Proud to be American, Chicago chefs present new twists to traditional fare

And, yes, that would be the Art Smith who turned his skills as personal chef to Oprah (or "Ms. Winfrey," as he prefers) into a successful career as an acclaimed restaurateur, cookbook author and educator -- all the while remaining down-to-earth and still referring to dinner as "supper."

"With the cultural evolution of America, the saying 'as American as apple pie' is not relevant anymore. American food is more than apple pie, more than fried chicken," contends Smith, who grew up in the South "where they ate every part of the pig but the squeal."

"It's really hard to define what American food is because we're a melting pot. Chicken might not be the Buttermilk Fried Chicken I was raised on in the South -- it might be fantastic fried chicken flavored with Mexican, African, Latin American or Indian spices. American food has become spicier because of the influence of diversity," adds Smith, who creates an American mix of tradition/interpretation at Table Fifty-Two on the Gold Coast.

Even Smith's American food can take a modern twist -- for example, he serves a pistachio-crusted chicken breast with lo mein noodles. "People say to me, 'That's not Southern.' I say, 'Right, but the noodles make me recall wonderful memories,' " explains Smith, whose favorite foods include his mother's greens (flavored with pork and topped with cornmeal dumplings), pizza, homemade lemonade and iced tea.

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Source - Restaurants & Institutions

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