Monthly Archives: September 2011
Brits are full of beans
For most Americans, Heinz is synonymous with ketchup.
But in the UK, well, “Beanz Meanz Heinz” (as their ad slogan goes).
Brits simply can’t live without Heinz baked beans. It’s an icon. It’s a staple. And it’s not just a good alternative to homemade beans. It trumps it every time.
Baked beans are always included on the plate of the quintessential full English breakfast (which includes fried eggs, sausage, bacon, fried bread or buttered toast, grilled tomato, sauteed mushrooms and sausage made of pig’s blood AKA black pudding). It livens up any snack of cheese on toast (another simple British classic). It’s also a very common topping for jacket potatoes (translation: baked potatoes).
Personally, I’m not a fan of American baked beans in any context. Not camping, not at a barbecue and certainly not as an accompaniment to hot dogs (and don’t even mention pork and beans to me, unless you want to see me gag).
Yet there is a place in my heart for Heinz baked beans and I’m definitely not the only one. Thankfully, it is available at any Cost Plus World Market in the US.
The search for the ultimate scotch egg
The cause of many a coronary: The unassuming scotch egg. Photo credit: David Sillitoe/Guardian
Leave it to the Brits to come up with something as creatively fatty as the Scotch egg.
You start with a hard boiled egg. Then envelop it in sausage meat. Then roll it in breadcrumbs and lastly deep fry the whole thing. I think of it as the UK’s turducken but it is a British picnic delicacy. The kind of thing that Ratty would have packed in a picnic hamper in “Wind in the Willows,” along with a selection of pork pies and sausage rolls.
The London department store Fortnum & Mason claims to have invented it over 200 years ago. But these days, you generally find scotch eggs in the refrigerated section of a soulless service station or supermarket, wrapped in cellophane, looking more like a paperweight than something you would actually eat, much less enjoy cold.
I should add that the only thing worst than eating a service station scotch egg is watching someone eating a service station scotch egg or, worst yet, being trapped in a car watching someone eating a service station scotch egg. It’s the stuff that Dante’s ninth ring of hell was made of.
In its natural state, piping hot out of the fryer served with a pint and a view of the river, I think it’s probably glorious. Those visiting The Ship in Wandsworth on Sept. 20 will find out first hand when the pub hosts its first ever scotch egg challenge. Anyone is invited to submit their winning egg for a chance at the title of, well, the ultimate scotch egg and all the bragging rights that accompany it. A panel of judges will determine the winner. For more information, visit The Ship’s website or follow along on Twitter using hashtag #ScotchEggChallenge.
You say tomato, I say tomahto
In 1937, George and Ira Gershwin’s song “Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off” was featured in a film called “Shall We Dance” with Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. It was apparently part of a dance number done on roller skates.
I haven’t seen the movie but I love the song. Correction – we love the song and over the years, Matthew and I have come up with quite a medley of verses as we have discovered the slight differences in pronunciation between British English and American English. Our song goes something like this …
You say scheduled, I say sheduled,
You say oREGano, I say oreGAHno,
Scheduled, sheduled
oREGano, oreGAHno,
Let’s call the whole thing off.
You say aluminum, I say aluminium,
You say mom, I say mum,
Aluminum, aluminium,
Mom, mum,
Let’s call the whole thing off.
You say wahter, I say wohtah,
You say BAYsil, I say BAAAzil,
Wahter, wohtah,
BAYsil, BAAAzil,
Let’s call the whole thing off.
You say garAHj, I say gare-edge,
You say airplane, I say aeroplane,
GarAHj, GARE-edge
Airplane, aeroplane,
Let’s call the whole thing off.
We can sing like this for quite a while. Can you add a verse?
How to dress your kids like Londoners
It’s never been easier to dress your kids like Londoners (well, apart from moving to London). This summer, Janie and Jack released their Lovely London line, and now Gap has gotten into the act with their Portobello, Brick Lane, Covent Garden and Greenwich fall collections.
I am all for it because there is nothing cuter than a baby donning a union jack knit one-piece, except maybe a baby also wearing the matching union jack beanie.
