08/13/2007

In the Kitchen

U.S. food not necessarily American

By Sally Ketchum
Local columnist
ketchum1985@
gmail.com

Read Sally's past columns here

My "Far Side” calendar said Aug. 6 was "Picnic Day.” That's new to me, but I think I'll mark "Picnic Day” on the 2008 calendars. Charities have already sent me three.

Picnics remind me of that wide range of food that Americans like to eat, and I think I've got some ideas about that variety.

I discovered a book, "It's ALL AMERICAN FOOD,” by David Rosengarten, a sometimes Food Network host. The book is a James Beard award-winner, and that's always a clue to great food writing and worthy recipes. The cookbook is akin to an American food recipe box, and Rosengarten has selected the recipes by the criterion that "these are the things Americans really eat.” Some are not American in origin; yet they are, in reality, the things we eat, even though they are from other cuisines.

The discovery of the book led me to think about other aspects of what we eat: things we all eat (burgers); what some of us eat (hot sauce and anything Cajun); and what a very few of us eat (like alligator, though Burritt's in Traverse City can order it). Our individual taste buds certainly come into play, as does what was on the family table when we were youngsters. In addition, certain memorable food experiences in the form of a neighbor's chocolate sponge cake or an orange Good Humor popsicle during a heat wave affect our yearnings.

On the other hand, I think that, as adults, we've all had the experience of eating a food we were ecstatic to consume in our childhoods, but somehow doesn't taste the same now. He-Who-Must-Be-Fed recalls that the mother of his childhood friend, Annie, made a sauerbraten that, although his own family did not like German food, he loved more than any other dish. Yet, he says wistfully, if sauerbraten were on a menu now, he doubts he would order it.

"I know it wouldn't be the same,” he says.

Perhaps the best food that is truly American is found in mom-and-pop restaurants, diners and drive-ins, though I doubt there are any waitresses on roller skates even in those establishments who try to be authentic. Traverse City's contribution to the tradition is Don's Drive-In on U.S. 31 North. It's hard to miss, since the drive-in is pink and its sign is a stylish fins-on-its-tail car in bright neon. And it's a shame to miss the food. The mighty burgers are cooked the way patrons want them, and the list of additions like bacons, mushrooms, olives and more is mighty long.

Fine dining aside, I conclude that we don't eat out for different food, we eat out for the same food we cook at home — perhaps to have it cooked better or just to have someone else cook it for us. The truth is a White Castle burger, chili and a baked potato at Wendy's, or those $5 salads the fast-food places offer now are doggone comforting when we are busy or feeling down in the dumps. Steakhouses are another example of American home cooking leaving the home. It's A-1 and Heinz 57 in our cupboards and it's the same sauces on the steakhouse tables. It's the cook that's different … and the bill.

Fine dining in America has historically featured foreign cuisines, especially French in times of Thomas Jefferson and Julia Child. Since the mid-20th century, Italian appeared in upscale restaurants. And appearing in recent years are cuisines from not only most every place on earth, but also foods with fusion cuisines like Moroccan-French and American Italian.

American chefs are emphasizing America's bounty by using local and regional purveyors. Now, fine-dining menus might include local ingredients prepared in traditional methods of other countries.

Carpaccio, an Italian dish of shaved raw beef drizzled with olive oil and served with either mayonnaise or mustard and capers appears in American fine dining, but it might be made with local venison that is not raw, but smoked with local applewood. Northern Michigan, rich in game and fish, wild mushrooms, edible ferns and more, is a paradise for purveyors of gourmet ingredients. And, if it's Michigan food, it's American, whether a burger or carpaccio.

Go Blue Macaroni and Cheese

• 2 T. butter
• 3 T. each, chopped red or green bell peppers, celery
• 1½ c. whipping cream
• 1½ c. half and half
• 1 lb. blue cheese, crumbled (See note)
• 1 t. celery seeds
• Cayenne pepper, dash or more to taste
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 3 large egg yolks
• ½ c. chopped celery leaves
• 1 lb. penne or other macaroni
• ½ c. grated Parmesan cheese

Melt butter in heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add peppers and celery and sauté until nearly soft, about 7 minutes. Remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper.

Combine cream, half and half and blue cheese in heavy medium saucepan. Stir over low heat until cheese melts. Remove from heat. Add celery seeds. Season sauce with cayenne, salt and pepper. Beat yolks in medium bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in half the cheese sauce. Return mixture to saucepan and whisk to blend. Add celery leaves.

Butter a four-quart baking pan. Cook pasta in pot of boiling salted water until just tender, but still firm to bite, stirring occasionally. Drain. Return to same pot. Add sauce and vegetables, stir to blend. Transfer to baking dish. (Can be made one day ahead. Cover. Chill. Let stand at room temperature one hour before continuing.)

Reheat oven to 400°. Sprinkle Parmesan over the surface of the pasta. Bake until heated through, sauce is bubbling, and the top is beginning to brown, about 25 minutes.

Note: This is a favorite dish of mine, and has always been met with ooohs and aaahs. But the blue cheese makes it very expensive. I often substitute part of the blue cheese with cottage cheese or a mild melting cheese. Red and green peppers are optional. But for a holiday feast, this dish can't be beat. Serves 12.

— Adapted from Bon Appetit, 1995

Sally Ketchum is a northern Michigan food writer who likes to tweak recipes, simplifying a complex one or elevating a home-cooking standard. She can be reached at ketchum1985@gmail.com.