W3: An American Menu

Here is what my menu for an American restaurant would look like:


Potato Skins - These hallowed out potatoes contain everything needed in an appetizer: sour cream, cheese, chives and bacon bits. Mashed potatoes aren't interesting enough and baked potatoes just won't cut it. 
Macaroni and Cheese - Nothing says American like fatty comfort foods and macaroni and cheese is no exception. Kraft from a box would not cut it. I would make it from scratch with lots and lots of cheddar cheese, cooked on a stove top instead of baked in an oven. Gooey, thick and delicious.

Baby Back Ribs - Barbecue's popularity stretches across all of America. Take a trip down South and numerous local-run barbecue shacks litter the roads. Meat, cooked slowly until it falls off the bone and slathered with a sweet and tangy barbecue sauce, is irresistible to to any red-blooded, carnivorous American.

Apple Pie - This choice is almost a dead giveaway. "There's nothing more American than apple pie" and that is certainly true. 1950s America was littered with images of pies slowly cooling on window sills. I like adding the spice grains of paradise instead of the more traditional cinnamon. I would serve a warm slice of apple pie with two large scoops of vanilla ice cream which is my favorite way to eat apple pie.

Strawberry Lemonade - I have Red Robin to thank for this idea. Lemonade is a drink that is everywhere in the world, but has a distinct place in America. This sugary, yet refreshing beverage becomes exponentially greater when strawberries are thrown into the mix.