Category Archives: Food
A gift for the Marmite lover
I’ve blogged a few times now about my newfound love for Marmite, right?
Well, one of my most excellent birthday gifts last week was a jar of Marmite and The Marmite Cookbook by Paul Hartley.
I had no idea this book existed, but I cannot wait to start cooking with Marmite. Recipes are as varied as Savory Waffles with Pumpkin and Pancetta to Marmite Corn Fritters. Many of the recipes just use a teaspoon of Marmite to elevate an ordinary recipe into something quite extraordinary. A must for the Marmite lover in your life!
Portland’s Frying Scotsman
Last weekend, we spent three days in Portland, Oregon. It was a wonderful little mini break! Have you been to Portland? Isn’t it charming?
We missed trying the food carts last year when we were in Portland – this time, it was on my list! We went to the one on SW 10th and Alder Street and scoped out the scene!
I had heard great things about the Frying Scotsman, which is a fish-and-chips spot run by a Scotsman! The menu includes mushy peas and Irn-Bru!
We got the haddock and chips. He adds a touch of turmeric to the batter, which gives it a hint of curry flavor. Just a hint. The fries were double fried and delectable. It was certainly the best fish and chips we’ve had on the west coast!
On another note, I also tried the famed chicken and rice from Nong’s Khao Man Gai, which was great comfort food, as well as a pork taco from Korean Twist. All in all, it was a stellar first Portland food cart experience!
America’s ‘Masterchef’ Season 4 premieres
Graham Elliot, Gordon Ramsey and Joe Bastianich are the chefs in Fox’s “Masterchef.”
“Masterchef” Season 4 premiered tonight with a two-hour kickoff. Did you watch?
I DVR’ed it and will check it out this weekend. I haven’t watched any episodes of the American version – only the British version so am interested in the compare and contrast. Based on the clips I’ve seen, the U.S. version already feels more sensational, more “Hell’s Kitchen”-y, than the dignified BBC version.
I find it hard to even think of “Masterchef,” without conjuring up the old British “Masterchef” theme tune!
I like Marmite
When we visited the U.K. last month, I discovered Marmite. Yep, the love-it-or-hate-it yeast extract is now my boo.
I had tried it about 10 years before and I fell strongly into the “hate” camp. But this time around? It blew my socks off with its unami goodness! Paired with buttered toast and a perfect dippy egg, it became my favorite breakfast.
I bought some to take home and have continued the love affair on this side of the Atlantic. If you’ve never tried it, pick up some at CostPlus World Market and let me know what you think!
Stateside Candy Company
Americans who are homesick for their favorite candies can get them delivered in the U.K. now, thanks to the Stateside Candy Company.
The selection is impressive, including Hershey’s and Twizzlers, Life Savers, Willy Wonka candies, salt water taffy, Mike and Ike’s, jumbo gummy bears and the list goes on and on! Grocery items like American cereals, pancake mixes, cookies, cake mixes and barbecue sauces are also offered. U.K. delivery charges start at £4.50.
Jam tarts
When we visited my mother in law in Devon, she made a lovely pie for dessert and had some extra pastry. What did she do with it? She whipped up a batch of jam tarts!
The kids loved them. All you need is some pastry and a dollop of strawberry jam (or really any flavor you like). Easy peasy! Aren’t they pretty?
Anniversary dinner at Ode
One of the highlights of our recent trip to England was celebrating our 14th wedding anniversary at Ode in Shaldon, which has been named UK’s most sustainable restaurant by the Sustainable Restaurant Association.
The food was absolutely amazing, delicious, fresh and exciting from beginning to end. Service was friendly and helpful (owner Tim Bouget was lovely!). And all of this for a great price! Our wedding anniversary fell on a Wednesday and Ode features a reduced price menu on Wednesdays: three courses for 29 pounds! We added a couple of glasses of kir royale to start and a very pleasant French white wine to accompany our main courses.
Olba’s Pastilles in the USA
I just spotted Olba’s Pastilles at my local Sprouts supermarket. Different packaging than the British version, but certainly the same herbal lozenges we all know and love when you’re feeling under the weather!
Pub Heaven at the Duke of York
We spent a day in North Devon and had a pub lunch in the Duke of York Pub in the little village of Iddesleigh.
I was in pub heaven! The Duke of York is a 15th century pub that is the local for British author Michael Morpurgo, who got the seed of the idea to write the novel “War Horse” (which later became the blockbuster play and film) while in this very pub. More about this here!
It was homey and cozy and a little hobbit-like and included all of the things that I look for in a good pub:
Top 10 highlights from Paris, Part Deux
Yesterday, I posted my first five Paris highlights. Today? Let’s post the remaining five, shall we?
6. Rue Montorgueil, a gorgeous market street with butcher shops, boulangeries, cafes, chocolateries, fish markets and so on and so forth! We walked from our apartment one bright morning and went to Cafe du Centre for a great basic breakfast (coffee, freshly squeezed orange juice and croissant or baguette).
I also had the great privilege of visiting La Fermette, cheese capitol of the universe, also on Rue Montorgueil. We spotted it right away with the black and white cow above the storefront. Best item was their 30-month comte, which the seller warned me about, in case I couldn’t handle it. Oh, yeah, I could handle it! It was a delightful, nutty cheese and we bought a block of it. They also sold these plates of various cheeses for about 11 euros – really generous portions (we got one plate that was stellar – sadly, they weren’t labeled so it’s tough to know what cheese we had – but it had a good variety to suit every palate. A camembert, a blue cheese, a goat cheese, a Mimolette, etc.)
BRITRISH.COM 