[QUOTE=Dangerosa]
Meatloaf - is meatloaf an American standard thing across most regions - and American?
[/QUOTE]
Yes, but then you get into the entire “ketchup vs mushrooms” for the glaze, and things get ugly quickly. In my house, we make two smaller loaves rather than one larger one, just to stop that kind of argument. 
[QUOTE=silenus]
Yes, but then you get into the entire “ketchup vs mushrooms” for the glaze, and things get ugly quickly. In my house, we make two smaller loaves rather than one larger one, just to stop that kind of argument.
[/QUOTE]
I’m not sure my kids know its normally made with hamburger as our standard meatloaf is turkey with feta cheese.
[QUOTE=Dangerosa]
I’m not sure my kids know its normally made with hamburger as our standard meatloaf is turkey with feta cheese.
[/QUOTE]
Sure, if you belong to a cult or something. Security!
Actually, I’d kinda like the recipe for that.
[QUOTE=silenus]
Yes, but then you get into the entire “ketchup vs mushrooms” for the glaze, and things get ugly quickly. In my house, we make two smaller loaves rather than one larger one, just to stop that kind of argument.
[/QUOTE]
Ketchup with honey and cumin, a la Alton Brown.
[QUOTE=silenus]
Yes, but then you get into the entire “ketchup vs mushrooms” for the glaze, and things get ugly quickly. In my house, we make two smaller loaves rather than one larger one, just to stop that kind of argument.
[/QUOTE]
I use a molasses base for a glaze — one cup molasses, half-cup ketchup, half-cup mustard. I use chopped veggies for filler instead of crackers or bread. Yummy!
My own $0.02 (which is I think like five pence?)
First all, of course, an “American” meal is like a “European” meal. You can easily go for one meal each of “New England”, “Eastern Cities”, “Southern”, “Cajun” and “Southwestern (Tex/Mex)” plus perhaps a “Midwest”. Which might be more interesting.
Milk and cookies is a cop-out. If apples disgust you, I like the suggestion of pecan pie. If pie itself disgusts you, then how about a banana split/ice cream sundae? Or if you want evocative of 1950’s America at the expense of, well, tasting good, do some kind of jello mold (must include miniature marshmallows).
Tomato soup seems kind of generic and not quintessentially American, but it’s OK. How about New England clam chowder instead? (don’t listen to the heretics and infidels who tell you to put tomatoes in your chowder. Their judgement day will come soon enough)
Mashed, not baked.
The breakfast meat may be difficult. I understand American bacon is a rare and coveted thing over there, so I guess sausage it is. I have no idea what “all pork chipolatas” are, but I can tell you nobody north or east of Texas would eat anything named “chipolatas”. Jimmy Dean sausage is what you want, boy, I’ll tell you what. Links or patty, either way.
And two bonus comments:
if you ever do get to the fish fry, do hush puppies.
Finally, to get to regional differences: In the South, ice tea is sweet and cornbread is not. In the North, it’s the opposite.
Personally, I always make grilled cheese sandwiches with sharp or extra-sharp cheddar. It’s usually the only cheese we have in the house (well, except for a chunk of parmesan), and the rare other cheeses are things that foodies put in grilled cheeses in order to ruin them, like blue cheese or feta. Sharp cheddar makes a spectacular grilled cheese sandwich: what it lacks in plasticity, it makes up for in its uncomplicatedly awesome flavor.
[QUOTE=Dangerosa]
I think for Southern desserts, its Red Velvet Cake. Another candidate would be pecan pie (eaten, as far as I know - all over the U.S. - Red Velvet Cake is generally a Southern thing).
[/QUOTE]
You’re right that Red Velvet cake is super-Southern. In my experience, however, it’s more of a curiosity than an everyday dessert: I rarely see it on any menu. I think that’s because it’s not very good. It’s just a plain cake with an assload of red food coloring.
Pecan pie might be eaten everywhere, but I still think of it as very southern, given the pecan’s southern roots. I’m generally not a fan of it–it’s usually cloyingly sweet, in my opinion–but if you make them in tiny tart shells, there’s enough crust and enough nuts that the corn-syrup filling doesn’t overwhelm, for some reason. When I worked as a baker, lo these many years ago, that’s how I made 'em, and people loved 'em.
Daniel
[QUOTE=dmatsh]
The Declaration of Independence was signed in Philadelphia. The birthplace of the United States.
What better for American food than an authentic Philly Cheese Steak?
[/QUOTE]
Maybe now, but not at the time of independence. Back then it would be scrapple. I don’t see that much these days.
for other east coast delicacies, my mother makes a killer fish chowder.
