#DO THEY NOT MAKE MILK GRAVY IN THE UK?
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do british people not have white gravy cause i know y’all put brown gravy on all kinds of things but op of that dumbass poll is saying biscuits and gravy looks like “vomit on a scone”
#DO THEY NOT MAKE MILK GRAVY IN THE UK?#no word of a lie i grew up eating white gravy approximately once every two weeks at least so
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Asian Food Guide: Where To Find And Try These 6 Curry Dishes First! || SofiaHotelHuahin
Nothing screams comfort food like a bowl of warm, creamy, thick curry! Curries typically contain coriander, cumin, turmeric, and coconut milk, but virtually every nation in the world adds its own twist. They are instantly recognizable by their sensual aromas. While Cambodians slather on the shrimp sauce, the Japanese prefer their curry thick and sweet. This gorgeous stew is typically credited to India, but Europeans adore it so much that the UK named curry its national food! Travel to Asia to sample foods that are spicy, lemony, substantial, or soupy!
1. MASSAMAN CURRY | Thailand | Chiang Mai
When you tuck into this hearty stew of potatoes, carrots, and onions covered in an absurdly rich curry broth, you might not realize you're eating Thai cuisine. Although there is a minor (hundreds of years old) debate as to who first created the renowned dish for royalty in central Ayutthaya or whether Malaysians from the south introduced it, everyone is appreciative of the perfectly blended and filling soup! Take advantage of our fantastic savings on Thailand hotels, homes, airfares, and activities when you book your ideal vacation with SofiaHotelHuahin.com. go to the sofiahotelhuahin website!
2. RENDANG | Bali, Indonesia, Ubud
Consider yourself lucky if you find yourself devouring a platter of beef rendang while traveling in Indonesia. Someone worked very hard to prepare that meal just for you! This succulent coconut beef stew is typically served at ceremonies and to honored visitors because preparation requires a lot of perseverance. Even though the meal is made with tamarind pulp, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, and toasted coconut, rendang is considered a delicacy because chunks of beef are simmered in the broth for hours on end.
3. CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA | India, Chandigarh
Most people are familiar with the tikka masala's hearty flavors. It is a favorite because of this all over the globe, including Scotland, which has claimed it as its own. Of course, Punjabis in India vehemently differ, but it is impossible to dispute the popularity of this orange and creamy pub food anywhere in the world. The spicy marinade for the chicken pieces came from India, but the British, who like to smother their foods in gravy, added masala sauce as a compromise, according to food fablers.
4. AMBUL POLOS | Galle, Sri Lanka, a young jackfruit curry
Perhaps it's not appropriate to call this meal "the fruit that tastes like meat," but we're going to anyway! And that's totally fine because everyone adores this veggie favorite. A major component of amble polos, young jackfruit has a texture similar to cassava or potato, and for this Sri Lankan favorite, bite-sized chunks of the fruit are boiled in a flavorful broth until they are tender enough to melt in your mouth. Some claim it could be mistaken for meat. You can layer it on top of some rice and make your own decision.
5. KARI AYAM | Malaysia, Gombak
There is a genuine risk of becoming addicted if you consume Malaysian chicken curry in any way. The combination of coconut milk, ginger, lemongrass, and garlic is amplified by the inclusion of regional chili peppers. The meaty chicken parts are then soaked in the base broth and simmered there until they are completely tender. With a large serving of white rice or heated roti, sop up every last bit of liquid.
6. Chicken Samla Curry in Khmer, Siem Reap, Cambodia,
Chicken Samla Curry is distinguished from related dishes in the neighboring countries of Malaysia and Thailand by the presence of shrimp paste. The most well-liked curry in Cambodia, also known as Khmer curry, can be found in neighborhood eateries and on the streets, but dining at a table with a welcoming Khmer family is the best way to consume a dish of this velvety lemongrass deliciousness!
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gbbo au pt 2
wellp, here we go! i’m technically not back on my bullshit cause i was never actually off of it.
p.s. would it be weird to actually name the judges/hosts of the show as paul/prue/noel/matt? or should i just keep it generic? or does it not matter and i should do whatever i want?
week 1: cake week
week 2: biscuit week
No matter how many years he lived in the UK, it still took Bucky a minute to remember that the biscuits were not the same as they were when he was growing up. They weren’t exactly a staple in his New York diet - they had bagels for that - but he did manage to stumble into a southern style diner or two and order a plate of biscuits and gravy. The biscuits were thick, and light, and tender, and tasted so good after a bit too much whiskey.
But those weren’t the biscuits he was dealing with this week. Well, except for his showstopper.
Florentines were an absolute beast. Sure, it sounded easy enough: a thin, lacy “biscuit” (cookie) with nuts and fruit and a base of some sort of caramel. But here was the kicker: they weren’t supposed to bend, they were supposed to snap. And that was the part that was going to send him home.
It was the day before the competition was set to begin. He’d woken up even earlier than usual, intent on getting in one last attempt at his Signature and one last practice run of his Showstopper. Plus, it helped that he got a nice PTSD-induced nightmare to get the blood pumping first thing, where he was back on the battlefield, except the battlefield was the tent, and he had no cover except for the flimsy benches.
He ran further and faster than usual that morning, his lungs and legs burning when he slowed to a walk outside the building. He’d been trying to solve his problem the whole run, and thought he might have a fix...if it didn’t work, he’d be out of options. He was distracted by the sound of a door opening, and looked up to see Mika on her balcony, a baggy flannel thrown over her pajamas and a cup in her hands. She looked half asleep still, her hair tousled all around. She was still pretty...not that he’d ever say anything, of course.
“You’re up earlier than usual.” she said in Romanian. The few encounters they had over the week, she always spoke to him in the other language; it was probably a comfort for her, and he didn’t mind the distraction.
“Early bird gets the worm.” he replied in English, knowing the phrase didn’t quite translate. He switched after that, since she looked like her brain wasn’t ready for a second language. “You’re up early too.”
“Couldn’t sleep. Want some coffee?” she asked, jerking her head back toward her apartment. He checked his watch; breakfast wouldn’t be open for another hour, and coffee did sound good.
“Thank you. Let me shower and I’ll be over.” he said. She nodded, telling him the flat number before going back inside. He supposed he should feel nervous about visiting a new friend in her apartment, but with all the other anxiety-inducing activities going on, this one was actually a relief. By the time he made it to her door, she had managed to get out of her pajamas and wrap her hair into a braid. He thought she might have put on a bit of mascara, but couldn’t be sure.
“Milk? Sugar?” she asked, going to the (beautifully full) coffee pot and pouring some into a mug with flowers painted around the outside. He went to the stools on one side of the island, taking a seat.
“Just black.” he said, earning a suspicious look from her. It fell a second later, as if something dawned on her.
“Right. No sweets.” she said, filling the cup a little more before handing it to him. Her kitchen wasn’t quite as neat as his was, and had the appearance of quickly being cleaned a few moments before. Not that he minded; it almost made it more comfortable, knowing that the space was lived in. “So tell me. How does someone who doesn’t like sweets end up a baker?”
“It was something to concentrate on.” he said with a shrug, taking a sip of coffee. Her question was definitely more loaded than she realized, and he had to try and figure out how to answer without making things more somber than they needed to be. “After I got back, the therapist recommended I find an activity that gave me a physical product at the end of it. I’ve never been good at art, and I wasn’t about to try and figure out sewing, so baking was the next best thing.”
“What’s your favorite thing to bake then?” she said, leaning her elbows onto the counter of her kitchen island. He could see a little white trail of flour on her sleeve.
“You’re just trying to figure out my strengths.” he teased.
“I am not!” she said. “I’m making conversation, like a normal human.”
“Uh huh.” he said, as if he didn’t believe her. “You have to promise to keep it a secret.”
“Of course. What happens in the back row stays in the back row.” she said, leaning in a bit closer. He couldn’t help but lean slightly away; it wasn’t that she made him uncomfortable, he’d just gotten used to people being a certain distance away from him during the pandemic. She seemed to realize this discomfort, and quietly slid back again.
“Patisserie.” he admitted, making the conversation go on and hoping he hadn’t made her feel bad. Luckily the answer was enough to distract her, her eyebrows shooting towards her hairline.
“I did not expect that.” she admitted. “Patisserie? Really?”
“I like the details. And I have a steady hand.” he said, realizing the unintended joke a moment later. Mika pressed her lips together, as if determined not to laugh. “See? I told you it happens all the time.”
“I never realized how often hands get talked about.” she said, humor in her tone. “Well, you’ll kick my ass if I make it that far. I’m terrible when it comes to things that require artistry.”
“I thought you did fine last week.” he offered. She scoffed.
“You saw my peak last week.” she said.
“What’s your specialty then? Don’t tell me biscuits, my pride isn’t ready for that.” he said, making her laugh.
“No, no I’ll be scraping through this week as well.” she said, and he realized that she genuinely meant it. Did she not realize how good she was? “But bread is my favorite. So as long as I can make it to bread week, I’ll be happy with whatever outcome.”
Bucky gave a low, appreciative whistle. He was decent as bread, but could never get the texture just right. “Well, you’ll beat me there for sure.”
She blushed deeply, shrugging her shoulders. “I don’t know about that.” she said, taking a sip of her coffee. Hers was a nice caramel color, lightened by the milk. Speaking of which...
“Are you ready for tomorrow?” he asked. Perhaps it wouldn’t hurt to pick her brain a little bit, to see if she could solve the bending problem.
“Almost, but not quite. The Showstopper is giving me problems.” she said with a sigh. “I’m probably trying to be too ambitious.”
“Not always an issue.” he said, though there was one contestant that got that feedback on both of his bakes the week prior. “If you get a snappy florentine, you’re already ahead of me.”
She looked surprised at that. “What’s your ratio of sugar to cream?” she asked. When he told her, she shook her head. “Less cream. More butter.” she said confidently. He let out a sigh of relief; that had been his last (and only) idea.
“That’s what I was thinking.” he nodded. “What’s your meal for the showstopper?”
“Hmm. Trying to get ideas?” she asked, tilting her head to the side.
“Of course. I have no idea what I’m doing.” he said. He sounded a bit more serious than he meant to, so she looked at him for a long time before shaking her head.
“Full of shit.” she muttered. “I wanted to actually put beer into the pitcher or the glass, but I don’t think it’s going to work.”
“Make it a mousse.” he said. She looked surprised for a minute, the looked away into the great beyond.
“Beer mousse...so crazy, it just might work.” she said. “Are you doing something similar?”
“Me? No. Whipped cream as gravy, that’s about it.” he said, and she nodded again.
“Beer mousse.” she said again, more to herself this time. She stood up suddenly, going back to the coffee pot. “Going to need more of this. You?”
He glanced at his watch; he really needed to get a move on if he was going to get everything done today. He gave her an apologetic look. “Unfortunately, I’m afraid I have to go practice. Less cream, more butter.”
“And beer mousse!” she said, holding her mug up in a cheers. He laughed, saluting with his empty one.
