turkey pan gravy, bread or cornbread dressing, cranberry sauce, various family side dishes, and pumpkin pie. It just doesn't get more American than that. 
In Canada it's celebrated on another day, but the meaning and feast are basically the same.



*


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## Zhizara (Jan 3, 2014)

Here's a few:

Grits
Shrimp & grits
Crab boil
Gumbo
Jambalaya


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## Whiskadoodle (Jan 3, 2014)

Pie. And Ice cream.  Preferably served together.  

 Root beer ( a soft drink) also good with a scoop of ice cream.


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## Zhizara (Jan 3, 2014)

Apple pie
Cherry pie
Pumpkin pie
Blackberry pie


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## Cooking Goddess (Jan 4, 2014)

Jing said:


> ....As for the West Coast? I'm with Abbie here. No idea whatsoever, but probably something to do with berries and weed/s!


And just maybe some magic mushrooms? ;-)

California can lay claim to the Cobb salad.  4meandthem said hot dogs,  but even more American would be corn dogs. And then there are Buffalo Wings. Yup,  you'll be busy googling this weekend! Have fun!


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## Lisa Mac (Jan 4, 2014)

Kayelle said:


> You'll fit right in around here Lisa. Welcome.
> 
> California has a diverse reputation in the food department. The first thing that comes to mind is a cut of beef practically unknown to the rest of the country called Tri Tip. It's wonderful for what we call Santa Maria barbeque.
> The southern part of the state has lots of influence from the flavors of Mexico, while the northern part of the state around San Francisco is well known for it's fabulous Pacific seafood, and cooking with California wine.



Thanks for the welcome Kayelle.  I think I know somewhere in Cape Town that sells Tri Tip steak. San Francisco sounds a lot like Cape Town. We even have a Waterfront although I think the pacific seafood is more interesting than ours. We produce very good wines as well.


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## Lisa Mac (Jan 4, 2014)

GotGarlic said:


> Hi, Lisa. That sounds like a fun project  I have a few suggestions:
> 
> - meatloaf and mashed potatoes with brown gravy
> - cioppino - fish stew from San Francisco, with crusty Italian bread
> ...



Thanks GG, some interesting suggestions here. My son will love the pulled pork sandwich and I've heard of shrimp and grits. Seen it on the Food Network Channel on Triple D. I will definitely try that. Cioppino sounds like the sort of thing we will all like.


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## Lisa Mac (Jan 4, 2014)

Cooking Goddess said:


> And just maybe some magic mushrooms? ;-)
> 
> California can lay claim to the Cobb salad. 4meandthem said hot dogs, but even more American would be corn dogs. And then there are Buffalo Wings. Yup, you'll be busy googling this weekend! Have fun!



Thanks for the suggestions. I have a recipe for corn dogs. They're a lot of fun. And buffalo wings are just plain delicious. Both very American.


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## Lisa Mac (Jan 4, 2014)

Zhizara said:


> Here's a few:
> 
> Grits
> Shrimp & grits
> ...



Thanks. Jambalaya will definitely be on my list. I will be googling Gumbo.


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## Chief Longwind Of The North (Jan 4, 2014)

The short list:
Apple Pie
Cherry Pie
Blueberry Pie
Peach Pie
Pecan Pie
Chocolate Pie
All native Berry Pies
Senate Bean Soup
Bake Beans
Bean Soup with ham hocks
Pinconing Cheese
Colby Cheese
Monterrey Jack Cheese
Maytag Blue Cheese
All things potato
All things tomato
Green bean caserole
Farmer's omelet
Corn on the cob
corn pudding
grits
Cream Corn
Corn salad
Farina
Great Lakes Native Fish
Eastern Brook Trout
Perch
Whitefish (a member of the salmonid family)
Ruffed Grouse
Sage Hen
Turkey
Woodcock
American Bison
Squirrel
Moose
Rocky Mountain Elk
New England Boiled Dinner
New England Clam Chowder
squash (all kinds)
Potato Chips
Tacos
Burritos
Enchiladas
Empenada
Tortilla
Tamales
Carne Asada
Chili Con Carne
Maple everything
Birch Beer
Root Beer
Cola soft-drinks
wintergreen
Walleye (pickeral for Canadians)
Burbot
BBQ pork spare ribs
BBQ steaks (any kind of meat)
BBQ roasts (any kind of meat)
Pulled Pork 
Shredded Beef

Oh, I could go on.  But this list just touches the surface of foods that are uniquely American.  Even Chop Suey and Chow Mein were created in America by Asian immigrants.

