The history of American cuisine

American cuisine has borrowed a lot from other nations. There is something from Italy, France and Germany. This fact can be explained by the influence of immigrants from different countries. Especially Italians who started to emigrate to America en masse at the end of the nineteenth century. By the middle of the 20th century, traditional Italian dishes, such as pasta and apple pie, have become a familiar and favoured dish for Americans. Thanks to the immigrants, Americans became fond of pizza and aubergines.

French cuisine also did its part; it became particularly popular in Louisiana. French natives were actively settling the region, changing American cooking. They prepared dishes with seafood, beans, and corn, adding hot peppers to them. The first seafood Americans liked was crayfish and shrimp, cooked in a clay pot. Also popular was jambalaya, a paella-like rice dish. The gambo soup was also popular, with a thick consistency and spices, more akin to a stew. It is served in local catering establishments.

Chinese cuisine made American cooking even more interesting. This came about as a result of the arrival of workers from China.

Consumption habits of Americans

Americans also have their own culinary traditions. They make extensive use of ice, for instance. Jugs filled with ice cubes are placed on restaurant tables. Beer drinks are most often served cold in chilled glasses. Americans also enjoy iced tea.

Classic American cooking is a combination of melted cheese, cottage cheese and butter. Spices are sure to be added.

Another traditional American product is peanut butter. The dish is simple to make: the peanuts are chopped and salt and sunflower oil are added. These snacks are in demand all over the world.

Rice is often used as a side dish by Americans, and ranges from long rice to wild rice.

Traditional American cuisine is full of spices; the Americans add cloves, ginger, many varieties of pepper, laurel, cumin to their food.

And, of course, almost all Americans love fast food – hamburgers, hot dogs, shawarma, chicken sandwiches.

In the US, it is common to cook convenience foods, and dishes based on them are also often served in fast-food restaurants.

There are grill bars, steak houses (places that specialise in cooking steaks and chops) across America.

The daily diet of US residents is based on the principle of minimum time and financial expenditure. It is difficult to call American food healthy, and few people in the country follow healthy eating habits.

The American family table seems a little monotonous, with dishes made mainly of rice, potatoes and chicken. Almost all meals are simple to prepare and even somewhat primitive.

Typical American dishes

America is commonly associated with fast food and its people love to cook meat outdoors. For this reason, barbecue recipes abound.

But other national dishes shouldn’t be forgotten either. For example, turkey, which is cooked in the US for Christmas and Thanksgiving.

In South Carolina, people love to eat corn porridge with prawns and rucola for breakfast.

Louisianians are crazy about doughnuts and New Mexicans are crazy about stewed green chilli peppers.

It is quite common for Americans to make salads out of fruit and vegetables, using original sauces to dress them.

They regularly indulge in a variety of hot sandwiches, using ham, breast and simple vegetables as toppings.

When it comes to baked sweets, pumpkin pie is the most popular. Americans love cheesecake with various toppings, banana split, which is an ice cream-based dessert with banana. The brownie, a brownie filled with liquid chocolate, is also popular.

The dishes that feature atypical American foods are the ones that stand out:

• corn chowder is a soup made from milk and corn;
• Clam chowder is a seafood soup;
• A corn dog is a sausage in cornmeal dough;
• Pecan pie based on custard and corn syrup with pecans.

Combining dishes that don’t go together

In America, they like to combine seemingly incongruous foods. One example is fried chicken. It is most often served as a second course, complemented with vegetables and cereals. In the United States, they can be accompanied by waffles, pancakes, honey and maple syrup. The combination is quite original, but delicious. Meat and sweet notes go well together. It’s one of the favourites in the South of America.

Meat, like chicken, is often supplemented with sweet and sour sauces, such as lingonberry sauce.

Also in America, cucumbers are fried. The vegetables are sliced and then fried in a batter. People in other countries find this way of cooking cucumbers strange, but Americans like it.

And what a combination of oysters and calf testicles – a dish often served in Montana.

Equally interesting is the combination of celery with peanut paste and dried grapes. In Russia, such a combination is not practised, but for Americans it is considered the norm. Such an unusual dish is often made for children, as it’s high in vitamins, carbs and fats.

The USA is an amazing country, its culinary traditions are full of subtleties that not everyone knows about. Americans like to experiment with products and come up with original dishes. The people of this country have proved that simple ingredients can be used to make works of culinary art.

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• Purpose of the visit:

First you need to decide with whom and on what occasion you go to a bar or cafe. Restaurateurs divide the purpose of the visit into four groups:

1. family and friendly get-togethers;
2. business meeting;
3. romantic date;
4. banquet (birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, etc.).