“And beer mousse. Thank you, for the coffee and the company.” he said. They said their goodbyes, and he made his way back to his own flat to get to work, definitely more calm now than when he first awoke. Maybe, just maybe, he could make it through this.
The next morning, he made sure to get up early enough to get his run in, though he was definitely a little sore from the morning before. It was also a little chilly that morning, making the stump of his arm ache. When getting dressed, he thought about how hot it felt last week working in the tent, and decided to go ahead and just wear a tshirt with his jeans. Of course, after the tshirt, he put on his special shoulder cap, which would help the sensitive nerves that still gave him trouble sometimes if they spent too much time in open air. He then grabbed the little spiral hair tie, tipping his head over so that he could pull the majority of his hair into a little bun away from his face.
The interviews were still uncomfortable, but he was good at pretending to be at ease. “I’m a little nervous this week, but at least now I kind of know what to expect.” he said when the interviewer asked. “Does that mean I’ll make it out the weekend? That still remains to be seen.” Across the grass, Mika was laughing and smiling. She’d seemed nervous last week, but was much more relaxed this week. Impressive, really, how she adapted.
They went into the tent, and while they weren’t at the back of the class this time (which added another layer of nerves), at least they were still across the aisle from each other. Mika made a dramatic pout at their bench assignments, giving Bucky a wink before paying wrapt attention to the hosts and judges. Bucky tried not to think about how that little sign of affection made him feel. He’d been honest about his last relationship - how it ended amicably, how they were just in different places - but he had failed to mention that it had happened before he lost his arm. His best friend Steve constantly tried to get him to go out, but considering a friendly wink from a cute girl just threw him for a loop, Bucky reckoned he needed to remember how to be friends with people first.
“Bake!” the host said, startling Bucky into action. He started organizing his bench, putting everything exactly where he needed it before getting to work on the caramel. Almonds went into the food processor, and when that was done, he started making quick work of the sour cherries, which was of course the best moment for the judges and hosts to come to him.
“Florentines, James. What have you got for us?” the male judge asked. It was still weird that technically he was James for the show, but he would have to get used to it. Or maybe he would be sent home before then, who knew.
“Well, I’m not big on sweets, so today I’m combining almonds and sour cherries with star anise and some really dark chocolate.” he said, not looking up from where he was working with a very, very sharp knife.
“Now that’s not something I expected. But you do like to try different spices, don’t you?” the female judge asked.
“Spicy James. That has a good ring to it. Like a bar drink.” the host commented, making them laugh.
“Just remember not to overdo it.” the male judge commented, and Bucky nodded.
“I’ve practiced it a lot. It should be right this time.” he said. The judges smiled and nodded, moving on to the next bench, but the host and cameras stayed for just a moment.
“A Spicy James. What kind of drink would that be?” he asked, making Bucky laugh. He put the knife down to think.
“Probably whiskey with hot sauce in it.” he said, the grossest thing he could think of. The host took it in stride, nodding philosophically.
“Just burn everything. Really warm you from the inside out, just like the sight of your man bun.” he said, making Bucky laugh again before he took up his knife. “And now that you’re holding that, I’m going to fly away. Goodbye!”
Bucky shook his head, not minding the brief reprieve as he got back to work. He wetted a tea towel, rolling it up and nestling his mixing bowl full of ingredients into it. Then he was able to add his caramel, the towel (and his stomach) holding the bowl in place as he stirred the thick mixture. From there, he used an ice cream scoop so that he could place perfectly portioned cookies onto the baking sheets, making sure to leave enough space for them to spread in the oven.
He took a deep breath and let it out before checking his watch. So far, he was right on time. He chanced a glance over to his accomplice, who looked a bit stressed but overall handling things. She was also pretty from this angle. Dammit, Barnes, focus. It was time to temper chocolate.
Even though it would have been some sort of illegal not to let him bring his adaptive equipment, he was still very thankful to have his clip thermometer. Usually he could make the whole one-hand thing work, but stirring chocolate and monitoring the temperature was definitely a two-handed ordeal, and he had to make do. The timer for the cookies went off just as the chocolate almost reached temperature, which left him caught between the two. Finally, he had to make the choice, putting down the spatula to pull the cookies out of the oven. He nearly threw them onto the counter, quickly going back to the chocolate and barely pulling it off the heat before it went over the temp. He lost a few pieces of the seed chocolate when he dumped it in, but it was a welcome sacrifice to keep things under control. Cool it down, heat it up, cool it down, and then let it stay at a working temperature. Easy, right?
He held his breath as he moved to the florentines. They were cooled enough to work with...but would they bend, or would they hold? He carefully peeled one from the silpat; so far, it was holding, and the caramel underneath felt more solid than his other attempts. He pulled the rest, laying them out so he could go through the messy business of coating one side in chocolate. He pulled out his secret weapon - chopsticks - and thanked chef David Chang before getting to work. The camera men, noticing his odd tools, of course came to ask about it.
“It’s hard to keep the chocolate on one side if I use my fat fingers.” he said, hoping to earn a laugh and distract from any unwarranted pity at his situation. “I stole the idea from an American chef, who made the point that these are much better than tweezers or tongs.”
Mika apparently had noticed his chopsticks as well. “Can you teach me how to use those?” she asked, making him almost drop the florentine he was coating. He looked up in surprise.
“You don’t know how to use chopsticks?”
“No! That wasn’t a thing where I’m from!” she said, laughing. Romania had probably changed since she’d been there last, but her family had never been ones to invest in the skill.
“Fine, fine, I’ll teach you later.” he said, not noticing the grins between the producers.
“Thank you!” she sang, going back to her bake. After all, they only had five minutes left. Bucky swore under his breath in Russian, deciding that was the safest language for the British viewers, and quickly went to make a piping bag. He made a mess dumping the chocolate into it, and an even bigger mess trying to cut the smallest corner from it. Then, it was on to the small concentric circles on each of the biscuits. Bucky was glad he had a steady hand; it made this work significantly easier.
He technically finished the last circle after the time call, but no one seemed to notice. He tossed the pastry bag back into the cup, the chocolate oozing out of the bottom of it. He wasn’t sure if this was going to be good, but he hoped it was good enough.
His back ached already as he left the tent, his forearm definitely feeling like he worked it. Next week, he’d have to remember not to practice too much leading up to the competition days, lest he fatigue again. If he even made it to next week. Mika immediately walked up to him, her eyebrows already up in a question.
“So? How do you think it went?” she asked. She crossed her arms over her stomach, apparently cold underneath the shade of a tree. Bucky wished he hadn’t left his jacket back in the tent, otherwise he could give it to her.
“So far it was my best one,” he said with a shrug, “but whether or not it snaps remains to be seen.”
“I’m sure you’ll be fine.” she said, waving his concern off. “They looked beautiful. I can’t wait to try them.”
“It may not be sweet enough for you.”
“It’s food, I’ll enjoy it.” she replied.
“What flavors did you end up going with?” he said, changing the subject. He didn’t want her to think that he only cared about his own bakes, plus he was curious. He’d caught her in the communal kitchen a couple times, always trying a new combination.
“Pistachio and apricot. It felt right.” she said, as if that was something that people came up with every day. “Even though it doesn’t look particularly appealing. Hopefully that doesn’t count too much against me.”
“Just mention ‘jewel tones’ and they’ll praise you for it.” he replied, earning a surprised look from her.
“And where does a man like you hear about ‘jewel tones,’ hm?” she asked. “Let me guess: another ex?”
“Actually, asshole best friend is an artist.” he said, referring to their earlier conversation. Mika put a hand on his arm, and though the movement initially startled him, he found he really didn’t want her to pull away.
“You’re joking.” she said. “Asshole sister is an artist too.”
“Oh my God they were made for each other.” Bucky said, a little more dramatic than he’d been in a long time. He was suddenly glad that Steve made him sign up for this; at the very least, he got to have fun and act like a human again after slowly becoming more and more hermit-like after his accident. They were denied further socializing by the producers calling them in, instructing them to return to their now clean benches and wait for their judging.
Judging maybe made him antsy, but he wouldn’t go so far as to say he was nervous. He was nervous about making a fool of himself, about saying the wrong thing or being too candid about the trauma he’d been through. He was nervous that he would disappoint his friend. But getting critique from people that knew baking much better than he did? He’d gotten an arm blown off. A couple judges did not make him nervous.
“Alright, James, let’s see how this goes.” the male judge said, rubbing his hands together and picking up two florentines from the plate. The female judge turned it over, admiring the dark chocolate along the bottom.
“Beautifully tempered. Look at that shine.” she said, impressed. He felt like he could breathe a little easier after that praise. The male judge went to bend the biscuit; the chocolate gave with a satisfying crack, but unfortunately the rest of the cookie bent like a green tree branch.
“Ah, no snap.” he said, shaking his head.
“Damn.” Bucky agreed, making them laugh. To further ease the tension, one of the hosts grabbed a florentine, and immediately tried to fit the whole thing in his mouth.
“Something snapped.” he said around the mouthful.
“Your molars, likely. Or your brain.” the male judge said, though he was clearly amused by the joke. He then took a bite of the florentine, chewing thoughtfully. “I was hesitant about your flavors, but you have managed to make something with a lot of bitter elements, and balance those out with the right amount of sweetness.”
“It tastes like the last of winter, just before the turn of spring.” the female judge said, earning a hearty “oooooh” from the host. “I enjoy those flavors a lot.”
“Thank you.” Bucky said with a nod, turning back to the male judge.
“Shame about the snap, though.” he said, wincing appreciatively.
“Shame indeed.” Bucky agreed, bidding them goodbye as they moved on. He let out a breath and let go of that part of the competition; there was nothing he could do about it now. He glanced over at Mika, who looked like she thought that went rather well. He wasn’t sure he agreed, but he’d pretend to for now.
She was much more relaxed when the judges arrived compared to last week, but he could tell by the tightness in her shoulders and the tapping of her thumb that she was still anxious. And of course, it didn’t help when the male judge said, “That looks a bit like what the dog coughed up.”
“That’s just cruel.” Mika cried, covering her face with her hands. The female judge smacked him and the host chastised him, and Mika laughed, though a blush was covering her neck and chest.
“Honestly. You’re terrible.” the female judge muttered, picking up florentines for the both of them. “The chocolate looks good, and despite the unfortunate coloring, you do seem to have a good spread of fruit and nuts.”
“I was going for a jewel tone.” she said, her eyes flicking over to Bucky for a split second.
“Don’t know many jewels like that.” the male judge remarked. He was still clearly joking, but Bucky could see Mika chipping away at her nail polish underneath the edge of the bench. The judges went to break the biscuit in half, and it broke with a satisfying crack.
“Now there’s a snap.” the female judge said, and Mika’s smile became more genuine, the blush receding slightly. They bit into it, and even from here Bucky could tell she’d gotten the texture spot on. “That is...exquisite.”