Hope this gives you some ideas.  And we haven't even touched American pastries, or baking in general.

Seeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North


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## Aunt Bea (Jan 4, 2014)

Addie, you are gonna get tossed out of Boston for not putting Boston Baked Beans at the top of your list! 

A relatively recent item is Buffalo chicken wings.

For me it is mainly foods that would be found on most farms in New York state prior to the depression.

Baked Beans
Smoked Bacon
Maple syrup
Apple pie
Homemade biscuits, cornbread, white yeast bread.


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## CarolPa (Jan 4, 2014)

Jing said:


> As for the West Coast? I'm with Abbie here. No idea whatsoever, but probably something to do with berries and* weed*/s!




That would be the brownies, maybe?


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## CarolPa (Jan 4, 2014)

I noticed that most of the answers varied depending on the part of the  country the poster was from, especially the southern foods.  I am as  American as they come, and I never heard of those foods growing up.  I  never heard of grits until I was in my 30's.  Other than making them at  home, the only place in our area that serves them is Cracker Barrel, and I've been there once.  You also cannot order hominy, okra, greens, black eyed peas, corn bread, crawfish etc anywhere.  As far as bar-b-que is concerned I guess that came from Texas because of the cattle ranchers.  There was never anywhere to get bar-b-que until Smokey Bones came to town.  There are steak houses that will serve you BBQ Ribs, but they are not considered bar-b-que places.  The only reason I have even had the opportunity to try such foods is from hearing about it from others on internet forums.  If I had followed in my mother's footsteps my diet would still consist of:

Mac and Cheese
Meatloaf
Beef Stew
Stuffed Peppers
Chili (no peppers in ours.  just tomatoes with meat and beans.)
Roasted chicken
Potatoes, your choice was baked, mashed or homefries
Vegetables, your choice was green beans, corn, peas
Seasonings, your choice was salt or pepper or both


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## Jing (Jan 4, 2014)

CarolPa said:


> That would be the brownies, maybe?



LOL!

I have seen a few mentions of mac n'cheese. As a Brit by birth who grew up with mac n'cheese once a week at home and also as a regular school dish, I always thought of it as British. But I am happy to be corrected?

Someone mentioned burgers, which I had completely overlooked. That surely has to be one of the most well known and most borrowed of all American dishes.


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## CarolPa (Jan 4, 2014)

Jing said:


> LOL!
> 
> I have seen a few mentions of mac n'cheese. As a Brit by birth who grew up with mac n'cheese once a week at home and also as a regular school dish, I always thought of it as British. But I am happy to be corrected?
> 
> Someone mentioned burgers, which I had completely overlooked. That surely has to be one of the most well known and most borrowed of all American dishes.




Since my mother was of British decent, that was probably why she made it, plus the fact that it was cheap.  

To me, hot dogs and hamburgers are a snack, not a meal.  For some reason I can eat meatloaf but a hamburger is a last resort, only if nothing else is available.


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## Aunt Bea (Jan 4, 2014)

Jing said:


> LOL!
> 
> I have seen a few mentions of mac n'cheese. As a Brit by birth who grew up with mac n'cheese once a week at home and also as a regular school dish, I always thought of it as British. But I am happy to be corrected?
> 
> Someone mentioned burgers, which I had completely overlooked. That surely has to be one of the most well known and most borrowed of all American dishes.


Yankee Doodle went to town a-riding on a pony, stuck a feather in his cap and called it macaroni.......

I think we may have stolen it from England about the time we grabbed our country from King George III.  The historian's say that Thomas Jefferson brought macaroni and cheese to the United States after having it in Paris. The first record of him serving it was at a state dinner in 1802, he called it macaroni pie.  The first record of a published recipe, in the United States, was in 1824 a cooking book called "The Virginia Housewife" by Mary Randolph.  Then the folks at Kraft got a hold of it and the rest is history!


