The Pleasures of British Food

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Wed, 2006-11-29 10:55

No, this isn't a joke.

I've travelled a good deal and eaten all kinds of interesting food. However, nothing marvels this Yank more than the ingenuity with which the British have fashioned some of the most lovely fare I've had the pleasure of eating.

Piccalilli! Who would have thought that mixing cauliflower, gherkins, and silverskin onions into a sharp mustard sauce, would produce such a splendid condiment to eat on sausages (Quorn or 'real') or in a cheese sandwich!

The Ploughman! Cheese! Bread! Salad! Fruit! Pickle (and if you're lucky, piccalilli)!

Victoria jam sponge! Cream! Strawberry jam!

Mushy peas! Chips with curry sauce! (That's 'french fries' to us).

Roast beef and horseradish flavoured crisps! (That's 'chips' to us).

Who else has a dessert called 'spotted dick'? Who has the hottest mustard this side of wasabe?

Oh, it's just fab. Really.

So, come on, what are your favourite foods, then?

Wed, 2006-11-29 11:06

poetjude

Yorkshire puddings with lashings of onion gravy. Full English brekkie (although the full Irish Brekkie with white pudding is better) Shepherd's pie. Rhubarb Crumble I too love spotted dick! I was brought up on plain English food and whilst I love some of it, it can be a bit bland if you're eating meat and two-veg night after night! jude "Cacoethes scribendi" http://www.judesworld.net

Wed, 2006-11-29 11:36

Jack Cade

Rumbledethumps. Flapjacks. Cinammon swirls. ~ I'll Show You Tyrants * Fuselit * The Prowl Log * Woe's Woe

Wed, 2006-11-29 12:00

yan

ooo...fried brekkie, a hearty roast with all the trimmings, anything honey-glazed, fish, chips and mushy peas washed down with milky tea and absolutely anything Nigel Slater recommends :) Gordon Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares (c4 last night) made me realise how 90's fodder has since been replaced by good, hearty, British food, as proven by a restaurant that was going down the pan due to the owner's insistence on serving minimalist bits of crap. It's all Gary Rhodes' fault - dirty, evil bastard!! Oh! And chicken with grapes. There's nothing more mind-teasing than the incomprehensible eagerly avowed - Dennett

There's nothing more mind-teasing than the incomprehensible eagerly avowed -
Dennett

Wed, 2006-11-29 12:05

maddan

chicken tikka massala

Wed, 2006-11-29 12:18

Radio Denver

We have Chinese restaurants, Indian restaurants, Japanese restaurants, Mexican restaurants, Mongolian restaurants, Russian restaurants, French restaurants, Italian restaurants, Ukranian restaurants, even Ethiopian restaurants, but I have never seen a British restaurant. Must be a hidden secret. Visit me http://www.radiodenver.org/

Share your state secrets at...
http://www.amerileaks.org

Wed, 2006-11-29 13:22

archergirl

It's the condiments that make British food, RD. Otherwise, it's pretty similar to the usual 'American' fare, apart from the desserts. The Brits definitely corner the market on yummy sweet things.

Wed, 2006-11-29 13:29

yan

An' dat goes f da women too, rd! :) There's nothing more mind-teasing than the incomprehensible eagerly avowed - Dennett

There's nothing more mind-teasing than the incomprehensible eagerly avowed -
Dennett

Wed, 2006-11-29 13:46

pepsoid

Has no one mentioned Jam Roly Poly? No one's mentioned Jam Roly Poly! I love Jam Roly Poly, me! And marrowfat peas straight out of a tin. [[[~P~]]] ... What is "The Art of Tea"? ... (www.pepsoid.wordpress.com - latest... Review of "Casino Royale")

The All New Pepsoid the Second!

Wed, 2006-11-29 14:05

#10

Radio Denver

Condiments? Is jellied eel a condiment? I don't know about "cornered the market" AG...have you ever had Yucatan-Mexican desserts? Visit me http://www.radiodenver.org/

Share your state secrets at...
http://www.amerileaks.org

Wed, 2006-11-29 14:29

#11

yan

Jam Roly Poly with custard. Rice Puddin' with a big dollop of strawberry jam. Scones oozing with strawberry jam and clotted cream. mmm Have to include this article on the Great British Breakfast: http://www.greatbritishkitchen.co.uk/eh_breakfast.htm There's nothing more mind-teasing than the incomprehensible eagerly avowed - Dennett

There's nothing more mind-teasing than the incomprehensible eagerly avowed -
Dennett

