Monday, April 5, 2010

Notes - Cooking of America

THE COOKING OF AMERICA.

THE HISTORY OF CUISINE IN NORTH AMERICA THE COLONIES

When the colonists came to America, their initial attempts at survival included planting crops familiar to them from back home in England. In the same way, they farmed animals for clothing and meat in a similar fashion. Through hardships and eventual establishment of trade with Britain, the West Indies and other regions, the colonists were able to establish themselves in the American colonies with a cuisine similar to their previous British cuisine. There were some exceptions to the diet, such as local vegetation and animals, but the colonists attempted to use these items in the same fashion as they had their equivalents ignore them if they could. The manner of cooking for the American colonists followed along the line of British cookery up until the Revolution.

There was a general disdain for French cookery, even with the French in South Carolina and French Canadians. Reinforcing the anti-French sentiment was the French and Indian War from 1754-1764. This created a large anxiety against the French, which influenced the English to either deport many of the French, or as in the case of the Acadians, they migrated to Louisiana. The Acadian French did create a large French influence in the diet of those settled in Louisiana, but had little or no influence outside of Louisiana.

The American colonial diet varied depending on where the settled region. Local cuisine patterns had established by the mid 18th century. The New England colonies were extremely similar in their dietary habits to those that many of them had brought from England. A striking difference for the colonists in New England compared to other regions was seasonality. While in the southern colonies, they could farm almost year round, in the northern colonies, the growing seasons were very restricted. In addition, colonists' close proximity to the ocean gave them a bounty of fresh fish to add to their diet, especially in the northern colonies. Wheat, however, the grain used to bake bread back in England was almost impossible to grow, and imports of wheat were far from cost productive. Substitutes in cases such as this included cornmeal.

As many of the New Englanders were originally from England, game hunting was often a pastime from back home that paid off when they immigrated to the New World. Much of the northern colonists depended upon the ability either of themselves to hunt, or for others from which they could purchase game. This was the preferred method for protein consumption over animal rising, as it required much less work to defend the kept animals against Native Americans or the French.

NATIVE MEAT AND LIVESTOCK

The most commonly hunted and eaten game included deer, bear, buffalo (Bison) and wild turkey. The larger muscles of the animals were roasted and served with currant sauce, while the other smaller portions went into soups, stews, sausages, pies and pasties. In addition to game, mutton was a meat that colonists would enjoy from time to time. The Spanish in Florida originally introduced sheep to the New World, in the north however, the Dutch and English introduced sheep. The keeping of sheep was a result of the English non-practice of animal raising. The keeping of sheep was of importance as it not only provided wool, but also after the sheep had reached an age that it was unmanageable for wool production; it became mutton for the English diet. The forage-based diet for sheep that prevailed in the Colonies produced a characteristically strong, gamy flavour that had a tougher consistency. This required aging and slow cooking to tenderize.

OILS & FATS

A number of fats and oils made from animals served to cook much of the colonial foods. Many homes had a sack made of deerskin filled with bear oil for cooking, while solidified bear fat resembled shortening. Rendered pork fat made the most popular cooking medium, especially from the cooking of bacon. Pork fat was used more often in the southern colonies than the northern colonies as the Spanish introduced pigs earlier to the south. The colonists enjoyed butter in cooking as well, but it was rare prior to the American Revolution, as cattle were not yet plentiful.

EARLY SEAFOOD

The American lobster was a staple of the colonial diet

Those that lived near the shores in New England often dined on fish, crustaceans and other animals that emanated from the waters. Colonists ate large quantities of turtle, and it was an exportable delicacy for Europe. Cod, in both fresh and salted form was enjoyed, with the salted variation created for long storage. Lobsters proliferated in the waters as well, and were extremely common in the New England diet. Cod and Lobster were so common in the diet, that some often complained about how often the dined on it. The highest quality cod was usually dried, however, and exported to the Mediterranean in exchange for fruits not grown in the American colonies.

