Last night I saw something on TV that resonated with me. I was watching the LAST EVER episode of Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations, which explored New York's now ridiculously trendy borough of Brooklyn. While visiting Gloria's, a casual Italian restaurant beloved by many locals, Tony was chatting about the distinction between Italian food and Italian-American food. His guests readily agreed that the born and bred Italians overseas would surely be appalled by what was being served at Gloria's: its side of spaghetti, over-zealous seafood combinations and gargantuan portions. But they owned it. To them, Italian cuisine has spawned sub-styles which are equally delicious to the original. So why is it that more people don't celebrate such transformation and reinvention, fastening instead to a long disproven claim that they're the real deal?
For my part, I have to admit I am a little irked when I run into French toast made "extra French" by using brioche slathered in maple syrup and cinnamon -- French toast is nothing distinctly French, brioche was surely not intended for a resourceful meal of repurposed old bread, and neither maple syrup nor cinnamon are commonplace flavors in French cooking. Same thing happens when I hear my foodie friends rant about how French their cheese plate was because it featured fig jam and crackers -- sweetness is not a traditional component in cheese plates. Seriously, the cheese has more than enough flavor. Ever try slathering quince paste on Pont-l'Evêque? No. Not to mention that cheese is only ever eaten with bread in France, and water crackers don't exist.
America fosters innovation and reinvention more than any other country I know. There's no shame in adapting old favorites to new ideas and fresh palates. I just wish this were reflected in how American cuisine is treated and presented. It can be just American, and just as tasty at that.
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