American Foods

Lil Reads · Post by **Lil Reads** » 17 Sep 2018, 22:35

jjmainor wrote: ↑05 Sep 2018, 23:13
palilogy wrote: ↑11 Jun 2018, 21:42 I'm an American from NY recently moved to NC.
I will say I will always love a New York Pretzel and NY Pizza I enjoy more then the pizza I ate in Italy. (I still don't understand the knife and fork concept of eating certain food.)

In North Carolina we have amazing sweet tea, Virginia Ham and some interesting moonshine.
I'm in NC originally from RI, and I have to say, I don't think there's any tea in the "sweet tea," just sugar.

For pizza, I grew up on the thicker, pan style. In Rhode Island, it seemed like all the pizza places were owned/run by Greeks, so I tend to associate the best pizza with the Greeks instead of the Italians.

As someone who has grown up in the south, your observation about "sweet tea" is spot on. My mom and I joke about it and we just have unsweetened tea, still made as iced tea, but it is much better tasting and better for you.

What would you say is the most noticeable difference between Greek and Italian pizza? I tend to get spanikopita or gyros at my mom's favorite Greek place so I have no idea how I would spot an authentic Greek pizza.

jjmainor · Post by **jjmainor** » 20 Sep 2018, 21:14

Lil Reads wrote: ↑17 Sep 2018, 22:35
jjmainor wrote: ↑05 Sep 2018, 23:13
palilogy wrote: ↑11 Jun 2018, 21:42 I'm an American from NY recently moved to NC.
I will say I will always love a New York Pretzel and NY Pizza I enjoy more then the pizza I ate in Italy. (I still don't understand the knife and fork concept of eating certain food.)

In North Carolina we have amazing sweet tea, Virginia Ham and some interesting moonshine.
I'm in NC originally from RI, and I have to say, I don't think there's any tea in the "sweet tea," just sugar.

For pizza, I grew up on the thicker, pan style. In Rhode Island, it seemed like all the pizza places were owned/run by Greeks, so I tend to associate the best pizza with the Greeks instead of the Italians.
As someone who has grown up in the south, your observation about "sweet tea" is spot on. My mom and I joke about it and we just have unsweetened tea, still made as iced tea, but it is much better tasting and better for you.

What would you say is the most noticeable difference between Greek and Italian pizza? I tend to get spanikopita or gyros at my mom's favorite Greek place so I have no idea how I would spot an authentic Greek pizza.

Hard to say, because with the rise of "foodies," even Italian pizzas seem to vary these days. What you get up there is the pan style pizza like you find in a Pizza Hut or Papa Johns. It's a thick crust, the kind that as a kid you cut off the end and throw it away

Crust is also heavier...Papa Johns is a little light and fluffy compared to what I grew up with. Toppings are also thick, but not as thick as a Chicago style deep dish. It's a robust pizza, not like the thinner, New York style.

Lil Reads · Post by **Lil Reads** » 21 Sep 2018, 22:44

jjmainor wrote: ↑20 Sep 2018, 21:14
Lil Reads wrote: ↑17 Sep 2018, 22:35
jjmainor wrote: ↑05 Sep 2018, 23:13

I'm in NC originally from RI, and I have to say, I don't think there's any tea in the "sweet tea," just sugar.

For pizza, I grew up on the thicker, pan style. In Rhode Island, it seemed like all the pizza places were owned/run by Greeks, so I tend to associate the best pizza with the Greeks instead of the Italians.
As someone who has grown up in the south, your observation about "sweet tea" is spot on. My mom and I joke about it and we just have unsweetened tea, still made as iced tea, but it is much better tasting and better for you.

What would you say is the most noticeable difference between Greek and Italian pizza? I tend to get spanikopita or gyros at my mom's favorite Greek place so I have no idea how I would spot an authentic Greek pizza.
Hard to say, because with the rise of "foodies," even Italian pizzas seem to vary these days. What you get up there is the pan style pizza like you find in a Pizza Hut or Papa Johns. It's a thick crust, the kind that as a kid you cut off the end and throw it away Crust is also heavier...Papa Johns is a little light and fluffy compared to what I grew up with. Toppings are also thick, but not as thick as a Chicago style deep dish. It's a robust pizza, not like the thinner, New York style.

That sounds pretty tasty, even for this thin crust lover. Maybe I'd get enough toppings on a Greek pizza.

Are there specific toppings that are specific to Greek pizza?

jjmainor · Post by **jjmainor** » 21 Sep 2018, 23:37

I don't know...all I like on mine is extra cheese

thaservices1 · Post by **thaservices1** » 23 Sep 2018, 14:14

CommMayo wrote: ↑19 Nov 2017, 14:37 That is too funny and reminds me of my grandmother's tomato aspic. Just imagine turning V8 or tomato soup into jello. Every Christmas she would make a huge mold of it and no one would ever take more than what was required to be polite. I'm going to blame aspic on the British...it just seems like something they would come up with...

I used the word aspic playing scrabble once and it was not in my friends tiny dictionary. I was so mad! The spellchecker does not even recognize it now!

thaservices1 · Post by **thaservices1** » 23 Sep 2018, 14:30

I am from the SE but I have traveled over much of the U.S. and would say hamburgers and pizza are known everywhere. But I think of fried chicken and mashed potatoes personally when I think American food... black eyed peas,
collard greens, poke salad, grits, fried squash and onions, biscuits and gravy.
After living for years in the SW I don't even think of tacos as non American. They LOVE green chili's here! They put them on everything, pizza, breakfast sandwiches. They even have green chili ice cream and beer.
But the MOST American food I can think of....potato chips! I have yet to find a food store in the U.S. that does not have chips!

[Krista_Michelle86] · Post by **[Krista_Michelle86]** » 24 Sep 2018, 10:04

I love seeing all the different regional American foods, it really shows how people of different nationalities settled different areas and created their own communities in the early days of the US.

I don't know if it's been mentioned elsewhere, but I consider peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to be uniquely American and widespread enough to be emblematic.

Lil Reads · Post by **Lil Reads** » 27 Sep 2018, 00:24

jjmainor wrote: ↑21 Sep 2018, 23:37 I don't know...all I like on mine is extra cheese

I was hoping you would say spinach is very common; most pizza chains near me either do not offer spinach or only have it as a topping on Alfredo pizza. I prefer a spicy red sauce or pesto on my pizza.

Lil Reads · Post by **Lil Reads** » 27 Sep 2018, 00:28

thaservices1 wrote: ↑23 Sep 2018, 14:14
CommMayo wrote: ↑19 Nov 2017, 14:37 That is too funny and reminds me of my grandmother's tomato aspic. Just imagine turning V8 or tomato soup into jello. Every Christmas she would make a huge mold of it and no one would ever take more than what was required to be polite. I'm going to blame aspic on the British...it just seems like something they would come up with...
I used the word aspic playing scrabble once and it was not in my friends tiny dictionary. I was so mad! The spellchecker does not even recognize it now!

Aspic might be having a revival soon; there have been some cook books trying to reinvent old recipes including aspic, for modern palates.