VEGETABLES

A number of vegetables grew in the northern colonies, which included turnips, onions, cabbage, carrots, and parsnips, along with a number of beans, pulses and legumes. These vegetables kept well through the colder months in storage. Other vegetables grew which were salted or pickled for preservation, such as cucumbers. As control over the northern colonies' farming practices came from the seasons, fresh greens consumption occurred only during the summer months. Pumpkins and gourds were other vegetables that grew well in the northern colonies; often used for food for animals in addition to human consumption. In addition to the vegetables, a large number of fruits were grown seasonally. Fruits not eaten in season often saw their way into preservation methods like jam, wet sweetmeats, dried or cooked into pies that could freeze during the winter months

NATIVE AMERICANS & THEIR IMPACT

Native Americans utilized a number of cooking methods. Grilling meats was common. Spit roasting over a pit fire was common as well. Vegetables, especially root vegetables were often cooked directly in the ashes of the fire. As early Native Americans lacked the proper pottery that could be used directly over a fire, they developed a technique which has caused many anthropologists to call them "Stone Boilers." The Native Americans would heat rocks directly in a fire and then add the bricks to a pot filled with water until it came to a boil so that it would cook the meat or vegetables in the boiling water. Another method was to use an empty buffalo stomach filled with desired ingredients and suspended over a low fire. The fire would have been insufficient to completely cook the food contained in the stomach however; as the flesh would burn so heated rocks would be added to the food as well. Some Native Americans would also use the leather of a buffalo-hide in the same manner.

The Native Americans are credited as the first in America to create fire-proof pottery to place in direct flame. The Southwest Native Americans had also created ovens made of adobe which was used to bake items such as breads made from cornmeal. Native Americans in other parts of America made ovens out of dug pits, like early Tandoor ovens in Egypt. These pits were also used to steam foods by adding heated rocks or embers and then seaweed or corn husks (or other coverings) placed on top to steam fish and shellfish as well as vegetables; potatoes would be added while still in-skin and corn while in-husk, this would later be referred to as a clambake by the colonists. The hole was also a location for producing what has become Boston baked beans made from beans, maple sugar and a piece of bear fat.

One of the most important occurrences in this period was the interaction with the people of the area and borrowing from Native American cuisine. From this interaction came one of the main staples of the Southern diet: corn (maize), either ground into meal or limed with an alkaline salt to make hominy, also called masa. Corn was an essential and versatile crop for the early settlers. Corn was used to make all kinds of dishes from the familiar cornbread and grits to liquors such as whiskey and moonshine, which were important trade items. Though a Lesser staple, potatoes were also adopted from Native American cuisine and were used in many similar ways as corn.

Native Americans introduced the first Southerners to many other vegetables still familiar on southern tables. Squash, pumpkin, many types of beans, tomatoes (though these were initially considered poisonous), many types of peppers and sassafras all came to the settlers via the native tribes. Many fruits are available in this region. Blackberries, raspberries, and many other wild berries were part of settlers* diets.

Early settlers also supplemented their diets with meats derived from the hunting of native game. Venison was an important meat staple due to the abundance of white-tailed deer in the area. Settlers also hunted rabbits, squirrels, opossums, and raccoons, all of which were pests to the crops they raised. Livestock in the form of hogs and cattle were kept. When game or livestock were killed, the entire animal was used. Aside from the meat, it was not uncommon for settlers to eat organ meats such as liver, brains and intestines. This tradition remains today in hallmark dishes like chitterlings (commonly called chit'lins) which are fried large intestines of hogs, liver mush (a common dish in the Carolinas made from hog liver), and pork brains and eggs. The fat of the animals, particularly hogs, was rendered and used for cooking and frying

While the earliest cuisine of the United States was primarily influenced by indigenous Native Americans, the cuisine of the thirteen colonies or the culture of the American South; the overall culture of the nation, its gastronomy and the growing culinary arts became ever more influenced by its changing ethnic mix and immigrant patterns over the 20th century unto the present. Some of the ethnic groups that continued to influence the cuisine were here in prior years; while others arrived more numerously during "The Great Transatlantic Migration (of 1870-1914) or other mass migrations. Some of the ethnic influences could be found in the nation from after the Civil War and into the History of United States continental expansion during most of the 19th century. Ethnic influences already in the nation at that time would include the following groups and their respective cuisines: Indigenous Native Americans in the United States (Indians) and Native American cuisine, select nationalities of Europe and the respective developments from early modern European cuisine of the colonial age: British- Americans and on-going developments in New England cuisine, the national traditions founded in cuisine of the thirteen colonies and some aspects of other regional cuisine. Spanish Americans (Hispanic) and early modern Spanish cuisine, early German-American or Pennsylvania Dutch and Pennsylvania Dutch cuisine, French Americans and their "New World" regional identities such as: Cajun and Cajun cuisine.

