The Eighties in America - Salem Press (2009)

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an 80 percent decrease from the period thirty years
prior. The agricultural conversion of wetlands dur-
ing the decade accounted for about 20 percent of
the nation’s total annual loss of wetlands. The pre-
cise role played by the swampbuster act in the de-
crease in wetland conversion is unclear, however,
because extraneous economic factors, such as a de-
crease in the cost-effectiveness of wetlands draining,
may also have played a role.


Further Reading
Allen, Kristen, ed.Agricultural Policies in a New De-
cade.Washington, D.C.: Resources for the Future
and National Planning Association, 1990. Collec-
tion of articles assessing the national agricultural
situation five years after the Food Security Act. In-
cludes economic, policy, and conservation topics.
Miranowski, John A., and Katherine H. Reichelder-
fer. “Resource Conservation Programs in the Farm
Policy Arena.” InAgricultural-Food Policy Review:
Commodity Program Perspectives. Agricultural Eco-
nomic Report 530. Washington, D.C.: U.S. De-
partment of Agriculture, 1985. Details the conflict
between economic programs supporting agricul-
ture and those focusing on conservation, espe-
cially in response to the heightened awareness
of environmental issues.
Thurman, Walter N.Assessing the Environmental Im-
pact of Farm Policies. Washington, D.C.: The AEI
Press, 1995. Short, readable book that discusses
the problem of externalities, that is, costs not di-
rectly involved in production, in this case, envi-
ronmental costs. While it focuses on the situation
in 1994, it provides information about the impact
and relevance of the Food Security Act.
Kristen L. Zacharias


See also Agriculture in the United States; Environ-
mental movement; Farm Aid; Farm crisis.


 Food trends


Definition Patterns and tendencies within
American eating habits, restaurants, and
domestic food preparation


During the 1980’s, food’s value as a status symbol in-
creased dramatically, even as Americans’ consumption of
prepared foods increased and home cooking decreased. The
combination of nouvelle cuisine and a proliferation of


gourmet regional restaurants changed the nature of fine
dining, which came to emphasize local ingredients and in-
gredients distinctive to authentic regional and interna-
tional cuisines, instead of universal luxur y foods such as
foie gras.
During the 1980’s, food became a form of entertain-
ment, as Americans became infatuated with gour-
met cooking, chic restaurants, and novelty ingredi-
ents. In 1983, for example, Americans spent almost
40 percent of their food budgets in restaurants. The
decade also brought a recognition that American re-
gional cooking traditions were worthy of the gour-
met label. The signature food phrase of the decade,
“Real men don’t eat quiche,” the title of a 1982 hu-
mor book, indicates the degree to which the gour-
met trend reached mainstream America.
Dining Out in the 1980’s American regional cook-
ing styles exploded in popularity in the 1980’s, as
trendsetters sought out novelty. The cooking of the
West Coast had a profound influence on the nation’s
fine restaurants. California cuisine—which incorpo-
rated elements of French nouvelle cuisine and Japa-
nese sensibility alongside an emphasis on locally
grown, fresh produce and light sauces—established
a pan-American gourmet cooking style that spread
across the country. Portions became smaller, and
chefs paid as much attention to a dish’s presentation
as to its taste. California cuisine was epitomized by
chef Wolfgang Puck, whose restaurants Spago and
Chinois on Main were as celebrated for their innova-
tive cuisine as their celebrity clientele.
Thanks in part to chef Paul Prudhomme, Cajun
food also became an important trend of the decade.
His signature blackened redfish, a spice-rubbed fish
filet seared in a red-hot cast-iron skillet, led to the
popularization of the technique of blackening, which
swept American restaurants. Blackened fish, shrimp,
chicken, and even steak became staples of restaurant
menus. During the 1980’s, Americans also turned
away from the red-sauce spaghetti and meatballs
popular in Americanized Italian restaurants to em-
brace Italian regional cooking. Northern Italian food
became very chic, with polenta and risotto becom-
ing foodie favorites. The cuisines of the southwest-
ern United States, Mexico, and Central America
expanded beyond their borders to satisfy hungry
Americans across the country. Mid-level and fast-
food Mexican-style chains such as Taco Bell, Chi
Chi’s, and El Torito expanded rapidly. Salsa and tor-

The Eighties in America Food trends  379

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