The best American dishes?

[CtznCane]

It seems so much is made about the foods of different cultures, French, Italian, & Chineese to name a few, as well they should be for they are all outstanding. When it comes to American food though, what epitomizes our culture food wise? What are the best dishes? Perhaps we could have best salad/apetizer, best vegetable, best side dish, best entree, and best desert.

What too are the best American ingredients? Perhaps stone ground corn meal from Tennesse, extra sharp cheddar from Wisconsin, Wall Eye Pike from Minnesota, or Dungeness Crab from California? I haven't given it too much thought yet, but shooting from the hip I'll go with:

Ingredient - Dungeness Crab - from SF (my hometown choice)

Style - Southern

Apetizer - boiled peanuts (Georgia)

Veggie - Artichokes Castroville, Ca

Main course - Ham (unsure of how would be most traditional but it has to be Ham)

Desert - Pecan Pie

[Pan]

Some will argue for Southwestern cuisine, but I haven't been to the Southwest and haven't had any really great Southwestern food in the parts of the country I've been to, so to me, the best American cuisine is Louisiana-style (Cajun and Creole). Great dishes? Jambalaya, crawfish etoufee, and shrimp creole come to mind, and in addition to pecan pie for dessert, add sweet potato pie, mud pie, and shoo-fly pie. For a good all-American dessert, apple pie.

[misstenacity]

I was *just* thinking about something like this earlier today. The idea of doing a dinner party with only ingredients that orginated in North America (or South America if the selection was not wide enough...).

I would make exceptions for at least salt, as the universal seasoning. :-)

But here are some of the initial ingredients I was thinking of:

cranberries

blueberries

cherries

cinnamon

chocolate

tomatoes

corn

summer squash (?)

Anyone have more to add? I'm sure there are tons that I'm not thinking of....

Andrea

http://tenacity.net

[Pan]

Other notable American ingredients would include Maine lobster, Northwest/Alaska wild salmon, wild rice, the aforementioned crawfish, and Gulf shrimp.

Cinammon is most definitely not native to the US, but instead, to India and Sri Lanka, and also has long been grown in Indonesia! See here.

[CtznCane]

Other notable American ingredients would include Maine lobster, Northwest/Alaska wild salmon, wild rice, the aforementioned crawfish, and Gulf shrimp.

Now wild rice, yes, that would be up by the top for a side dish and certainly one of the most native foods we have.

[Palladion]

Anyone have more to add?  I'm sure there are tons that I'm not thinking of....

Andrea

http://tenacity.net

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Potatoes!

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Alex Parker

[Palladion]

Just remembered another two native ingredients: sweet potatoes and pecans, both of which have already been mentioned in pie form. You're going to have plenty of options for desert.

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Alex Parker

[hazardnc]

If you expand your list to include all of the Americas, then you can include potatoes, chile peppers and vanilla as well as a wide variety of beans which come from South and Central America and we cannot forget the avocado. There is the blue crab, Key West pink shrimp, buffalo, channel catfish.

I think every region of the country has something spectacular to offer. One could consider hosting a party representing something from each:

Seafood tower with a slection of North American oysters and clams, Guf shimp, stone crab claws from Florida, smoked salmon from the Pacific Northwest and trout caviar from North carolina mountain trout.

The main course might feature American game - buffalo or venison, a potato gratin, a sauteed mixed veggies including green beans, baby squash and cherry tomatos.

I would offer an American artisanal cheese course.

For dessert - pecan pie and a wild blueberry cobbler.

[Pan]

Bay scallops too, right?

[hazardnc]

Bay scallops too, right?

Sure - I always forget about scallops because I have never seen scallops in the shell anywhere in te southeast. I am leary of the scallops at my market - wonder if they are whitefish "plugs."

[misstenacity]

Anyone have more to add?  I'm sure there are tons that I'm not thinking of....

Andrea

http://tenacity.net

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Potatoes!

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Alex Parker

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I was wondering about potatoes.... knowing how close they are to tomatoes, I assumed they both originated here.

And the chiles? Are those N or S America? I loves me some chile.... :-)

Other things that I don't know the origin of but seem very basic in central american cooking - citrus, especially limes.

Andrea

http://tenacity.net

[eje]

Potatoes!

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Alex Parker

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You'd have to include South America to include Potatoes.

