Category Archives: Food
British muesli in the USA
My husband, like so many Brits, loves his muesli. But Americans haven’t really hopped aboard the muesli train yet. The American cereal aisle is still steeped in the post-80s granola movement of super-sweetened nuggets made with vanilla, almond, honey, pumpkin spice. The kind of ingredients you would also see at a candle store. (In fact, the granola people and the candlemakers should get together to buy their ingredients in bulk.)
And so it was pure serendipity that we stumbled upon the real British brand, Dorset Cereals, made in the small English village of Poundbury, now sold at Whole Foods.
Union jack cake
The Great British Bake-Off started its second season earlier this month and the above union jack battenburg cake has been making the rounds on the British baking (and cooking TV) blogs. I bet this cake is delish with a cup of tea!
If you’re interested in making this at home, the recipe is here, courtesy of the BBC.
I’ll see you back here on Monday!
Whitebait
Photo credit: Thefishsociety.co.uk
Where do you stand on the great whitebait debate? Have you ever tried it? Do you like it or hate it?
Whitebait are very small fish that you eat whole, head, tail, guts and all. They’re usually deep fried and served with lemon and are very popular in the U.K. (as well as New Zealand, Greece, etc.) Not so big in America.
Personally, I’ve never tried them and doubt that I ever will. I don’t know if it’s a specific American sensibility of mine, but I can’t eat fish if the head is still attached. It’s a problem, particularly since Europeans don’t seem to have this sensitivity. I’ll never forget the time I ordered sole meunière when we visited a coastal town in Normandy, France, and they brought it to me whole. It was the sort of dish that would have automatically come as a filet, had we been in the U.S. and then I was too embarrassed to ask them to remove the head.
Anyway, I digress. Waitbait… care to try it? This recipe comes courtesy of Nigella Lawson.
Ingredients
- Vegetable oil, for frying
- 18 ounces whitebait
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 bunch fresh curly parsley
- Maldon or other sea salt
- Lemon wedges, for plating
Heat the oil for frying in a deep-fat fryer to about 375 degrees F.
Put the whitebait and the seasoned flour into a plastic bag, and toss everything around to coat the fish.
Shake the excess flour by turning out the whole bag into a metal sieve, and then plunge the little fishes into the oil. Cook for about 3 minutes or until they look crispy and tempting – though I can see that for a squeamish generation, the idea of eating baby fish, whole, might not tempt. How wrong they are, if that’s the case.
Turn them out onto paper towels, and while the fish are losing any excess oil (we want desirable crunch) throw in a small handful of parsley leaves to deep-fry; watch out, it will spit. (A splatter guard is useful. Not charming, but useful.) When they have turned a very dark green, drain and serve with the whitebait, well sprinkled with sea salt and surrounded with lemon wedges.
Building a better s’more
This weekend, we went camping with friends at D.L. Bliss State Park in Lake Tahoe! It was absolutely “bliss” indeed – a nicely maintained campground, near the crystal clear waters of Lester Beach.
Now, I don’t if it’s just us but we’re always a little let down by the promise of a good s’more. Do you know what I mean? The chocolate never melts the way it should (perhaps because the toasted marshmallow doesn’t provide enough heat). It’s a part of camping I always look forward to, and then the time comes and it’s a little “meh.”
Well, we tried a variation on the typical s’more this trip and it was a rousing success. Here’s the secret! We took honey graham crackers (in this case, I went with Trader Joe’s brand.)
Then smeared it with Nutella!
The marshmallows were toasted over the open fire, as usual and then added atop the Nutella-topped graham crackers.
Another Nutella-smeared graham cracker was the crowning glory and voila!
Delish! It was gooey, melty, crunchy and good. Try it the next time you are camping!
Breakfast of champions
Ever wonder what Michael Phelps eats for breakfast? Read on!
You’ve heard that breakfast is the most important meal of the day.
Well, BBC Breakfast recently asked the important question – what does Michael Phelps eat for breakfast? The answer was pretty fascinating.
- Three fried egg sandwiches, with cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, fried onions and mayonnaise
- Three chocolate chip pancakes
- A five-egg omelette
- Three sugar-coated slices of French toast
- A bowl of grits
- Two cups of coffee
There you go, folks. The makings of an Olympian may be hidden somewhere in that combination (along with a lot of swimming, of course!). If you’re curious, you can read what he eats for lunch and dinner, too.
On weekdays, I generally go with two cups of coffee, and that’s it until a mid-morning snack of trail mix. (Yes, there is a reason I’m not an Olympian). But on weekends, I enjoy making pancakes, scones or cinnamon rolls for the family. In fact, a couple weekends ago, we indulged in this amazing biscuits and gravy recipe from Portland’s Mother’s Bistro & Bar, which is easily the best biscuits and gravy I’ve ever had.
So what do you eat for breakfast? The full English? Something more continental? Cereal? A cup of joe?
A savory take on French toast
Ah, sweet French toast dusted with powdered sugar. Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons
French toast, to me, is a sweet affair. Maple syrup and powdered sugar are my go-to toppings. Not ketchup.
But Brits like their French toast savory, often topping theirs with Marmite, ketchup or brown sauce. I remember the first time one of my flatmates in Scotland made a traditional breakfast and included French toast, but this was a really simplified, stripped down version. No syrup, no powdered sugar. Just this white bread, dipped in egg with salt and pepper, and fried to a crisp golden brown and served with ketchup. I could barely mentally compute the concept, and then after trying it, I was pleasantly surprised.
Do you prefer your French toast savory or sweet?
Strawberries and cream – a winning Wimbledon double
Wimbledon is in high gear and that can only mean one thing: Strawberries and cream!
Check out the video from Whiteonricecouple.com, showcasing the beauty of this winning combination (particularly when you grow the strawberries and whip the cream yourself).
The full English (or Scottish, Welsh or Irish) infographic
I love this infographic by Tokketok that illustrates what a full English breakfast (or Scottish, Welsh or Irish breakfast) actually entails, in case there was ever any question. Actually there might be some items up for debate – for example, I was surprised to see that baked beans were not included in the full English. I’ve had breakfast at plenty of B&Bs and restaurants in Britain where the full English has included the beans. What do you think?
Flat white
Have you tried a flat white?
This is the first I’ve heard of it but it looks like my cup of tea, er, coffee.
It’s a Kiwi invention – basically a strong latte, topped with swirled microfoam – and has been all the rage in England. A jet-setting friend of mine spent this week in New York and London and reported that Starbucks in England includes the flat white, while the Starbucks in New York does not.
America needs flat white! I need flat white! Bring it.
Secret sandwich ingredient
Photo credit: Damian Clarkson, MSN
When Americans are making a sandwich, they bring out the cold cuts, the cheese, the veggies (sometimes), the mayo, the mustard, the pickles. Sometimes there are pepperoncinis or jalapenos, to kick things up a notch. Sometimes there is oil and salt and pepper to give it all a little tszuj.
But one thing they miss consistently? Butter! Brits know this. The first thing they do is spread a layer of butter on their bread and voila! It becomes magical. It almost alleviates the need for any mayo, mustard or (excuse me while I retch!) Miracle Whip or salad cream.
The best sandwiches I’ve ever had in my life (top 10, I’d say) are all from the U.K. – and maybe a couple sandwiches in France. Pile a slice or two of ham (not more than that! Americans are way too obsessed with too much meat on their sandwich), cheese (emmenthal or comte), cornichons and a thin layer of butter (and in my case, I go very thin!) on a perfect baguette and I’m a happy girl!
BRITRISH.COM 