For the last couple of days I have daydreamed next week’s menu. Today I sat down, searched the web a bit and came up with a plan. Though, after reading over the list, I couldn’t help but wonder if I am eating “American cuisine.” What is American food?

Obviously there is a spectrum when we answer this question. The first thing that comes to my mind is fast food and varieties of colorful processed-food packages. And yet, I am not eating any of that. We pride ourselves on not using processed foods in our cooking, and rarely do we use commercially canned goods. I love eating seasonally, but when I sit down to write a menu, I can’t help but return to either:

• classic comfort food
• a meal of meat, veggies and grain
• the occasional “ethnic” dish (or)
• a recipe from our ‘kitchen favorites’ list (not a literal list but one of nostalgia between B and I)

Regarding the spectrum of “Americana cuisine,” I think we can agree there is not one clear type. Like many (if not all) other countries, the United States is divided into regions as well as states. I am originally from Virginia and now I live in Oregon. Even though both states rest along an ocean and a mountain range, I immediately consider southern style  vs NW cooking. The seasons are the same, but what fruits and vegetables are accessible in these differing climates affect the regional cuisine. For example, the NW is famous for wild mushrooms – morels, chanterelle, oyster, maitake, etc. I could buy these ingredients at a grocery store by my folk’s home, but that doesn’t mean the foods are indigenous to the place. And because of this disconnect, it would seem rather strange to see wild mushrooms on a menu in Norfolk, VA (my hometown) at a restaurant claiming “local food.” The same could be said for eating blue crab at a restaurant in Portland. So maybe the first response to the question, what is American food, would discuss the regionalism of our country’s cuisine.

Another more obvious answer would claim, “We are a nation of immigrants. There is no one type of food that dominates this country (except processed foods.) Thus our ‘American cuisine’ is really a melting pot of flavors, spices and techniques.” Okay, so we have lots of passed-down ethnic foods. Why then, when I want to make a casserole, I do not see many Norwegian casserole recipes when I search “casserole recipe?” In other words, where did the authenticity of the dish go?

These questions came to me yesterday while visiting a SE Asian grocery store. Vieng Lao Orietnal Food Center is a small store on Killingsworth, right between I-5 and the PCC campus. The store is filled with large sacks of rice, strange candies and snacks, aisles of products that both intrigue and disgust me (no offense.) Honestly, for the convenience of its location and the very affordable prices, its where I go to get coconut milk, special ingredients when I cook “Asian” food, and sometimes to explore the my imagination. Yesterday, while perusing the aisles, I was struck by how little I consider non-American cuisine when writing a menu. In fact, the one dish in next week’s menu that has any “ethnic” flare is rice noodles with veggies and a peanut sauce. Funny how noodles of a different grain and sauce of a different texture, make the dish “Asian” in my mind.

On that note, let me share with you the menu. Consider some of these questions when you write a menu. I think these issues of authenticity and assimilation are interesting when looking at what we eat as Americans (assuming you live in this country.)

• Gratin of potatoes with white cheddar and tarragon (I wanted to use up some excess cheddar cheese in casserole form, and this recipe looks pretty darn good. Also, this meal will be for a potluck.)
• Tomato and Mozzarella Lasagna and side salad (Is this an Italian casserole or an American casserole?)
• Roasted chicken in adobo marinade with steamed broccoli and roasted acorn squah
• Vegetables with rice noodles and peanut sauce
• White bean and escarole soup
• 3 side dishes – I’m thinking spicy cauliflower, carrot and beet salad, and roasted brussels sprouts

In some ways I see this menu as a mishmash of ideas and wants. I’m digging the casserole technique – pile veggies, cream and cheese in a pan and cook till crispy. What better way to enjoy the cooling weather?! At the same time, I want to start diving in to the new season’s produce. We love squash, brussels sprouts and root vegetables. As the season continues I think our meals will reflect the changes (or at least I want to think so.)

In the meantime, I want to get some cookbooks on NW cuisine. Now that I live here, I should familiarize myself with the authentic flavors of the region. Do you think its possible to eat NW cuisine without eating seafood all the time?

Related posts:

1. Asian Madness (weekly menu 9)
2. The Pains of Eliminating (weekly menu 19)
3. Cuisines of the World potluck – Vietnam
4. Hearty Food Returns (weekly menu 18)
5. Mixed Up in the Head (or) Thank You Dear Library (weekly menu 10)

Tags: "ethnic food", Chicken, Recipes, seasonal eating, Soup, wild mushrooms