There's more to American food than burgers and french fries

Take the words "American" and "food", and you have the ingredients for a popular misconception: In the United States the cooking lessons ended once the burgers, French fries and ketchup hit the table.

Of course, that thinking is as simplistic as thinking chicken chow mein is the pinnacle of Chinese cuisine, yet many people in China cheerfully chew, swallow and digest this simplistic view of American food, and Michael Rosenblum wants to dispel it.

Rosenblum, executive chef and chief of mission of the US ambassador's residence in Beijing, and Yannick Ehrsam, executive chef of the Conrad Beijing, have cooked up the idea of a festival - American Classics. It was held in Beijing last week.