Wed, 2006-11-29 17:33

#12

tcook

Make it yourself - get the sausages from the organic butcher on Preston Drove - he makes his own - his pork and leek are wonderful. Use King Edwards for the mash and heat the milk and butter before adding the cooked potatoes - it makes them fluffy and yummy. The onion gravy should be made with red onions and contain marsala wine - Nigel Slater's recipe is best. Yum yum yum and far less than eight quid! Other great British foods - haggis, pig cheeks and most other forms of offal (it is sadly neglected these days; jugged hare; rabbit in cider; pheasant or wild duck casseroled in red wine/proper ale/farm cider; nettle soup; carrot cake; - and, yes, our condiments are good, but it's the strong rich meaty food that makes them so magnificent.

Wed, 2006-11-29 18:03

#13

Foster

Seems vegetarians are SOL over there - not sure what I'd find to eat, as far as traditional fare goes, perhaps carrot cake.

Wed, 2006-11-29 18:07

#14

tcook

Come to Brighton - apart from having the best (and very expensive) Vegeterain restaurant in the world - Terre a Terre - it has a plethora of other veggie places. You wll always get a veggie option at every British restaurant - some better than others - but I believe that we have the highest number of veggies per head of population on the planet so I can assure you that they are well catered for!

Wed, 2006-11-29 18:31

#15

Foster

Yes, I seem to recall someone saying, "Come to Brighton, is well groovy," but I can't remember who... Every restaurant in Philly has a "New Orleans" option - after two or three times, I quit trying. I don't know of any restaurants that have an English option - there's one called The London Grill, but I can't understand why.

Wed, 2006-11-29 20:30

#16

maddan

but I believe that we have the highest number of veggies per head of population on the planet What, even compared to places like india where they're largely veggie due to religion. I should put in a good word for American food. If you stopped eating it after breakfast (and breakfast can be big enough to do just that) it would have a case for being the best cuisine on the planet.

Thu, 2006-11-30 13:43

#17

tcook

It's only brahmins that are veggie in India and they make up a tiny percentage of the population as they are top caste. I dare say that many others are veggie becasue they either choose to be so or cannot afford meat but I don't think that they take accurate figures on that kind of thing over there - as theyporbably have better things to do. However, where and when I read that we were the most veggie country on the planet I cannot remember so if anyone can back it up or dispute it with any degree of accuracy then I would willingly be told otherwise.

Thu, 2006-11-30 14:09

#18

archergirl

The last statistic I heard for vegetarianism in England was that 8% of the population is veggie. Not bad.

Thu, 2006-11-30 14:15

#19

ggggareth

Proper vegetarians, or the sort that eat fish when they feel like it?

Thu, 2006-11-30 16:47

#20

Foster

i'm not a true vegetarian, which according to many, i'm not a vegetarian at all (a valid case). i eat fish - it's hard to be from new orleans and not eat seafood.

Thu, 2006-11-30 18:57

#21

ggggareth

Hi Fozzie! My wife is a "true" vegetarian, although she's less militant these days. This means that she'll cook my roast lamb and I'll cook her nut cutlet. Just like the English language has absorbed the best bits of Abroad, I suddenly realised that Jude (my 1 year old son) and I share a love of Boursin cheese on Tuc biscuits.

Thu, 2006-11-30 22:38

#22

yan

My daughter won't touch meat. She doesn't mind fish fingers though - faker! :) Can't understand why she won't go near meat. Maybe some kids are natural born veggies? Her favourite dinosaur is the diplodocus too. She cries when she sees drawings of birds eating worms. I think she may be indigo. There's nothing more mind-teasing than the incomprehensible eagerly avowed - Dennett

There's nothing more mind-teasing than the incomprehensible eagerly avowed -
Dennett

Thu, 2006-11-30 23:16

#23

hox

Like Spike Milligan,I am a second hand vegetarian. I only eat animals that eat grass.

Fri, 2006-12-01 13:10

#24

neilmc

So is it worse to eat prawns than a steak? Many individual prawns have to die to satisfy your hunger, but if you have a steak it's only a part-share in the death of a single animal.

Fri, 2006-12-01 16:20

#25

pepsoid

What value can one place on a prawn? [[[~P~]]] ... What is "The Art of Tea"? ... (www.pepsoid.wordpress.com - latest... Review of "Casino Royale")

The All New Pepsoid the Second!

Fri, 2006-12-01 16:39

#26

hox

One prawn cocktail Â£4.99 About 20 prawns per cocktail. You work it out.

