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their natural taste. "What can compare with fresh peas or new potatoes
just boiled and served with butter? Why drown spring lamb in wine or
cream or yogurt and spices, when with just one or two herbs it's
absolutely delicious?” they ask and add, "It's disappointing, but true,
that there is no traditional English cooking in restaurants. Our food
doesn't lend itself to such preparation,, English cooking is found in at
home, where it is possible to time the dishes to perfection".

***

Text 4

AMERICAN FOOD :
FROM ASPARAGUS TO ZUCCHINI

1
(From “American Life and Institutions”
by D. Stevenson)

The popular view outside the U.S. that Americans survive on
cheeseburgers, Cokes, and French fries is as accurate as the American
popular view that the British live on tea and fish'n'chips, the Germans
only on beer, bratwurst, and sauerkraut, and the French on red wine and
garlic.
Besides being a cliche, this view also comes from the fact that
much of what is advertized abroad as "American food" is a pretty flat ,
tasteless imitation. American beef, for example, comes from specially
grained cattle, and it is tenderer and tastes better than what is usually
offered as an "American steak" in Europe. When sold abroad, the simple
baked potato that comes hot and whole in foil often lacks the most
important element, the famous Idaho potato.
Even something as basic as barbecue sauces show differences
from many of the types found on supermarket shelves overseas. A fine
barbecue sauce from the southside of Chicago has its own fire and soul.
America has two strong advantages when it comes to food. The
first is that as the leading agricultural nation, she has always been well
supplied with fresh meat, fruit and vegetables in great variety at
relatively low prices. This is one reason why steak or beef roast is

1
Друкується за виданням D.K. Stevenson. American Life and Institutions. -
Stuttgart: Ernst Klett Verlag, 1994. P.103-105. Adridged and adapted.

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