We had a discussion a long time ago that morphed into a very enlightening (for me) talk about foods like jam, jelly, etc. (see here).

As I sit here with toast and strawberry jam (homemade - yum) I wonder, again, what would you all consider to be "classic" American foods, and what things would you expect to be on the picnic tables around the US for, say, the recent Independence Day parties?

Also - for those of you in the US - do you have different expectations for Summer party foods than for Winter party foods? (I'm talking about pot-lucks).

(See my other thread for my question about potluck dinners.)

Fourth of July picnic foods? Hot dogs, hamburger, chips (crisps in the UK), barbecued chicken, potato salad, macaroni salad, corn on the cob, some kind of fruit pie, iced tea ...

... and watermelon!

In my experience of US food (which goes back to 1979) the standards of cuisine can be amongst the world's highest. I will always remember my first American steak, at the St Regis Hotel in New York, which was of a standard I had previously never experienced. Future culinary experiences confirmed the possible height of American food standards.

So it is always with a measure of sadness that I so often see the apparent confirmation of the far lower standards of food that many Americans seem prepared to accept. Of course, this question is about the foods popular for al fresco eating and I accept that the standards for such eating will differ - but even so, I suspect that many Americans would normally live on diets of hot dogs, crisps and Coca Cola.

I suppose it's a bit like American beer consumption. Although some of the world's finest beers are now brewed in the USA, only around 4% of Americans drink them. The other 96% drink the chemical swill that masquerades as beer in the average American bar.

Hamburgers and hot dogs are all right, and so are baked beans, but they are boring. For truly great picnic fare, don't forget things like green salad, potato salad with pickles and summer savory, cold fried chicken, deviled eggs, strawberry shortcake; or Italian sausages grilled with peppers and onions, pasta salads of all descriptions, ambrosia, Waldorf salad; sliced ripe tomatoes fresh from the garden; or sometimes even a clambake menu with New England clam chowder, boiled new potatoes with butter and parsley, corn on the cob, steamed clams, tossed salad and lemonade (our kind--not lemon-lime soda--but lemon juice in water with sugar and ice) or a nice cold beer of a brand acceptable to Richard, just to keep him happy, although he wouldn't find the cold part acceptable either. Cheers, Richard!

These are some of the menu items from Great American Picnics, or GAPs, that I have known and loved. Maybe someone should write a GAN set at a GAP.

Wordmatic

On hot days for eating out of doors, I like gazpacho or cold beet borscht with a little dollop of sour cream. Antipasto. A good dry white wine or a dry rose. Champagne in a bucket of ice served in flutes is also a treat. A good spicy chili, either with or without beans. Barbecue ribs, hot links, or chicken is delicious. (Not grilled, but slowly smoked.) Freshly made sherbet or gelato to end with.

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or a nice cold beer of a brand acceptable to Richard, just to keep him happy, although he wouldn't find the cold part acceptable either.

It is a myth that we in England drink our beer warm; we drink it cold (unless we are drinking it mulled, of course). But won't we don't do is drink it when is it just a fraction of a degree above freezing; any liquid drunk at such a low temperature will have little flavour.

If you believe you only like "light" beers (and many people do, believing, incorrectly as it happens, that all dark beers will be heavy and cloying) then I strongly suggest you try Hopback Summer Lightning. Once you've tried a glass (ice-cold if you must) you will never, ever, want to go back to Dudweiser, Swiller or Curse.

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I suspect that many Americans would normally live on diets of hot dogs, crisps and Coca Cola.

First of all, it would be "hot dogs, chips and Coca Cola."
Second, I don't think that even Americans-who-eat-crap eat hot dogs as part of their daily menu. Hamburgers, maybe. Hot dogs are more of a ball-park and kid's birthday party thing.
But I could be wrong: I live in San Francisco and the eating habits here are different from those in the Eastern Forty-Eight.

Richard,

I think most of us would prefer a well broiled steak to a hot dog, but 1) not on a picnic, and 2) there's the matter of economics.

In the supermarket I've suggested that they change the name of the MEAT department to the CHAPEL. Because I've seen so many people bow down (to read the prices on the packages of meat) then raise up saying "Oh Jesus Christ!" or "Oh My God!"

I heard one supermarket customer say he'd have to mortgage his pickup truck in order to have steak for dinner.

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First of all, it would be "hot dogs, chips and Coca Cola."

I am aware of the eccentric way in which Americans call crisps chips. I was translating for the benefit of UK readers.

Of course, if Americans called chips chips, instead of "French Fries", then they'd not have to agonise over what to call them when they are rowing with the French

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Of course, if Americans called chips chips, instead of "French Fries"

True, it is an unfortunate name for that famous French sidewalk staple pommes écaillés.

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Hopback Summer Lightning. Once you've tried a glass (ice-cold if you must) you will never, ever, want to go back to Dudweiser, Swiller or Curse.

Oh I don't drink Budweiser, Coors or Miller. The beers de la maison around here are Yuengling Black and Tan, or Yuengling Lager, produced regionally in Pottsville, Pennsylvania, and very nice, too. As for the Hopbacks, I believe I have had a few of those. My son Jim brought over a case of Hopback of various varieties and we enjoyed them all.

Z, your picnic fare is very San Francisco, but does sound quite nice. We're just a little commoner over here. We do grill steaks out back fairly regularly; since there are only two of us , it's affordable. Yum.

Wordmatic

I wasn't going to reply in this thread as I'm not American. However, Richard has seemed to have no such compunctions and has, surprise, surprise, broadened the topic to beer.