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## Steve Kroll (Jan 4, 2014)

Jing said:


> I have seen a few mentions of mac n'cheese. As a Brit by birth who grew up with mac n'cheese once a week at home and also as a regular school dish, I always thought of it as British. But I am happy to be corrected?


I'm with you. I've never considered mac & cheese to be an American dish, either. American folklore says that Thomas Jefferson brought it back from Paris, but that just sounds like folklore to me. Pasta with cheese sauce is a pretty common theme in Italy, and I'd be willing to bet that's where its origins are.

But no matter. There are a lot of regional American variations, and there's even a good sized contingent of people who think the product in the blue and yellow box is the only one worth eating. My daughter is one such adherent to the box, having grown up on the stuff while attending day care. For years, I've tried to serve her "from scratch" M&C, and to this day she just turns up her nose at it. That's fine. It saves me money, I suppose.


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## cave76 (Jan 4, 2014)

I think the same as CarolPa said----- the U.S. is a very large country and made up of many different cultures who immigrated here from long ago, or even recently, bringing their food with them. 

I was born and raised in Missouri. Because of that I would have never been exposed to most of the food that others have said was an example of U.S. food ----- until I moved to near San Francisco when I was about 20.

San Francisco is a culinary melting pot within the larger culinary melting pot of the U.S. so I got exposed to a lot of different cuisines in one fairly small city but that's not what everyone can or wants to do. 

I think it would be hard to list dishes that are common to the entire U.S.


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## Zhizara (Jan 4, 2014)

Collard greens are a New Year's tradition.  I'm making a batch today.  The pot liquor is heavenly.  Serve with cornbread.

I'm looking forward to this batch as I ran across a recipe that uses beer as the braising liquid.  

I love the way beer braising pork turns the liquid into the most incredible broth, so I'm thinking the collard greens will be out of this world.


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## GotGarlic (Jan 4, 2014)

Steve Kroll said:


> I'm with you. I've never considered mac & cheese to be an American dish, either. American folklore says that Thomas Jefferson brought it back from Paris, but that just sounds like folklore to me. Pasta with cheese sauce is a pretty common theme in Italy, and I'd be willing to bet that's where its origins are.



It did originate in Italy, but it also could have made its way to the U.S. via France, courtesy of Caterina de'Medici of the famous Medici family of Florence. She married the French king in the 16th century and brought Italian cooks and cooking techniques with her.

From http://www.annamariavolpi.com/caterina_de_medici.html



> When she moved to France, a crowd of friends, servants, and waiters accompanied her. The Florentine cooks who went with her brought the secrets of Italian cooking to France, including peas, beans, artichokes, duck in orange (canard a l’orange), and carabaccia (onion soup). The pastry makers, as Jean Orieux (a biographer of Caterina) wrote, especially demonstrated their innovative genius with sorbets and ice creams, marmalades, fruits in syrup, pastry making, and pasta.



But the Monticello library says he probably wasn't the first to bring it here, but helped to popularize it. Since it's been around that long, I'd call it an American dish, although it's not exclusively American.

http://www.monticello.org/site/research-and-collections/macaroni


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## Roll_Bones (Jan 4, 2014)

When I think of American cuisine, fried chicken, mashed potatoes with gravy, green beans and biscuits come to mind.

Sorry, I should have said southern American.......LOL


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## Kayelle (Jan 4, 2014)

Roll_Bones said:


> When I think of American cuisine, fried chicken, mashed potatoes with gravy, green beans and biscuits come to mind.
> 
> Sorry, I should have said southern American.......LOL



As I mentioned before, there's nothing more American than a Thanksgiving feast, and for the most part, it's the same all over the country.


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## Lisa Mac (Jan 4, 2014)

Roll_Bones said:


> When I think of American cuisine, fried chicken, mashed potatoes with gravy, green beans and biscuits come to mind.
> 
> Sorry, I should have said southern American.......LOL



What I find interesting as that what you call biscuits, we call scones. And what we call biscuits you call cookies. We talk about chocolate chip biscuits.