They originate somewhere in the Andes, and went to Europe before making it back to America. Chiles and tomatoes are also from South/Central America.

Sweet Potatoes originate in Central America/Mexico, which might be close enough. Though, I believe, they also made their way to Europe, before making it back to the colonies. Corn is also of Central American/Mexican Origin.

Sunchokes (Jerusalem Artichokes) are North American. As is Wild Rice.

Erik

[Laksa]

When it comes to American food though, what epitomizes our culture food wise? 

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What epitomizes American culture better than hamburger with fries, milk shake, and apple pie for dessert?

[emmapeel]

What epitomizes American culture better than hamburger with fries, milk shake, and apple pie for dessert?

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Fried Chicken, Corn on the Cob, Collards, Southern-Style Potato Salad, Mac and Cheese, (Origins not American) and Coconut Layer Cake (Origins not American) and Sweet tea. While I'm at it, I think the origin of the burger may be german, but the meal you describe is so culturally American, I can't argue with it.

I too, struggle with what identifies a dish as being American. Maybe we don't have anything yet, we're so young a country/culture.

[hazardnc]

At first I thought this should be about foods indigenous to the Americas, but then I realized that Europeans have happily incorporated foods from the Americas into their cuisines - potatos, corn, chiles, tomatoes, chocolate.

And yes, the hamburger and milk shake are quintessential Amercan dishes, but so are grits, cornbread, New England clam chowder, alderwood smoked salmon, smoked brisket, pimiento cheese, sourdough bread, etc.

Which region has produced the most to American cuisine? In my mind, that award would probably have to go to the South. That is not to say Southern food is the best, but I think Southerners contributed more original dishes.

[Pyewacket]

Roast Turkey!

[emmapeel]

Which region has produced the most to American cuisine?  In my mind, that award would probably have to go to the South.  That is not to say Southern food is the best, but I think Southerners contributed more original dishes.

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Yes, I would have to agree that it is the south that has contributed the most dishes to American Cuisine. I think it's because the economy grew from there and the Africans, Irish, and British all added something to the pot, but something new evolved. New England dishes are an evolvement of English cuisine. Does anyone know why the south is big on frying?

[Laksa]

Yes, I would have to agree that it is the south that has contributed the most dishes to American Cuisine.  I think it's because the economy grew from there and the Africans, Irish, and British all added something to the pot, but something new evolved.  New England dishes are an evolvement of English cuisine.  Does anyone know why the south is big on frying?

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Because something deep fried usually tastes better than if it weren't?

Did the French contribute anything to Southern cooking?

[Moopheus]

Anyone have more to add?  I'm sure there are tons that I'm not thinking of....

Andrea

http://tenacity.net

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Maple syrup

[emmapeel]

Did the French contribute anything to Southern cooking?

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Oops, of course they did. I overlooked them. Thanks.

[hazardnc]

Absolutely! What would Cajun food be without the French?

Laissez le Bon Temp Rouler

[Laksa]

Anyone have more to add?  I'm sure there are tons that I'm not thinking of....

Andrea

http://tenacity.net

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Buffalo/bison; alligator; rattlesnake; rocky mountain oysters.

Unique American interpretations of food: sausages need not be long nor be in a casing; tea == sweet iced tea.

[Laksa]

After thinking really hard about it, I came up with three more dishes...

Jambalaya, crawfish pie and filé gumbo.

[Vancouver]

Hm....A few more after thinking hard (taking America to mean the "Americas"):

McIntosh Apples

Empire Apples

Caesar Salad

Cobb Salad

Gyro

Muffoletta

Montre Cristo Sandwich

Dagwood Sandwich

Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwich

Canned albacore tuna

Fortune Cookies

Hush Puppies

Subs/Heroes/Po'Boys/

Chicago Italian Beef Sandwich

Philly Cheesesteak

Spiedies

Popcorn

NY Pizza

Chicago Pizza

Potato Chips

Bubble Gum

Powerbars

Moonpies

Oreos

Rice Krispies Treats

Doughnuts with holes

S'mores

Spam

and who could forget McDonalds, Coke, etc.

Oy, we're such a healthy bunch.

Cheers!

[Jaymes]

Barbecue and banana pudding

Steak on the backyard grill

Strawberry shortcake