WikiLearning #5 (Diners, &c)

Things I've learned from Wikipedia, and sometimes other places.

This is commentary. And this is really good.

Some bits on "Cuisines in America":

"There is so much sugar in the recipes of many, if not most, dishes here in the States that foreigners not accustomed to it are said to find our food disconcertingly sweet. Note that this can be inverted in the case of starches. The American palate expects bread (that isn't specifically a sweet bread such as cinnamon rolls), to be more 'yeasty' in flavor, and potato-based dishes to be starchy-salty. This can be disconcerting to a visitor to, for instance, China, where bread tends toward sweet, as do potato chips."

"In America we put cheese on everything... One of the few exceptions to this rule is fish. Americans are, however, relatively conservative in their cheese tastes, going mainly for firm, salty, mild-tasting cheeses and processed cheese foods imitating flavors thereof. Predominant varieties include cheddar, Colby, mozzarella (the cheese of choice for pizzas), Swiss... 'cream cheese'... Cheez Whiz, and of course, American cheese and its derivative, Velveeta. There is an increasing interesting in imported and artisanal cheeses-- artisanal cheddar production in the US has been a movement since at least The Nineties. With very rare exceptions (almost all involving cream cheese), cheese is only eaten with savory dishes as opposed to sweet ones."

"Diners are small, family-owned restaurants that are predominantly found in the Northeast and the eastern Midwest/Great Lakes region... Diners are particularly Serious Business in New Jersey, which has more of the establishments than anywhere else and where diners are almost literally the state religion. (Seriously. Every town in the state has at least one neighborhood diner-- usually Greek and sometimes featuring kitsch-y faux-marble columns and pediments... That the heartland of diner culture is America's most heavily industrialized region is not a coincidence; diners are descended from railway dining cars and horse-drawn lunch wagons that catered to industrial workers, particularly those on the night shift... Diner food is often at the low-medium end of the price range, and tends to include such traditional American fare as burgers, grilled cheese, hot dogs, sandwiches and soups, as well as an assortment of regional foods-- after all, most diners are small businesses, and cater primarily to the locals. One thing that sets diners apart from many restaurants is that they also serve breakfast foods, such as pancakes, waffles and eggs, at all hours of the day, rather than just during the morning. In addition, since most diners are owned by people of Greek, Slavic or Jewish descent, such Eastern European and Mediterranean foods such as gyros, moussaka, blintzes and matzoh ball soup are common. Diners rarely serve alcoholic beverages... but coffee is ubiquitous. Many local diners have specialties derived from whatever it is the cook is particularly good at making. A local diner might be well-noted and loved in the community for that particular specialty, and it's occasionally the safest bet on the menu."

...

"'Classical American Diners' are often characterized by an exterior layer of stainless steel- a feature unique to diner architecture."

"In the traditional diner floorplan, a service counter dominates the interior, with a preparation area against the back wall and floor-mounted stools for the customers in front. Larger models may have a row of booths against the front wall and at the ends. The decor varied over time. Diners of the 1920s-1940s feature Art Deco or Streamline Moderne elements or copy the appearance of rail dining cars... They featured porcelain enamel exteriors, some with the name written on the front, others with bands of enamel, others in flutes. Many had a 'barrel vault' roofline. Tile floors were common. Diners of the 1950s tended to use stainless steel panels, porcelain enamel, glass blocks, terrazzo floors, formica and neon sign trim."

"In the days when diners were America's most widespread 24-hour public establishments, the fact that they were open all night meant they could also serve as symbols of loneliness and isolation... Diners were anonymous slices of Americana... But as a rule, diners were always symbols of American optimism."

"Diners frequently stay open 24 hours a day, especially in cities, making them an essential part of urban culture, alongside bars and nightclubs; these two segments of nighttime urban culture often find themselves intertwined, as many diners get a good deal of late-night business from persons departing drinking establishments. Many diners were historically placed near factories which operated 24 hours a day, with night shift workers providing a key part of the customer base."

"Much of the food is grilled, as early diners were based around a grill... Some diners serve these 'breakfast foods' throughout the business day and others who focus on breakfast may close at around 3 pm. These are most commonly known as pancake houses.

