IT MADE A DIFFERENCE I

October 24, 2006
Show #517

We recently read an outstanding book called "The United States of Arugula" by David Kamp, which details how we Americans have come to cook and eat the way we do in the 21st century. The difference between our cooking and our parents approach to cooking couldn't be more different. Inspired by the book, Jerry and Al thought it would be fun to enumerate some of the things that have made a difference in the way we eat. This week we'll talk about food items that you wouldn't have found in our parents kitchen. These foods have taken on a significant meaning in our culture because of the doors they opened.

FOODS

Olive oil/ garlic
Actually, Jerry's parents used both of these staples of the Mediterranean diet, but Al's more WASP childhood home never saw them. There may have been a cultural bias against Mediterranean cooking, and both olive oil and garlic were seen as smelly, undesirable ingredients used by "immigrant types." But as we began to appreciate quality European cooking, they both became mainstays of the American kitchen.

The bagel
Americans did have their ethnic biases. Standard middle class cooking was very much a white bread affair. Other groups had their ethnic traditions at the dining table, but we rarely if ever ventured there. Then came a celebrated advertising campaign that pointed out, "You don't have to be Jewish to love Lender's bagels." We started to learn that it was OK to sample and enjoy the delicacies of other cultures and incorporate our favorites into our own repertoire. The bagel led the way.

Salsa
What the bagel was to Jewish food, salsa was to Hispanic cucina. This chunky, spicy tomato based sauce has now replaced catsup as the number one condiment in America. Once again, it helped us overcome our aversion to the "exotic" and introduced us to an entire world of cooking that went far beyond the taco.

Mesclun and mixed greens
Almost single-handedly, Alice Waters of Berkley's famous "Chez Panisse" restaurant promoted the movement away from the cliche of iceberg lettuce. She sought out growers who produced rare and unusual salad greens, and began assembling their leafy produce under the rubric of mesclun. We learned to love organic growing, fresh, local, seasonal ingredients, and an entirely new approach to salad making. It was a very healthy development.

Brie, camembert, jarlsberg, and gouda cheeses
40 years ago cheese meant yellow American slices, cheddar cheese from a factory, or grated "parmesan" in a jar. Then came the first of the European cheeses, with this quartet leading the way. They were different. They smelled. They had flavor. You could really do some interesting things with them. Specialty shops opened up that carried dozens of quality cheeses that were totally unknown on these shores. Add a glass of wine and some good crackers, and a whole new world opened up.

Chilean sea bass, yellowfin tuna, sushi
It used to be that fish was eaten by Catholics on Friday, or by Lutherans in a tuna hot dish. But with health concerns mounting, Americans started to take fish seriously. By the mid-90's a fantastically savory fish (mis)named the Chilean Sea Bass was capturing our imagination. Right behind was the yellowfin tuna, which not only could be grilled, but eaten raw! We learned that because of the innovation of sushi, the artful Japanese way of serving raw seafood. All three are clichés today. But once they were cutting edge.

Reduction sauces
When Americans moved to new ideas about cooking, French cuisine was the vehicle. Traditional recipes, as codified by Escoffier, did rely on elaborate sauces that featured generous amounts of cream, butter and flour. A "new" approach to sauce making involved the concept of "deglazing" the skillet with a flavorful liquid, stirring things up, adding ingredients that could be strained out after leaving their flavor, and then reducing the resulting melange over high heat until it became thick and savory. Presumably there were fewer calories in a "reduction sauce." What there really was, was pure and intense flavor. We saw it as a very useful technique that was easy to master.

Vidalia onions, Yukon gold potatoes, Athena cantaloupes
Americans used to think in generic terms about the staples of their diet. Onions were maybe yellow, white or red. Potatoes were baking or new. And fruits were just fruits. Then came what amounted to "celebrity" varieties. The Vidalia onion is a great example. It had a reputation as being incredibly sweet and somewhat hard to find. Yukon Gold potatoes developed followings, as did Fuji apples, Athena cantaloupes and Silver Queen corn. All supposedly rare, but strangely ubiquitous once supply geared up to meet a more discerning demand.

The crab cake
Why does it take an outsider to make you realize just how good you've got it in your own backyard? America is made up of regions, dozens of them, each with its own specialties. In Maryland the crabcake is the symbol of our approach to eating. Originally a cheap means of using leftovers, the crabcake has evolved into a pricy gourmet treat. At the same time we were able to discover the validity and value of our various regional recipes, and in the hands of talented chefs like our own John Shields regional cooking is classic cooking.

Just as we learned to value our regions, we learned to value our past. The industrialization of 20th century America led to the abandonment of "inefficient" habits. 19th century America cultivated hundreds and hundreds of food varieties that were wiped out in the name of progress. Fortunately a few examples survived, which were nurtured and cherished. Today they come to market as "heirloom" foods, and they serve as a reminder than modern isn't always better.

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