European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - November 15, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse Ail american food goes International by Boris Weintraub National geographic ome and share a dinner of All american foods Well Star with a salad featuring Iresh spinach a native of Persia introduced in Europe in the 16th Century cucumbers a product of India brought by the romans to Britain and Lom aloes originally known As love apples and not eaten in the United slates until 1835 because they were thought to be poisonous and Well have hearts of Artichoke first grown on Africa s Barbary coast. For a main course Well have an All american Steak probably from Hereford cattle developed in England in the 19th Century. Well zing up is table with Ketchup the name of which comes from the chinese word Lor the brine of pickled fish ant smother it in onions native to Central Asia and worshipped in ancient Egypt. Of Well serve Carp which europeans brought Here in 1876, and top it with Lemon a native of India. Well have potatoes introduced to the Western diet by Spanish colonists who found them in t6th-Cenlury Peru Broccoli an italian vegetable Rar in Sicri in the United slates until after world War i and okra brought Here by african slaves. Well have bread baked from a variety of wheat brought to Kansas by 19th-Century German mennonites. Dessert perhaps pie baked Wilh apples a european native or cherries originally from Persia or peaches a chinese fruit introduced to europeans 2.000 years ago or Watermelon originally from Africa. Or maybe that american favorite ice Cream an italian Conception that Catherine de Medici s Cooks made or the French in 1593, All american foods what americans eat is about As diverse As where americans come from and parity because Many new americans Are coming from parts of the world that Are new sources of population the variety of the foods we eat is undergoing a tremendous spurt. Immigrants from Mexico and Central America have brought Many of their foods with them As Southern europeans once brought garlic and olives vietnamese chinese laotians ethiopians afghans and iranians among others. Have imported their specialities. Once again America is restocking the melting pot to suit her newest immigrants who Are increasing in diversity and number writes Elizabeth Schneider in uncommon fruits and vegetables a commonsense guide. Mexicans bring Jacama thais want Lemon grass japanese ask for Daikon cubans love Calabaza. Every Day the Larder grows. Foods that took strange now As Ginger shallots bean sprouts and even avocados did not so Long ago May Scon be common in our culinary americans travelling abroad Are finding More foods that Piqua their taste buds and excite their culinary imaginations. High Speed Iran Portalios and modern refrigeration processes bring Lood irom abroad Here easily still Iresh increased interest in healthful eating has inspired National p"010 today Many of these delicacies from foreign land Are found in american supermarket. From left White Cactus Mil yellow cauliflower Smitke mushrooms Start Ruti sliced end whole and Ginger Root a taste for fresh fruits and Vogel Ables. Tow in cholesterol and calories High in vitamins and fiber and Many of Thorn new to american menus. But perhaps the greatest change has come in the Way americans look at food and its preparation experts agree thai we no longer Are interested in simply stoking up with enough fuel to gel us through the Day. We re growing up As a country and food is becoming a More important part of our says Jeff Cohen owner of Washington s Sutton place gourmet a supermarket Cornucopia of exotic foods irom hawaiian mahi mahi fish to California Black legs irom a respectable Tennessee caviar to goal cheese from new York stale. American cuisine is a melting pot in Cohen says. There s american cuisine from new Mexico irom Maine from Louisana. And a Little bit of everything irom All Over the country. But put it All together and you have something naw there Are so Many More adventures we can increase to add variety and excitement to our meals says Judi greening Directo of consumer and inc rational services Lor Frieda s finest produce specialities of los Angeles. Frieda Caplan. The company s founder is credited with bringing 10 this country a hairy Brown fruit Wilh Green flesh known Ait the chinese Gooseberry widely grown Only in new zealand after it was introduced there in 1906 Caplan imported some Lor a customer Hen nurtured a Market for them under a new name kiwifruit Caplan s Success has been copied to various degrees Wilh such other exotic foods As Jerusalem artichokes Spaghetti Squash icamae. Chen Mayas and passion fruit. Once such foods Lake hold it s Only a matter of time before americans try to grow Ihm a Santa Rosa calif., firm is marketing common snails As escargots. A Frenchman in dripping Springs Texas is trying to cultivate truffles Bok Choy and of her chinese vegetables Are grown in new Jersey a University of Minnesota professor and others Are working on commercially cultivating japanese Shiitake mushrooms the Shiitake growers association of Wisconsin was formed last year with 96 members. With tort Liaa Tofu Snow peas and radicchio on supermarket shelves whal s next Schneider Wriles that Carambola Star fruit May become the most important new fruit since the another coming thing is a variety of mushrooms Cohen says and Frieda s finest has its Eye on the Hon Shimeji mushroom. We get it from Japan Judi gracing says but new zealand melons passion fruit and Kiwi Are All being grown in California now so so someday. American grown Hon Shimeji mushrooms May be served with that All american dinner along with Steak and ice Cream. Fads have been described As social language. Little fingers held up to 1ne winds that Challenge established values and styles. That sounds like a class description for something thai costs Money has a life Span of 15 minutes and drives parents out of thei Trees. Whether it s pet rocks Hula hoops silly Putty cabbage Patch dolls or trivial Pursuit ads Are an intense experience that Lor a Short time makes us forget everything else. Ii you re a Mother who is figh ing a lad with weapons of reason threats or guilt you Ara killing your Mother forget it. You " to. Ask any Mother who asked her child if he wanted to go o Harvard or break dance to Michael Jackson s album for the rest of his life. I had at shirt printed Upa few ago in Sald. " survived Ason with a skateboard. Act a did t survive ii Well. I used to sit around and Ahmed nose tissue in my Lap cry intermittently and hear phones ringing. But the skateboard fad seemed to go away. Then i guess it All started up again when Michael j. Of came Oul in the movie. Back to the ii showed him on his skateboard hooking rides on the Back of cars and trucks be still my beating heart and doing some fancy Maneu vers that dazzled the opposite sex. And the next thing you know skateboards Are a hot fad again. My son in bringing his skateboard out of storage said it was his need or sell expression. That translates literally to i have this Blue Cross it is my Contention that a stable Parson does not balance him Soll on a piece of Wood with our wheels with no steering or brakes. He never looks i a he is having a Good time on it. He struggles to tip up the Board and guides it around furniture carpets curbs and grass slopping Only when the skateboard hits something hard. Sometimes he gats Lucky and the Board just displaces him and pops up and smashes him in the Ace. I suppose As Long As there Are lads there will be mothers to protest them. There was probably a Mother in the tale 1920s who said to her daughter. If you can dance a Marathon for 32 hours miss you can put away these no doubt there was one in the Lale 30s who cleaned office buildings at night so her son could Swallow goldfish at Harvard. And i m sure there was a Mother in Australia in the 70s whose son was heavy into a fad called Dak Daks Are trousers which the fade drops to the floor while pretending nothing is amiss. Okay so she probably moved to another City and changed her name but at least it was a fad where the kid did t have to Wear a helmet. C lot angal4i to not saturday november 15. 1986 the stars and stripes Page 17
