darthcarl said:most borders that are not also oceans are artificial. Northern Italian cooking is influenced by french and german just like southern italian cooking is influenced by mediteranian and north african cuisine. In north america there are large pockets of regionalization based upon the earlist european settlers cooking techniques being used with local ingredients. It's these ingredients that truely define American food. Corn, Chilis, concord grapes, trout, whitetail, squash, crawfish...the list can go on. A few that America it self can lay claim to
ice cream cone
fortune cookies
nachos
I never would have guessed fortune cookies either.