The humorist Gerald Nachman contends, "When it comes to foreign food, the less authentic the better." Ironically, he probably doesn't realize just how many so-called "foreign" foods were invented right here in the United States.
Take, for example, spaghetti and meatballs, that presumably quintessential Italian combination. Though both meatballs and spaghetti are classic Italian foods, putting them together was something that never occurred to people in the Old Country. In Italy people ate in courses, so the pasta was served by itself and the meat course served separately, if there was one.
Conversely, here in America people were accustomed to putting everything on the table at once, and for their main course they expected meat. Thus, it didn't take long for spaghetti and meatballs to be united and a classic was born. But despite the fact that you can find it on any tourist menu in Rome, it's an American classic, not an Italian one.
Spaghetti and meatballs is hardly the only dish that seems foreign but isn't. Consider vichyssoise, that cold potato and leek soup that could hardly seem more French. It was concocted not in Paris or Lyons, but in New York City.
Then there's Swiss Steak (which has nothing to do with Switzerland), German chocolate (which was named after American confectioner Samuel German) and the English muffin (which you won't find by that name in Great Britain because it was invented in New York City).
But when it comes to faux foreign fare, Chinese immigrants have been the most successful. In fact Chinese-American journalist Jennifer Lee says, "The greatest culinary prank that one culture has ever played on another is chop suey." She traveled all the way to China to trace it's origins and concluded that the dish is as American as apple pie.
It turns out it was created in this country from leftovers and christened chop suey because that's the Cantonese word for "odds and ends."
+++++ Modern Chop Suey +++++
(adapted from one by Chef Joseph Poon on the Epicurious website)
10 shiitake mushroom caps, thinly sliced
10 oyster mushroom caps, thinly sliced
10 ears canned baby corn, rinsed
1 cup thin green beans cut into 3-inch pieces
½ cup juliennedjicama
½ cup julienned celery
½ cup julienned carrots
3 asparagus spears cut into 2-inch pieces
2 ounces lotus root cut into ¼-inch-thick slices
½ cup thinly sliced red onion
½ cup chicken broth
2 tablespoons white wine
1 teaspoon light soy sauce
1 teaspoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon finely chopped ginger
1 finely chopped garlic clove
1 finely chopped shallot
4 ounces firm tofu, rinsed and julienned
Blanch vegetables for 40 seconds, drain and set aside. Combine remaining ingredients except tofu and bring to a boil, stirring constantly until thickened. Add tofu and vegetables. Heat through. Serve drizzled with sesame oil and garnished with cilantro.