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## GotGarlic (Jan 4, 2014)

Lisa Mac said:


> What I find interesting as that what you call biscuits, we call scones. And what we call biscuits you call cookies. We talk about chocolate chip biscuits.



I always have to look that up when a UK or Canadian or Australian member mentions it because I can never remember what you call which  Same with aubergines and courgettes


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## Kayelle (Jan 4, 2014)

Do Canadians and Brits still call a couch, a chesterfield? I know how off topic I am, but *many* years ago my new Canadian neighbor invited me over to see her new chesterfield. I thought she had a pack of smokes and they don't even make that brand anymore, so that tells you how long ago it was.


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## cave76 (Jan 4, 2014)

In the Dark Ages when I was a kid--- in Missouri------sofas were often called Chesterfields. Go figure. Or davenports.  Or couches. We were eclectic. My grandmother had one "something" filled with horse hair.

Only because I like words did I waste some time at The Word Detective

" named after the Earl of Chesterfield (a now obsolete title) in 19th century England, but the name is probably more evidence of clever marketing than any actual connection to nobility."

Now we know. And who cares??? LOL


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## Kayelle (Jan 4, 2014)

cave76 said:


> In the Dark Ages when I was a kid--- in Missouri------sofas were often called Chesterfields. Go figure. Or davenports.  Or couches. We were eclectic. My grandmother had one "something" filled with horse hair.
> 
> Only because I like words did I waste some time at The Word Detective
> 
> ...


*Now we know. And who cares???* L

I do! Oh I love to find out stuff like this. I wish my mom had lived to see the internet. Bless her heart, she used to take me to the library with stuff like this.


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## Jing (Jan 4, 2014)

Kayelle said:


> *Lisa, I've been thinking more about* "*Quintessential American Food".
> 
> The one day of the year that nearly every American eats basically the same meal is Thanksgiving Day. It's a very big deal here and without going into the interesting history of the day, it revolves around a feast of roasted turkey, mashed potatoes with turkey pan gravy, bread or cornbread dressing, cranberry sauce, various family side dishes, and pumpkin pie. It just doesn't get more American than that.
> In Canada it's celebrated on another day, but the meaning and feast are basically the same.
> ...


But in the UK they have almost the identical dish every Christmas Day and have been doing for centuries. The only difference is that they substitute Christmas pudding and mince pies for the pumpkin pie. Oh, and they ALWAYS have brussel sprouts, which are ALWAYS put on to boil in July.


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## cave76 (Jan 4, 2014)

Kayelle----- another word lover! Not too many of us I bet.

I used to go to the library when a kid because it was in walking distance and because  my parents, who were kind but strict, and limited the places I could go for 'fun'. So the library and art museums were my go-to places.

I would read that huge OED on a pedestal for hours. Too bad it didn't make me smart, but I sure got to know words. 

Have you read Edwin Newman's Strictly Speaking?


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## Lisa Mac (Jan 4, 2014)

Kayelle said:


> *Lisa, I've been thinking more about* "*Quintessential American Food".
> 
> The one day of the year that nearly every American eats basically the same meal is Thanksgiving Day. It's a very big deal here and without going into the interesting history of the day, it revolves around a feast of roasted turkey, mashed potatoes with turkey pan gravy, bread or cornbread dressing, cranberry sauce, various family side dishes, and pumpkin pie. It just doesn't get more American than that.
> In Canada it's celebrated on another day, but the meaning and feast are basically the same.
> ...



 You've just described our Christmas Eve dinner. But we have roast potatoes instead of mash, and we don't do pumpkin pie. That is very American thanksgiving. My family in Europe do lamb or pork, but in South Africa turkey is very popular for Xmas.


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## Kayelle (Jan 4, 2014)

Jing said:


> But in the UK they have almost the identical dish every Christmas Day and have been doing for centuries. The only difference is that they substitute Christmas pudding and mince pies for the pumpkin pie. Oh, and they ALWAYS have brussel sprouts, which are ALWAYS put on to boil in July.



 What, they don't do a "Christmas Goose"? I'm just now recovering from a Brit's recent thread about a Christmas brussel sprout quiche. 

