American cuisine

Key features of US cuisine

At the heart of US cuisine is a mix of different cooking styles. Almost every dish traces the national food characteristics of countries such as England, Holland, Ireland, Italy, Germany, Spain. All kinds of pasta, pizza and German sausages, Chinese noodles and sandwiches with different types of fillings perfectly coexist on one table.

Favorite and versatile side dish is rice. It can be white, brown, or wild. For each dish, at least a couple of sauces must select, without which it impossible to imagine the daily diet of any US citizen.

Popular salads are both 2 vegetables and complex ones with many ingredients. A wide variety of spices are also characteristic of American food.

Americans were the first to come up with the idea of ​​making peanut paste. Now this cult product known all over the world. There is ice in any restaurant and house. In it, bottles with a drink chilled or a few cubes thrown into a glass.

Many recipes contain cheese – a mixture of melted mozzarella or cheddar with cottage cheese, butter and spices.

How American cuisine was born

In the XVII-XVIII centuries. the lands of the New World began actively populated by English settlers with their well-established culinary traditions. Gradually, they began to try outlandish dishes and drinks of local Indian tribes from corn, turkey, raccoon, quail, strawberries, maple syrup, potatoes, etc. Exotic tastes fell in love, and the settlers began to grow new crops of edible plants and breed animals.

At the same time, groups of people from developed European and Asian countries continued to arrive. Each of them introduced its own individual gastronomic peculiarity simultaneously with the development of new lands.

Further development

With the development of industry and the construction of railways, there was a lack of workers. The problem solved at the expense of Chinese migrants, who later enriched the national cuisine of the United States with new unusual recipes.

The rural population gradually urbanized, the need for their own economy was gone. Home cooking has been superseded by the emerging affordable restaurants and cafes.

Eating in a special establishment has become easier and more profitable for most people. So the country developed a conviction that food should be affordable, relatively easy to prepare and cheap.

Incomparable American Food

The USA is famous for its trend towards unusual use of products from different categories:

1. The chicken served with pancakes or waffles and poured over with sweet syrup or honey.
2. Fresh cucumbers dipped in batter and deep-fried.
3. Many meat sauces made with berries to add a sweet and sour flavor to a meal.
4. Celery stalks spread with peanut butter and garnished with raisins.
5. Prepare coffee with mint, ginger, pumpkin flavors.
6. Bacon eaten with chocolate.

National dishes of America

Traditional popular American dishes have more than one cooking option. It depends on the region of the country, its natural and national characteristics.

Apple pie

Apple pie appeared in the States thanks to the English, Dutch and Swedish immigrant colonists. Cheap baked goods available to every family quickly took root in the new country and became America’s signature dessert.

In the original old recipe, the pie is a tough dough shell that contains a liquid jam filling. Now the technology has changed a bit. Apples chosen sweet and sour and hard so that they do not turn into puree but keep their shape. The top made closed or half-open.

You will need the following products:

• flour – 800 g;
• butter – 150 g;
• water – 60 ml;
• sugar – 2 tbsp. l .;
• salt on the tip of a knife.

For filling:

• apples – 0.8-1 kg;
• sugar – 150 g;
• butter – 30 g;
• corn starch – 3 tbsp. l .;
• lemon juice – 1 tbsp. l .;
• cinnamon to taste.

Step by step cooking:

1. Flour combined with sugar and salt.
2. A cold piece of butter grated or finely chopped with a knife. Combine with flour and stir in a food processor or by hand to form large crumbs.
3. Ice water slowly poured in and the kneading is continued. If, when squeezing a handful of crumbs in a fist, it does not gather into a single lump, then add more liquid.
4. The dough divided into 2 equal parts, wrapped in a bag and placed in the freezer for 15 minutes.
5. Preheat the oven to + 220 ° C.
6. Peel and seed apples, cut into small cubes or long flat slices.
7. Sprinkle with lemon juice, sprinkle with sugar, starch, cinnamon, mix.
8. Dust the table with flour and roll out 1 part of the dough. The thickness is not important, but you need a layer of such a size that it fits onto the sides of the baking container. Do the same with the 2nd piece.
9. Transfer the dough into a mold, press the edges, level the bottom.
10. Distribute the filling in a domed manner so that there is a slight elevation in the center.
11. Divide the butter into small pieces and put the apples on top.
12. Cover with a second layer of dough, press lightly against the filling, pinch the edges.
13. In the middle of the cake, cuts made for steam to escape.
14. Sprinkle with sugar if desired.
15. Put in the oven for 40-50 minutes.

It is customary to eat the cake completely cooled down. Garnish with a scoop of ice cream or whipped cream.