“It isn’t something I would’ve attempted.” the male judge started. “And I’m not sure it’s something I’d pick out if I saw it on a menu. But the ratios of your ingredients, and the way you’ve mixed them and have the perfect caramel...yea, that’s well done, that.” he said with a decisive nod. “Perhaps just needs a bit more thought on presentation.”
“Right, yea,” Mika agreed. “Thank you.”
The judges nodded and moved on to the next person. Mika looked to Bucky, making an exaggerated face and wiping imaginary sweat off her brow. He mimed for her to take a deep breath; besides the look of it, they’d given her a glowing review. Considering some of the other things he’d heard, even in his own judging, he didn’t think she had anything to worry about.
He was itching to get out of the tent by the time lunch came around. Like the week before, they had a sandwich spread for them, and he collected his food and his book before going out to the fire pit. He didn’t know if Mika would join him this time, but he certainly hoped for it. He sat and got himself arranged, getting a few pages in before he heard boots on the gravel, looking up to see his new friend smile at him and settle into the next chair over, content to sit on her phone while he sat with his book. He inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. So far, he’d managed to have multiple conversations with her without doing something completely off-putting, and the more he could stay silent, the better his record would be. Plus, it was just nice to sit with someone besides Steve and not have to stress about conversation.
They passed lunch in silence, only acknowledging each other once they were called back into the tent for the technical challenge. If he was honest, technical challenges were the part that made him most uneasy; everyone got the same ingredients, and the same tools. He didn’t want the judges to make any special arrangements for him, but just the nature of the challenge put him at a bit of a disadvantage. Of course, that also made him get a little riled up, wanting to prove that he could do anything with one arm that the other bakers did with two.
When the hosts announced that macaroons (not to be confused with macarons) would be the challenge, he figured that it would be easy, that he would totally have this in the bag like he did with the last technical challenge. Then he read the instructions, and everything promptly fell to shit.
First, cutting out circles? Why on earth did they need to cut out circles of parchment? Why not just outline the circles like an efficient person?
Then, make a curd. Fine. He could make a curd. He just couldn’t do anything else while he was making the curd because of the whole “continuous stirring” thing. They had hand mixers, but apparently they were only supposed to use that for the egg whites. Well, it was implied, not explicitly stated, so he was going to bend the rules a little bit.
Getting the coconut mixture right and in the pastry bag wasn’t the hardest part, except that he was currently low on time because of the whole parchment circle thing. So he had to try to rush, not knock the air out of the egg whites, and also manage to pipe perfect little coconut discs. Easy. So easy.
Oh, and chocolate! They had to make chocolate too! Fine! Easy! So easy!
Far too much time had gone by the time he actually got the macaroons into the oven, and he cursed himself a little bit. When he baked at home, he had all the time in the world and all the information he could need to set himself up for success. When applying, he hadn’t thought about the time constraints as much as he should have. Well, he was thinking about it now, and he was definitely going to start working on that for next week. If he made it through to next week.
The macaroons took even longer in the oven than he thought they would, and when he finally gave in a pulled them out, they still seemed too pale. He’d seen pictures of these things before, but he’d never tasted one, let alone made one.
“Those don’t look quite right, huh?” he asked the camera man filming him. He rested his hand on his hip, trying to decide if he had enough time to put them back in the oven or if he should just let them cool so he could put the curd in the little welled ones.
“Five minutes left!” the host yelled, making a couple of the bakers jump. Mika was definitely calmer than she was the week before, peeling the parchment layer from her cooled macaroons. Bucky sighed; the time call answered his question for him. He carefully turned his macaroons and tried to quickly and carefully peel the parchment from the bottom; since they were still warm, they were all too willing to lose their shape or leave coconut bits on the paper. He didn’t have time to worry about it, he just had to get something presentable on the plate. His wells were a little shallow and he had some chocolate leaking from the bottom of some, but when the host called one more minute! he was at least working on spooning the curd into them. They might be the worst macaroons the judges had ever seen, but at least they’d be finished.
Mika claimed the seat next to him, which was a welcome comfort. They’d only known each other for a week, but it still felt good to know that someone was in his corner. He eyed the biscuits behind her picture, noticing that they were perfect golden brown with bright yellow curd and no chocolate smudges in sight. Ugh, she was the worst.
“This one got away from me.” he murmured before the judges came in.
“I’m sure you did just fine.” she said, patting his hand. The judges eyed the plates, questions on their faces that they didn’t quite dare to say out loud. Bucky noticed, with some relief, that his didn’t look the absolute worst.
“Right. Let’s get started.” the male judge said, going to the end of the table and picking up the first one. One by one they went down the line, the same process that they did last week and all the other weeks in the seasons before this one. And yet, there was still something foreboding about it. With no one staring directly at them, the judges were free to be more ruthless in their assessments.
“Oh dear,” the female judge said as the male judge picked up one of Bucky’s macaroons, the biscuit breaking in half before he could set it down. “Not a good start.”
“No, this one needed more time in the oven, and more time to cool.” the male judge agreed, licking chocolate off his thumb where it escaped. Luckily, one of the mango curd ones stayed together as he moved it. They took their bites and chewed, the female judge making a noise of surprise.
“It’s further baked than I thought.” she said. “And the flavor is very good.”
“It’s barely baked, a few more minutes would have done it well to get that golden brown layer. But the curd is perfect.” the male judge said. Bucky relaxed slightly, and Mika looked like she wanted to pat his hand again, but held herself back. The reviews for her macaroons were far brighter, their only complaint being that she hadn’t ground the coconut as fine as she needed to. But at least hers stayed in one piece when they put it on the plate.
In the end, Bucky got eighth out of eleven, which was a big downturn compared to the previous week. Mika, the cheeky knave, smiled her way into second. He didn’t particularly want to do the end of the day interview, but that was part of what they signed up for, so he put on his blank face and waited until they set up the camera and got their warm up questions out.
“No, today didn’t really go the way I wanted it to.” he said, adding a self deprecating laugh so that he didn’t sound so bitter. He’d forgotten how competitive he could be - actually wasn’t really sure he had a competitive nature anymore - and the two losses today awoke a part of him that had been asleep for a long time. “But that just means I have to come back with a vengeance tomorrow, right?” He should have stopped there, and almost did, but then had to be a little bit of a turd and add, “But those parchment circles. That was nonsense.”
Luckily they ended the interview quickly so he didn’t have time to make any more Salty Disabled Veteran comments, which was probably for the best. He’d signed up for all this, and he’d made it through the preliminary rounds, so clearly he was good enough to be here. Like every other time in his life, it was time to adapt and overcome.
But first, he was hoping Mika would meet him for another drink.
“Fire pit?” she asked as they walked out, as if she read his mind.
“It might be a two glass night.” he sighed. She tossed an arm around his shoulders, giving him a comforting squeeze. He was very proud of himself for not flinching, and borderline enjoying the affection.
“Cheer up, daisy. You did fine today.” she said, making him smile.
“I think you mean, ‘cheer up, buttercup’.”
“All flowers look the same to me. See you soon!” she sang, going towards her wing of the building. He shook his head, going to scarf down some food and shower before heading back outside, whiskey and glasses in hand. The fire was going again, a welcome source of warmth now that the sun was down. He’d brought his book in his back pocket just in case, but Mika was already waiting for him, a blanket around her shoulders. He handed the glasses to her, and she held them so he could fill them.
“Well, start digging my grave. Dead man walking.” he said, leaning into the chair and sighing heavily.
“Don’t be so dramatic.” she said, waving him off. “You’re going to be fine. You’re not going to get star baker, but you’re not going home.”
“You have much more confidence in me than I have in myself.”
“Well the first challenge wasn’t as bad as you thought. And the technical was bullshit.” she said. “Your flavors are spectacular, and tomorrow you’ll wow them with whatever you make.”
“And what about you? Did you get beer mousse figured out?” he said, switching the attention to her. He was used to having his one cheerleader (Steve) and he wasn’t sure how to handle another one. She barked out a laugh.
“Not in the slightest. I’m just going to try tomorrow, but not tell them about it, in case it doesn’t work out.” she said with a shrug.
“Tricky tricky. I think that’s cheating of some sort.” he teased. His glass was only half empty, but he wanted to refill it already. He pushed down that desire, knowing that it would not end well.
“It is not! It’s just...equivocating.” she said with a wry grin.
“So full of shit.” he laughed, shaking his head. “Have you talked to your sister since last weekend?”
She nearly choked on her drink, her cheeks coloring for some reason. He patted her back as she coughed, clearing her airway. “Yea, yea I have. She was very impressed by you.”
“And what about you?”
“She was glad I didn’t get sent home. Mum was mad that I wore a leather jacket and said I need to get my nails done, which is her way of saying I didn’t completely shame the family.” she said. “What about you? Did you talk to your friend...?”
“Steve. Yea, he said I needed to loosen up a little.”
“You? No.”
“Hush, not you too.” he said, finishing his drink. If he’d drank it a little faster, perhaps he would loosen up, but he and Mika were still just acquaintances, and they were in a massive competition. He could self medicate better tomorrow. Mika wasn’t close to finishing hers. so he simply put his glass down.
“I thought it was a two glass night?”
“Nah.” he shook his head. “Two glasses leads to the whole bottle leads to things I’ll regret in the morning.”
“Oh, that sounds like it has a story.” she said, leaning towards him. “Spill.”
“Not so much a story as multiple data points.” he said. “After...well, you know...I uh, didn’t handle things so great. There was a lot of poor choices trying to put myself back together.”
“But you did.”
“Huh?”
“You did put yourself back together. You fought through it all. And you’re amazing for it.” she said. Something in her tone made him think something - or someone - particular was on her mind, but when she didn’t offer the information, he didn’t pry.
“Thank you. That’s very kind of you to say.” he said softly. Sure, Steve had told him the same thing a thousand times, but it was different hearing it from someone else.
“You’re welcome.” she said with a smile, reaching out and patting his hand. “Now, chin up. I can’t have my bench buddy leaving so soon. You haven’t even gotten to the best one yet!”
“Patisserie? I know.”
“No! Bread!”
“Bread is only the best to you.”
“...Maybe.” she said, smiling and laughing. He couldn’t help but join in; God, he had an honest-to-goodness friend in her. Perhaps he should have done this whole “socializing” thing sooner. Either way, he was glad to have her in his corner.
The next day, they all scarfed down a nervous breakfast and made their way down to the tent, the sunny weather laughing at their anxiety. This challenge was going to be tough; but before they started, Mika threw a wink and a thumbs up his way, helping to bolster his confidence. She was right, he could do this. He didn’t need to be star baker, he just needed to not be the worst. He’d been thinking about what to do for this week’s Showstopper challenge, and after having a mess of a time the day before, he decided to just go all out. The judges wanted a table setting from a memorable meal, but made out of biscuit. And that’s what they were going to get.
He went to work quickly, knowing that it was going to take him longer to shape his biscuits than the other contestants, and that he had probably given himself a little too much to do.