RACE & SOCIAL EFFECTS ON AMERICAN CUISINE

The various ethnicities originating from early social factors of Race in the United States and the gastronomy and cuisines of the "New World," Latin-American cuisine and North American cuisine: African-Americans and "Soul Food." Louisiana Creole and Louisiana Creole cuisine. The word Creole refers to people of various racial decedents that descended from the settlers of Colonial France and Hispanic America in Colonial French Louisiana, before it became part of the United States in 1803 (with the Louisiana Purchase, with claim to the culture and Creole cuisine. They are Multi-racial ("Creoles of Color") being of mixed (mainly) French, Spanish, African-American, and Native-American heritage. Mexican-Americans and Mexican-American cuisine; as well as related regional cuisines: Like Tex-Mex (regional Texas and Mexican fusion).

AFRICAN AMERICAN INFLUENCES

Plantations were born after the Southern settlers realized the great region's potential for agricultural profit. The wealthiest land owners began to cultivate the land in larger and larger tracts and in the process began using slaves from Africa for labor. Most Africans' diets consisted of greens and various vegetables. Stews were common and rice was a familiar staple to them. Foods that became part of the Southern diet from African-American heritage include eggplant, kola nuts, sesame seeds, okra, sweet potatoes, field peas, peanuts, black-eyed peas, African rice and some melons.

The African influence is present in traditional Cajun cuisine. Gumbo (a stew using chicken or seafood, sausage, rice, okra and roux) and etouffee, (a thicker, less liquid gumbo served over a bed of rice) are all born from African cooking tradition.

The term "soul food" dates only to the first half of the 1960s. In the South the phrase is not used and it is simply thought of as home cooking. There are many stories about non-black Southerners going to other parts of the country and having to seek out African American restaurants for the food they grew up on. In some cases they have been told they cannot get certain grocery items and to try the foreign sections. Generally speaking white Southerners eat the exact same food in the exact same way as traditional African Americans. There are some foods, however, like chitlins and pig's feet that are more associated with poverty (even among white Southerners) and have simply been employed over time more by blacks than whites.

WHAT IS AMERICAN CUISINE?

One characteristic of American cooking is called fusion food; a fusion of multiple ethnic or regional approaches into completely new cooking styles. The cuisine of the South, for example, has been heavily influenced by immigrants from Africa, France, and Mexico, among others. Asian cooking has played a particularly large role in American fusion cuisine. Similarly, while some dishes considered typically American many have their origins in other countries, American cooks and chefs have substantially altered them over the years, to the degree that the dish as now enjoyed the world over may even be considered American. Hot dogs and hamburgers are both based on traditional German dishes, brought over to America by German immigrants to the United States, but in their modern popular form they can be reasonably considered American dishes.

Many companies in the American food industry develop new products requiring minimal preparation, such as frozen entrees. Some corporate kitchens such as Campbell's develop consumer recipes featuring their company's products. Many of these recipes have become very popular. For example, the General Mills Betty Crocker's Cookbook, first published in 1950 and currently in its 10th edition, is commonly found in American homes.

The second characteristic of American cooking is called Immigrant cuisine, which refers to food that originates as a foreign cuisine (usually one carried over by immigrants) that has been altered, sometimes dramatically, to use tastes, techniques, and ingredients common or unique to the new culture. Immigrant cuisines are in many ways similar to fusion cuisines in how they combine elements of different cultures; however, where a fusion dish is generally an intentional combination of sometimes-clashing styles, an immigrant cuisine is formed from a process of adapting old-country recipes to different ingredients and social pressures. Well-known examples include Americanized cuisines such as Italian-American and Chinese- American cuisines, as well as cuisines such as Mexican, Brazilian, and Caribbean where Native American food traditions intermingled with imported traditions from the British Isles, Western Europe, and sub-Saharan Africa.

NEW ENGLAND

New England is the most northeastern region of the United States, including the six states of Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. The region consists of a heritage linking it to Britain. The Native American cuisine became part of the cookery style that the early colonists brought with them. The style of New England cookery originated from its colonial roots, that is to say practical, frugal and willing to eat anything other than what they were used to from their British roots. Much of the cuisine started with one-pot cookery, which resulted in such dishes as succotash, chowder, baked beans, and others.

Lobster is an integral ingredient to the cuisine, indigenous to the shores of the region. Other shellfish of the coastal regions include little neck clams, sea scallops, blue mussels, oysters, soft shell clams and razor shell clams. Much of this shellfish contributes to New England tradition, the clambake. The clambake as known today is a colonial interpretation of a Native American tradition. The fruits of the region include the grapes used in grape juice made by companies such as Welch's, along with jelly. Apples from New England include the original varieties, Baldwin, Lady, Mother, Pomme Grise, Porter, Roxbury Russet, Wright, Sops of Wine, Peck's Pleasant, Titus Pippin, Westfield-Seek-No-Further, and Duchess of Oldenburg. Cranberries are another fruit indigenous to the region.

