I haven't been to a lot of places outside of the United States, but can the people that have traveled extensively abroad compile a hearty list of places they have seen, in their own country? Can they say they have overlooked the splitting Earth at the edge of the Grand Canyon, or stayed up all night while camping in the mountains, paranoid about mountain lions; have these people tasted the salt of California's cold sea, or the burning spice of a shrimp creole in the back alley somewhere in Louisiana? Regardless of who has been where, for now I can just live vicariously. I was sad to see, what I considered, a flagship amongst a shining sea of food magazines, "Gourmet" go out of business. I used to resource the recipes printed across their pages when I was looking for an "exotic" fix.
Yes, sure, it is nearly impossible to locate a plate of sushi (especially were I live) that compares to the fresh cuts one can find in Japan....the freshness...the price, but it is here. Being from America has some enormous perks. We are all different! Different cultures, religions, ideas, and my favorite..family home cooking. Food show hosts, such as Andrew Zimmerman, Anthony Bourdain, and Adam Richman, just to name a few, are happy to point out....good food can be found, we just have to look around.
