Reading Sam Sifton today in the @nytimes about Corned Beef, and Corned Beef Tacos. He described the tacos as " It’s not fusion cooking, nor appropriation" as if there were something inherently unsavory, if not downright evil, about cultural appropriation in food. TBH they're not even so new - Toloache in NY has been serving brisket tacos with horseradish crema for at least the last 15 years.

Would you say, Sam, that polenta is fusion, or appropriated, cuisine? Or tomato sauce? Or potato gnocchi? Corn, tomatoes, and potatoes were Western hemisphere crops, unknown in Italy or anywhere in Europe until the 16th or 17th century.

Maybe we should eschew that NY staple, a bagel with lox and cream cheese? Bagels originated in Poland. Ain't no salmon in Poland. Cream cheese was invented in Chester, NY in the mid-1870's. Red onion is from Italy, and capers are Mediterranean. Fusion food! Quelle horreur!

Lemme tell ya, Sam - you ought to know this already but pretty much ALL the food we eat is appropriated in one way or another.

After all that - the idea of corn beef tacos with a zingy cole slaw sounds 🔥

#food #appropriation #culturalappropriation #fusion #fusioncuisine #cooking #cornedbeef #stpatricksday #poland #bagel #lox #creamcheese #samsifton #nytimes #nytimescooking #toloache #capers #redonion

#NYTimesCooking sent me a recipe for "creamed kale pizza" and I gotta say.... No.