^{A traditional apple pie requires hard fruits.}

“Ruben” (sandwich)

The Ruben sandwich is one of the most famous sandwiches in the world. According to one version, it invented by a native of Lithuania, according to another – the owner of a delicatessen cafe in New York.

Ingredients:

• rye bread – 8 pieces;
• ham – 250 g;
• sauerkraut – 200 g;
• hard Swiss cheese – 150 g;
• mayonnaise – 4 tbsp. l .;
• ketchup – 3 tbsp. l .;
• small pickles – 3-4 pcs.;
• lemon juice – 2 tbsp. l .;
• olive oil 1 tbsp l.

Preparation:

1. Mayonnaise mixed with ketchup, finely chopped cucumbers and lemon juice. Each slice of bread smeared with a mass.
2. Spread cabbage, ham, cheese on 4 pieces. Cover with the rest of the bread, greased side down.
3. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and fry the sandwich on 2 sides for 2-3 minutes.

Served with French fries.

^{“Ruben” is one of the famous sandwiches.} 

Buffalo wings

The recipe for making Buffalo chicken wings invented in the American city of the same name in the 1960s. The dish presented in the menu of most bars, because a popular beer snack. It often prepared at home as a daily meal.

Traditionally, the wings are poured with hot paprika sauce, but other, less pungent options are also offered.

1.5-1.8 kg of chicken wings taken as a basis. Prepare 2 sauces separately.

Ingredients for Buffalo:

• vegetable oil – 30 g;
• tomato paste – 3 tbsp. l .;
• sugar – 2 tbsp. l .;
• chili or tabasco sauce – 1 tbsp. l .;
• a clove of garlic;
• salt pepper.

For Blue Cheese:

• blue cheese or other soft – 50 g;
• yogurt or mayonnaise – 0.5 tbsp.;
• sour cream – 0.5 tbsp.;
• garlic – 1-2 cloves;
• salt pepper.

For breading:

• flour – 0.5 tbsp.;
• paprika – 1. tsp;
• cayenne pepper – 1 tsp;
• salt.

Preparation:

1. The wings washed, dried on a towel and divided into 3 parts, cutting along the joints. Only 2 large pieces used for cooking.
2. Ingredients for breading mixed in a bag, the wings put there and rolled so that the meat completely covered with a shell.
3. Deep-fried for a few minutes, then spread on a paper towel.

^{Juicy, fragrant Buffalo wings.}

For those who don’t like deep frying, there is a baked recipe:

1. The oven heated up to + 200 … + 220 ° C.
2. Mix 0.5 l of kefir with 3 garlic, salt, black pepper and chili to taste.
3. Pour the mixture over the chicken for 40-60 minutes.
4. A baking sheet greased with vegetable oil.
5. Spread out the wings without a lot of marinade.
6. Bake for 30 minutes, turn over once.

Buffalo sauce prepared like this:

1. Heat oil over low heat in a saucepan, add sugar, stir.
2. At the beginning of the boil, add tomato paste.
3. Chili or Tabasco mixed in a little and tasted right away to achieve the desired degree of tanginess.
4. Add finely chopped garlic, salt, black pepper.
5. Bring to the first boil stage again and remove from the stove.

The mixture not boiled, otherwise it will exfoliate.

All ingredients for “Blue Cheese” are ground in a blender to the maximum homogeneous consistency.

The wings placed in a deep bowl, poured over with sauce, mixed, laid out on a large plate. Sometimes they serve chopped raw carrots and celery, slices of fried potatoes.

^{Buffalo sauce for wings.}

“Cobb” (salad)

The salad named after the owner of the American restaurateur Bob Cobb. Deciding to cook dinner one day, he simply combined the foods he found in his refrigerator.

He liked the dish so much that he decided to include it in the restaurant’s menu. The salad is hearty, and the portion is enough for saturation, because the dish contains a lot of heavy ingredients. There is a vegetarian option without meat.

You will need:

• boiled or baked chicken breast – 1 pc .;
• boiled eggs – 2 pcs.;
• cherry tomatoes – 3-4 pcs.;
• avocado – 1 pc.;
• celery – 1 stalk;
• lettuce leaves;
• cheddar cheese – 50 g;
• bacon – 4 strips;
• mustard with grains and Dijon – 1 tsp each;
• garlic – 1-2 cloves;
• olive oil – 4 tablespoons l .;
• grape vinegar – 2 tbsp. l.

Preparation:

1. Garlic finely chopped or passed through a press, mixed with mustard and butter.
2. Fry the bacon until crisp.
3. All other products cut into cubes.
4. The lettuce leaves spread over a wide plate.
5. The ingredients laid out on it in stripes so that they do not merge in color.

The dressing served separately.

^{Cobb a salad that does not need to be stirred.}

Bun with gravy

Sand buns were first made in the South of America. It was customary to eat them for breakfast with meat gravy or instead of bread with other dishes.

