I am transitioning to my very own domain name, thanks to my darling brother. However, I work on ancient equipment with a dial up connection and aging software. So I haven't figured out how to get a theme to look right on my computer, though it looks fabulous on his.
That insight into my outside life complete, let me share with you my current thoughts on the injustice of living in a melting pot society. Oh yes, the injustice.
If we lived in one of the many old countries that conspired to make us, Daniel and I would be experts in making, say, shepherds pie. Or beans on toast. Or maybe fish and chips. But no. I live in a melting pot. And I can eat fabulous ethnic food all around town or in the homes of friends blessed with more interesting ethnicity.
I've been told that America doesn't have culture. I can easily, but won't now, debate that point. I will say, how could one expect us to? Let's keep to the analogy of food. How could we be expected to create a uniquely American Culinary expression when at the same time, our partners and families expect us to be able to cook whatever it is they ate recently at that one good restaurant we liked so much?
How can I be expected to cook really great American food when one night we need to have the best ever from scratch lasagna? And the next night it is a slightly more generic stir fry? Or bierocks? Or spanakopita? Verinikas? Peirogies? Yorkshire puddings? And I can't count the times that gnocci's have come up in conversation. And orange chicken. And enchiladas, tortillas another item much better when made from scratch. When you have a kitchen aide mixer aren't you supposed to make your own pizza crust? And wait, aren't we barista's too? Creating coffee drinks (is this maybe just because I am from the PNW?) but with those drinks we need scones, custard tarts, crisped rice cereal treats?
As you can tell, I like to cook. But after a whirlwind trip around the globe in my kitchen this week, I wondered if it was fair. Do family cooks in say, Mongolia, have to master Bosnian sausage? (Yes, this is a frequent request from my husband, though I haven't braved the Bosnian meat market to try it out.) Is it just the family cook in the more immigrant-attractive countries that have to master Belgian waffles, french fries, German pancakes and Swedish cinnamon rolls? Wouldn't I be much better at this job if I had a more limited region of focus? Family cooks in Mexico could beat my enchilada's with both hands tied behind their back. But they don't shelve the chipotle spice after dinner and pull out the kalamata olives at lunch.
Yup. Right now the fundynutter is all riled up about the limitations inherent in cooking from a global cookbook. I think maybe it is because my smarter mind is being confounded by the technicalities of the blog world. Only time will tell, won't it?
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7 comments:
America does have a cuisine! Southern Fried Chicken, Jambalaya, Chicken Pot Pie, Hotdogs...need I go on?
English food stretches to roast dinners and fish and chips, which isn't really Haute Cuisine.
I think it's great that we have access to all these foreign and exotic culinary traditions these days, otherwise I'd be eating very bland fare indeed. The English climate can't handle growing most of my favourite foods. I see where you're coming from, though - it would be lovely to have a recognised national culinary tradition, something that made our respective countries famous for something in particular. In England, the national dish is curry. Not very English, I must admit.
You know you have a point. Why must we be mediocre at all the world's cuisines & not have a specialty? Partly why I stick to baked goods and keep my regular food basic. Every had a mexican quiche? Has the same basic ingredients as my cheese quiche. Just add chicken & salsa with a side of sour cream.
Your point is also valid in the cost of keeping up with stuff. Do you know how hard it was to find kalamata olives (or anybody who knew what they were) is Arkansas?
I think I just rambeled, but I am in good company.
Rachel~Your country is also well known for a brilliant cup of tea! :)
There you go Brooke--that's exactly it. I am mediocre at so many styles of cooking! :) Mexican quiche sounds terrific. I love salsa and beans with scrambled eggs, so I should love a more glamourous version of the same.
Rachel, I would call those particular foods (barring hotdogs) regional cooking, which I am terrible at making. You just don't grow up eating jambalaya around these parts. (Even though the stuff is to die for delicious.) We have some amazing regional foods in the states, but except for maybe hot dogs (blech!) nothing that could be said to belong to the whole nation.
You guys totally have the cupa' down to a science, as well as all the fixings. But I would definately consider England as a melting pot nation these days, wouldn't you? So much immigration. So much Curry! Ten years ago when I was in London I shopped at Safeway (which was fun since we have Safeway 'round these parts) and I was flabbergasted at the size of the deli and the variety of worlds foods available in it. Which reminds me I really need to go comment on your adventures...
A good cup of tea! Of course...nowhere else in the world makes a cuppa like us English.
Oh yes. England is probably as much a melting pot as the US in most parts, especially in the South East. Some areas of London even have the street signs in ethnic languages for the communities living there. It makes life more interesting, that's for sure, though, as I am sure there is in the US, there's lots of debate over immigrants, especially now with the massive influx of Eastern Europeans since they've joined the EU.
I can't wait to get back to Boston next month for some clam chowder and Boston cream pie...regional cooking at its best!
Have you ladies every tried a Devonshire Cream Tea? To DIE for. It's tea with a scone filled with jam and cream. Delicious. You can get them in Devon and Cornwall. And Cornish pasties, they're lovely. In London, you'll just get a good curry! Or great fish and chips...or pie and mash, or jellied eels...that's real East End food.
Wow! Jellied eels! It's too bad I'm not trying to lengthen the list of weird meat still. That was a fun game, until the tounge burrito. :}
Pasties are alive and well in the mining area's of the US. I would love to try to make those. Pretty similar to bierocks, I think but with potatoes and turnips instead?
I had real fish and chips soaked in vinegar served in a newpaper cone when I was in Scotland. Even drank an IRNBRU while I ate it. (We don't have IRNBRU here, and I don't mind.)
I think a Devonshire Cream Tea sounds like heaven. We'll have to get together for one soon, eh? If not here than when we get to the pearly gates. :)
I will send you my recipe then. :) I feel that I am mediocre at a lot of things (not just cooking) due to my huge interests. Sometimes I wish that I had a real area of expertise where I was known as THE person to go to for that need/information. oh well.
And now Rachel has me dying for a Devonshire Cream Tea.
Glad to see you photogmama! How did the boys do at the fair? Did Tony get to go to? Daniel has an aversion to the fair because of years of forced service at fair-related-fundraisers... the girls and I substituted the real thing for a mini-fair at Grandma M.'s apartments. I highly reccomend Bon's description of the fair on PEI over at cribchronicles. Blisses. t
ps daniel is practicing on the beautiful red according as I type. :)
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