Each group has its own selection criteria. For a romantic date important factors are: quality service, cozy interior, live music.

When choosing a place for a business meeting pay attention to: the prestige of the institution and the contingent of its visitors, the speed of service, the noise level (the less, the better).

For a holiday with friends or family are guided by these indicators: the best price / quality ratio (cost of food should be adequate to its quality, in this case there is no sense to overpay), proximity to home (especially if the company will be children), a wide range of alcohol, speed of service.

In the case of a banquet, the availability of a spacious hall, secure parking and the cost of food are important indicators.

• Gathering information:

Once the purpose of the visit is known, move on to the selection of a particular institution. First, you need to gather as much information as possible about the candidates closest to your home. Perhaps one of the institutions will suit you. If you don’t find any, you will have to widen your search.

You can get information from directories, brochures, the Internet, or ask acquaintances about their favorite places. Now more or less respectable restaurants, bars and cafes have their own website, which indicate: the exact address, map, pictures of interior and even the approximate cost of food.

The advantage of the Internet and the fact that the forums can find reviews from visitors who were there. I advise you not to ignore such a source of information. If there are a lot of negative reviews and specific shortcomings, it may be an indication of problems in the institution.

• Pre-visit or phone call:

A very important stage, during which the institution is evaluated. Of course, it is better to go and orient yourself on the spot, but not always there is such an opportunity, so many make an order by phone.

During the visit or a phone call, I advise you to evaluate the politeness of the staff’s answers and the completeness of answers to questions. The representative of the place, talking to you, should give out as much information as possible, and not wait until they start asking questions.

An important factor is the time after which you were given attention. Indirectly, it indicates the speed of service. If no one came to the phone a couple of minutes, or during a personal visit you had to wait a long time for the representative of the institution, it is possible that the ordered dishes or the waiter will also have to wait for an eternity.

In addition to questions that depend on the purpose of the visit, you need to ask the representative of the institution the following:

• The availability of ventilation (air conditioning) system in the hall where you will rest;
• style of cuisine (Russian, French, Italian, etc.);
• whether there are alcoholic beverages that your company prefers, for example, people who are used to drinking grappa, find this drink not in every bar;
• whether there is security;
• the number and contingent of other people who will be in the same room with your company;
  payment methods (cash only or cashless payment is possible).

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Distinctive features

American whiskey is different from Scottish and Irish whiskey. The recipe for the drink was brought to the United States by immigrants from Europe, but it has undergone many changes over time. Almost all of them occurred by accident or due to some peculiarities.

The biggest difference in taste comes from the original raw material. The rest of the world mostly makes whiskey from malted barley. In America they replaced it with corn. It was not because of a desire to be different, there were problems with the “right” grain on the continent. The chosen product enriched the taste of the drink, so the producers are not planning to give it up even now, when there are more opportunities.

In addition, many distilleries age the drink in charred oak casks rather than the usual ones. Curiously enough, this peculiarity also came about by accident. Once there was a fire in a large cellar. Tanks were damaged and there was no way to replace them. Whisky was kept in partially charred barrels. It turned out to be a good influence on the drink’s taste. So now the containers are specially smoked by fire.

What’s the right way: bourbon or whiskey?

The main difference between bourbon and whiskey is the peculiarities of making the drink described above. The American drink also differs from the European one in its pleasant golden color. Its taste is softer, slightly sweet. American whiskey and bourbon are synonymous. Both versions of the drink’s name are correct. If you say “bourbon,” you don’t need to add the definition of “American” – it’s clear by default.

Visually, the name of alcohol from the U.S. is not always different from European alcohol. Bottles of American bourbon often carry the words “whiskey. However, many companies still prefer “bourbon,” because the former is usually associated with Ireland. The Scottish variant (whisky), on the other hand, is only available in the country of origin, so you don’t see it in the United States.
It is believed that bourbon got its name in honor of the village of the same name, located in Kentucky. It was there that the best drink in the country was brewed. Today, the lion’s share of American whiskey is still produced in Kentucky.

Classification

Every bourbon is American. But not every whiskey made in the U.S. can be labeled with bourbon. It is worth understanding these nuances in order to choose a worthy alcohol. The basic classification divides the drink into two large groups:

– Straight is a real bourbon with at least 51% corn. Aged for more than 2 years, no extraneous additives are allowed.

– Blended – a blend of straight, neutral alcohols and colorants.