“Right, James, what shall we expect from your place setting?” the male judge asked as the crew sidled up to his bench. Bucky couldn’t afford to stop and chat to them, so he continued measuring and mixing as he spoke.
“I’m making the setting of a traditional New York diner. It reminds me of the times we used to stay out too late and partake a little too much.” he said, grinning at the judges.
“Oh, what’s the best meal for that? A big burger?” the host asked, getting excited. Bucky shook his head.
“Oh no, burger’s too heavy. Today it’ll be biscuits and gravy.” Bucky replied. The male judge laughed, but the female judge paused.
“Not real gravy, I hope.” she said, so suspicious he almost said that it was. But he didn’t think he needed to lose any points right from the get-go.
“No, no. I’ll be making American-style buttermilk biscuits, but with lemon zest, and vanilla whipped cream for the gravy.” he explained. The male judge raised his eyebrows.
“And what will the rest of the display be made out of?”
“Homemade graham crackers, which is really just left of gingerbread.” he said with a shrug. He’d struggled with how to make his display different than the others, and that was the best he could come up with. “They’ll be flavored with honey and a pinch of cinnamon, with a very, very thin layer of white chocolate to make it that diner-ceramic.”
“Just a pinch of cinnamon, eh?” the female judge asked, looking over the rims of her glasses.
“Scouts honor.” he said, acutely aware that they had told him multiple times that his bakes were overspiced. “And then we’ll also have a coffee flavored biscuit for the carafe and mug.”
“So you’re making two types of biscuit?” the male judge asked, one grey eyebrow raised.
“Yes.”
“And American-style biscuits?” he continued.
“...Yes.”
“That’s a lot to do. We’ll let you get to it.” the female judge said, patting his hand and shepherding the male judge away. The host stopped for a moment, leaning towards Bucky.
“What’s in an American-style biscuit?”
“A lot of butter.”
“Excellent!” he said, pumping his fist once before following the judges to the next bench. Bucky took a deep breath to center himself. He knew that he’d probably done too much, but he needed to go all out if he was going to stay in the competition. His performance yesterday was not what he wanted.
And so he got to work. The dough was easy enough to pull together, though rolling it out and shaping it on the molds was tougher. He had to be very careful, because if he used too much of his strength, he’d rip the dough and have to start all over. So he carefully rolled it onto the back of a pie plate, trimming the excess and setting it aside. That was the easy one. The hard one was the coffee mug, which went around the outside of a single serve cake tin. He’d purposefully chosen one with rounded corners even if it wasn’t visually accurate, and when he was able to shape it the first try (and nearly pass out from holding his breath) he found he had no regrets. The carafe was easy enough; he’d just do the hexagonal percolator that diner’s used ages and ages ago. Then, after awkwardly fumbling with some foil to make molds for the handles, everything went into the oven. He now had sixteen minutes to make biscuits.
Biscuits themselves weren’t difficult to make, but when one had to rub butter into the flour with only one hand, it tended to take a little longer. Then, when one had to zest a lemon with only one hand, that added some time too. There was a minute left on his timer when he went to add the buttermilk, and he decided he just had to wait for that part so that the rising reaction didn’t take place too soon.
That’s when he remembered the chocolate. He muttered a curse, in what language he didn’t know, and started weighing out white chocolate to temper. He should have done this earlier, so that as soon as the other biscuits went into the oven he could get started on it. Shit. He didn’t bother chopping the chocolate to weigh it, instead breaking off bits with his hand until he had the right weight. He tossed it in a bowl just as the timer went off, and he plumb forgot to put a mitt on to grab the tray out of the oven. Turns out, things in a 350 degree oven were also 350 degrees, and he had to force himself not to drop it despite the fact that he was probably burning his whole hand off. He nearly pushed the tray off the back side of the bench in his haste to put it down, and he had to step back and shake his hand, red welts already appearing on his fingers.
And the plate was still in the oven.
Mika was by his side in an instant, her own oven mitts on as she reached into the oven and pulled the plate out, setting it much more carefully on the bench. “Are you alright?” she asked, her brows pinched. She reached out, her hands still covered, and took in the damage. The pads of his fingers were bright red and raw; that was going to suck this week. Unless he got eliminated, then the pain in his pride would probably eclipse it.
“I’m okay. Thank you, for saving that.” he said, gesturing to the plate.
“Do you need anything? How can I help?” she asked, tenderly touching his hand. It looked silly with her big oven mitts, but the sentiment was the same. The medic in the white polo was weaving his way through the tent, carrying the tackle box full of supplies.
“I’ll be fine. I just need a quick clean and a glove. You need to finish your bake.” he said. She looked doubtful for a moment, but the medic pushed his way between them, and she had no choice but to go back to work. She kept glancing his way ever so often, and after the medic patched him up, he sent a quick smile her way before going back at it. He was now way, way behind.
His tunnel vision returned as he mixed the buttermilk biscuits, cutting out two of them and throwing them in the oven. From there he started tempering the white chocolate, which was finicky even at the best of times. He wouldn’t know until he coated everything if it was tempered correctly, and between now and then he had to pull the biscuits from the oven and make his whipped cream.
“Fifteen minutes left, bakers!” one of the hosts called, and Bucky let out a low noise of frustration, quiet enough that the cameras and the other competitors didn’t pick up on it. His hair was starting to slip from its tie, but he couldn’t pay attention to it. He had fifteen minutes to put literally everything together.
Paintbrush for coating with chocolate. He didn’t have time to make it perfectly smooth, but at least it was all covered, and shiny, and looked like it was right.
Caramel, to start sticking together the pieces. This was the most difficult part, and if Mika wasn’t bent over her bench with a piping bag of royal icing and an intense look of concentration he might have asked for help. But now it was just him and the biscuits.
“One minute left!”
The whipped cream!
He poured it into the mixer and turned it on high, splashing in some vanilla paste and sugar as it mixed. He got everything on the tray just in time, and as the hosts counted down the last ten seconds, he managed to stop the mixer, grab a huge spoon and add a few dollops of whipped cream on top.
Through some kind of miracle, he finished.
“Take a break, bakers!” the producers called, shepherding everyone out so they could get the benches clean and set up for the judging. Mika’s plates and cups were expertly decorated in a mismatched way, and he saw that she was able to come up with something that resembled beer mousse. Damn, she was quickly becoming his biggest competition (and his biggest ally). Bucky schooled his face back to neutral as he exited, the sun feeling just a little too warm. He grabbed the edge of the rubber glove with his teeth and peeled it off, his hand disgustingly sweaty underneath it. He was just stuffing it into his pocket when Mika came up, grabbing his wrist.
“How is it?” she asked, looking at his hand as if she could see through the bandaids.
“Just stings a little.” he said. It was the truth, but he’d admit he was putting on a little more bravado than necessary. “Not the worst I’ve ever been through.”
Mika gave him a dark look, clearly not amused. “Well, good thing is, your bake looked amazing.”
“Not as good as yours.” he said with a raised eyebrow. This time it was her turn to shrug.
“I’ll admit, it turned out better than I thought it would.”
“I sense a star baker in your future.”
“Oh absolutely not. I just need to make it through.”
“I think I’m the one living on a prayer at this point.”
“You’ll be fine.” she said, waving him off. But uncertainty was their constant companion in the tent, and even Mika couldn’t completely hide the doubt of possibility in her voice. She was saved from overexplaining anything by the producers calling them in, sending them back to the now-clean benches. Bucky eyed his set up, letting out a breath of relief just at the fact that it was still standing. The judges followed soon after, their eyes drifting over each and every showstopper before the male judge clapped his hands together.
“Alright, let’s get started.” he said. He called the first person up and immediately ripped them to shreds, harshly judging their design, their execution, and how overworked the biscuits were. Bucky took a deep breath and reminded himself that no matter what, he’d been through worse. He glanced over to Mika, how seemed a little pale after the first display, and when he finally caught her eye he gave her a smile. Hers really did look good, and he had no doubt that she would get at least a little praise for it.
“James, let’s see yours.” the judge said a few times later, gesturing for him to come front and center. One of the hosts came to his bench, holding one end as Bucky carried the other. He could have managed if he needed to, but he’d learned approximately three months into his recovery that it was not deadly to ask for help. They placed the setting in front of the judges and he stepped back, slipping his hand into his pocket.
“American biscuits, hm?” the female judge said, looking at him over her bright blue glasses. He couldn’t help but giver her a grin.
“Cheeky, I know.” he said.
The judge laughed appreciatively, then gestured to the sculptures. “And the rest is graham, yes?” he asked, gesturing to the sculptures.
“Yes.” he said with a nod. They slid the edges of a fork along the chocolate, and Bucky was supremely happy to see that it held.
“Excellent chocolate work.” the female judge said as the male judge broke pieces off for them to try. They took delicate bites of the various biscuits, the silence thick as they tasted it.
“That’s good, that.” the male judge finally relented. They took their forks and tried the buttermilk biscuit, the female judge laughing as she did.
“It’s rather like a cake, isn’t it?” she asked. “I’ve had them before, but this is different. The layers and the butter...I might think they’re pretty good.”
“This was a good execution. Well done.” the male judge said, nodding towards him. Bucky gave them another smile and a nod.
“Thank you.” he said, glad to finally hear something good this weekend. The host, before grabbing his end of the tray, made sure to take the rest of the buttermilk biscuit and shove it into his mouth.
“I like that.” he said, mouth full. The room tittered with laughs, and Bucky just gave him one of his flirtier smiles.
“They’re even better when you’re hungover.” he murmured, keeping his voice low enough that the cameras couldn’t pick it up. The host made an intrigued sound.
“Do you often cook for your guests the morning after?” he asked, and Bucky did not miss the insinuation - or Mika looking at them with a quizzical look as they walked by.
“Every time.” he said, not minding if she heard him. He definitely hadn’t performed as well as he wanted to this weekend, but he was hoping that he’d done well enough to stay. Mika gave him a brilliant smile once he was settled on his stool - one that quickly dropped whenever they called her name. She brought her set up to the table, holding her hands behind her and chipping at her already very chipped nail polish.
“Tell us about this setting, Mika.” the female judge asked.
“It’s from my favorite pub back in Romania. They have the best drinks and atmosphere and is where I had my last birthday party before moving here.” she explained. They nodded, asking her questions about the biscuit flavors and construction. He was impressed that she’d managed to recreate the shape of a Guinness glass out of biscuit, and based on the reactions after their first bites, the judges were impressed with her flavors.
“This is good. You’ve definitely stepped up from last week.” the male judge said, acting as if the compliment pained him a little. Mika rose up on her toes a little, then rocked back on her heels.
“Thank you.” she said. She picked up her display and brought it back to her bench, giving Bucky an exaggerated face as she sat down. He waved off her dramatics; she was very clearly going to make it through. The rest of the contestants went with varying degrees of success, and in a blink they were back outside as the judges deliberated.