Slap the union jack on everything, I say and I’ll buy it (well, not now since I’m still saving up to pay for my extortionate red-light ticket. But in theory…).
Shown above, moving clockwise) : Graphic Raglan T in Midland Gray for Toddler Boys, Union Backpack, Union Jack Slip-on Sneakers for Baby Boys, Union Jack Driver Cap for Toddler Boys, and First Original Jeans (Union Jack Medium Wash) for Toddler Boys.
The London line for girls is heavier on floral prints, ruffles and boucle (really adorable items!) and lighter on the Union Jack and other traditional British icons. But they do offer some cute graphic tees that are distinctly British.
Shown above: Portobello Charming Graphic T in Ivory Frost and Pink Granite for Toddler Girls.
Gap is regularly adding more items to these collections and they’re also having a Labor Day Sale now through Monday so kit out your kids’ wardrobe Brit-style.
Have a lovely weekend!
The Culinary London 10
Despite Britain’s undeserved reputation for terrible cuisine, London is truly a culinary mecca. Following my blog post a few weeks back about top 10 London destinations, I submit my top 10 in the food and drink department.
The Cow specializes in oysters and Guinness, as well as sausage and mash.
1. The Cow. Charming gastropub that is good for celebrity spotting, too. 89 Westbourne Park Road, Notting Hill, London. W2 5QH. 020 7221 0021.
2. The Tiroler Hut. This tiny hole in the wall combines Austrian food with live cow bell music and complimentary peppermint schnapps. A lethal combination. 27 Westbourne Grove, Notting Hill, London. W2. 020 7727 3981.
3. Le Relais de Venise. They serve only one dish: green salad with a mustard vinaigrette and steak frites (translation: steak and thin cut French fries) and do it very well. There is always a line out the door but it’s worth the wait. 120 Marylebone Lane, London. W1U 2QG. 020 7486 0878.
4. St. Pancras Grand Champagne Bar. Europe’s longest champagne bar is at St. Pancras train station of all places and it’s open from 8 a.m. (don’t judge) to 11 p.m. I haven’t been there yet but friends report that it is every bit as great as it sounds. St. Pancras Station, Upper Concourse, Euston Road, London. N1C 4QL. 020 7870 9900.
St. Pancras Grand Champagne Bar is the longest champagne bar in Europe.
5. Pitcher and Piano, All Bar One and Slug and Lettuce. They’re all chain pubs but they do decent food and drinks and there’s always one just around the corner. A good place to stop in during a rain storm. Locations throughout London.
6. Afternoon tea at the Ritz Hotel. They do those dainty little crustless finger sandwiches and pretty desserts with your choice of tea. So very British. 150 Piccadilly. London. W1J 9BR. 020 7493 8181.
7. Hush. Co-founded by the son of 007’s Roger Moore, this Mayfair restaurant/bar has a formal dining room, a more casual brasserie and a cocktail bar. You can’t help but feel cool here. No. 8 Lancashire Court, Brook Street, London. W1S 1EY. 020 7659 1500.
8. Yo Sushi. Sushi delivered on color coded plates via conveyor belt. There are over two dozen locations dotted throughout London.
Get your sushi fast, fun and fresh at Yo Sushi.
9. Belgo. Belgian beer and moule frites (translation: mussels and thin cut French fries). A match made in heaven. There are locations in Bromley, Clapham, Kingsway and Chalk Farm Road. I’ve only been to the “Centraal” location at 50 Earlham Street, London. WC2H 9LJ. 020 7813 2233.
10. Beach Blanket Babylon. Not sure where the name came from, as this is more Marilyn Manson than Gidget in decor. But the gothic style is accompanied by a very tasty cocktail menu. There are two locations: 45 Ledbury Road, Notting Hill. W11 2AA. 020 7229 2907 and 19-23 Bethnal Green Road, Shoreditch, London. E1 6LA. 020 7749 3540.
A final note: avoid Angus Steakhouses and Garfunkel’s restaurants. They always attract Americans because they resemble an alluring cross between Applebee’s and TGI Friday’s but don’t be fooled.
What are your favorite places to eat and drink when you’re in London? I’d love to hear from you!
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