When the Saulnier sisters suffer one disappointment too many in their native France, they decide to pack up and try their luck in America. As journalists they have the run of the country, following stories that take them to places where most Americans have never been—from the back roads of Appalachia to an underground village of homeless people in the New York City subway system.

And along the way they dine on:

• Nathan’s Famous hot dogs at the annual hot dog–eating contest in Coney Island
• Snapping turtle soup as prepared by the Native American elders of the Alabama-Coushatta tribe
• Cheesy grits from the Armadillo Diner in Texas
• And burgers, burgers, burgers everywhere!

As the Saulnier sisters adopt the American way of eating, their relationship to food shortly changes. They gain weight—and lose their self-esteem. This new diet is especially hard on Victorine, who temporarily abandons her vegetarianism. It’s not until they meet a couple running an organic farm in upstate New York that they realize how far they’ve strayed from their native food values—and learn that you can eat well in America, too.