Some here do a repeat of the Thanksgiving feast on Christmas, but since the two holidays come within just a few weeks of one another, many people have a totally different Christmas dinner.


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## GotGarlic (Jan 4, 2014)

Lisa Mac said:


> You've just described our Christmas Eve dinner. But we have roast potatoes instead of mash, and we don't do pumpkin pie. That is very American thanksgiving. My family in Europe do lamb or pork, but in South Africa turkey is very popular for Xmas.



You could concentrate on the American parts of the dinner, and remember that the turkey is indigenous to the Americas. You could have squash soup, corn pudding, cornbread and oyster dressing, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes and gravy and pumpkin pie.

Hey, you could do a turducken! If that's not American, I don't know what is!


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## Kayelle (Jan 4, 2014)

GotGarlic said:


> You could concentrate on the American parts of the dinner, and remember that the turkey is indigenous to the Americas. You could have squash soup, corn pudding, cornbread and oyster dressing, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes and gravy and pumpkin pie.
> 
> Hey, you could do a turducken! If that's not American, I don't know what is!



GG, you forgot that horrible Campbell's Classic Green Bean Casserole Recipe 
I hate it almost as much as brussel sprouts. 
http://www.campbellskitchen.com/recipes/classic-green-bean-casserole-24099


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## GotGarlic (Jan 4, 2014)

Kayelle said:


> GG, you forgot that horrible Campbell's Classic Green Bean Casserole Recipe
> I hate it almost as much as brussel sprouts.
> http://www.campbellskitchen.com/recipes/classic-green-bean-casserole-24099



I was trying to use indigenous ingredients as much as possible, so I deliberately left those out 

But have you tried Brussels sprouts roasted with olive oil, then topped with bacon and sprinkled with aged balsamic vinegar? It's good stuff!


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## Dawgluver (Jan 4, 2014)

Kayelle said:


> GG, you forgot that horrible Campbell's Classic Green Bean Casserole Recipe
> I hate it almost as much as brussel sprouts.
> http://www.campbellskitchen.com/recipes/classic-green-bean-casserole-24099



Now, now, Kayelle, I love that stuff!  Absolutely no comparison to the epitome of evil brussels sprouts!


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## Kayelle (Jan 4, 2014)

GotGarlic said:


> I was trying to use indigenous ingredients as much as possible, so I deliberately left those out
> 
> But have you tried Brussels sprouts roasted with olive oil, then topped with bacon and sprinkled with aged balsamic vinegar? It's good stuff!



The post I made on the green beans was mostly tongue in cheek GG. 

Nope, as far as I'm concerned, any b.s. is out of the question. 

This is really interesting reading on the Turducken. It turns out we are not the first to think of it.
The History of the Almighty Turducken - Delish.com


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## GotGarlic (Jan 4, 2014)

Kayelle said:


> The post I made on the green beans was mostly tongue in cheek GG.
> 
> Nope, as far as I'm concerned, any b.s. is out of the question.
> 
> ...



I know. No one ever gets my humor   

Darn it! I would have bet money some American invented that paragon of excess!


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## Kayelle (Jan 4, 2014)

I think that might be the Roman Empire, then again, maybe not.


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## Jing (Jan 4, 2014)

Thought this was interesting.

'The Turkish name for the bird is _hindi_, which literally means “Indian.” This name likely derived from the common misconception by the English that India and the New World were one and the same.
 The turkey’s acceptance into the Old World happened quickly. By 1575, the English were enjoying the North American bird at Christmas dinner.'


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## Kayelle (Jan 4, 2014)

Jing said:


> Thought this was interesting.
> 
> 'The Turkish name for the bird is _hindi_, which literally means “Indian.” This name likely derived from the common misconception by the English that India and the New World were one and the same.
> The turkey’s acceptance into the Old World happened quickly. By 1575, the English were enjoying the North American bird at Christmas dinner.'



That's *very* interesting Jing. I love what can be learned here from member contributions!

By the way, you say your location is "the bluffs" where are these bluffs located?


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## Jing (Jan 4, 2014)

On the shores of Lake Ontario in Canada, Kayelle. Just outside Toronto.


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## Kayelle (Jan 4, 2014)

Brrrrrrr........hope you're staying warm today!