The first type of bourbon meets the standards enshrined in U.S. law. It is called “fair” bourbon. After distillation it is bottled in special barrels at 62.5% or less. The manufacturer himself decides how many degrees bourbon gets when bottling – most importantly, not less than 40%. If the ageing period of the alcohol does not exceed 4 years, the information about the youth of the drink must be written on the label.
The blended type of American whiskey is considered second-rate. It does not refer to bourbons and is not regulated by standards.

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__Cracker Barrel__

If you still think Americans only eat fast food, here’s a rebuttal. Cracker Barrel, a chain restaurant founded in 1969, is an example of American home cooking. At this point, the chain has locations in almost every state, and the total number of locations has surpassed 600.
One of the interesting features of each restaurant is the presence of a gift store with unique products. You can buy the most unusual things there, from homemade sweets to fun pet clothes.
You can’t miss the decor of the restaurants either, as each establishment is somewhat of a “museum” with unique exhibits from the wild west (and probably later).

__Panera Bread__

Another major player in the food market in America, but little known in our country. The chain of café-restaurants Panera Bread. The main assortment – healthy sandwiches, pastas and salads, prepared only from natural products without GMO content. The main assortment – healthy sandwiches, pastas and salads, prepared only from natural products without GMO content.

__Mellow Mushroom__

The Atlanta, Georgia-based chain, formed in 1974 by two enterprising students, also made the list. Mellow Mushroom pizzerias stand out from the competition with their enormous pizzas and the sale of beers of all varieties and tastes. Which makes this place almost a bar.
For alcohol there is a separate menu (or rather even 2 menus) with an average of 20 kinds of draft and about 50 kinds of bottled beer. Plus different cocktails, wine and spirits. All this is complemented by the presence of screens broadcasting sports matches.

__Waffle House__

In my opinion, it is the most American place in the United States. Waffle House is just an example of those very movie places, with a unique atmosphere and very simple food (and cheap, by the way).
The food is prepared right in front of you, there are very few seats and they are designed for a maximum of 4 people. The menu, according to the waiters, has not changed since the founding in 1955, as well as the style of the institution. One of the main side dishes is Hashbrown, which is essentially a potato grater, only the potatoes are grated on a coarse grater.

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The full name of this great place in the East Village is Sarita’s Macaroni and Cheese. Opened in 2006 thanks to the efforts of the Ekija couple, the restaurant is considered one of the most American in its focus, which, however, fortunately bypasses the dominance of burgers. What really matters here is the plethora of cheeses and their successful combination with various pastas. Cheddar cheese, Vermont Jack and many others, to which you can add bacon if you wish. The macaroni and cheese dishes here are available in completely different sizes and therefore prices, but what they have in common is that they taste great. In addition, they can be ordered on the restaurant’s website.

Eatery Cafe

A fairly well-known and popular spot on the Midwest Side near Central Park, Eatery is a mix of café and bar, fairly typical of many places in America. Led by chef James Henderson, this interesting spot offers fine examples of American cuisine, such as cheddar cheese cutlets or mac ‘n’ cheese pasta, squid dishes, black mussels in spicy broth and, of course, various burgers, without which it is difficult to imagine an American café. In addition, Eatery always has a beautiful and relaxed atmosphere, which is supported by local DJs. The area is also home to many famous New York theaters, so the public often stops by the Eatery before and after performances.

Alias Restaurant

It is the only one of the three restaurants that once pioneered on Clinton Street in the Lower East Side. This status today simply obliges it to maintain its brand and culinary traditions, which it does, in fact, successfully. The focus here is always on fresh produce that changes from season to season. Alias features Alaskan black cod or maple syrup-soaked pears and many other interesting dishes with Native American influences.

Diner Cafe

Diner is a stylish and very trendy cafe in Brooklyn’s hipster Williamsburg neighborhood. Williamsburg is basically teeming with original establishments and bars, and Diner is one of the best. To begin with, this cafe is housed in an old dining car from the ’20s. As for the menu, it’s more than extensive – both for lunch and dinner, plus each day has its own specials whose names are handwritten on paper tablecloths. These may include, for example, duck stew or lamb appetizers, as well as some fish and vegetarian dishes on a mandatory basis. The Diner also functions as a popular bar, open until 2 a.m. and keeping up with the level of fun and noise of other similar places in Williamsburg.

Café Juventino

Juventino’s is a restaurant in Park Slope, Brooklyn, at the intersection of Fifth Street and Fifth. The place used to be called Get Fresh Table. The restaurant’s owner and part chef is obsessed with organic produce – it comes directly from local farms. The restaurant’s cuisine is a mix of neo-American and modernized Mexican cuisine.

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