Fri, 2006-12-01 16:42

#27

Foster

I don't eat red meat for health reasons (and the thought of it kind of grosses me out) - kill the cows, I don't care - but I'm not going to eat any of them.

Fri, 2006-12-01 21:10

#28

yan

'What value can one place on a prawn?' It has life? There's nothing more mind-teasing than the incomprehensible eagerly avowed - Dennett

There's nothing more mind-teasing than the incomprehensible eagerly avowed -
Dennett

Fri, 2006-12-01 22:32

#29

pepsoid

It was more of a rhetorical question. [[[~P~]]] ... What is "The Art of Tea"? ... (www.pepsoid.wordpress.com - latest... Review of "Casino Royale")

The All New Pepsoid the Second!

Fri, 2006-12-01 22:33

#30

pepsoid

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pepe_the_Prawn [[[~P~]]] ... What is "The Art of Tea"? ... (www.pepsoid.wordpress.com - latest... Review of "Casino Royale")

The All New Pepsoid the Second!

Sat, 2006-12-02 12:08

#31

yan

I've been inspired by this thread so this morning I nipped out to my local butcher (something I've never done) and picked up some belly pork. I've had a look in the cupboards and I'm gonna smother the pork in honey, light soy, peppercorns, salt, garlic, bay leaves and rice wine. Gonna throw in some roasties and parsnips, pour the juices over it all and have a lovely dinner. Local trade - use it or lose it, folks! :) hey! pepsoid! Leave those prawns alone! There's nothing more mind-teasing than the incomprehensible eagerly avowed - Dennett

There's nothing more mind-teasing than the incomprehensible eagerly avowed -
Dennett

Sat, 2006-12-02 19:08

#32

yan

That was gorgeous, but the parnsip mash stole the show:- Soften about 5 parsnips in simmering water (15 mins) Whack some butter, onions, diced bacon and garlic into a frying pan and cook until onions are soft. Mash the softened parsnips, add to the frying pan with the other ingredients, mix round abit and then flatten the resulting mash until it resembles a pancake. Fry until very slightly brown on the underside. Mix it up again and then serve. It's beautiful. The combination of bacon flavour and parnsips go so well! There's nothing more mind-teasing than the incomprehensible eagerly avowed - Dennett

There's nothing more mind-teasing than the incomprehensible eagerly avowed -
Dennett

Sat, 2006-12-02 19:46

#33

brooosh

I think it's fair to say British food was responsible for the empire. The food here was so dire it forced people to go overseas to find something more palatable. This process also works in reverse. Indian food is great so there's never been any huge desire for the locals to go out and conquer the world.

Sat, 2006-12-02 20:40

#34

pepsoid

I've never had a desire to go out and conquer the world. Yet my diet is less than exotic. I feel that your theory is flawed, Mr B... :-/ [[[~P~]]] ... What is "The Art of Tea"? ... (www.pepsoid.wordpress.com - latest... Review of "Casino Royale")

The All New Pepsoid the Second!

Sat, 2006-12-02 21:19

#35

brooosh

Pepsoid Bad diets drive people to conquer in different ways. Some use the sword, you choose the pen. My theory remains intact.

Sat, 2006-12-02 22:49

#36

yan

Actually, there's more than a grain of truth to this. One major benefit we did have was the fact that we introduced many diseases to other countries that were not yet agrarian. It was our shit cows that conquered the savages. There's nothing more mind-teasing than the incomprehensible eagerly avowed - Dennett

There's nothing more mind-teasing than the incomprehensible eagerly avowed -
Dennett

Sun, 2006-12-03 22:45

#37

pepsoid

My God, Bruce, you're right!! [[[~P~]]] ... What is "The Art of Tea"? ... (www.pepsoid.wordpress.com - latest... Review of "Casino Royale")

The All New Pepsoid the Second!

Wed, 2006-12-06 10:59

#38

styx

Is there no better culinary delectation this side of the Ganges than eggs and bacon on toast?

Wed, 2006-12-06 11:07

#39

brooosh

Thanks Peps. I can't remember the last time I was right about something.

Wed, 2006-12-06 11:47

#40

pepsoid

What about the last time someone asked you your name? {{{_"P"_}}} ... What is "The Art of Tea"? ... (www.pepsoid.wordpress.com - latest... Review of "Casino Royale")

The All New Pepsoid the Second!

Wed, 2006-12-06 12:09

#41

brooosh

I guess that would be it, Peps, and sometimes I manage to get the date right as well. Otherwise don't have a good track record.

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