American food gets dismissed as fast food and excess, and while it’s true that America does both of those things exceptionally well, that take misses about ninety percent of what’s actually going on. The United States is a vast country with deeply distinct regional food traditions that are as serious and considered as anything Europe has to offer. The smoked barbecue of the south. The Tex-Mex of the border states. The clam chowders of New England. The diner food that somehow tastes better at two in the morning than anything else on earth. American cooking contains multitudes and most of them are delicious.

What draws me to American recipes is the same thing that draws me to pub food and comfort cooking generally: the complete lack of pretension. This is food that knows what it is and commits to it fully. A properly made mac and cheese. A burger built with genuine care. A skillet of something cheesy and spiced that you eat straight from the pan because washing up an extra dish feels unnecessary. These are recipes that deliver exactly what they promise and never apologise for being exactly what they are. Loud, generous, and completely satisfying.