“I don’t know.” Bucky said, shaking his head and stuffing his hand in his pocket. Mika looped her arm through his, gently guiding him on a little stroll around the perimeter of their waiting area.
“You’re going to be fine. They gave you excellent feedback on your bake.” she said, rubbing his arm.
“But the first two were...subpar.” he said. “Not like yours. You’re in the clear.”
“Don’t say that, you’ll jinx me.” she said, pinching his elbow. “Trust me, it’s going to be fine. I matched your payment from last week so that they’d put you through.”
“I didn’t pay them anything last week.” he reminded her.
“Exactly.” she said, as if that solved the problem. It didn’t increase his chances of advancing, but it did make him laugh, which was almost better at that moment. “You’re not going home. I need to see your patisserie!”
“I better not, I still haven’t tasted your bread.” he said. She shrugged.
“You can try that any time. I’ve always got some.” she said. “I’ll give you coffee and breakfast after your run next time. Unrelated, I’m very impressed that you’ve managed to keep up your exercise routine.”
“Come with me in the morning.” he said, making the offer before he realized he was doing it.
“You still have to be there for that.” she pointed out. “So sure, I will. I’m slow, but I’ll go.”
“Slow is fine.” he said. The producers called from the door of the tent, but Mika didn’t let go of his arm. She kept them linked all the way to the line of stools, even holding his arm as they announced star baker. He couldn’t help but clench his fist when they paused to announce the person going home, and even Mika grew still as the host paused dramatically.
Bucky was a little surprised not to hear his own name. The only way he knew for sure it wasn’t him was because the other bakers were saying goodbye to the person who’d been cut. Mika collapsed against his shoulder for a moment before giving his hand a hearty pat, shaking her head.
“Dammit. Now I have to go running in the morning.”
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Britpicking Index
Some useful compare/contrasts for non-British people writing characters in Britain :) (Also, vice versa, because me and my editor have had some run ins over things I didn’t realise had different names in the US). Feel free to add more if you think of them. These are the main ones I’ve encountered and seen discussed in various forums.
Apartment
Flat. We occasionally use apartment now, purely because Americanisms have slipped into the lingo, but mostly, we call them flats.
Bangs
Have never understood why they’re called bangs. We call them fringes.
Bathroom (Going to the…)
Nipping to the loo, having a slash, nipping to the little girl/boy’s room.
Candy
Sweets. Just generally sweets of any kind.
Chips
Crisps. Because they’re crisp, I suppose?
On a related note, chips over here are the great big chunky potato fries. The little skinny ones (ie. Like McDonalds or Burger King’s) are French fries, but generally, people will still call them chips.
Cookie/Biscuit
Honestly, this one is… all over the place because US biscuits sound like savoury scone-type things but are very much not savoury scones because they’re served with gravy. Or apparently with jam/honey/other stuff.
Meanwhile UK biscuits are generally small, crunchy and sweet. But I have been reliably informed that a biscuit =/= cookie. However, some things that UK manufacturers call cookies are – in fact – biscuits. Do not trust cookies that crunch and hurt your teeth.
Fannypack
Um. So fanny is a certain area of genitalia over here. Just... worth knowing. We also call them “bumbags”.
Faucet
Tap. Also, we have separate taps for hot and cold in older buildings. Because Chaotic Evil :)
Freeway
Motorway. (More road/traffic information at the bottom)
Garbage/Trash
Rubbish. Bins are the general receptacles for it.
Gas (Gasoline) and Gas Stations
Petrol and petrol stations. Same stuff, a lot more expensive from what I’ve seen of pricing per gallong versus per litre.
Grill (For cooking)
This one tripped me up very hard in one of my short stories. My US editor and I were as confused as each other when we described them to one another.
We do have grill pans here (ie. The pans with the ridged bottom) and we do the outdoor grilling thing over a flame as well, but generally in the UK, if we say ‘grill’ we are talking about the oven broiler.
Outdoor grilling is just called barbecue unless on a large/professional scale, when it miraculous turns into a grill. The George Foreman grill is also a thing, but I haven’t seen them show up in fic all that often.
Jelly
Jelly = jam, ie. the spreading stuff for sandwiches and things. Jello, on the other hand, is called jelly.
Jumper
Not a dress. These are generally the knitted kind of pullovers/sweaters. Christmas jumpers are definitely a thing.
Lemonade
It’s a trap. It can refer to a) freshly squeezed lemon juice, b) fizzy lemon juice or c) lemon-ish-flavoured-ish fizzy drinks like 7Up and Sprite. And to add to the trap, it varies in every shop and restaurant. Good luck!
Line/Lining up.
Queue/queuing. Also getting in line.
Movies (Going to)
Going to the cinema or going to the pictures.
Pancakes
Yes, I hark back to The Discourse of crepes versus pancakes. UK pancakes were not like US pancakes in my tothood. They were thin, rolled-up things that were more like crepes. However, Scotch pancakes (or drop scones – no idea. Not a frigging scone) are like chibi US pancakes, thick and fluffy. Ingredients vary across the board. I’ve seen recipes including butter and soda and everything. The most basic recipe is pretty much eggs, flour, milk.
Pants
This is a big one that shows up an awful lot. The word pants in Britain tends to describe underwear of some variety, so you can imagine that this gives a very different mental image of a scene if someone is wearing tight pants in a fancy restaurant. Pants can be anything from tighty-whities to full-blown granny pants.
Generally pants get called trousers over here. We have the usual varieties of jeans and leggings and things, but generally, full-length leg coverings? Trousers.
Pie
Generally, a pie is savoury, unless specified otherwise.
Pumps
Technically, some shops do refer to them as pumps, but most people I’ve encountered in my 30+ years of living here just call them shoes and define by other means (ie. ballet flats, beach shoes etc)
(Also, fun fact, pump is frequently used as slang for a fart. So someone putting on a pair of pumps...)
Refrigerator
Just fridge, usually.
Roommate
Unless you are literally sharing a room with them, they’re a flatmate. Also, UK universities don’t generally do shared dorms. Everyone gets their own private room, though not everyone gets their own private bathroom.
Sidewalk
Pavement or footpath depending on how rural said walkway is. (More road/traffic information at the bottom)
Shopping Cart
Trolley. If it doesn’t have one wonky wheel, you are Blessed.
Sneakers
Generally, trainers. This can cover any kind of laced-up shoe that is used for sport or is kind of casual and flat, although we also differentiate between Converse, tennis shoes and such as well.
Plimsols are those lace-less slip-on canvas shoes used by kids for indoor sports. They are awful and smell like rubber.
Soda
I can’t give a fixed answer for this one. There are some areas that call all fizzy drinks “pop” while there are other regions which call all soft drinks/fruit drinks “juice”.
Store
Shop. Superstores, on the other hand, are supermarkets. On a related note, going grocery shopping is generally just known as “doing the shopping” or - more northerly - “getting the messages”.
Street cars/Trollies
Trams. This was a matter of great and heated argument back in the day. Fortunately, there aren’t all that many in the UK, so unless you’re writing in specific parts of the country, it shouldn’t be an issue.
Suspenders
Braces. Because using the word suspenders over here is generally referring to the stockings-and-suspenders variety, with strong hints of lingerie involved. Kind of a nudge-nudge, wink-wink, wahey! kind of thing. Because sometimes, we never grow past the Carry On films.
Trunk (of a car)
The car boot or just ‘the boot’. Similarly, the hood of the car is called the bonnet.
TV
Called either TV or telly. Daft little thing, but putting the telly on reminds me of home :)
Washcloths
Flannels or facecloths.
Some minor oddities that may be useful:
Eggs
We don’t refrigerate them. We don’t have to. Some people keep them in a special shelf of the fridge, but generally it’s not necessary.
Laundry
In British houses, washing machines are generally in the kitchen. Don’t know why, given that Europe tends to have them in bathrooms or laundry rooms. (Useful to know, we don’t call the baskets laundry baskets/hampers. They’re generally just referred to as “the washing”)
Also, a lot of houses don’t have tumble driers. Outdoor drying is still quite common (weather permitting) on lines strung for the purpose between poles or on a whirligig contraption in the back garden. In Scotland, blocks of flats often have a shared “drying green” which does exactly what it says on the tin. Except, because it’s Scotland, I believe they named it ironically.
If you don’t have a tumble drier and the weather Gods are displeased, then we resort to the good old-fashioned airer, a murderous contraption of metal rods (usually coated in white plastic) that unfolds (and bites the unsuspecting finger when it collapses for no good reason).
Recycling
Oh. good. god. In the name of trying to make us save the planet, we have bins for everything. In my area, we have a regular bin, a recycling bin, a garden waste bin, a composting bin and a glass-recycling box. I know places that have more. I know places that have less.
They’re usually on weekly rotations and it’s an absolute nightmare trying to a) find space to store them and b) find space to put them out for the rubbish collection. Some areas that are mainly blocks of flats have large communal bins with similar distinctions, but I think pretty much everywhere is burdered with an excess of large plastic bins.
Roads and the Use Thereof
We drive on the left side of the road with the driver’s side on the right of the vehicle. Intersections are called junctions and I think roundabouts are a much more common phenomenon in Britain than in most sensible countries.
We still have the usual road signs and things, although British variations thereof. You can find British traffic signs by any basic search online. Traffic lights are usually just the three colours - red, amber, green - but you do occasionally get ones with extra signals for cyclists and the like.
Cycle lanes are about, but they’re not as common as somewhere like the Netherlands.
Which brings me to crosswalks - we have two common varieties: zebra and pelican. Yeah, we’re eccentric like that.
The pelican crossing is the one where you press the button and wait for the little green man to give you the all-clear to walk. It’s called Pelican because it used to be a semi-acronym - "pedestrian light controlled crossing".
Zebra crossings usually have no buttons. Some of them have striped poles with roung yellow/orange lights at the top, but not as much anymore. These kind of crossings give pedestrians the right of way, although a lot of drivers seem to ignore that rule.
Technically, they do have their names, but most of the time, we just refer to them as “the crossing”. No one really differentiates between pelican and zebra anymore.
School/college/variations.
Generally, we have state schools (government funded, variable on quality) and the independent schools which are the fee-paying ones for people who want to go private. Be aware that public refers to independent schools in some places, but to state schools in others. Children are entitled to education between the ages of 5-18.
For the early school stages, it varies depending on region. Where I am (Scotland), you have 7 years of Primary school (P1-7) and up to 6 years of Secondary school (S1-6).
I get a bit confounded with the English system because it seems to vary a lot depending on region. Primary covers most for the early years, up to age 11, but then you get a cocktail of Lower/Upper, Sixth Form and College for the secondary years depending on which area you’re in.
We don’t use terms like sophomore etc (I honestly thought that was the flag-code thing)
College is generally seen as the stepping stone between school and university. You don’t need to go to college in order to go to university in a lot of areas, but in some regions, your final year of school is done at college. It’s all a bit confusing.