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## Oldvine (Jan 4, 2014)

I was born and raised my entire life in California and I have no explanation for it either, except that I like it and it's all great, especially the wines.


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## KatyCooks (Jan 4, 2014)

Kayelle said:


> What, they don't do a "Christmas Goose"? I'm just now recovering from a Brit's recent thread about a Christmas brussel sprout quiche.
> .



I am the poster of the infamous Brussels Sprout Quiche Kayelle.

I apologise unreservedly for causing you such discomfort with my unconventional (but really rather tasty) recipe.


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## Kayelle (Jan 4, 2014)

KatyCooks said:


> I am the poster of the infamous Brussels Sprout Quiche Kayelle.
> 
> I apologise unreservedly for causing you such discomfort with my unconventional (but really rather tasty) recipe.



I got quite a kick out of the whole thread Katy, and gladly joined in the fun. I'm glad your recipe turned into a hit!


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## Kayelle (Jan 4, 2014)

Oldvine said:


> I was born and raised my entire life in California and I have no explanation for it either, except that I like it and it's all great, especially the wines.



+1 Oldvine. Although I came here as a baby, I've been all over the world, and have never wanted to call anywhere but here home.


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## KatyCooks (Jan 4, 2014)

Kayelle said:


> I got quite a kick out of the whole thread Katy, and gladly joined in the fun. I'm glad your recipe turned into a hit!



I made it twice and had empty plates both times!  (But I had to be careful to tell people what was in it!)  Some people REALLY hate sprouts!


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## Lisa Mac (Jan 5, 2014)

cave76 said:


> I think the same as CarolPa said----- the U.S. is a very large country and made up of many different cultures who immigrated here from long ago, or even recently, bringing their food with them.
> 
> I was born and raised in Missouri. Because of that I would have never been exposed to most of the food that others have said was an example of U.S. food ----- until I moved to near San Francisco when I was about 20.
> 
> ...



You are so right. I'm beginning to see how diverse the food of the USA is. I'm making a loooooonnnnnnnnng list and then I'll choose 7 dishes for a week from that. It's not going to be easy, but of course I will have to take the likes and dislikes of my family into account, and of course the whole idea is to try new dishes.


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## Lisa Mac (Jan 5, 2014)

Jing said:


> Thought this was interesting.
> 
> 'The Turkish name for the bird is _hindi_, which literally means “Indian.” This name likely derived from the common misconception by the English that India and the New World were one and the same.
> The turkey’s acceptance into the Old World happened quickly. By 1575, the English were enjoying the North American bird at Christmas dinner.'



That's so interesting. I was wondering how long the rest of the world had been eating Turkey.


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## Addie (Jan 5, 2014)

Kayelle said:


> I think that might be the Roman Empire, then again, maybe not.



The first time I heard of turducken, my first thought was someone was reading their Ancient History books. 

I also remember reading my World History and the story of feasts in the Big hall of Henry VIII having a similar dish starting with a swan for stuffing and working its way down to smaller ones.


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## Chief Longwind Of The North (Jan 5, 2014)

All of the foods, with the exception of the tacos, enchiladas, and such, were staples in our household, in a small town in the Upper peninsula of Michigan.  I thought we were pretty culinary isolated.  At least for U.S. cuisine, we actually had quite a variety when I compare it to the staples some of you have mentioned for you areas.  Who-da-thunk-it?

If there ever was a unique American dish, it has to be things made with corn, be it hominy, corn on the cob, corn pudding, Johnny Cakes, Corn pone, Corn Chowder, Corn Bread, Corn coating for meats and fish, corn meal mush, etc.  

Then again, we make a host of things from almost every food available to us.  We blend techniques and flavors from all over the world.  To be fair, Unique American cooking is the amalgamation of flavors and techniques, often with a crazy spin on the original.  My MIL's tacos won't be found in any restaurant.  They sure are yummy.  You also won't find my egg roll recipe anywhere else.  But everywhere I serve it, it takes the stage.  It's what we do best, adapt things to our own tastes.

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North


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## cave76 (Jan 5, 2014)

Lisa Mmac----- Does South Africa (or is it the Republic of South Africa, forgive my ignorance) have as many diverse cuisines as the U.S.? 

