Do people still have dinner parties in the United States? If so, what kind of foods do they serve? The answers may depend on whether the host’s home is in New Roads, Louisiana or Los Angeles, CA. The next hint might be the host’s ethnic background.
Below: Arugula growing in a backyard raised bed
Family from Mexico or India, may play a role in the cuisine selection but other influential factors include the locations the host has traveled and lived. In today’s world people have lived in two and three cities by the time they reach twenty-five. Mom’s challah bread or abuela's chicken enchiladas may inspire a person’s home cooking repertoire just as much as the Bahn Mi, Vietnamese sandwiches eaten on a summer internship in Hanoi.
After ethnic background and geographic location, what role do regional farms and food artisans play in people’s dinner party menu selections in the USA? “Local” and “seasonal” eating has become somewhat of a forced reality for many people. The destruction of tomato crops in Florida put a higher than usual price tag on tomatoes this past winter. Harsh weather leaving sharp increases in produce prices have left many consumers reconsidering their purchases. Must we make strawberry shortcake with fresh strawberries on the east coast in January? Apple pie and pear crisp might be much friendlier on the budget.
Around the country, restaurants, grocery stores and neighborhood specialty food shops are turning their marketing strategies toward locally sourced foods. In California and Philadelphia the names of small farms appear in menus and produce stands. Websites like Local Harvest have search engines to locate farm markets and small farms by zip code. As North Americans turn to buying foods in season, their home cooking reflects their cultures, lifestyles and regions.
Earlier this year, The New York Times covered an Italian culinary tourism group called, Home Food. The organization links tourists visiting Italy with Italians who welcome them in their homes for a meal. The hosts in Lazio, Umbria and other regions of Italy served meals that showcased their regions agriculture. From the descriptions of squash pasta, braised lamb and beets probably grown by someone’s relative a few kilometers away, Home Food’s travelers ate lunches and dinners with an emotional connection to the hosts and an economic significance to the region.
Returning to the United States, what would you or some of your friends serve international visitors so they could later rave of the delicious meal they ate in Bloomington, Illinois, Jamaica, New York and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania? Would these meals have any connection to farms, bakeries or food producers in your town or city? What story would they tell about your life and your culture?
Farm markets, community supported agricultural sites and produce departments at grocery stores around the country are connecting residents with the origins of their foods. In small towns and cities like Stowe, Vermont and Poughkeepsie, New York residents purchase shares in community farms. Philadelphia's Greensgrow urban farm provides shareholders with vegetables, dairy products, meats and vegetarian proteins produced just outside the city or at the neighborhood farmsite.
Small farms and food artisans supply international ingredients that may have previously been sourced from thousands of miles away. At farm markets around New York’s Hudson Valley, Three Sisters farm grows the popular cilantro found in Thai and Latin American dishes as well as pápalo, an herb enjoyed in cemita sandwiches in central Mexico. Philadelphia’s Nature Soy tofu is available at urban farms and grocery stores throughout the city. The soybeans were probably not grown in Philadelphia but the tofu is made in the center of the city. Dinner guests in Philadelphia might have pad thai flavored with tofu and cilantro from locations less than fifty miles away.
Home-grown vegetables and fruits are also primary ingredients in kitchens around the country. Major hardware and home supply stores with garden departments offer top soil, mulch, easily assembled raised beds, seeds and starter plants to customers eager to grow edible plants. Triscuit, a division of Kraft food corporation, even has a website with step-by-step guides for home farmers. Like their Italian counterparts, American hosts also boast at dinner about the salad whose lettuce they raised from seed and later take their guests for a stroll past the strawberry bushes.
Geographical origin and the cultural relevance of food appeal to people around the world. International travelers who contact Home Foods desire to visit Italy’s small towns and taste home cooked meals over restaurant fare. A similar type of tourism could be possible in the USA as the local food culture strengthens. Friends from around the country responded to my question of what foods are being served on their dinner tables. Take a look at their menus. The comforting turkey meatloaf, hamburgers, locally raised grilled chicken and such fare may make you want to visit their towns. Scrumptious Company by Chef Kate French is also a source for great seasonal dinner party ideas with detailed instructions on how to treat your guests to an unforgettable meal.