NORTHEAST - MID-ATLANTIC

Maryland boasts a plethora of marine fare, including blue crabs, crab cakes, crab soup, seafood lasagna, raw oysters, and rock fish. The state even has its own brand of potato chip, called Crab Chips. Marylanders use Old Bay, a local spice, to season everything from crabs to applesauce to peaches to popcorn. Pennsylvania could easily be called the junk food capital of the United States. It is the home of Hershey's, Tastykake, Snyder's of Hanover, Peanut Chews, and the cheese steak. Pretzels are a common snack in Pennsylvania. They come in many varieties, from the hot, soft, chewy pretzels sold by vendors on the street or stadium to the salty, hard, crunchy variety sold by pretzels manufacturers in the grocery and quick stop stores of Pennsylvania. New York City is known as one of the gastronomical capitals of the United States. With its large immigrant population virtually every cuisine could be found here. New York City is famous for its New York-style pizza, Bagels, Calzone, Pastrami, and Manhattan clam chowder. Buffalo, New York is known for its Buffalo wings, and Sponge Toffee.

Boston is the center of Massachusetts, and its norms and modes have influenced the whole of the state. A major seaport from Colonial times, Boston is famous for its clam chowder, called "New England clam chowder" to distinguish it from a similar soup made in New York.

SOUTHERN

The most notable influences come from African, Native American, British, Irish, French, and Spanish cuisines. Soul food, Creole, Cajun, and Floribbean are examples of Southern cuisine. In more recent history, elements of Southern cuisine have spread north, having an effect on the development of other types of American cuisine.

The food of the American South is quite multicultural. Many items like squash, tomatoes, corn (and its derivatives, including grits itself), to say nothing of types of cornbreads) as well as the practice of deep pit barbecuing have been inherited from the indigenous Americans. Many foods associated with sugar, flour, milk, eggs (many kinds of baking or dairy products like breads and cheeses) are more associated with Europe. The South's propensity for a full breakfast (as opposed to a Continental one with a simple bread item and drink) is derived from the British fry up, although it was altered substantially. Much of Cajun/Creole cuisine is based on France and on Spain to a lesser extent. Floribbean is more Spanish-based with obvious Caribbean influences; while Tex-Mex has considerable Mexican and native tribe touches

SOUTHWEST

Southwestern cuisine is food styled after the rustic cooking of California, New Mexico, . Arizona, Nevada, Utah, as well as parts of Texas, Oklahoma, and Colorado. It comprises a fusion of recipes for things that might have been eaten by cowboys, Native Americans, and Mexicans throughout the post-Columbian era; however, there is a great diversity in this kind of cuisine within the above-mentioned states.

Southwestern cuisine is heavily influenced by Mexican cuisine but often involves larger cuts of meat, and less use of tripe, brain, and other parts not considered as desirable in the ,United States. Like Mexican cuisine, it is also known for its use of spices (particularly the Chile, or Chili pepper) and accompaniment with beans (frijoles), cooked in a variety of manners. Chili con carne, fajitas, certain kinds of chiles rellenos (stuffed chiles), and various steak-chile combinations are particularly well-known Southwestern foods. Note that "chili" generally refers to a thick stew or soup prepared with beans and meat, while "chile" refers to the peppers that grow in this region and have been eaten for thousands of years by the native people.

Tex-Mex is a term for a type of American food which is used primarily in Texas and the Southwestern United States to describe a regional cuisine which blends food products available in the United States and the culinary creations of Mexican-Americans that are influenced by the cuisines of Mexico. A given Tex-Mex food may or may not be similar to Mexican cuisine, although it is common for all of these foods to be referred to as "Mexican food" in Texas, the United States and in some other countries. In many parts of the country outside of Texas this term is synonymous with Southwestern cuisine.

