My friend @pier_andrea_m always requests American food when he comes to dinner. As an American who has lived abroad 20+ years I don’t often cook American. I studied cuisine in Paris in my 20s. But there is nothing like a good burger. So when @alessandro_carli01 & @pier_andrea_m and I realized we hadn’t had a quiet catch up night in ages -I said “Come to dinner-I’ll cook American.”

A double cheese burger with a side of mac & cheese. Sweet potato fries (which I burned then became soggy) and Grandma Minnies Broccoli & Cauliflower Salad. Oh wait. And fried pickles. “Such unusual flavors” Ale said. And CocaCola in a glass bottle. For dessert: Reese’s of course but I took those Chips Ahoy Julie sent & stacked 2 together with ice cream in the middle. We called Carol. “Wow! You went native.” When Pier Andrea asks me to cook American I never know what to cook- What is American? The last time they were here I made Mexican. Beef Burritos. I think they missed my pork rib evening with Luca & Orsi & Rochelle & Enrica. But I’ve definitely made them steaks. To me steak is American. Yes. I order it in France (never in Venice- Florence mamma mia si si si ). But steaks taste like America. The secret? Monterey Steak Seasoning. I used it on my burgers too. But cooking American got me thinking- What is American? The New American cuisine is sophisticated. Complex. I studied cooking in France and all we needed was a frying pan, one knife, and a cutting board. Derrick comes to visit from Texas and says “Girl how can you cook in this kitchen? Where are your knives?” And he uses terms I don’t know. When I crave American I crave Lobster & Crab Legs. Lobster Rolls. Baked Potatoes. Oh yeah. Giant cob salad. Fried chicken tastes like America. God my mom made good chicken. My sister made fried chicken at my moms funeral. Turkey and mashed potatoes taste like America. BBQ. Corn on the cob. And fluffy layered cakes with Duncan Hines frosting. Oh that reminds me. I am embarrassed to write it. But that Mac & Cheese.

It wasn’t the homemade kind. It wasn’t Grandma Gilliam’s Mac & Cheese which I really must make next time they come. But it was the #tasteofmychildhood@kraft.mac.and.cheese.offlcial

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