The Holiday Table

As much as the hard core foodies seem to find nothing redeeming in American cooking, I'm always quick to rise to the defense of it. I grew up in a household where few processed products made it to the table and I've tried to do the same now that I'm making 80 percent of the meals in my own house. There's plenty of wonderful recipes in the American cookbook and even if you only make a passing nod to eating locally and seasonally, you won't be disappointed in the lush tomatoes, juicy blueberries, delicious corn, just for starters. Fried chicken, thick grilled steaks, Maine lobsters, what's not to love?

That being said, the food industry is still pushing plenty of crap, passing it off as either delicious or at least convenient. And even if you don't eat this stuff, you have to admit that it's good for a laugh. Take this recipe which appeared in the circulars that come with the Sunday paper:

And if you've recently gotten a clean bill of health from the cardiologist, perhaps you might be game for this:

As for me, I am off to the market with a list of ingredients for the chicken dish on the front cover of Dorie Greenspan's Around My French Table: everything fresh, everything readily available. Bon appetit!