I would say that what I regard as typical American food is the hamburger (or possibly cheeseburger) and the hotdog.

I think she was asking all of us, Arnie, about your first thoughts when it comes to American picnic food, but also whether you have different expectations in other countries, depending on season, for what will be on the menu if you are dining outdoors.

Here's one, Caterwauller: the American winter "picnic" after a few hours of sledding and snowball fights among the drifts: Hot chocolate and cookies at the picnic table in the back yard, in your snowsuit and mittens. Just settle the mug in the snow on the table, and soon it's a drinkable temperature. Our Brits would say hot chocolate and biscuits. (a memory from my children's childhoods in Upstate New York).

WM

your picnic fare is very San Francisco

Quelle surprise! And, I didn't even mention the grilled veggies, sushi, pakoras, pesto chicken, bruschetta, pâté, vegan glutten-free cookies, soy milk ice cream, or endless platters of cruditée. I think of those as typical American fare ...

surprise, surprise, broadened the topic to beer.

My manager's manager, sometimes brings in some beer he brews. Delicious.

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My manager's manager, sometimes brings in some beer he brews. Delicious.

There was a flourishing homebrew industry here in the 1960s and 70s, following the Chancellor's decision to allow home-brewing without any necessity for paying tax. The hobby is now far less popular having become less necessary as the supply of decent beer increased, thanks to CAMRA.

I haven't brewed any beer for probably 20 years - although I still make wine from hedgerow ingredients.

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endless platters of cruditée. I think of those as typical American fare ...

Here in the wilds of Pennsylvania, most of us just say "veggies 'n dip," but we have crudities at picnics too. Oh yea, I've had most of those menu items....just not at picnics, except for the vegan, gluten-free cookies, and I think I'll pass!

Wordmatic

What delightful discussion!

No one has mentioned barbeque, yet!

Here in Ohio (a-hiyah, if you're from the Southern end), we love bbq ribs, or slow-roasted pulled pork (roast it, rip it into shreds, douse with bbq sauce, serve on a bun with lots of napkins).

Also on the picnic tables 'round here, you'll see:

some kind of jello concoction, often with whipped cream and fruits

orange fluff - whipped cream and orange jello mix, maybe? with mini marshmallows and coconut shavings

pickled eggs and beets, or maybe deviled eggs

corn pudding - very rich sort of corn bread with corn kernals and creamed corn and sour cream baked in

mac and cheese!

pickled peppers and cucumbers

ice cream!

all kinds of chips - potato, tortilla, veggie, and my fave, sweet potato chips

I'm going to a picnic today. Maybe I'll make a list of what is there!

Funny to think about what we eat on a daily basis, though.

*******
"Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions.
~Dalai Lama

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Originally posted by zmježd:
No one has mentioned barbeque, yet!

Qui suis-je? Pâté?

Peut-être elle a oublié

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Qui suis-je? Pâté?

A Francophobe of my acquaintance would never ask for pâté in a restaurant. He would always request "potted meat" (the same thing but in English) much to the confusion of the waiting staff.

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Originally posted by zmježd:
No one has mentioned barbeque, yet!

Qui suis-je? Pâté?

Pas du tout; ni êtes-vous du pâté de foie campagnard!

"potted meat"

I remember Julia Child, or some other famous francophile chef, calling pâté meatloaf. The character of Pentangeli in the second Godfather movie utters the following: "Hey, what's with the food around here? A kid comes up to me in a white jacket, gives me a Ritz cracker, and uh, chopped liver; he says, Canapes? I said, uh, can of peas, my ass, that's a Ritz cracker and chopped liver!"

Pas du tout; ni êtes-vous du pâté de foie campagnard!

"Yeah" (loosening necktie) "I don't get no respect 'round here."

Funny, z!

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But I could be wrong: I live in San Francisco and the eating habits here are different from those in the Eastern Forty-Eight.

Yeah, we back-Easterners just eat chips and hot dogs...morning, noon and night.

I want to join you for a picnic, z!

My kids actually bought me a couple of picnic recipe books because we sometimes bring food to an outdoor concert that takes place in our area. The last time we did that I brought shrimp with cocktail sauce, Little Mermaid Cantaloupe Soup, homemade cole slaw, Provincetown Potato Salad, Back Bay Scallop Platter, and Valley of the Moon Chocolate Raspberry Torte. The funny names are dishes from my recipe book. We had a great dry white wine and some lemonade. So you see, my British (and San Franciscan) friends, that's a long way from hot dogs and chips!

[BTW, we should meet sometime, neveu. My daughter lives in SF now, and I visit her periodically.]

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No one has mentioned barbeque, yet!

Nor barbecue

Oh, come on - you mean you spell THAT word differently, too? When will the madness end?

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Yeah, we back-Easterners just eat chips and hot dogs...morning, noon and night.

Actually, there are different kinds of picnics for different occasions, right? I mean - there is a big group gathering, like I talk about in the potluck thread, where everyone brings something to share.

Then there is the family picnic where it's just your family cooking outside behind your house. For that we will have anything from hotdogs, bratwursts and burgers to marinated chicken, or steaks . . . or sometimes we'll get really fancy with shish-ke-bobs or something. We will often grill zuchini, potatoes, carrots, onions, etc, and sometimes even bananas for dessert!

Then there are the occassions like Kalleh describes, where it is a special even and we pack up a very special picnic of gourmet foods and wine. Delightful, often romantic and slightly decadent.

Oh yea, and then there is the make-shift easy picnic where we grab some kind of fast food and take it to a local park.