MIDWEST

Midwestern cuisine is a regional cuisine of the American Midwest. It draws its culinary roots most significantly from the cuisines of Central, Northern and Eastern Europe. Midwestern cuisine generally showcases simple and hearty dishes that make use of the abundance of locally grown foodstuffs. Its culinary profiles may seem synonymous with "American food." "Think of Thanksgiving dinner, turkey with cranberry sauce, wild rice, and apple pie." Sometimes called "the breadbasket of America," the Midwest serves as a center for grain production, particularly wheat, corn and soybeans. Midwestern states also produce most of the country's wild rice. Beef and pork processing always have been important Midwestern industries, with a strong role in regional diets. Chicago and Kansas City were historically stockyard and processing centers of the beef trade, while Iowa remains the center of pork production in the U.S. Far from the oceans, Midwesterners traditionally ate little seafood, relying on local freshwater fish, such as perch and trout, supplemented by canned tuna and canned or cured salmon and herring, although modem air shipping of ocean seafood has been increasing Midwesterners1 taste for fish.

Dairy products, especially cheese, form an important group of regional ingredients, with Wisconsin known as "America's Dairy Capital," although other Midwest states make cheese as well. The upper Midwest, a prime fruit-growing region, sees the extensive use of apples, blueberries, cranberries, cherries, peaches and other cold-climate fruit in its cuisine. As with many American regional cuisines, Midwestern cooking has been heavily influenced by immigrant groups. Throughout the northern Midwest, northern European immigrant groups predominated, so Swedish pancakes and Polish pierogi are common. Wisconsin, Missouri, Kansas, Ohio and Illinois were destinations for many ethnic German immigrants, so pork sausages and potatoes are prevalent. In the Rust Belt, many Greeks and Greek Macedonians became restaurateurs, imparting a Mediterranean influence. Native American influences show up in the uses of corn and wild rice.

Traditionally, Midwestern cooks used a light hand with seasonings, preferring sage, dill, caraway, mustard, parsley, not to bold or spicy flavors. However, with new waves of immigrants from Latin America and Asia moving into the region, these tastes are changing. This section of the country is also headquarters for several seminal hamburger chains, notably McDonald's in Oak Brook, Illinois (founded in California, but turned into the iconic franchise by Ray Kroc beginning with a still-standing store in Des Plaines, Illinois).

FAR WEST

As one of the U.S. states nearest Asia, and with a long-standing Asian American population, the state tends to adopt Asian foods fairly liberally. The American sushi craze no doubt began in California; the term 'California roll' is used to describe sushi with avocado as a primary ingredient. These days, items like mochi ice cream and boba are popular. Because Californians tend to be culturally diverse, tend to be more traveled, and have culinary sophistication and openness to new eating experiences, fusion cuisine is accepted and popular in California. California Chef Wolfgang Puck is known as one of the pioneers of fusion cuisine, popularizing such dishes as Chinese chicken salad at the restaurant Ma Maison. His restaurant "Chinois" was named after the term attributed to Richard Wing, who in the 1960s combined French and Chinese cooking at the former Imperial Dynasty restaurant in Hanford, California. In addition to traditional and/or commercialized "Mexican" food, California restaurants serve up Honduran, Oaxacan and nearly every other variation of South American food there is. For example, Pupusarias are common in areas with a large population of Salvadorians (Pupusas are stuffed tortillas from El Salvador). Of late, "Fresh Mex" or "Baja- style" Mexican food, which places an emphasis on fresh ingredients and sometimes seafood, is highly popular. El Polio Loco ("The Crazy Chicken"), a fast food chain that originated in Northern Mexico, is a common sight. Baja Fresh, Rubio's Baja Grill, Wahoo's Fish Taco, Chipotle, Qdoba and La Salsa are examples of the Baja-style Mexiamerican food trend. Modern cuisine of Hawaii is a fusion of many cuisines brought by multi-ethnic immigrants to the islands, particularly of American, Chinese, Filipino, Japanese, Korean, Polynesian and Portuguese origins, and including food sources from plants and animals imported for Hawaiian agricultural use from all over the world. Since fresh fish is in such abundance, sushi is number two to the ever famous, "Spam" (processed ham) on the islands.