Ingredients:

• flour – 1.5 tbsp.;
• butter – 70 g;
• kefir – 1 tbsp.;
• salt – 1 tsp;
• baking powder – 1 tsp.

For gravy:

• minced pork – 250 g;
• milk – 2 tbsp.;
• flour – 2 tbsp. l .;
• pepper, salt to taste.

Preparation:

1. The butter cut into pieces, mixed in a food processor or by hand with flour, salt and baking powder.
2. Pour in kefir and stir.
3. A baking sheet covered with foil and small balls of dough laid out at a distance of 5-7 cm.
4. Place in an oven preheated to + 200 ° C for 15 minutes.
5. Minced meat well fried in a pan. Pour in flour, salt, pepper and heat over medium heat for 3 minutes.
6. Milk poured in a thin stream, stirring continuously. Bring to the desired thickening.

Put the finished buns on a plate, completely cover the top with gravy.

“Clam Chowder”

The recipe for the soup originated during the formation of New England. Many shells thrown on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean, and the locals collected them for stew. Now they use fresh, processed or frozen seafood, there are options with salmon.

For a traditional soup, you need to take:

• shellfish – 500 g;
• bacon – 100 g;
• potatoes – 4 pcs.;
• onion – 1 pc.;
• stalked celery – 2 pcs.;
• carrots – 150 g;
• flour – 100 g;
• butter – 60 g;
• cream and milk – 200 ml each;
• black pepper, thyme, salt.

Preparation:

1. The shellfish washed thoroughly.
2. 3-5 cm of water poured into a saucepan, half of the onion and celery, dried thyme are thrown.
3. Spread out the seafood and cover with a lid. Cook over high heat for 20 minutes.
4. They take out the shells, throw away the unopened ones.
5. The broth cooled and filtered 2 times.
6. The shellfish meat washed, finely chopped.
7. Chop the rest of the vegetables and bacon.
8. A saucepan with a thick bottom placed on the stove. In it, the bacon first fried in butter, then the onion added and sautéed. Pour in flour and stir quickly for 30 seconds so that it disperses without lumps.
9. Add potatoes, carrots, celery and broth.
10. Bring to a boil and keep on low heat for 15 minutes.
11. Pour in cream with milk, add shellfish, spices. Leave for another 5 minutes, but do not bring to a boil. Cover and turn off the heat.

To make a cream soup, knead all or part of the potatoes.

^{Clam Chowder is an iconic American soup.}

“Mc-n-Cheese”

President Thomas Jefferson introduced macaroni and cheese as a traditional American dish. From a trip to Italy, he came with a cook who prepared a dish for politicians.

Gradually easy to prepare, but hearty foreign food once and for all took a place on the tables of American families of any income.

You will need:

• pasta – 400 g;
• semi-hard cheese, cheddar, mozzarella – 90 g;
• milk – 1 l;
• flour -30 g;
• butter – 50 g;
• salt – 1.5 tsp;
• sweet paprika, black pepper, nutmeg – to taste;
• vegetable or olive oil – 3 tbsp. l.

The pasta boiled so that it remains slightly uncooked. Drain off the water, add oil and stir well. Pre-set the temperature in the oven + 180… + 200 ° C.

Make the sauce:

1. Melt butter over medium heat, add flour, stir for 1-2 minutes without interruption with a wooden spatula or whisk. Achieve a homogeneous mass without lumps.
2. Pour milk in small portions, continue to beat. Cook for 6-8 minutes until medium consistency.
3. Remove from the stove, add salt, seasonings and allow to cool.
4. Cheese grated; 3 tbsp left for sprinkling the top. l, the rest is added to the sauce. Stir until the products completely dissolved so that no lumps.
5. Pour pasta into one baking dish or several portions. Pour over the sauce and stir.
6. Sprinkle the top with the rest of the cheese and paprika.
7. Put in the oven for 20-30 minutes.

The finished dish will have a golden crust. Serve hot.

^{Mc’n-Cheese – Hearty macaroni and cheese.}

Waldorf salad

Waldorf is a light and juicy apple salad with celery and walnuts. The dish is perfect for a festive table. To prepare a salad you need:

• green sweet and sour apple – 2 pcs.;
• celery root – ¼ pcs.;
• walnuts – 100 g;
• lemon – 0.5 pcs.;
• mayonnaise – 2 tbsp. l;
• salt, black pepper.

Preparation:

1. Fry the nuts in a dry skillet until aroma appears. When cooled, grind in a mortar or knife.
2. Celery peeled, cut into strips or grated.
3. Peel the apples off, cut the cores and cut into thin strips.
4. All products combined in a bowl, seasoned with mayonnaise, lemon juice, pepper and salt.