I’m fairly certain that waffles with ice cream, whipped cream, and strawberries is pretty american for breakfast. I think american breakfast has been coverd pretty well though.
[QUOTE=Christopher]
Maybe now, but not at the time of independence. Back then it would be scrapple. I don’t see that much these days.
[/QUOTE]
Scrapple is still quite common in Philly, and even down here in Virginia, and as repulsive as ever. We can buy bricks of it at the grocery store, but I refuse to cook it or eat it. My husband has to go to the local diner for breakfast if he wants it.
If anyone is interested, I have a recipe for homemade scrapple. I made it once, and was told it was better than the store-bought stuff. That’s not saying much, if you ask me, but there’s no accounting for taste.
[QUOTE=Oredigger77]
I’d suggest this as the most American of foods. But to make a three course meal I’d go with a potato salad then Freedom fries, if you call them French fries people might get confused, of course the cheese burger must be cooked over charcoal and made with American cheese. Of course while less traditional bacon can be used as a topper. For dessert may I suggest Jello with fruit in it preferably in a star mold.
For breakfast I’d suggest a sausage patty and an egg fried so as to be circular combined together with American cheese on a Mcmuffin, again if you call it a English muffin people might get confused.
Now this will make traditional American food but I can defiantly make tastier recommendations. How about a steak sandwich – take a grilled rib eye with a garlic salt rub and on a sourdough roll preferably the size of the rib eye, top with tomatoes, lettuce, and grilled Anaheim chilies, of course you have to use steak fries with a steak sandwich and a Caesar salad. Dessert could be a New York style cheesecake and as for something to drink I suggest a Paso Robles Pinot Noir from California. For a good ol’ American breakfast that tastes good I can’t beet either the chicken fried steak or biscuits and gravy except to combine them into one meal with scrambled eggs and slather the whole plate with the gravy and Tabasco sauce. By the way the dinner is a common one in the Digger household.
[/QUOTE]
Sorry to quote the whole post but you really come off as a snob, especially about midwest cooking.
[QUOTE=Christopher]
I’m fairly certain that waffles with ice cream, whipped cream, and strawberries is pretty american for breakfast. I think american breakfast has been coverd pretty well though.
[/QUOTE]
Waffles with ice cream? Never heard of it. Waffles are eaten with butter and syrup, maybe with fruit, and whipped cream is only if you’re being all fancylike. Ice cream on waffles doesn’t sound that good.
Daniel
[QUOTE=Left Hand of Dorkness]
Waffles with ice cream? Never heard of it. Waffles are eaten with butter and syrup, maybe with fruit, and whipped cream is only if you’re being all fancylike. Ice cream on waffles doesn’t sound that good.
Daniel
[/QUOTE]
Waffles with ice cream for breakfast? I have never seen that in my life.
Waffles with ice cream doesn’t sound bad to me (think waffle cones), but I have never heard of such a thing, either.
[QUOTE=chique]
I’ve never, EVER heard an American say that he or she doesn’t like grilled cheese.
[/QUOTE]
::: slowly raises hand in the back of the room :::
I don’t like grilled cheese
(yes, there really is one in every crowd)
I think it’s the texture combined with a bad experience with one that was too greasy.
I do, however, like “raw” grilled cheese - that is, a cheese sandwich without heat applied.
[QUOTE=Dangerosa]
OK, and people who are channelling some weird past life.
When I was pregnant, in Minnesota, I craved chicken fried steak - I’d grown up in the South. Its really hard to find chicken fried steak at a restaurant in Minnesota (and I wasn’t up to cooking it at home). I finally found it at some national chain sort of place.
[/QUOTE]
I’ve had it a few times, but it’s not a common food up here. It was more of a case of “let’s crack open the cookbook and see what we can make.” Kind of like the time we tried cornbread without sugar. ick. Until this thread I had no idea that chicken fried steak is also considered a breakfast food.
This thread is heavily weighed towards the south. I wouldn’t think of eating a lot of the foods suggested - if I could even get them.
I think people are on the mark with a brownie sunday vs cookies and milk, though.
You need:
brownies
vanilla ice cream
hot chocolate
whipped cream
cherries
But keep the amount of everything you buy for them to the minimum. They’re both very tempting and very fattening.
Actually, I thought the OP had a pretty good grasp of American food for someone who, I presume, has never actually been here.
I’m going to throw out a few more suggestions/examples.
BREAKFAST:
What, nobody mentioned corn flakes? Invented in Battle Creek, Michigan. A bowl of corn flakes and milk - don’t let them sit long enough to get soggy! - a glass of orange juice, and a cup of coffee is typical lightweight American breakfast.