University is where you go if you want to study a degree. Again, the courses vary by length depending on subject. A standard bachelor degree is 3 years in most places (except for stuff like medicine and architecture). Masters are an additional year (or two) on top of the Bachelor. Anything beyond that is variable depending on both university and course. We call the unis for short.
Swearing
Depending on region, the strength and frequency of profanities varies. For example, I’m in Scotland and one of the ladies I work with has used the c-word as a verb. Someone was playing the fool and she described them as “c*nting about”. My boss was usually ill if she didn’t drop f-bombs 8+ times a day and usually while laughing. It’s rare not to hear someone on the bus swearing on a daily basis as well.
Going back to the previously mentioned fannies, please enjoy an infamously Scottish advert:
youtube
So swearing. Yes. Variable. Definitely something to be aware of.
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MORE TAGGED POSTS
I got tagged in a bunch more things I didn't respond to fast enough, so UNDER THE CUT THEY GO.
I have too many things to respond to, so I won't be tagging, but consider yourself tagged if you want to do any.
IT’S THE LITTLE THINGS
Tagged by the wonderful @bardingbeedle
Pass the happy!🌻🌿 When you receive this, list 5 things that make you happy and send this to 10 of the last people in your notifications!
Lying in warm blankets in an cold room. Bonus points for snow outside.
A fresh Buzz cut
Talking to @bardingbeedle
Having long, passionate rambles about the Marvel Ultimates
Hashbrowns, bacon, maple syrup, maybe a pancake, and a sausage too.
Tagged by the chaotic @s-hylor
top 3 cities you want to visit: Toronto, again. Colorado (I know its a state not a city I just want to visit ashes AND GET SNOW). And I would like to go back to Italy again. (I also want to visit, just, all of my fandom friends but I don't want to drop all their locations lol)
favorite marvel character: Ults!Steve Rogers and then Ults!Tony Stark. Not counting stony, Anthony the brain tumor, and not counting clones, Gregory Stark.
white chocolate - yay or nay?: Love it, love it, love it.
favourite board game: God Save The Queens- A board game about Bees I invented with 3 other people at University last year for a project.
how many countries have you been to: 10, I have been very luckily graced with the ability to travel to Europe with school a lot.
(Wales, France, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, America [Florida, Boston, New York], Spain, Portugal, Italy, and finally Canada.)
favorite thing to do on a rainy day: Anything indoors I might usually feel guilty about doing when its sunny. Tv or games particularly
favorite holiday: Christmas. I am a Christmas slut, call me festive sapling I LOVE Christmas.
pen or pencil: Pen. I once bought 7 in lisbon at the same time bc they were perfect and I didn't want to run out.
favourite kind of soup: Cupasoup Chicken noodle, I don't really like soups tbh, I like broths, and gravy type things I make too much of and eat like a soup (like golden Currys or korma sauces)
your typical order at a cafe or coffee shop: Caramel Frappucino or an iced Mocha. If I'm gonna pay a fuck tonne for coffee I'm gonna get a drinkable dessert.
favorite ride at an amusement park: Any slow rides that show you shit, like spaceship earth at EPCOT. I’m not really a speed dude.
the color of your sneakers: RED, red shoes are the shit folks, a good pair of red converse goes with everything.
favorite pbs show (or little kids show if you didn’t have pbs): Uh I used to watch pokemon then winnie the pooh every single night. But little little kids show I used to watch a show called 64 zoo lane with my grandma so I have fond memories
Rules: name your favorite female characters from 10 different fandoms, then tag 10 people.
Tagged by the wonderful @ashes0909
Natasha Romanov - Marvel Cinematic Universe
Carol Danvers - Marvel 616
Janet Van Dyne - Marvel Ultimates
Izumi Curtis - Full Metal Alchemist
Martha Jones - Doctor Who
Garnet - Steven Universe (if she doesn't count bc, space rock, Connie)
Rosa Diaz - Brooklyn 99
Ann Perkins - Parks and Rec
Princess Caroline - Bojack Horseman
Pam Poovey - Archer
LOOK I know there was a lot of cheating here, but I don't have non marvel fandoms really, and I have a hard time remembering a lot of the TV I enjoyed.
Rules: Share your top 10 AO3 additional tags. Tagged by the mysterious @nigmuff
look I don't know if I have enough tags to make this a justified representation, but the ones shown are v much on brand.
Fanfic trope meme
I was tagged by the delightful @capnstars and @crownofstardustandbone
slowburn or love at first sight // fake dating or !!!secret dating!!! // enemies to lovers or best friends to lovers // oh no there’s only one bed or long-distance correspondence // hurt/comfort or amnesia // fantasy au or modern au // mutual pining or domestic bliss // smut AND fluff // canon-compliant or fix-it // reincarnation or character death // one-shot or multi-chapter // kid fic or road trip fic // arranged marriage or accidental marriage // high school romance or !!!!middle-aged romance!!! // time travel or isolated together // neighbours or roommates // sci-fi or magic au // body swap or genderbend // angst or crack // apocalyptic or mundane
Look guys, I’m boring. I like domestic 30-40 year olds in secret relationships. We knew this.
And now buckle the fuck down folks because I'm about to answer 50 questions about me no one is gonna stick around and read.
tagged by @bardingbeedle the only person who would put up with reading this much about me.
What is the colour of your hairbrush?
I have a buzz cut, I don't have a hair brush anymore.
Are you typically too warm or too cold?
Too warm. I have been warmer than most people my whole life, and I often need to sleep with a fan on.
What were you doing 45 minutes ago?
Working on a sketch for an MTH fill (update from the end of this: I have spent an hour doing this fuckin thing)
What is your favourite candy bar?
Bounty. My favourite candy is Reese’s Pieces but I like a bounty. Or like, and chocolate without fruit in it tbh.
Have you ever been to a professional sports event?
Yes, one of my parents referees Championship Football here in the UK. I have been to a few of his games. I also went to the London 2012 Paralympic closing ceremony, if that counts.
What is the last thing you said out loud?
‘Oh, this will last me a few days’ I was talking to my mother about 1/2 a can of pringles, I was lying.
What is your favourite ice cream?
Vanilla. I am boring. But the best ice cream i’ve had was a cream/milk flavoured gelato in Florence, that shit slapped. I also like cheap strawberry ice cream when no one is trying to put strawberry bits in it.
What was the last thing you had to drink?
Dinner. A spinach, banana, summer fruits and coconut yoghurt smoothie (with extra raspberries). Its my nightly dinner to cheat more veg into my body.
Do you like your wallet?
Very much. It’s about 7-8 years old, it is faded to hell but it has spiderman and a pony ride stony pin
What was the last thing you ate?
See above smoothie comment, but if that doesn't count, a sugar free mint polo.
Did you buy any new clothes last weekend?
Nope. I don't buy as many clothes as I want to, bc mens clothes in larger sizes are hard to find or expensive here.
The last sporting event you watched?
F1, I don't keep up but I watch a little with my dad every now and then.
What is your favourite flavour of popcorn?
BUTTER. They don't really have it here, and I don't go to movies much when in the states. But @festiveferret introduced me to it when we saw Ant-man and the Wasp, and much like poutine and Tim Hortons, I still crave it.
Who is the last person you sent a text message to?
My dad.
Ever go camping?
Yes, I was a Scout. I have done enough camping to not want to do more, it was fun when I wasn't organising it.
Do you take vitamins?
Yes, but not as often as I should, and as much as my mother bothers me too.
Do you go to church every Sunday?
Nope, not even when I considered myself christian. I go only go to church for other peoples events, and I’m an agnostic now.
Do you have a tan?
I cannot tan. I just can't, I burn lobster red in 5 minutes outside without literal sun cream for BABIES
Do you prefer Chinese food or pizza?
Chinese food, It was easily what taught me to like more foods also, I don't eat tomato so I can't have most pizza. I love a good garlic base/bechamel, but you can't really get that here easily (yes yes I could make my own but that ruins half the point of pizza)
Do you drink your soda with a straw?
I don't drink carbonated drinks, because its like drinking pain. The fuck is wrong with all of you.
What colour socks do you usually wear?
Various colours, but I consider red on the left, blue on the right, my lucky socks. No I don't know why, but I take all exams and interviews wearing them. It’s just a thing.
Do you ever drive above the speed limit?
I don't drive, but if I did, No. Theres a lot of questionable laws out there but Traffic laws aren't one of them.
What terrifies you?
Pfft, most things from spiders to rollercoasters. But more seriously, Being shouted at. Shout at me and I start hyperventilating, its a thing. Also not knowing if someone is mad at me. I’m not good at reading people,
Look to your left, what do you see?
The wallet shown earlier, and the sugar free polos mentioned after that.
What chore do you hate?
Vacuuming. It makes everything in my body hurt. I would rather clean toilets.
What do you think of when you hear an Australian accent?
@s-hylor
What’s your favourite soda?
See above. I do not like your pain liquid. Apple juice for life.
Do you go in a fast food place or just hit the drive-thrus?
Either delivery or kiosk, I don't like talking to people where possible, I often need tweaks I don't want to have to remember to repeat.
Who’s the last person you talked to?
@downeyhills
Favourite cut of beef?
I don't generally eat beef, lamb, or most red meats. I love crispy chilly beef, but as anyone can point out its bc your generally don't feel the texture of the beef.
Last song you listened to?
Everybody Wants to Rule the World | Tears for Fears | Pomplamoose
I’m on a Pomplamoose kick, and I also just love this song anyway.
Last book you read?
Understanding Comics (The invisible Art) - Scott McCloud
Favourite day of the week?
Friday nights. The weekend is ahead and @loraneldin and I take to wrangling our beloved usual suspects through another week of Ults Book Club.
Can you say the alphabet backwards?
I can barely say it forwards.
How do you like your coffee?
With milk and sugar, or ultimately, in a Caramel Frappuccino bc I'm a bitch like that.
Favourite pair of shoes?
I have walking boots that don't make my flat ass feet feel like they’re dying. OR my black and green crocs (Fight me, they’re useful).
The time you normally go to sleep?
9-10 is what I'm working on, but I fluctuate depending on if I'm working on something or not.
The time you normally get up?
5-6 If I have a choice in the matter, but often 7-8 if I didn't get to bed at the right time. I’m more about getting the right hours in for my diet than time specifically.
What do you prefer, sunrise or sunsets?
Sunset is the prettiest, but I like to be awake to see the sun rise.
How many blankets on your bed?
One big thick comforter, because that's the uk standard, and I get too hot otherwise.
Describe your kitchen plates
Two types, big wide white ones with a navy blue rim. They are so large I never use them, and little Navy saucer plates I use a lot.
Do you have a favourite alcoholic beverage?
I don't drink, so no. I drink apple juice or Shirley temples when I'm in pubs/bars
Do you play cards?
Sometimes, I like to teach people to play Old Maid. It’s the monopoly of card games.
What colour is your car?
Again, I do not drive.
Can you change a tire?
I am aware I just said I don't have a car, but I do know how to change a tire. Everyone should go learn its pretty simple.
