The Latinization of American food and lifestyle.

American culture has been through many transitions. Most Americans take pride in the fact that the United States is a "melting pot" that has adopted the influences of many different ethnic more 200-year history. We may say we are going to an Italian restaurant, but we certainly think of pizza and pasta as a stable of American cuisine.

Latinization is a buzz word right now, but as Cristina Benitez' book, Latinization, points out, Latino influences are being adopted so quickly in the U.S. that they will soon be mainstream culture. Latinization is simply the most recent transition of American culture.

This month shows many examples of this main stream adoption of the Latin influence.

1. The upscale epicurean magazine Gourmet devotes the September special issue to the exploration, taste, and celebration of Latino culture.
   
   The magazine showcases the voices and food-loving adventures of Latino writers Junot Diaz, who takes readers inside his Dominican New York, and Ana Menedez, who offers a tour of the Cuban culinary scene in Miami.
   
   
2. In the September issue of the magazine Every Day With Rachael Ray, the energetic talk show host introduces two new contributors, chef and author Daisy Martinez and interior designer and home improvement maven Evette Ríos, both of whom are Puerto Rican.
   
   
3. Cable's Food Network has ordered an additional 13 episodes of its daytime entertaining and food program Simply Delicioso, hosted by Colombia-born lifestyle aficionada Ingrid Hoffman. The show airs Saturdays on the cable food channel at 11:30 a.m. ET. She also serves as host of the Spanish-language show Delicioso on Galavisión/Univision and is considered to be the first TV host to have two Latino lifestyle programs in two languages airing on two cable networks. Hoffman's cookbook, Simply Deliciosio: A Collection of Everyday Recipes With a Latin Twist, is being published by Clarkson Potter/Random House and is scheduled for release in February 2008.