Janet Bostwick wrote:

> >> North American food was more bland back then. It was not until a couple
> >> decades later that we started using spicier ingredients in foods.

> >They skimp even on the use of plain ol' black pepper in these old
> >recipes. They lean waaaay towards the side of ultra-conservative.

> Today if a chef in Hong Kong tries a new approach, it will likely be
> on TV and the Internet by next month.
> What I've written is pretty garbled

I've heard it said many times that American meats and vegetables have lost a
lot of flavor since, say, the '70s. Mass production and all that. Maybe in the
old days, relying more on the essential flavors of the main ingredients was
more rewarding.