"Coffee is ubiquitous at diners, if not always of high quality. Many diners do not serve alcoholic drinks, although some may serve beer and inexpensive wine, while others-- particularly in New Jersey and on Long Island-- carry a full drink menu, including mixed drinks.

"Like the British greasy spoon, the typical American diner serves mainly fried or grilled food, for example: fried eggs, bacon, hamburgers, hot dogs, hash browns, waffles, pancakes, omelettes, deep fried chicken, patty melts, and sausages. These are often accompanied by baked beans, french fries, cole slaw, or toast."

"In Michigan and the Ohio Valley at 'Coney Island-style' restaurants, coney dogs are served, as are certain types of Greek cuisine like gyros. In Indiana, fried pork tenderloin sandwiches are typically on the menu. The Northeast has more of a focus on seafood, with fried clams and fried shrimp commonly found in Maine. In Pennsylvania, cheesesteak sandwiches and scrapple are fixtures in most diners. Diners in the southwest serve tamales. In the southern U.S., typical dishes include grits, biscuits and gravy, and country fried steak. In New Jersey, the 'Pork roll, Egg, and Cheese Sandwich' is a staple of many diners.

"Many diners have transparent display cases in or behind the counter for desserts. It is common with new diners to have the desserts displayed in rotating pie cases. Typical desserts include a variety of pies, often on view in a separate transparent case. Most diners in New York and Chicago also offer cheesecake."

...

"A patty melt is a type of hamburger consisting of a hamburger patty and Cheddar or Swiss cheese between two slices of bread (traditionally rye, though sourdough is sometimes substituted). In other places, especially in the U.S., a patty melt can consist of only the patty of a hamburger, with cheese, on a single piece of toast/bun. The hamburger is then fried with butter on a frying pan so that the cheese melts thoroughly. A patty melt, being a toasted and pressed sandwich, may also be considered a type of panini or a variation on the grilled sandwich. It's unclear when the actual patty melt was invented, but records exist of them being served as early as the 1940s. They... further take the burger back to its roots by being served on bread versus a bun."

...

"Transmodernism is a philosophical and cultural movement which was founded by Argentinian-Mexican philosopher Enrique Dussel." It is "influenced by a great deal of philosophical movements. Its emphasis on spirituality can be said to have been influenced by the many esoteric movements during the Renaissance. Transmodernism is also highly influenced by transcedentalism and idealises different figures from the 19th century United States, most notably Ralph Waldo Emerson" and "seems to be related to different aspects of Marxist philosophy, having much common ground with the Roman Catholic Church's liberation theology wing."

It draws on "both modernism and postmodernism... has been heralded as 'new modernism' and admires avant-garde styles. It bases much of its core beliefs on the Integral Theory."

"In transmodernism there is a place for both tradition and modernity, and it seeks as a movement to re-vitalize and modernise tradition rather than destroy or replace it. The honouring and reverence of antiquity and traditional lifestyles is very important in transmodernism."

"Transmodernism criticizes pessimism, nihilism, relativism and the counter-Enlightenment, yet embracing, all to a limited extent, optimism, absolutism, foundationalism and universalism. It has an analogical way of thinking, viewing things from the outside rather than the inside. As a movement, transmodernism puts a strong emphasis on spirituality, alternative religions and transpersonal psychology... disagrees with the secularization of society, putting an emphasis on religion, and it criticizes the rejection of worldviews as false or of no importance... [and] places a strong emphasis on xenophily and globalism, promoting the importance of different cultures and cultural appreciation; it seeks for a worldview on cultural affairs, and is anti-Eurocentric and anti-imperialist."

"Environmentalism, sustainability, and ecology are important aspects... Not only does transmodernism embrace environmental protection, yet it also stresses the importance of neighborhood life, building communities as well as order and cleanliness. It accepts technological change, yet only when its aim is that of improving life or human conditions. Other prominent aspects of transmodernism are those of democracy and listening to the poor and suffering. Transmodernism on addition takes strong stances on feminism, health care, family life and relationships, promoting the emanicipation of women and female rights, yet also promoting several traditional moral and ethical family values; the importance of the family is particularly stressed."