KellyM
Senior Cook
Okay, I'm from the Pacific Northwest. We don't claim to know much regarding food around here, aside from coffee, Pacific Salmon, Dungeness Crab, and maybe a couple of other things.
The thing that annoys me are the people who come to my neighborhood, and then claim that their neighborhood is the only place to get good... whatever. For instance, there are a lot of people from a certain notorious east-coast city who claim their city is the only place "real" pizza is ever made, despite what people from Italy might think. (There is even disagreement among towns in Italy over who makes the best pizza!) I won't even go into this east-coast city's wacked-out pronunciations of various foreign foods, like gyros or jalapenos.
Then there is a mid-western city that claims to be the chili capital of the world, and yet they pour their "chili" over noodles, something that isn't even allowed in the chili competitions in the states where chili came from.
And speaking of the states where chili came from, the inhabitants there often scoff at the traditional method of alder-smoking the Indians have done around here for centuries. Apparently alder isn't "real" smoking wood.
I also know people from that afore-mentioned notorious city who claim it is impossible to get fresh fish in Seattle. I mean, come on! Seattle is a port city; you only need to go down to the piers to get fish right off the boat!
So what's my point? Okay, I know that as an individual, you can't do much about what your city or state claims. However, what you can do as an individual is refrain from commenting on how much better the food or anything else is back home, and maybe even learn something about the local food while you are at it. As to bragging about what you are used to and putting down what your hosts like, trust me. Most people don't want to hear it, even if you are right.
The thing that annoys me are the people who come to my neighborhood, and then claim that their neighborhood is the only place to get good... whatever. For instance, there are a lot of people from a certain notorious east-coast city who claim their city is the only place "real" pizza is ever made, despite what people from Italy might think. (There is even disagreement among towns in Italy over who makes the best pizza!) I won't even go into this east-coast city's wacked-out pronunciations of various foreign foods, like gyros or jalapenos.
Then there is a mid-western city that claims to be the chili capital of the world, and yet they pour their "chili" over noodles, something that isn't even allowed in the chili competitions in the states where chili came from.
And speaking of the states where chili came from, the inhabitants there often scoff at the traditional method of alder-smoking the Indians have done around here for centuries. Apparently alder isn't "real" smoking wood.
I also know people from that afore-mentioned notorious city who claim it is impossible to get fresh fish in Seattle. I mean, come on! Seattle is a port city; you only need to go down to the piers to get fish right off the boat!
So what's my point? Okay, I know that as an individual, you can't do much about what your city or state claims. However, what you can do as an individual is refrain from commenting on how much better the food or anything else is back home, and maybe even learn something about the local food while you are at it. As to bragging about what you are used to and putting down what your hosts like, trust me. Most people don't want to hear it, even if you are right.