PACIFIC NORTHWEST

The best chefs in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States—principally the states of Washington and Oregon (though the northern panhandle of Idaho may also qualify)—stress the use of fresh local ingredients. Vegetables, fruits, and berries from the region's vast agricultural areas, its great wealth of distinctive seafood, and its vital wines, all play a part in the cuisine. The region is also an active part of the food culture of the Pacific Rim and looks to Asia for many culinary influences. Salmon is the ingredient that comes to mind most readily, and with good reason; the several varieties of local salmon are relatively easy to prepare and have good reputations as healthy protein sources. Many restaurants plank roast salmon in the tradition of several of the coastal Native American tribes of the region. The cook seasons the salmon and bakes it on a board of fragrant cedar or alder wood. Another simple option would be to saute or bake the salmon with a Japanese soy-based or teriyaki sauce. A third option would be to top the salmon with a sauce of local huckleberries or chanterelle mushrooms. Dungeness crab, Alaska king crab, scallops, mussels, and clams are only a few of the other seafood choices. The region has a large oyster cultivation industry and hence uses oysters in many ways: barbecued, baked, fried or raw on the shell. Both Washington and Oregon are major producers of fruit; Washington ranks first among American states in apple production, accounting for fully half the nation's supply. Pears and stone fruits like peaches, apricots and cherries are also available in abundance. When fresh these fruits become mainstays of pies, cakes, and desserts; fruit preserves, jellies, nectars and reductions of all kinds are distinctive in the region. The fruits also find their way into savory foods: pork chops with apricot; salmon saut^ed with apples and apple cider; cherry-glazed chicken; swordfish with peach salsa; salads, like the Waldorf, that feature sliced apples or other fruits.

The abundance of rain in the forests of Oregon and Washington State make them ideal environments for the growth of wild mushrooms. Truffles, Morels, chanterelles, matsutakes, boletus and hedgehog mushrooms are the basis for most commercial harvesting; shitakes and other varieties are also commercial grown. Export demand from Europe and Japan is strong for many varieties, but when local chefs can obtain fresh wild mushrooms, they invariably incorporate them into their cooking. The Pacific Northwest region has a reputation for rain, but in actuality have a number of climates and micro-climates, many of which have proved ideal for wine production. Walla Walla, an inland area in Washington State, is well known for its sweet onions, descendents of Italian onion varieties brought to the region during the nineteenth century. The Pacific Northwest region has a decided tendency to champion organic and sustainable production of all types of foods, vegetables and herbs, and hence has an excellent infrastructure to process, ship and market these foods to local restaurants. If one were to create a stereotypical menu that used the full bounty of the region it would undoubtedly include fresh seafood or organically raised meat, organic herbs and vegetables, local fruits or berries, and choice wild mushrooms. The preparation method would stress simplicity and clear flavor notes, with no one ingredient dominating the others, and with the possible use of select Asian flavorings and cooking techniques.

ROCKY MOUNTAIN CUISINE

In a city like Denver, the largest in the Rocky Mountain region, a sophisticated gourmet could enjoy French, Thai, even Ethiopian food; in ski resorts like Sun Valley, Idaho, Park City, Utah, or Aspen, Colorado, the options for expensive, cosmopolitan dining are numerous. All the same, throughout the Rocky Mountain West, a simple, direct, and distinctly regional cuisine makes its mark. The hearty cooking associated with cattle ranches, rodeos, and the American cowboy is alive and well in the Rockies: good steaks, chili, fresh fish, barbecue, and often a good dose of spicy Tex-Mex food. Cuisine using game, freshwater fish, grass-fed beef and bison, free range poultry, local fruits, berries, mushrooms and vegetables. While game like elk, antelope, caribou, pheasant, duck or quail may be available wild at a hunters' camp, people in the region usually depend on farm-raised game. Game meat tends to be very lean and hence is often made into pates or sausages that incorporate both spicing and extra fat; if in steak or chop form it may be wrapped in bacon or served with a flavorful sauce made from fruit, berries, or a potent wine reduction. Game also does well in slow-cooked stews. If game serves as the region's signature novelty dish, fresh, local, grass- fed beef, bison (popularly called buffalo) and lamb may well be the most satisfying meat choices. Idaho Russet Burbank potatoes are known throughout the United States for their high starch and low moisture content, features that make them ideal for baking; the baked potato, topped with melted butter, sour cream and chives, is the ideal complement to a flavorful steak. The lakes and streams of the Rocky Mountain States have some of the best freshwater fishing in the world. Fishing enthusiasts look forward to consuming the many varieties of trout, walleye, bass and other fish they may themselves catch. Wild Pacific salmon and other fish and shellfish from the Pacific region are also widely served.

I hope you get an opportunity to visit the U.S. and experience all it has to offer I am sure it's fast states and endless food venues will not disappoint.