I'm as curious about those as you are about ours. 

Oh, and as soon as you pick the seven dishes from the U.S. get ready to hear howls of (gentle outrage) from many members here. I'll try not to join in.


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## Lisa Mac (Jan 5, 2014)

cave76 said:


> Lisa Mmac----- Does South Africa (or is it the Republic of South Africa, forgive my ignorance) have as many diverse cuisines as the U.S.?
> 
> I'm as curious about those as you are about ours.
> 
> Oh, and as soon as you pick the seven dishes from the U.S. get ready to hear howls of (gentle outrage) from many members here. I'll try not to join in.



Hi cave76 and thanks for your interest. Officially Rep of South Africa, but we usually just say South Africa.

 Bearing in mind that SA is a much smaller country than the USA (it's not even twice the size of Texas) we do have a fair amount of diversity in our cuisine, partly from the European influence from Dutch, British, German, French, Italian, Indian and Portuguese settlers to name a few, as well as the slaves from Indonesia who had quite an influence on the cuisine of especially the Western Cape area around Cape Town. As well as the African influence. Cooking with spices is quite a big thing in SA due to the Indian and Indonesian/Malay influences. The native food in SA is mainly meat and maize (corn) with some green vegetables. I think in the USA you have taken specialities and dishes from Europe and owned them and adapted them to USA far more than is the case in SA. Many popular dishes are recognized as being from their country of origin and not particularly adapted to SA. We have some really delicious dishes though, which I will post here when I have the time.


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## cave76 (Jan 5, 2014)

@Lisa Mac----- I'd love to read some of the recipes you've collected from SA.

BTW---- I tried clicking on your blogspot link but Chrome browser couldn't find it. Any way I can read it? Perhaps you have recipes there?


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## FrankZ (Jan 5, 2014)

cave76 said:


> @Lisa Mac----- I'd love to read some of the recipes you've collected from SA.
> 
> BTW---- I tried clicking on your blogspot link but Chrome browser couldn't find it. Any way I can read it? Perhaps you have recipes there?



The link has been fixed.


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## cave76 (Jan 5, 2014)

FrankZ said:


> The link has been fixed.



Thank you! Now I'll start reading.


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## Lisa Mac (Jan 5, 2014)

cave76 said:


> Thank you! Now I'll start reading.



Oh good. I've only been blogging for a couple of months so I have a long way to go. Will be posting some South African recipes.

 Next week I'm away on vacation to the other side of South Africa, in the Drakensberg Mountains. Hopefully I will be able to report on some good food from those parts.

 Lx


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## CarolPa (Jan 5, 2014)

Lisa Mac said:


> That's so interesting. I was wondering how long the rest of the world had been eating Turkey.




That reminds me of a little ditty we used to say in gradeschool.

"Austria got Hungary and ate Turkey in Greece."


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## Kathleen (Jan 5, 2014)

Kayelle said:


> As I mentioned before, there's nothing more American than a Thanksgiving feast, and for the most part, it's the same all over the country.



I agree! But we need to add dumplings on that list.  



Lisa Mac said:


> What I find interesting as that what you call biscuits, we call scones. And what we call biscuits you call cookies. We talk about chocolate chip biscuits.



The scones that I've had are sweeter than biscuits, but the texture is similar.  I love biscuits.....and cookies.....

Don't forget Chips vs Fries and Crisps vs Chips.


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## Lisa Mac (Jan 6, 2014)

> The scones that I've had are sweeter than biscuits, but the texture is similar. I love biscuits.....and cookies.....



 Yes, we eat our scones with jam and whipped cream, whereas you eat your biscuits with gravy. I'm definitely going to do biscuits (USA style) one way or the other for my USA week. Probably with Sausage Gravy which seems to be a popular way of serving them.


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## PrincessFiona60 (Jan 6, 2014)

We put butter and jam/jelly on our biscuits, too.  Sometimes honey.  Sometimes sausage, egg and cheese.  Biscuits are basically a blank slate for sweet or savory.


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## Zhizara (Jan 6, 2014)

Hilarious! Confusing! But true.


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