My in-laws are quite fond of cornbread broken up and mashed into a sort of porridge in buttermilk, but that’s more a southern thing than anywhere else. In fact, I’m not even sure it’s a breakfast food.
LUNCH:
As an alternative to the grilled cheese and tomato soup, I will suggest either a hot dog or hamburger.
Typical toppings for a hot dog would include mustard, pickle relish, and diced onion. Some regions add other stuff, such as sauerkraut or “sport peppers”, but the mustard/pickle relish/onion condiments are pretty much universally offered. Be warned - some people get VERY touchy about ketchup and 'dogs - personally, I’m in the no ketchup on hot dogs, nope, never camp. Traditional buns are white bread and very soft, although whole wheat are becoming more common. Poppy seeds are optional
Hamburger toppings are typically lettuce, tomato, and onion. Some people include pickles. Buns are also traditional soft white bread. Add a slice of melted cheese for a cheeseburger.
Both hot dogs and burgers are served with either french fries or potato chips (you folks in the UK call them “crisps”, if I recall). For a picnic, coleslaw and/or potato salad are common additions.
But for a typical American lunch pretty much any sandwich served with either a bowl of soup, or a bag of chips with maybe a piece of fruit (apple, banana, or orange) or a couple cookies is not uncommon. The key point here is that it’s items that would survive traveling several hours in a brown paper bag (except for the soup).
Oh - and don’t forget peanut butter and jelly sandwich on white bread. As American as grilled cheese.
APPETIZERS:
a sort of before-meal snack you feed the hungry hordes to prevent and assault on the kitchen - come in a variety choices. Appetizers may be offered in between actual meals as a snack at a prolonged gathering such as a family event, between lunch and dinner for example. They also make an appearance at such places as Super Bowl and New Year’s parties where festivities may continue for hours and are not centered around a formal meal.
In my family, a typical one was a tray of sliced raw vegetables such as carrots, celery, cucumber and green onions along with a dip. Broccoli florets and pieces of cauliflower are two others I recall, along with cherry tomatoes. I’m not a fan of dips, so I hope someone else who is an afficiando can chime in with suggestions.
Another appetizer is the cheese and sausage tray. This is cubes of cheese (any variety allowed, although American, cheddar, and Swiss are common) along with slices/cubes of sausage (pepperoni, summer sausage, and so forth) served along with a variety of crackers. A small container of toothpicks is often provided, allowing guests to spear the cheese and sausage bits without touching them with actual fingers and using the little wooden splinters to transfer the cheese/meat to crackers prior to consumption.
Then there is the pickle/olive tray. That’s, uh, well, it’s an assortment of pickles and olives, along with spearing toothpicks. Another appetizer is the nut assortment (self explanatory) which may be as simple as opening a can of assorted nuts, or arranging different varieties of nuts into their own little groups. There is also the chip bowl (frequently combined with the raw vegee tray so you can use the same dip(s) on both) and the pretzel assortment
There there is the melon ball salad. That’s a mixture of balls scooped out of various melons. A traditional combination would be watermelon, cantaloupe, and honeydew. If you want to get fancy, carve the watermelon rind into a basket shape and fill it with the mixed balls. If you don’t have a melon baller (a little metal scoop specifically for making this sort of thing) cutting the melons into cubes would be OK, too.
Get an event with 12 or more people you might see all of the above.
DINNER:
“Starter” is usually a salad, if I understand the term correctly. Iceberg lettuce and tomato wedges are the most common base, with the addition of carrots, celery, onions and cucumber being common. Another common one is the Cesear salad, which is romaine lettuce, croutons, and grated cheese with Ceaser dressing, with anchovies optional.
There are a couple of possible main courses. Roast beef and mashed potatoes is one. You must have gravy for the mashed potatoes. Usually served with another vegetable such a green beans or peas-and-carrots. Bread and butter, or rolls and butter, are also frequently served.
Another entree - and this one is very traditional - is steak and potato. The steak is, ideally, grilled. Potatoes are either baked (sour cream, butter, onions, etc. are all frequent toppings although it also perfectly acceptable to opt for just a dusting of salt) and ideally Idaho baking potatoes, or they are thick fries/chips. Grilled mushrooms and/or onions are options for topping the steak but certainly not required. Steak sauce is another option. The steaks should be thick. An additional vegetable is also optional, and may be green beans (again), cooked carrots, yellow corn kernels, peas, and so on but it would be rare to see more than one. Bread of some sort - rolls, biscuts, thick slices, etc. - should be served along with butter.
Meatloaf, mashed-potatoes-and-gravy, plus another vegetable (see roast beef and steak for options), bread and butter.
