How would you "American-ize" a dish?

[garlichead]

I don’t know how remote where you live is, but do you think it’s possible that they thought they could present something that looks like sushi and think the customers wouldn’t know any better?

Very logical and I'm sure that happens more than you think in small town USA and Canada. In Prince Edward County not a chance. PEC is basically an Island jutting south into Lake Ontario around 400 square miles and 300 miles of shoreline with Sand Banks Provincial Park a big drawing card with large sand banks shouldering the lake for miles. We have just over 50 wineries and a budding craft brewing business with half a dozen up and running and licensing for another 15 in the works. We've halted building permits for the next year, growth is out of control. Artisans have flocked to PEC for years and shops are everywhere. restaurant growth over the last few years has been nothing but staggering. The farmers markets are abundant etc. The demographic is of higher than normal incomes which is obvious when driving through the "County" It's a rich community.

So, Sobeys a food store that was quite adequate for it's population has been relocated and is now called Foodland and it's triple in size, probably a little bigger. Anyway, it's a great store with the owners dedicated to local purveyors and carry a higher end of merchandize. getting back to the Sushi area. It's run by an independent Company that specializes in sushi and Japanese products with all staff Japanese, how could that be wrong. It's mindboggling that this turned out to be a total fail. I suspect they (Foodland) head office might have prearranged based on their own contract with this company that are in all Foodland stores, but if this isn't the case then I would chalk it up to management with not a lot of experience in these products. I suspect they will eventually find out how their clientele might feel based on either social media or sales. I will give them a few more chances of improvement but it was so bad that a fundamental change in their philosophy which is probably unlikely would need to occur. I'm not being overly critical because I'm a chef and I'm picky, it's basic to food preparation and understanding the ingredients you have in front of you. Cheers, sorry this was so long.

 

[garlichead]

Like my "Redneck Sushi?" This is "Americanized" to the maximum. Sausage, rice, jalapeño stuffed with cheese. Wrapped in bacon.

View attachment 64631

CD

Sausage, rice, jalapeño stuffed with cheese. Wrapped in bacon sitting on a license plate with a mason jar of moonshine, motor oil and pliers.......that rocks redneck.

 

[caseydog]

Sausage, rice, jalapeño stuffed with cheese. Wrapped in bacon sitting on a license plate with a mason jar of moonshine, motor oil and pliers.......that rocks redneck.

Well, it wasn't motor oil. It just looked like it. It was actually a vinegar based dipping sauce, similar to Carolina BBQ sauce. The pliers were my redneck chopsticks.

CD

 

[The Late Night Gourmet]

Very logical and I'm sure that happens more than you think in small town USA and Canada. In Prince Edward County not a chance. PEC is basically an Island jutting south into Lake Ontario around 400 square miles and 300 miles of shoreline with Sand Banks Provincial Park a big drawing card with large sand banks shouldering the lake for miles. We have just over 50 wineries and a budding craft brewing business with half a dozen up and running and licensing for another 15 in the works. We've halted building permits for the next year, growth is out of control. Artisans have flocked to PEC for years and shops are everywhere. restaurant growth over the last few years has been nothing but staggering. The farmers markets are abundant etc. The demographic is of higher than normal incomes which is obvious when driving through the "County" It's a rich community.

So, Sobeys a food store that was quite adequate for it's population has been relocated and is now called Foodland and it's triple in size, probably a little bigger. Anyway, it's a great store with the owners dedicated to local purveyors and carry a higher end of merchandize. getting back to the Sushi area. It's run by an independent Company that specializes in sushi and Japanese products with all staff Japanese, how could that be wrong. It's mindboggling that this turned out to be a total fail. I suspect they (Foodland) head office might have prearranged based on their own contract with this company that are in all Foodland stores, but if this isn't the case then I would chalk it up to management with not a lot of experience in these products. I suspect they will eventually find out how their clientele might feel based on either social media or sales. I will give them a few more chances of improvement but it was so bad that a fundamental change in their philosophy which is probably unlikely would need to occur. I'm not being overly critical because I'm a chef and I'm picky, it's basic to food preparation and understanding the ingredients you have in front of you. Cheers, sorry this was so long.

Don’t apologize for your lengthy post. You transported me to Prince Edward County. This makes it even more mine boggling why they would invest so nonsensically.

 

[Mountain Cat]

Just like crab rangoon, use cream cheese between the rice and the egg. Slice up some hot dogs, add extra sugar and salt. Serve an enormous plate-swamping portion. With ketchup.

If this someplace fancy, switch the hot dog for a coiled strip of bacon, use a little truffled cream cheese, serve over a highly salted tablespoon or two of rice, use one quail egg, and garnish with one or two sprigs of broccoli rabe microgreens. Charge a week's salary.

