Over the weekend I went down a YouTube rabbit hole of those “British people try American food” videos.
That got me pondering: Imagine you were hosting guests from overseas, and they said they wanted to try a quintessential meal from your country (or region, if you live in a large country with lots of regional cuisines like the US and want to get that specific). What would you make for them? Or I guess if you really don’t cook, what restaurant would you take them to and what dish would you recommend to them? (Assume they have no dietary restrictions and are up for trying anything).
My first though was so sort of homestyle comfort food like pot roast. But then I thought maybe I should go with something more specific to California, so weather permitting I would break out the smoker and make them a Santa Maria style smoked tri-tip, pinquito beans, and pico de gallo. My reasoning is that barbecue is quintessentially American, and Santa Maria style is quintessentially Californian.
We gave a Romanian buddy of ours one of those breakfast gift boxes, bottle of maple syrup, box of pancake mix and a 1 pound slab of bacon. They were ok with the pancakes and bacon but loved using the maple syrup to make fizzy drinks with =)
If I were to cook for someone, it depends, winter or summer. Winter would be the whole classic Thanksgiving feast [turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, garlic honey carrots, cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie, gravy, baking powder biscuits] summer would be a classic 4th of July cookout - steaks, hamburgers, hot dogs, spare ribs, potato salad, corn on the cob, tossed salad, fruit salad, ice cream and lemonade.
Hard to go wrong with grilling a steak, corn on the cob, and a baked potato. Maybe some watermelon slices or instead of baked potato substitute potato salad. Top off with a nice locally brewed amber ale.
I think that because most of our food is derived from the dishes from other countries, I would make a point of not giving visitors food derived from their region, so that (usually unfavorable) comparisons aren’t made.
I’d make slow-smoked rack of pork ribs, creamy potato salad, garlic bread, and chili beans (not barbecue beans, that would duplicate the flavor of the ribs).
Second choice would be a thick aged New York steak, twice-baked cheesy stuffed potato, and a Caesar salad.
Oh, and WildaBeast? You’re the only other person who has heard of pinquito beans. Once you’ve had them, it’s hard to go back to pintos or even pink beans.
One of my best things is slow cooked tri-tip over real charcoal. Baked beans maybe instead as the side.
Pretty American, yes. Chili is always a good answer.
But Nero Wolfe has some good answers-
“Have you eaten a planked porterhouse steak, two inches thick, surrendering hot red juice under the knife, garnished with American parsley and slices of fresh limes, encompassed with mashed potatoes… Or the Creole Tripe of New Orleans? Or Missouri Boone County ham, baked with vinegar, molasses Worcestershire, sweet cider and herbs… Or Tennessee Opossum? … Or Philadelphia Snapper Soup?” (page 7)…
American Dinner
Oysters Baked in the Shell
Terrapin Maryland…Beaten Biscuits
Pan Broiled Young Turkey
Rice Croquettes with Quince Jelly
Lima Beans in Cream…Sally Lunn
Avocado Todhunter
Pineapple Sherbet…Sponge Cake
Wisconsin Dairy Cheese…Black Coffee
I’m not a good cook*, but I do know South Texas cuisine. I would go with grilled fajitas (grilled with charcoal), flour tortillas made from scratch, with sides of charro pinto beans, Mexican rice (hold the peas), pico de gallo, and guacamole.
*. For this hypothetical, I’m giving myself magical powers of being a good cook. If I’m not allowed to do that, I’d take them to my favorite local barbecue place.
Starter of braaiedsnoek with orange and apricot butter.
Main of Cape Malay lamb and apricot curry served with rotis and all the sambals
Dessert of malva pudding
Chicken fried steak, mashed potatoes, and a certain recipe of ranch beans.
Here are the ranch beans:
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
2 medium tomatoes, coarsely chopped
4 serrano peppers, finely chopped (w/seeds)
1 cup cilantro, finely chopped
2 cups “Clamato” juice
2 cans of Bush’s pinto beans
6 strips of bacon cut into inch long pieces
1 Tbs oil (or lard)
Cook the chopped onion in hot oil (lard) until it begins to soften.
Add the bacon.
When the bacon starts to brown, add the beans and stir in the remaining ingredients.
Simmer for 45 minutes.
A good old American barbecue is always a treat. Hamburgers, hot dogs for the kids, some steak, chicken or ribs for adults. Coca Cola and cold beer. They will tell their friends back home all about it.
I just finished listening to Nick Offerman read “Twain’s Feast,” a recreation of the meal Samuel Clemons dreamed about when he got homesick during foriegn travels. Although I like to cook, I especially like letting someone else decide what to prepare and serve!
But for the Upper Midwest version, I’d make one little change…
[drum roll]
Bratwurst!
Cooked in beer and onions and while they’re oozing juiciness, slap them on a crusty golden ‘brat bun’, then smother with onions and relish or chunky brown mustard.
Serve with additional beers-that-need-an-opener and cole slaw and German potato salad. A fruit salad or thick slices of watermelon.
We’ve done this for “furriners” from the UK, the PNW, and NYC.
It was more fun in the '70s before anyone had heard of them (NewYawkah: “Wait, gotta remember dese… bratswursts?”)