Favourite job you’ve ever had?
I have only had one job really and two job experience jobs. I did experience in a school library for a week and that was v fun and chill. I did all the jobs they had prepared for me in 2 days so I alphabetically reorganised their fiction section for the rest of the week. I LIKE ORDERING.
How did you get your biggest scar?
I no longer have a gallbladder, so I have 3 scars across my torso from that, the biggest right in the middle of my ribs. Non surgical wise I have matching scars on my knees from ripping holes in them when tripping. I have weak ankles and also I got both of those at different times.
What did you do today that made someone else happy?
I gave my spare animal crossing Iguanodon skull to a wicked artist I follow on twitter so he could complete his dino park.
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Asafoetida????
At hospital being told I was being referred to dietician to be put on a low FODMAP diet I was fortunate knowing what it was. However being advised to take a look at it months back I decided the diet was too unrealistic. In some respects I could have avoided months of discomfort but actually having some direction on where to start for me was really useful. It’s certainly not for the faint hearted.
On seeing the dietician I left with two manuals, not leaflets. One named “reducing fermentable carbohydrates the low FODMAP way” and the other “suitable products for the low FODMAP diet”. There are 29 plus pages in each! I was officially panicked! How am I going to fit this around my life? Am I going to still be able to enjoy my food? Will I ever eat a mushroom again?
To make things easy on myself and my family my plan of attack has been to find ways of having most of the same meals just with some low FODMAP ingredients. Easy ... not so much!
I started small swapping out onion and garlic in Bolognese for peppers and Asafoetida. Asafoetida ?? Its suppose to taste similar to garlic and onion and bright fluorescent yellow in colour. Is it nice? .... jury isn’t decided yet. My hubby has decided he doesn’t like it. I'm sure his dislike was down to me being too heavy handed with smoked paprika and so Asa may be getting a rough deal. I’ve not tasted it on its own. The very fact I have added it to several meals since the paprika overload there’s been no further issues so it can’t be all that bad. It adds further flavour and on mentioning it with others it’s known to be an ingredient to aid digestion. I haven’t done any research on this and this is purely hearsay. Do you use Asafoetida in your recipes? What do you think?
There are many challenges on this diet but I am learning all the time of little measures to put in place so that I can still enjoy going out. I’ve brought a mini 150ml flask that I take with me for my Lactose free milk. This has given me the freedom to have a coffee on play dates and go round to friends armed and primed. Another early challenge was... gravy, being coincidentally English I enjoy a roast dinner. I have managed to find a Knorr Ham stock cube that is Gluten free, Lactose Free and Garlic and Onion Free. It allows me to have a roast dinner without having to go to extra lengths like boiling bones etc but unfortunately as you can imagine doesn’t work with all meats .
Finding a useable stock cube was a total game changer for me. If anyone has any simple gravy recipes, low FODMAP gravy powders or stocks available in the UK they can recommend i’d love to hear from you.
I have recently been brought “The Low FODMAP Diet cookbook” by Dr Sue Shepherd. The book alongside having 150 recipes has a great introduction to what a Low FODMAP diet is and explains it in an understandable way to a non-science person like me. Reading words like Fructans and Polyols FREAKED ME OUT! There are some great recipes I'm looking forward to trying even if I have to bake at unsocial-able hours whilst my kid sleeps.
More post to follow on tackling a grocery shopping and trying out dessert recipes. Puds, my long lost friend I have missed you!
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Food (and class) in Harry Potter A (lengthy) guide for fans who aren’t British
After another user asked me some questions about British food as it appears in Harry Potter I decided to make a post about it, as no doubt other foreign readers have similar questions. I will talk about EVERYTHING so sorry if you have to scroll through loads of stuff you know to find what you want, but I have written it to be accessible to literally anyone and I don’t want to assume people know what something is just because I do.
Also, it was impossible to make the post without referencing class. The fact that it was impossible only goes to show how it’s probably impossible to understand the books in depth without an understanding of class in Britain. The whole texts are encoded with references to class which are so subtle (much like class itself) that even I, who grew up being encoded in the same way, had to analyse the texts to find them. At some point I’ll make a post about just class, but for now we’ll stick to the light-hearted topic of food!
Foods eaten at Hogwarts:
Main courses:
Probably to give a subtle wave to the fact that Hogwarts is the magical version of a public school, nearly all the food consumed there is traditional and British. A public school here is NOT a state-maintained school, it is a private, extremely expensive, prestigious, boarding school, e.g Eton, which only the children of people with a lot of money and a lot of influence attend. By default, these people are usually upper class or aristocracy. (Obviously in the wizarding world money isn’t a factor in school attendance, but nevertheless that is what Hogwarts is modelled on.) There is never any mention of processed foods at Hogwarts except chips and a few common desserts. Here is a list, with explanation, of foods mentioned there:
stew/casserole (meat and vegetables cooked together with stock for several hours)
roast beef and chicken (the two most commonly eaten meats here, I would say)
pork/lamb chops (cuts of those meats with a bit of bone through the top)
sausage (usually made with pig meat in the UK)
bacon (here it is larger and softer than in many countries)
steak (a cut of beef, usually expensive)
boiled (in water until soft, no skins), roast (in the oven until brown, no skins) and mashed (boiled and puréed, no skins) potatoes
chips (not crisps, of course, but rather fat French fries)
Yorkshire pudding (pancake batter which is cooked in a muffin pan in the oven until risen and crispy; originated from the county of Yorkshire and usually served with roast beef)
PLEASE NOTE THAT ‘PUDDING’ IS NOT NECESSARILY SWEET, NOR A MOUSSE-LIKE SAUCE THING. I MADE A BLOG POST LAST WEEK ABOUT ‘PUDDING’.
peas (usually small and taken out of the pod, a bit like petit pois, – garden peas; occasionally larger and softer – marrowfat peas; sometimes mashed up into a purée – mushy peas, which are usually served with chips)
carrots (peeled and either boiled or roasted)
gravy (like meat jus, but nowadays normally made from a flavoured powder that you add water to and stir. It’s brown and fairly thick)
ketchup (this one annoys me because no-one I know says ketchup – it’s tomato sauce, at least in the north)
sprouts (brussels sprouts )
steak and kidney pie (pastry filled with steak and kidney in a gravy)
PLEASE NOTE THAT PIE IS USUALLY SAVOURY HERE. We do have fruit pies, but if someone says ‘pie’ a British person will picture a savoury thing, probably with meat in it.
steak and kidney pudding (steak and kidney in gravy encased in suet pastry, which is a crumbly, soft pastry made from just suet, flour and water. It is steamed, not baked, usually)
sausage rolls (a staple of British lunchtime foods – sausagemeat wrapped in a flaky pastry and eaten hot or cold)
jacket potato (also called a baked potato, it’s a whole potato baked in the oven with the skin still on until it’s crisp on the outside and soft on the inside, and is usually served with cheese in it)
porridge (oats cooked in milk or water, often called oatmeal in other countries)
marmalade (jam made from citrus fruits, usually orange)
PLEASE NOT THAT JAM IS NON-CITRUS FRUIT AND SUGAR COOKED UNTIL IT SETS INTO A SPREAD.
Desserts:
jam tart (a small, open pastry case with jam in it)
ice cream (the most common flavours here are vanilla, chocolate and strawberry)
apple pie (pastry case with sweetened apples)
treacle tart (pastry case with a sweet, thin filling made from golden syrup and breadcrumbs, not treacle)
éclairs (popular French cream cake – long choux bun filled with cream and topped with chocolate)
jam doughnuts (dough fried in oil and filled with jam, most often strawberry)
jelly (called jell-o in some countries – flavoured gelatine)
NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH JAM – AMERICANS CALL JAM JELLY.
rice pudding (short grain rice cooked for several hours in milk and sugar until it forms a thick mixture not unlike sweet porridge)
custard tart (pastry case filled with an egg, milk and sugar mixture which has been baked until set)
spotted dick (steamed suet pudding, which is like a warm sponge cake, filled with raisins and served with custard)
chocolate gateau (fancy chocolate cake with cream on top)
trifle (layered fruit, jelly, sponge cake, custard and cream – a classic)
mint humbugs (a hard mint to freshen your breath after eating)
At Christmas:
roast turkey (the meat we traditionally eat at Christmas)
chipolatas (tiny pork sausages)
buttered peas (just peas with a bit of butter on the them)
cranberry sauce (cranberries and sugar cooked together until set – served with savoury foods like turkey – it’s not as sweet as jam)
turkey sandwiches (literally the entire country eats this on Christmas night to use up some turkey)
Christmas cake (very rich, dense fruit cake topped with a layer of marzipan and then a layer of icing)
Christmas pudding (hot, very rich steamed pudding made from dried fruits, nuts and suet, often served with brandy sauce)
crumpets (these aren’t a Christmas food, they just happen to eat them at Christmas. They are round, flat buns, though not exactly bread, with holes in them, that you toast and butter. Often people eat them for breakfast, or, like in the book, as a snack at night. They are savoury, not sweet)
mince pies (small pies filled with a mixture of dried fruits, sugar and brandy – sweet, not savoury – they were made with minced meat a few hundred years ago, and the name mince pie has stuck)
fudge (a type of sweet made by heating sugar, butter and milk until it sets)
During the Triwizard Tournament:
bouillabaisse (French fish stew/soup that hardly anyone here has heard of/would try!)
goulash (Eastern European stew made with meat and paprika that a lot of people have at least heard of and would try!)
blancmange (French dessert which is a basically white, almond-flavoured jelly that some people have heard of and a few would try)
It’s necessary to mention here, how the fact that Hermione knows what the bouillabaisse is and has tried it is a DEFINITE indicator of class. She is upper middle class. I’ll talk more about why when I do a class post, but for now it’s enough to say that no working-class child, unless they have family ties to France or have learned about it in French at school, would even know what it was and would be very unlikely to try it if given the opportunity. You can’t read that scene, as a British person, and not understand that Hermione comes from a cultured, moneyed background.
It’s also interesting to compare these foods with the foods usually served at state-maintained schools at the time HP was written: we are talking about fatty, greasy, processed rubbish with no nutrition at all, e.g. turkey twizzlers, nuggets, pizza, chips, hot dogs, cakes. You do still find such foods in state schools but normally alongside more healthy options. Since Jamie Oliver’s war on school food things are a lot better, but the point is that the food at Hogwarts is a clear nod to the privilege of the pupils: working-class kids wouldn’t have been able to eat things like that at school. My primary school (ages 4-11) served stew sometimes, with overcooked vegetables, but that’s all, and my secondary school served pizza, hot dogs, nuggets and chips every day and that was it.
