American Cuisine

American cooking isn't one cuisine — it's a mixture of every cuisine that reached the country: African, Italian, German, Mexican and Chinese, each adapted with local ingredients.

Barbecue

American barbecue isn't quick grilling — it's slow cooking at low heat with smoke over many hours. Every state has its school: Texas with pepper and salt alone, Kansas City with sweet sauce, the Carolinas with vinegar.

The burger

A good American burger is simple: beef at 20% fat, salt and pepper on the surface only (never mixed through), and high heat for a crust. Anything beyond that makes it worse, not better.

Breakfast

American breakfast is a meal in its own right: pancakes with maple syrup, eggs cooked every way, hash browns and bacon. And American pancakes are thick and fluffy, completely unlike French crêpes.

Regional cooking

The South has fried chicken, cornbread and collard greens; Louisiana has Cajun and Creole; New England has clam chowder and seafood.