Americans love wonder bread, twinkies, tuna casserole, even creamed green beans with fried onions on top. But we also crave sushi, pasta, Thai curries, and enchiladas. Adventurous eating isn't new to the 1990's, it's a long tradition in this country. In this hour of To the Best of Our Knowledge, how ethnic food shaped America. And, the rise of the humble bagel.

Historian Donna Gabaccia tells Jim Fleming that sharing and sampling different ethnic foods has been an American tradition since colonial times. Her book is "We Are What We Eat: Ethnic Food and the Making of Americans." Also, Coleman Andrew, editor of "Saveur Magazine," tells Jim Fleming about some of the unusual food festivals he's found, including the Rattlesnake Roundup, World Grits Fest, and Spamorama.

Marcella Hazan brought authentic Italian ingredients and cooking to America. She tells Steve Paulson Americans still haven't got it right — we use too much sauce on our noodles. The latest of Hazan's many cookbooks is "Marcella Cucina."

Vandana Shiva, of the Research Foundation for Science, Technology and Natural Resources Policy in Delhi, India, tells Steve Paulson why it's outrageous that an American plant breeding company has patented what it calls Basmati rice. Her book is "Biopiracy: The Plunder of Nature and Knowledge." Also, Dorinda Hafner is obsessed with food. She does TV cooking shows and writes cookbooks. The latest one is "United Tastes of America: Recipes and the Cultural Origins of Your Favorite Dishes." Hafner talks with Judith about her life-long passion for food.

Distribution dates:

• week of 09/05/99 - hour 3
• week of 09/20/98 - hour 3