Is the term "ethnic food" offensive?

I recently used the term ethnic food in a conversation with my boyfriend and he made a face. I asked what was wrong and he said the term "ethnic food" could be seen as offensive and instead I should say "foreign food" when talking about non-American/European based food. I've never seen the term as offensive. I grew up in a very liberal, open minded, love of other cultures household. My mom has always used the term ethnic food in a non derogatory way, just a way to describe the non-American/European foods without having to list every culture. So I'm wondering what other people feel on the subject. Is it offensive? What terms do you use when talking about several non-American/European foods at once?