O say does the Star-Spangled Banner yet wave o'er the land of the free and the home of the brave....
I reckon! The USA is the land of opportunity, where hard work is celebrated and success congratulated. A nation that oozes optimism and radiates confidence. A country that sets the pace, a pace that is frantically fast, and influences the way people prepare and eat food.
Food culture changes quickly, mirroring the times - nowhere more evident than in The States. The twentieth century was one of staggering transformation: The scientific approach to farming resulting in higher yields and more affordable food; Food processing in the 1910's (think Hellman's mayonnaise, Oreo cookies and Corn flakes...and don't forget the indestructible Spam, with a shelf-life of 7 years!) ; the invention of kitchen appliances (an essential in every post-war home kitchen); the introduction of frozen foods (the brainchild of Clarence Birdseye after a fishing trip); the opening of self-service supermarkets (which offered huge variety and abundance); the highway transportation network (which gave birth to McDonalds and the like, as pit-stop-road-side-dining on long haul journeys); Trans-Atlantic jet travel (which opened a whole new era of culinary awareness)...right up to the arrival of The World Wide Web.
When one thinks of American food, it's hotdogs, hamburgers and fries. True, but there is more than just the fast food culture. The re-settlement of millions of people from 1950 to 2000 introduced a pantry full of new foods and flavours - once exotic, now mainstream ( think Tex-Mex). The 1950's was the decade of "culinary kitsch" - processed food was the norm, and TV- dinners in alfoil trays substituted table-dining. One critic referred to the food trend of the 50's as "gastronomic debasement"! In the 1960's Julia Child revolutionised home cooking with her unique and easy approach to French Cuisine. At the same time Jacqueline Kennedy appointed a French Chef to the White House kitchen. It wasn't long before every dinner party featured Coq au Vin and Boeuf Bourguignon. The late 60's witnessed the hippie-era, where a generation returned to nature and eschewed anything pre-packed. A trend to grow your own veggies, eat bean spouts, chew granola and make hummus started. Protest against the war in 'Nam, high inflation, free love and a long sleep-in resulted in the birth of "brunch"! The 70's focussed on fresh food, simply prepared. The 80's saw unprecedented wealth creation, the height of consumerism, the introduction of platinum credit cards and the appearance of the Celebrity Chef . It was a decade of excess. Novelle Cuisine dominated - featuring oversized plates with miniscule portions of "something" - but diners where happy to pay more for less....till the Dow Jones crashed in 1987, which led to a yearning for comfort food. All that comfort led to excess weight, which the 90's had to deal with: enter a decade of personal trainers, treadmills, home gyms and reduced-fat-everything. Fusion cooking became the buzzword ( basically taking the healthier eating habits of Mediterranean and Asian cuisines and turning it local). Having said all that, we still ended up eating hotdogs, hamburgers and fries last night!
American-themed restaurants and pubs are becoming increasingly popular in Brisbane, and we had quite a choice: Lefty's Old Time Music Hall, Yard Bird, Tipplers Tap or Shady Palms. However,
we decided to make our first stop in 2014 at Carolina Kitchen in Coorparoo, an inner-eastern suburb, 4km from Brisbane City. Coorparoo is the Aboriginal name for Norman Creek that borders the west of the suburb, and translates into the place of the mosquito.....still over 14,000 choose to live here! Mike Perry, the owner of Carolina Kitchen moved to Australia from North Carolina and opened his suburban diner in 2010. He is one of 71,718 residents who declare they were born in The States, of which 6,057 live in Brisbane.
There is no mistaking that this is an American eatery. With buntings of the Stars and Stripes draped outside the entrance, posters of Michael Jordan and Louis Armstrong on the wall, and Dr Peppers Root Beer in the fridge, this is an all American affair. Mike does not take reservations, so Martina, who arrived first, had to fight for a table in this very busy dine-in or take-out establishment. People are happy to queue for the Buffalo Wings with blue cheese dipping sauce, Aunt Lilly Mae's slow cooked BBQ Ribs served with southern potato salad, New York Fries (topped with chilli sauce, sour cream and grated cheese), Hamburgers, Hot Dogs and Hoagies. Food for the Soul, says Mike, with southern jazz music playing in the background. Trying to keep your waistline in check is not an option when eating at Carolina Kitchen. This is where you stop counting calories, and indulge in the naughty pleasure of eating fried and finger lickin' saucy food ...it does not happen every day!
Best we follow the clean food trend again next week, and take a trip to Thailand.
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