THE GREAT LAKES

During the 1800s and 1900s, waves of immigration to the Great Lakes area came from Germany, Scandinavia, Holland, and Poland. Most were farmers who were attracted by the cheap, fertile land. The Homestead Act of 1862 offered free acreage to anyone who agreed to farm it for a certain number of years. The close-knit, family-based communities that developed retained their ethnic character for generations, cooking their traditional foods adapted to local ingredients. The population of the Great Lakes region continues to be largely German, Scandinavian, Dutch, and Polish. A number of miners originally from Cornwall, England, also migrated to the area. The Detroit-Dearborn metropolitan area in Michigan now boasts the largest Arab American population in the United States—the city of Detroit being the principal port of entry in the United States for Arab immigrants. The Arab Americans in Michigan-have contributed some foods of the Middle East, such as hummus, to the "menu" of the Great Lakes region. The Great Lakes region was originally populated by American Indians who taught later European settlers how to hunt the local game, fish, and gather wild rice and maple syrup, as well as how to grow and eat corn and native squashes and beans. The European immigrants, mostly from Germany, Scandinavia, Holland, Poland, and Cornwall, England, each shared their traditional dishes with the rest of America. The Germans contributed frankfurters (hot dogs), hamburgers, sauerkraut, potato salad, noodles, bratwurst, liverwurst, and pretzels to the American diet. Scandinavian foods include lefse (potato flatbread), limpa (rye bread), lutefisk (dried cod soaked in lye), and Swedish meatballs, as well as the smorgasbord (a table laid out with several courses of small foods). The Polish introduced kielbasa (a type of sausage), pierogies (a type of stuffed pasta), Polish

dill pickles, and babka (an egg cake). Pancakes are a Dutch contribution, along with waffles, doughnuts, cookies, and coleslaw. Miners from Cornwall brought their Cornish pasties, and small meat pies that were easily carried for lunch. Later immigrants from Arab countries settled in Detroit, Michigan, and introduced America to foods like hummus (pureed chickpeas), falafel (deep-fried bean cakes), and tabbouleh (bulgur wheat salad). Dairy is a major industry in the Great Lakes region, particularly Wisconsin, known as "America's Dairy land." Dairy farmers in Wisconsin milk about 2 million cows every day, and there is one cow for every two people in the state. Not surprisingly, milk, butter, and cheese are staples in the Great Lakes diet. Pigs are also common on farms in the Great Lakes region because they take up less space and are easier to raise than cattle. Pork, therefore, is another common ingredient in Great Lakes cooking, especially in the form of sausage.

Today's regional food examples and history from presentation slides:

New England Region

Boston Cream Pie

It is really a cake, not a pie. Two layers of sponge cake are filled with thick vanilla custard and topped with a chocolate glaze or a sprinkling of confectioners' sugar. It is cut in wedges like a pie. 1856 - The Parker House Hotel (now the Omni Parker House Hotel), claims to have served Boston cream pies since their opening in 1856. French chef Sanzian, who was hired for the opening of the hotel, is credited with creating Boston cream pie. This cake was originally served at the hotel with the names Chocolate Cream Pie or Parker House Chocolate Cream Pie.

New England Claim Chowder

Chowder which is a variety of soup featuring salted pork fat, thickened with a flour, heavy roux, crumbled ship biscuit or saltine crackers and milk, first materialized with Breton fisherman who migrated south to New England from Newfoundland. They would take much of the offal of their daily catches and combine them with readily available ingredients in large soup pots to feed themselves, each other and their families.

Over time, as it became a culinary staple in the Northeast, the recipe refined and began to be served commercially. This was when large amounts of milk and cream began to be added, giving it its characteristic look and texture we know today. Also, large slices of potato became common in the soup, and in the chowders widely recognized as the best, onions sauteed in the drippings from pork fat are also incorporated into the recipe. To this day there are usually never vegetables besides a select few legumes added to chowders, although some recipes call for thinly sliced strips of carrot to enhance the aesthetic value.

A chocolate bar cookie. The name comes from the deep-brown color of the cookie. The origins of the chocolate brownies are uncertain but it is felt that it was probably created by accident, the result of a forgetful cook neglecting to add baking powder to chocolate cake batter. Sears, Roebuck catalog in 1897 published the first known recipe for the brownies, and it quickly became very popular (so popular that a brownie mix was even sold in the catalog).

Lobster Roil

No one knows with exact certainty, but it all starts with the fact that while the wealthier women of the 1800's enjoyed lobster at their lavish luncheons, they did not like them torn apart tableside. So, the cooks for these families started turning the sweet chunks of meat into more "user-friendly" salads. Now this delicious lobster salad had to wait patiently, for decades, to be united with its culinary soul mate, the toasted hot dog bun. This happened sometime after 1912, which was when the first soft hamburger and hot dog buns were commercially manufactured.