Chicken - and you can get into a lot of regional variations. The chicken can be baked or fried. For a typical meal you would have mashed potatoes OR stuffing - it would have to be a big event such as Thanksgiving to have both at the same time - and a vegetable. Coleslaw seems more common with friend chicken and cooked vegetable with baked. Serve with bread/biscuits/rolls and butter. Or with cornbread. The southern variation is to have cooked greens. Turnip and collard greens have already been mentioned but nothing says southern home cooking like poke sallet – but it’s very unlikely you’d be able to get that in the UK. Hell, I can’t even get it where I live (in fact, I’ve only had it at the mother-in-law’s house). Creamed spinach is another option.
Tuna noodle casserole (or “hot dish” if you’re from Minnesota and/or Lutheran) - there are a million variations on this one, but the base is a can of tuna, a can of condensed cream of mushroom soup, a can of mixed vegetables, and a bag of egg noodles. This has already been mentioned.
DESSERT:
Pie - common varieties are apple, cherry, pumpkin (traditional at Thanksgiving), and pecan. A scoop of ice cream on top (usually vanilla) makes it pie a la mode. For a sort of weird variation there is “mock apple pie” where the main filling is Ritz crackers and it does taste sort of like apple pie.
Cake - a two layer cake with icing, either yellow cake/vanilla icing or chocolate cake and icing.
Brownies - with or without ice cream on top.
Ice cream sundae - a scoop or two (or three) of vanilla ice cream with chocolate sauce poured on top, chopped nuts, and a cherry on top. If the chocolate sauce is heated prior to pouring it’s a hot fudge sundae. A banana split is basically a peeled banana split lengthwise with a chocolate sundae built on top of it.
Jello/Jello salad - Jello is the brand name of a flavored gelatin. Either plain jello molded into a particular shape, or jello molded into a shape with bits of fruit floating inside it (apple and banana are common choices but I’ve seen others including strawberries and grapes), or jello layered with either alternating flavors of jello or jello/pudding layers. (The latter is achieved by mixing one layer, pouring it into clear glasses, allowing it to chill/harden, then mixing the next layer and pouring/chilling, etc.) A triple layer of red and blue jello separated by either clear or a layer of vanilla (for white) topped with whipped cream and colored sprinkles would make a suitable dessert for a Fourth of July/Independence Day picnic. When I was younger and mother let me run rampant in the kitchen I created some rather impressive rainbow layering with jello.
Oh, drinks - not sure if you meant alcoholic or not, so here goes:
BREAKFAST: milk, orange juice, coffee
LUNCH: soft drinks (Coke, Pepsi, 7-Up, Sprite, etc.) or coffee. Children might have milk or some sort of fruit punch. Ice tea and lemonade in summer.
DINNER: soft drinks, coffee (coffee sometimes only appears with dessert). Adults might have beer or wine, but it’s not essential. Children might be served milk.
Of course, there are a lot of other beverages - the US does have tea drinkers, for example (I’m one), and there are a lot of fruit juices to choose from such as grape, grapefruit, cranberry, and so on
ALCOHOL: based mostly on what I remember from family gatherings - beer, wine, scotch-on-the-rocks, martinis, bourbon, and rum-and-coke seem pretty common. My dad’s specialty was whiskey sours. There are a LOT of cocktails out there to choose from, some more elaborate than others.
[QUOTE=NailBunny]
A good friend of mine from London visited the US many years ago and was quite taken with French Toast for breakfast:
Beat an egg with some milk, add a dash of cinnamon
Dip whole slices of bread into egg/milk mixture, fry in pan until lightly browned on both sides
Serve with maple syrup and optional powdered sugar
[/QUOTE]
Don’t just dunk the bread into the milk; let it sit and soak for a few minutes, and poke a fork through the bread so the batter sinks in. (IMNSHO challah is the bread of choice for French toast, if you can get it. If challah isn’t available, use any eggy, puffy bread - brioche would probably be fabulous as well.) Sometimes I will add a bit of orange-flower water or cardamom in addition to or in lieu of cinnamon, but that’s already getting a bit fancy. French toast is also fabulous with fruit compote instead of maple syrup.
Cuz of this thread, I had French toast for breakfast. Yum!
Broomstick, I think the reason nobody suggested corn flakes for breakfast is the same reason that nobody would suggest that the breakfast menu for a French-themed day be coffee and a cigarette. Maybe it’s traditional, but it’s not very exciting.
The rest of your suggestions look pretty great, though.
Daniel
Maybe not exciting - but very authentic! Also, very minimalist but I thought it deserved at least a mention.