Food unites us. As a spread of plates and platters draws us in, a meal serves as the starting point for shared stories, laughter, and friendship through the exchange of cultures and histories. For countless families, the story of food is intertwined with how we see ourselves, understand the past, and relate to the world. Our American Cuisine explores the meals we make and the culture we consume. We challenge readers to laugh, think about food differently, and connect to the complexities of American cuisine.

Our work complicates the question of what makes food “American.”

We consider the role of individual ingredients, memories, techniques, and the broader cultural landscape in defining American cuisine, while promoting an inclusive and nuanced look at our shared histories and potential futures. We engage with the issues that affect society today, such as climate change, industrial farming, inequality in access to healthy foods, and a fraught past. There is no one way to portray the storied foods of the United States, and different perspectives can lead to contrasting conclusions as to how we got here, where we are going, and what we should strive to become. We value diverse viewpoints and incorporate them in creative and original ways, including recipes, storytelling, fiction, and more. The combination of each component crafts narratives imbued with complexities and ambiguities, prompting readers to look back, observe, and reevaluate their surroundings. Intersecting the literary arts, culinary craft, and contemporary culture, we probe ways in which food shapes who we are as Americans and the stories we tell and imagine.

Using ingredients accessible to a wide audience, we aim for a diversity of tastes, techniques, and flavor combinations that draws upon traditional foodways, our heritage, and the imagination. Our sourcing from local grocers, H Mart, and affordable options acknowledges the globalized nature of the American food system and often highlights unfamiliar aspects of our culinary culture.

All of our recipes underscore an appreciation for putting time, effort, and care into feeding ourselves, so the technical demands can vary widely. However, we write clear and easy-to-follow instructions for any home cook. For a normal family without a prep cook, nor necessarily an ingrained sense of setting up an efficient workflow and organized mise en place, we provide a list of ingredients as you would find them at the market, chronological steps, suggested equipment, a tableware list, and helpful notes. These components and cues aim to build stronger technique and forward-thinking in the kitchen. We eschew a trend towards gimmicks, easy everything, and so-called hacks. We emphasize proper technique and presence throughout the entire cooking experience, from washing ingredients to setting the table for happy guests.

We hope that through cooking our food, reading our stories, and sharing them with friends and family, our readers will enjoy inventive home cooking, explore the culture that surrounds each meal, and find their own voice in our shared American cuisine.