(American) Eating habits?

Another recent question has inspired this one. However, this question has been on my mind a while. In fact, a friend and I were discussing this the other day. This is really a question about culture I guess.

On fluther it has been said that Americans do not like their food to touch on their plate. Being Brits, we find this super odd.

We love foods to touch on our plates, then we take the different foods, as many as possible and shove them onto our fork. A bit of mash, some steak, a few peas for e.g. This to us, is the whole point of eating.

We hear that Americans prefer to cut each bit of food, for example steak and then eat that. How does that work? Do you cut a bit of steak chew it then swallow, then pick up a piece of mash and eat that? What is to like about that? If this is really true of course. (If not forgive the misinformation).

We love our food to combine that is the beauty of flavour!