Dinner around the country
| Abbotsford, WI | Roasted chicken, brussel sprouts, and Pillsbury grand biscuits. | |
| Arlington, VA | Broiled spiced lobster tails, brown rice and stewed tomatoes. Chocolate sugar-free jello for dessert. | |
| Atlanta, GA | Smoked chicken legs, roasted potatoes, green peas with mushrooms, mixed veggies, salad, garlic toast | |
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| Baltimore, MD | Curried chicken, steamed white rice, spinach salad and fried bananas | |
| Beverly Hills, CA | Turkey meatloaf and steamed asparagus | |
| Boston, MA | Oxtail and okra stew | |
| Brooklyn, NY | Sautéed Salmon, steamed broccoli and romaine salad | |
| Brooklyn, NY | Arroz con gandules (rice with pigeon peas) and pork chops | |
| Cambridge, MA | Locally caught mackerel, with salsa verde of fresh herbs and lemon zest. Thai jasmine rice, frozen corn. Storemade macaroons for dessert. | |
| Charlottesville, VA | Trinidadian stewed chicken, macaroni pie, vegetables | |
| Chicago, IL | Grilled steak, corn on the cob, tomato salad. For dessert, strawberry-rhubarb pie and watermelon | |
| Hyattsville, MD | Peanut coconut curried cabbage and vegetables with golden baked tofu and quinoa spaghetti. | “It was a ‘winner winner veggie dinner’, as Guy Fieri on the Food Network says”—Leshone |
| Hyde Park, NY | Grilled chicken, beets, goat feta, salad greens with watermelon radish, pickled onions, seltzer water… | …Everything except the onions were locally grown |
| Hyde Park, NY | Shredded miso braised short ribs, watercress, carrots and asparagus with soba noodles | |
| Hyde Park, NY | Two homemade whole wheat pizzas: 1. Mozzarella cheese, tomato sauce and sundried tomatoes 2. Broccoli, spinach, red onion, balsamic vinegar and goat cheese. | |
| Lakewood, CA | Homemade pizza! | “We went to the grocery store bought the dough, made our own sauce, and added our own favorite toppings!!!! Great and fun!!!” –Usheika |
| Los Angeles, CA | Romaine salad with boiled eggs, chicken, bacon, raisins, sunflower seeds and Wish Bone italian dressing | |
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| Miami, FL | Spinach salad, white rice, black beans, sweet ripe plantains, steak with sautéed onions, dulce de naranja with cheese | |
| Newark, NJ | Chicken and shrimp over fettuccini pasta | |
| New Orleans, LA | Hamburgers | |
| Newport Beach, CA | Chicken tacos and fluffy white rice | |
| New Paltz, NY | Barbeque glazed tofu, steamed broccoli and sesame seeds, roasted winter squash, carrots and potatoes with homemade multigrain bread. For dessert, local Wallkill View Farms shortbread and rugelach cookies. | |
| Philadelphia, PA | Portuguese potato soup with chorizo, spinach and Naga seasoning to spice it up mucho! | |
| Poughkeepsie, NY | Homemade soup of kale, chorizo and white beans in chicken broth. | “The kale came from our garden.” – Barbara |
| Raleigh, NC | Hoisin marinated and baked salmon with a spinach salad | |
| Rhinebeck, NY | Sunshine vegan burger on gluten-free bread with lots of red-leaf lettuce and peppery vegan mayo. Coconut macaroons for dessert and Tulsi tea | |
| State College, PA | Lamb with white rice and asparagus | |
| New Haven, CT | Chicken stir-fry with rice | |
| New York, NY | Tilapia, steamed rice and veggies | |
| New York, NY | Seared scallops with diced artichoke. Bruschetta with mint and basil. Beef stroganoff. Pear-infused dark chocolate for dessert | |
| Walkill, NY | Whole wheat pasta with roasted asparagus, mushrooms, garlic, and red bell peppers, fresh mozzarella bocconcini, olive oil, and sea salt | |
| Washington, DC | Beet risotto with shrimp | |
| Washington Heights, NY | Pan seared chicken breast and sautéed onions over roasted potatoes | |
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