What about tripe?

Celebrated chef Joel Robuchon of the new L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon was quoted in the NYT as saying, “Americans are much more open, with fewer fixations about what they would or would not eat than the French.”

Is this right? I guess he would know. That’s surprising to me.

Celebrated chef Joel Robuchon of the new L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon was quoted in the NYT as saying, “Americans are much more open, with fewer fixations about what they would or would not eat than the French.”

Is this right? I guess he would know. That’s surprising to me.

Perhaps - Americans eat McDonalds after all

Seriously though - surprised by his comments, unless he means openness to others cultures food rather than which bits of which animals would each eat (where both the French and Italians would score well in the latter sense, but poorly in the former).

regards

Ian

Celebrated chef Joel Robuchon of the new L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon was quoted in the NYT as saying, “Americans are much more open, with fewer fixations about what they would or would not eat than the French.”

Is this right? I guess he would know. That’s surprising to me.

I lived in Paris, Nice, and Juan-les-Pins during the '70's and all the French I knew were pretty omniverous ... to include tripe, brains, eel, roast pigeons with head and feet attached, knobby-surfaced beef tongue, blood sausage, etc.

As to my fellow expatriots, regardless of where I was living besides France, i.e. Germany, the Netherlands or Italy, they kind of ran the gamut from those whose sole oasis of comestibles in the desert of cryptic menu items was McDonald's to the others who, bottomfeeders like myself, simply said "ah," opened wide, and let whatever was on the menu in. I would, I guess, have to disagree with Mr. Robuchon. Où est le bœuf?

...unless he means openness to others cultures food rather than which bits of which animals would each eat (where both the French and Italians would score well in the latter sense, but poorly in the former).

Ian, I think you nailed it. Maybe the French will only eat French food, while Americans, the melting pot people, eat foods from all cultures; although not necessarily the most sophisticated varieties. They eat Lo Mein from China, French Fries from France and Pizzas from Italy, whereas French people might like snails and eel but probably wouldn't touch a hot dog or cheeseburger or even authentic Chinese food.

(I think, but might not be correct, that Lo Mein was invented by Americans, Pizza didn't really come from Italy and French Fries didn't originate in France - but the point is that Americans are willing to try foods that they think comes from other cultures while the French largely are not.)

there are a variety of prejudices, and most of us are vulnerable to some. Maybe some French people are afraid of other cuisines, and some Americans afraid of body parts they haven't eaten as children.

But Frank's steakhouse in the meat market district of NYC has a very good tripe appetizer.

[Robin Garr]

But Frank's steakhouse in the meat market district of NYC has a very good tripe appetizer.

Tripe has a long, albeit small, place in American culinary history. Philadelphia pepperpot soup, which is featured in an urban legend (probably) about Washington's troops eating it at Valley Forge, is made with tripe, calves' feet and an amazing portion of black peppercorns, and it's so popular (apparently) around eastern Pennsylvania that Campbells Soup actually makes it, although I have no idea if it's widely available outside that area.

But Frank's steakhouse in the meat market district of NYC has a very good tripe appetizer.

Dale,

In the supplement to the August Gourmet Magazine, there was a fun article about the OMS (Organ Meet Society) of NYC. I hope I have the OMS correct. The club is a bit like your wine group, only they search out all the restaurants in NYC where they can enjoy tripe together. Several of the spots are named in the article, but I don't remember if Frank's was mentioned.

There were several good articles in that supplement.

Covert

[Jenise]

Boy, I'd sure think it was the other way around, Covert. I remember eating at some of the bettert restaurants of Lyon and struggling to find something on the menu I'd eat--the majority of the dishes seemed to be what my mother-in-law's WWII era Better Homes and Gardens cookbook called 'Variety Meats'. I kept wondering who got the good parts. The French seem far more adventuresome.

Robin Garr wrote:

Tripe has a long, albeit small, place in American culinary history. Philadelphia pepperpot soup, which is featured in an urban legend (probably) about Washington's troops eating it at Valley Forge, is made with tripe, calves' feet and an amazing portion of black peppercorns, and it's so popular (apparently) around eastern Pennsylvania that Campbells Soup actually makes it, although I have no idea if it's widely available outside that area.

I come across Campbell's Pepperpot Soup once in a long while here in Northern California. Though my preferred source for tripe are the dim sum restaurants here. Yum!

cheers,
al