On the plates, the products laid out through the ring. Sometimes the salad decorated with grapes, plums or raisins.

^{Waldorf salad is light and nutritious.}

Green Bean Casserole

The casserole recipe invented specifically to boost sales of canned mushroom soup. Gradually, the dish began to be prepared for Thanksgiving.

Products:

• green beans – 900 g;
• champignons – 400 g;
• vegetable oil – 30 g;
• garlic – 2 cloves;
• flour – 2 tbsp. l .;
• cream – 1.5 tbsp.;
• chicken broth – 1.5 tbsp.;
• grated parmesan – 30 g;
• thyme, cayenne pepper, salt to taste.

Preparation:

1. In boiling salted water, boil beans, cut into 3-4 parts, for 6 minutes. Thrown back in a colander and washed under the tap.
2. Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Spread mushrooms, salt, pepper and cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Add thyme, garlic, flour and simmer for another 2 minutes.
4. Pour in cream, broth, bring to a boil, reduce heat and keep with constant stirring for 5 minutes so that the liquid thickens.
5. Add the beans and parmesan.
6. The resulting mass transferred to a greased form, baked at + 180 ° C for 20 minutes.

Fried onion rings often prepared for the casserole.

The recipe is as follows:

1. A large onion cut lengthwise and disassembled into rings.
2. Soak in kefir for 10 minutes.
3. Mix breadcrumbs, flour in the same ratio, salt and pepper.
4. Roll the rings and deep-fry for no longer than a minute.
5. Transfer to a napkin to remove excess oil.

Onion rings used to decorate the portions of the casserole.

^{Americans make their green bean casserole for Thanksgiving.}

Steaks and meatloafs in America

As soon as cattle introduced to the United States, steaks became popular in all walks of life. The simple process of frying meat has become an art with its own rules and nuances. Steakhouses, restaurants that specialized in beef, were opening all over the country.

Meat rolls served in most establishments, and every family has a family recipe. They rescued housewives during the Great Depression, when various cheap products added to a small amount of meat, and it turned out to a full-fledged dish.

US Cuisine by Region

The locality and climate have left an imprint on the gastronomic preferences of Americans. The ethnic composition of the region also plays an important role.

Central states

The center of the United States has a well-established tradition in food, because many immigrants from Europe settled there.

In these parts they love:

• Runza sandwich pies;
• root dogs;
• fried chicken;
• pork with peaches.

^{American style spicy pork with peaches.}

Northwest

The cold and harsh climate, long winters formed the need for simple, well-fed and fatty food.

Typical dishes:

• venison steak;
• beef sandwich;
• mountain oysters – fried bovine eggs;
• buffalo jerky.

Northeast

The Atlantic coast makes it possible to eat a lot of fish and seafood. Animal breeding poorly developed here.

Typical local dishes:

• lutefix fish;
• lobsters;
• Massachusetts clam soup;
• pizza with seafood;
• cherry pie.

Southwest

This region dominated by the influence of Latin American countries and Indian traditions. Meat, stews, legumes and an abundance of hot spices are the staples of the local cuisine.

Here they love:

• tacos – cakes with different fillings;
• steaks;
• meat “Chili con carne”;
• pork tenderloin;
• seafood;
• corn bread and chips;
• fruit salads.

Southeast

The cuisine here combines the influences of the West and the North. Most of the land is occupied by fields, so they prefer to grow poultry from meat. There are fish and seafood.

Typical dishes:

• crab cakes;
• pork ribs;
• corn porridge with shrimps;
• breaded chicken;
• boiled peanuts.

^{Pork ribs are popular in the southeast of the country.}

Street food

America is famous for its fast food chains, stalls and minibuses that sell inexpensive street food.

The population and tourists are in demand:

• hot dogs;
• korn dogs – sausages on a stick;
• cheeseburgers and hamburgers;
• French fries;
• donuts.

American drinks

There are dozens of drinks in the United States, the most common are:

• Coca-Cola and other types of soda;
• cocoa with marshmallows;
• ginger ale;
• pink hot chocolate;
• black coffee and with various flavors;
• tea with ice;
• root beer;
• soy milk, cow milk and almond milk;
• freshly squeezed or industrial juices.

From alcohol they prefer whiskey, vodka, tequila.

American cuisine traditions and interesting facts about it

For breakfast, Americans love to eat something sweet. This can be toast with jam, chocolate spread and bananas, or cornflakes with milk.

Lunches are often held in the workplace or outside the home. People prefer not to waste time preparing food and go to the nearest cafe or order food at home. For dinners, they buy semi-finished products, which are enough to hold in the microwave for a few minutes.

In the warmer months, it is customary in the backyards to fry meat over an open fire or bake it over coals with vegetables.

Time-consuming recipes used on holidays when relatives or guests gather.

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