Chocolate Chip Cookie

The first chocolate chip cookies was invented in 1937 by Ruth Graves Wakefield. One of Ruth's favorite recipes was an old recipe for "Butter Drop Do" cookies that dated back to colonial times. The recipe called for the use of baker's chocolate. One day Ruth found herself without a needed ingredient. Having a bar of semisweet chocolate on hand, she chopped it into pieces and stirred the chunks of chocolate into the cookie dough. She assumed that the chocolate would melt and spread throughout each cookie. Instead the chocolate bits held their shape and created a sensation. She called her new creation the Toll House Crunch Cookies. The Toll House Crunch Cookies became very popular with guests at the inn, and soon her recipe was published in a Boston newspaper, as well as other papers in the New England area. Word of the cookie spread and it became popular.

Brownie, Brownies

Buffalo Chicken Wings ' ss?

Buffalo Chicken Wings were originally created at Frank & Teresa's Anchor Bar in Buffalo, New York, on October 30,1964, by owner Teresso Bellissimo. They are deep-fried chicken wings served with a hot sauce, celery stalks, and blue cheese dressing. The Anchor Bar's Buffalo Chicken Wings were an instant success and their impact on Buffalo was so great that former mayor, Stanley M. Makowski, proclaimed Friday, July 29, 1977, as "Chicken Wing Day." The city's proclamation noted that because of Mrs. Bellissimo's kitchen, "thousands of pounds of chicken wings are consumed by Buffalonians in restaurants and taverns throughout the city each week."

Hoagie

Hoagies are built-to-order sandwiches filled with meat and cheese, as well as lettuce, tomatoes, and onions, topped off with a dash of oregano-vinegar dressing on an Italian roll. A true Italian Hoagie is made with Italian ham, prosciutto, salami, and provolone cheese, along with all the works. It was declared the "Official Sandwich of Philadelphia" in 1992. The Hoagie was originally created in Philadelphia. There are a number of different versions to how the Hoagie got its name, but no matter what version is right experts all agree that it started in Philadelphia or the towns' suburbs. The most widely accepted story centers on an area of Philadelphia known as Hog Island, which was home to a shipyard during World War I (1914-1918). The Italian immigrants working there would bring giant sandwiches made with cold cuts, spices, oil, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and peppers for their lunches. These workers were nicknamed "hoggies." Over the years, the name was attached to the sandwiches, but under a different spelling.

New York Cheesecake

New York cheesecake is the pure, unadulterated cheesecake with no fancy ingredients added either to the cheesecake or placed on top of it. It is made with pure cream cheese, cream, eggs, and sugar. Everybody has a certain image of New York Style Cheesecake. According to New Yorkers, only the great cheesecake makers are located in New York, and the great cheesecake connoisseurs are also in New York. In the 1900s, cheesecakes were very popular in New York. Every restaurant had their version. I believe the name "New York Cheesecake" came from the fact that New Yorkers referred to the cheesecakes made in New York as "New York Cheesecake." New Yorkers say that cheesecake wasn't really cheesecake until it was cheesecake in New York.

Philadelphia Cheese Steak

According to Philadelphians, you simply cannot make an authentic Philadelphia Cheese Steak sandwich without an authentic Philadelphia roll. The rolls must be long and thin, not fluffy or soft, but also not too hard. They also say that if you are more than one hour from South Philly, you cannot make an authentic sandwich. Tired of hot dogs residents and tourists would come for paper-wrapped Philly cheesesteaks and sodas. They would study the wall of celebrity photos before taking seats at the no-frills picnic tables. For the uninitiated, a sign explains the drill: with or without onions; specify provolone, American or Cheez Whiz; have your money ready; go to the back of the line if you make a mistake.

Southeast Region

Hot Brown Sandwich

Chef Fred K. Schmidt at the Brown Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky, created The Hot Brown sandwich in 1926. Bored with the traditional ham and eggs, Chef Schmidt, delighted his guests by creating the Hot Brown, an open-faced turkey sandwich with turkey, bacon, pimientos, and a delicate Mornay sauce. The sandwich is place under the broiler to melt the cheese.

Sweet Tea

In the South, ice tea is served year round with most meals. When people order tea in a Southern restaurant, chances are they will get sweet ice tea. Outside of the southern states, iced tea is served unsweetened or "black," and most people have never even heard of sweet tea.

VENON COELHO

Head of Department – Food Production

2009-2010.