>>But, as an aside, there is nothing more bland than Polish food. You boil it until there is no flavor, and then slop it in butter<<
I’m so sorry but if you think this about Polish food, your wife doesn’t know how to cook.
Try this...
http://www.ehow.com/how_4551916_polish-hunters-stew.html
or
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fH7q-jVKx-M
My wife DOESN’T know how to cook. I am not offended by the truth.
My mother in law has lived with us since her husband passed 17 years ago (she paid for the downpayment on a home we could never have afforded). I tell my friends we moved into this great community the old way, we inherited it.
She is first generation Italian, and she is the house cook—and the best one ever. I keep telling my college aged daughters they need to spend more time by her side or they will lose out on some of the best education they are ever going to get.
She spent years trying to learn polish cooking from her mother in law. The problem is HER MIL could not speak english—so the teaching was a little lost in the translation.
She does make a great Perogi (which I can never pronounce) and some wonderful Kapusta.
The rest of it is lost on me. (I was kidding actually, I am sure there is great Polish food.) The butter comment is really directed to their Easter tradition of carved butter statues of lambs. And their Christmas eve traditional dinner which is just doused in butter.
BUT, her italian food is really the best around. My kids have friends ASK to come over when they know she is cooking. Since she lived through the depression with her family, she can put together any combination of veggies and just a taste of meat and have a wonderful meal.
Since they eat a lot of olive oils and veggies, her family tends to live forever. She is 88 and has never had a chronic prescription filled in her life. Aside from a broken hip from falling into our pool (the dog pushed her) she has never been sick. All of her siblings have lived well into their 90’s. Good eating has a lot to do with it.
As another aside, as the generations get further and further from the great migrations of the early 20th century the food is getting more and more homogenized. I find we are adding more latin flavors through osmosis. I love it, but I am starting to miss the dishes of my youth.
I am sure someone could do a decent research paper on the homogenization of American food culture.