This next bit of pabulum comes to you, free from commercial interuption, in three parts: Part 1, An Introduction to the Ideas That Will Make Up Parts Two and Three.

Yeah...I know.

It's been nearly a month since I last wrote something here. I have been, let's just say, less than inspired to write lately. I've spent the last month catching up on bills and things, typical of today's economic realities. As a result, my eating has been boring and cheap, even going the route of spiced up ramen noodles. But the light at the end of that tunnel is ever closer and I will find inspiration to write regularly again. I need a swift kick in the ass once in awhile, (even if the ass-kicker didn't intend it to be one) and I have reason to write again. It's all because of this.

The link I just provided, tweeted by a food blog I started reading not too long ago, Eating Madison A to Z, is one of those silly top 10 lists that are often not very representative of reality, or they try to create a list that is so subjective that normal, even-tempered people will foam at the mouth and wish death upon all those who even attempt to justify the rankings on said list. As it happens, the top 10 list here involves the "10 best American restaurants" in Madison, Wisconsin. #1...The Weary Traveler. Yes, that's what I said...The Weary Traveler, according to this website, has the best American fare in town.

OK...do me a favor...breathe. Sit down, take a few deep breaths, and relax.

There, feel better? Let's continue.

Obviously, this site isn't local, nor does it seem to have any real local connections. I'm not entirely sure how this list came to be and how the restaurants on that list got there. I say this because, for me personally, none of the restaurants mentioned would make my top 10 list here in Madison. I like most of the restaurants on the list, but none of them REALLY stand out for me. Reading this, plus reading Eating Madison A to Z, (which I recommend, by the way,) got me to thinking along two lines of thought: 1.) What, exactly, does "American" cuisine mean? and 2.) what IS the best restaurant serving American cuisine?

I have two more posts coming your way soon, gentle and not-so-gentle readers. Beware!

Thinking out loud: the dream dissertation.

So, for anybody reading this who doesn't know me, (there's probably not many of you at this juncture) I am what I like to call a "born-again college student". I went back to college as an undergrad at 36 after a twelve year break from the books. I'm currently a senior at the University of Wisconsin as an anthropology major. More specifically, I'm interested in the anthropology of food. Food, foodways, and celebrations involving food are of the utmost interest to me. One area that I'm REALLY interested in is street food. I am endlessly fascinated by the variety of cuisine one can find on the street, the stories surrounding foodcart culture, and the stories behind the foodcart purveyors themselves. Often, these are tales of new immigrants to the U.S. overcoming hardship by introducing Americans to a new cuisine, dishes that are nearest and dearest to the immigrant's heart, or a recipe that mama taught them that they think will be a surefire hit. In larger cities, this often takes on a different dynamic. In places like New York or Chicago, street food is often representative of the most recent immigrants catering to other recent immigrants tastes and desires to eat like they did in the old country. Street food culture, much like America itself, ebbs and flows with each new immigrant population.

I have a dream of writing a dissertation on street food culture here in the United States. Obviously, I need to finish my undergrad work and get into grad school. I have three more semesters to do this. Then, hopefully, I will be able to get into the grad school I want, namely, Indiana University. They have an Anthropology of Food program all the way up to the PhD level. Unlike my current department, the folks at Indiana would understand my passion for food and my desire to study domestically. I'm hoping, with a little luck, that they will be as excited about a dissertation about street food as I am.

But, first things first.

Expected graduation date: December 2012.