 

[medtran49]

Like my "Redneck Sushi?" This is "Americanized" to the maximum. Sausage, rice, jalapeño stuffed with cheese. Wrapped in bacon.

View attachment 64631

CD

Shortly after my late BIL had visited us and first had homemade sushi (traditional Japanese restaurant fillings) at our house, watching me make it and then making some himself, he made sushi for a party for the 4th. Roasted or sauteed chicken cut in strips, strips of roasted red bell, and rice dyed blue. Can't get much more Americanized than that. We were told it was a hit.

 

[Mountain Cat]

Back pre-covid when the Community Center here was still serving weekly dinners, "American Chop Suey" was on the menu. I decided not to go that night because I figure chop suey is already badly Americanized and to Americanize it even further sounded truly horrific.

I found out later this is a dish that doesn't even pretend to have anything Chinese at all about it - basically ground beef, macaroni, chopped tomatoes and other veggies with some sort of gravy. Sounds better than regular chop suey, but not something I regret passing up, anyway. But I would have eaten that.

 

[caseydog]

Back pre-covid when the Community Center here was still serving weekly dinners, "American Chop Suey" was on the menu. I decided not to go that night because I figure chop suey is already badly Americanized and to Americanize it even further sounded truly horrific.

I found out later this is a dish that doesn't even pretend to have anything Chinese at all about it - basically ground beef, macaroni, chopped tomatoes and other veggies with some sort of gravy. Sounds better than regular chop suey, but not something I regret passing up, anyway. But I would have eaten that.

Yes, American Chop Suey is 100-percent American. It was a staple food for young families on a budget when I was growing up. In our house, it was macaroni with ground beef, diced onions and diced green bell pepper in tomato sauce. I don't recall what we called it, but it was filling, and cheap.

CD

 

[TastyReuben]

Yes, American Chop Suey is 100-percent American. It was a staple food for young families on a budget when I was growing up. In our house, it was macaroni with ground beef, diced onions and diced green bell pepper in tomato sauce. I don't recall what we called it, but it was filling, and cheap.

CD

In this area, that gets one of two names - chili mac or goulash. Mom made it all the time, and she called it goulash.

 

[caseydog]

In this area, that gets one of two names - chili mac or goulash. Mom made it all the time, and she called it goulash.

Yes, I've heard both chili-mac (although there are no chilis in it) and American Goulash, too. I think my parents called it macaroni and hamburg (my dad says hamburg for hamburger).

CD

 

[Mountain Cat]

Yes, I've heard both chili-mac (although there are no chilis in it) and American Goulash, too. I think my parents called it macaroni and hamburg (my dad says hamburg for hamburger).

CD

We had something like it growing up on occasion, probably with different seasonings and veggies (plus the onions) each time as it was something Dad might make (he never stuck to a recipe). I don't recall what he called it; certainly not American chop suey. It would be ladled over noodles of whatever shape. Usually Mom made the noodles and the side salad. (The parents really did like to cook together. )

 

[TastyReuben]

Yes, I've heard both chili-mac (although there are no chilis in it) and American Goulash, too. I think my parents called it macaroni and hamburg (my dad says hamburg for hamburger).

CD

Speaking of slightly different names for things, when one of my brothers married his wife (since divorced), we all got a kick out of her saying "hamburger meat," instead of just "hamburger."

To her, ground beef on a bun was a hamburger, and you made that hamburger with hamburger meat. For whatever reason, we all found that terribly funny and teased her nonstop over it.

 

[karadekoolaid]

My first thought was " serve it with a side of Mac´n´Cheese", but that´s just being ignorant
One of the things I love about Japanese food is that it´s subtle in flavour, so I wouldn´t want to mess it up too much with sauces and spices!

 

[zuludog]

I have never been to the USA, nor have I eaten any American food, apart from a Big Mac now and again - does that count?

But I have studied diet, nutrition, and diabetes, and it seems to me that the best way to Americanize any food would be to add loads of sugar, especially High Fructose Corn Syrup

 

[caseydog]

I have never been to the USA, nor have I eaten any American food, apart from a Big Mac now and again - does that count?

But I have studied diet, nutrition, and diabetes, and it seems to me that the best way to Americanize any food would be to add loads of sugar, especially High Fructose Corn Syrup

No, against popular European popular belief, the Big Mac is not traditional American food, any more than it is in the UK. It does have it's place in American food history, but it is not a good representation of American cuisine at its best.

There is a lot of good American food. Just like British food is more than fish and chips and curries that aren't actually Indian, we have our bad food, but also some good food that is all American. Just here in Texas, we have foods created here that people all over the world try to copy, and often get it wrong, like Chili, invented here, and messed up all over the world.

If you ever make your way to Dallas, let me know. I guarantee you won't eat any Big Macs while your are here, although you may eat a burger -- a real American burger.

CD