Foods mentioned but not eaten in the Great Hall:
sherbet lemons (real sweets, they are strong, lemon-flavoured hard sweets that contain a powder that makes your tongue fizz)
custard creams (biscuits made from 2 square simple biscuits with vanilla cream sandwiched between them)
Foods eaten at the Weasleys’:
Food is one of the main ways by which the Weasleys are coded as working-class. Everything they eat is either a comfort food your grandma makes or some cheap thing you eat and don’t mind but wish was something else.
corned beef sandwiches (corned beef is beef which has been processed and salt-cured and has the mushy consistency of cat food. It was popular during the war, when meat was scarce and rationed, and is associated with poverty and lack of better meat. That isn’t to say that people don’t like it, but it is true that many people don’t)
Speaking of processed meats, the Weasleys eat a lot of sausage and bacon, which are very popular but also available cheaply.
chicken and ham pie (this is the only time I can think of that it is mentioned that the Weasleys were having a ‘proper’ meat, as in unprocessed, and if I remember correctly it was for Harry’s birthday, so a special occasion. It’s pastry filled with chicken and ham in a white sauce and is the sort of thing your grandma probably made)
boiled potatoes (they do have boiled potatoes at Hogwarts, but alongside other types of potato.)
It’s hard for me to explain why, but boiled potatoes, specifically, have a working-class connotation. You are definitely more likely to eat boiled potatoes in a working-class family. Here are 2 anecdotes form my life about boiled potatoes to illustrate my point!
1. I know someone from a privileged background. Her father was an electrical engineer who held government contracts. She went to a grammar school (a school that’s free but you have to pass a test to go to) and lived in an affluent city where one of the main public schools is. As soon as she opens her mouth you can hear that she’s from an upper middle-class background. I once discussed cooking dinner with her and said I was making boiled potatoes. She scoffed and said she never did as she couldn’t see the point – if she has boiled them she might as well mash them.
2. At university my friend started going out with a guy from a solid middle-class background. His parents had a second home in South Africa, where his father worked for part of the year. They were staunch Tories (supported the political party to the right of the centre). She and I once discussed making dinner and she said it was her turn to make it tonight and the guy wanted sautéed potatoes. Her exact words next were “he’ll just have to make do with boiled, I’m too tired”.
Somehow the fact that the Weasleys eat boiled potatoes makes them working-class, an under-class. It’s somehow seen as lazy and simple by people from higher classes.
rhubarb crumble (stewed rhubarb topped with a flour, butter and sugar mixture that goes hard and crumbly, usually served with custard)
Again, this is a working-class mainstay. Many people used to grow rhubarb in their gardens because it grows easily and is hardy in our weather. Add a bit of sugar and it’s an almost free dessert.
chocolate pudding (not to be confused with chocolate pudding in American terms, ours is a suet pudding made with chocolate and served hot, usually with a chocolate sauce)
Foods eaten with the Dursleys:
a bun from the bakers (could be either a sandwich made from a bread roll or a sweet bun such as an iced bread roll, without more info it’s not clear. The word ‘bun’ is used to describe many things, and it’s different depending on where you are in the country. For example, I would never say ‘bun’ and mean sandwich but I know some people do. I personally picture an iced bun).
knickerbocker glory (an ice cream sundae)
fruit cake (dense cake made with dried fruits, like a dressed down version of Christmas cake, seems quite old-fashioned now)
roast pork (a joint of pork roast in the oven, often with a layer of fat over it that goes crispy)
soup (a common starter)
salmon (usually a whole fish, baked or poached)
lemon meringue pie (the French dessert anglicised – a pastry case filled with a layer of set lemon cream and topped with meringue)
grapefruit
I want to pause at this point to point out how clear it is that the Dursleys are higher class than the Weasleys. For one, Uncle Vernon just buys whatever he fancies from the bakers for lunch but Ron (and presumably the whole family) are given sandwiches made by Mrs Weasley, containing what they can afford. Secondly, roast pork and salmon are expensive and only eaten by people with more than the basic amount of money and even then really only on special occasions. Sometimes people will have a salmon on the buffet at their wedding, for instance. It’s a far cry from processed meats and chicken and ham pie. Not least because you can make a decent pie out of even poor quality meat, but to make a good roast, especially if you are trying to impress your boss, you need a good quality joint. Thirdly, if on a diet it’s unlikely someone working-class would eat grapefruit for breakfast. I know working-class kids who wouldn’t even be able to identify a grapefruit. Moreover, the fact that they served the meal to Vernon’s boss in three courses, followed by after-dinner mints shows that they either are middle-class, or, more likely, trying to appear so. The Weasleys just have their main course and pudding, even on special occasions. I don’t think I’ve ever had a starter in my life except for in restaurants. Furthermore, at the zoo Dudley and Piers get ice creams and Harry gets a lemon ice lolly. I don’t think there is any more striking a symbol of a working-class person in the 90s trying to treat themselves than cheap lemon ice lollies! All ice cream stands had one and it was always the cheapest thing. By doing this, Vernon is showing that he views Harry as a lesser-class than himself and Dudley. Lastly, while Petunia is preparing the meal for Vernon’s boss, Harry is given bread and cheese for his supper. Bread and cheese conjures up images of Scrooge sitting in the dark eating alone because it was so cheap: Victorian levels of poverty and definite allusions to being a lesser-class.
On a side note, the Dursleys still got their milk and eggs from the milkman, a man from a dairy who delivered to people’s houses in the mornings. In those days lots of people still did, and you do still get milkmen now to a lesser degree. My grandparents got their milk from the milkman and so did my husband’s parents, up until at least 2000.
whipped cream and sugared violets (I had to look up sugared violets myself. I think I am probably too working-class, or possibly too northern, to have heard of them. They seem to be the head of the violet flower dipped in egg white and sugar so that it becomes hard. I have never heard of putting them in cream to make a pudding before.)
Additional foods relating to Hagrid:
birthday cake (usually sponge and covered in icing. In Britain, unlike many countries, you do not buy your own birthday cake: your parents usually get one for you)
rock cakes (these are real, though I grew up calling them rock buns. They are a basically a blob of cake cake batter with currants in, baked for a short time. They are like a cross between muffins and cookies)
treacle toffee (hard black toffee, often eaten around bonfire night)
stoat sandwiches (as far as I am concerned these are not real! I have never heard of anyone eating that! A stoat is small animal like a weasel)
Foods sold by magical establishments, e.g. Honeydukes/the Hogwarts Express:
these foods don’t exist outside HP, but could theoretically be made –
pumpkin juice
pumpkin pasties (a pasty is like a pie but the pastry is filled and then folded over, not topped with a lid)
chocoballs filled with strawberry mousse and clotted cream (clotted cream is thick, rich cream that has thickened naturally, not by whipping)
mulled mead (you can get mead, though it’s not common, and mulled just means it’s cooked through with various spices)
cherry syrup with soda (to us, soda is carbonated water, not pop)
these foods aren’t real but are based on real ones –
Drooble’s best blowing gum (wizard bubble gum)
liquorice wands (you can get sticks of liquorice
fizzing whizzbees (imo based on a sweet called a flying saucer, which is a thin, rice paper-like shell shaped like a flying saucer and filled with sherbet
exploding bonbons (bonbons here are round and soft, sometimes with a powdery centre, which break apart easily and fill your mouth
these foods are real –
peppermint creams (icing sugar mixed with peppermint oil until soft but firm, often coated in chocolate
mars bars (chocolate coated nougat-cream and caramel)
these foods aren’t real and aren’t really based on anything, as far as I can tell –
butterbeer
gillywater
sugar quills
ice mice
cockroach cluster
blood pops
toothflossing stringmints
pepper imps
cauldron cakes
these foods weren’t real before HP but now exist as part of the HP merchandise –
Bertie Bott’s every flavour beans (they are like jelly beans)
Chocolate frogs
Two final things. Firstly, on the topic of class it is worth noting that Lupin felt he had to apologise for only having teabags. Literally nobody who is working-class drinks tea in any other form than teabags 99.9% of the time. You can get loose leaf tea, which is seen as fancy, nicer and is certainly more expensive. I got some for Christmas last year, for instance. Nobody working-class would ever even bat an eyelid at someone offering them tea in bag form. It’s totally normal. The fact that Lupin apologises shows that he is acutely aware that he is more lowly than the average Hogwarts teacher. He is embarrassed by something that most of the population find normal. He feels under them, in class terms. Even though he knows Harry grew up without privilege (though the Dursleys themselves are middle-class), now that Harry is part of Hogwarts he has ascended enough in class terms that Lupin is concerned he will disappointed to have tea from a bag. This goes some way to showing how class isn’t just about money: it’s about tastes and habits.
Secondly, in compiling this post it became really clear that sausages are a leitmotiv marking times when Harry feels cosy, familial and homey. The first thing Hagrid does is cook him sausages, which represent being lifted out of the world of cold and hunger he is living in; becoming someone who others care about and want to care for. When he is rescued to the Weasleys in CoS and is blown away by the wizarding house and starts to feel at home and safe, the first thing Molly does is feed him loads of sausages. Sausages are often mentioned at breakfast at Hogwarts, especially when Harry is in a good mood. Perhaps it was unconscious and JKR herself associates sausages with feelings of family and at home-ness.
One final thing and that’s it, I promise. While writing this it struck me how different what I mean when I say “privilege” is from what an American means when they say it. I have mentioned this before, and at some point will do a blog post about it, but race is bound up so intricately with American history and life that words like “privilege” are encoded with images of skin colour. I bet the average American read “privilege” and pictured a white person, but in the UK that wouldn’t be the case. Skin colour has nothing to do with it. Here, “privilege” means what you have access to, how valid other people see your tastes and way of life, what you have grown up doing, seeing, eating, hearing, believing. It is bound up inexorably with how much money you have, what you do for a living and where you live and, crucially, with your family’s status historically. That one thing is the reason that comparisons between death eaters and Nazis don’t really hold up: HP is about genealogy and not ideology.
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Hello! I was just diagnosed with celiac disease today and I don't have a clue where to start! It seems like everything I eat has gluten in it :/ Do you have any suggestions for starting out on a gluten free diet?
This is going to be long AF so I’m adding in a keep reading okay :)
Ahhhh, I’m really sorry to hear this! Ceciac/coeliac is a really bitter pill to swallow, I remember crying on the way home when I was diagnosed! The good news though is that it does get easier, you learn to just know what brands/foods you can eat and where you can eat out/get food on the go. First of all, your doctor should refer you to a dietician - especially if you don’t know anything about going gluten free.Next, do your research as to what is gluten free. I had no idea that oats, couscous, spelt and rye contained gluten. There are gluten free oats, for the record. Also gluten free couscous but it’s disgusting, don’t even bother lol.
Gluten is in: rye, spelt, barely, wheat, couscous, oats. It is also in some less well known grains, see a full list here: https://www.coeliac.org.uk/gluten-free-diet-and-lifestyle/gf-diet/grains/
The coeliac uk website is super useful (even if you’re not in the UK!) so please have a look around it!
Good gluten free alternative flours typically contain: potatoes, rice and corn/maize
Processed gluten free foods that are marketed as gluten free such as bread, pasta, etc are like ¾ times the price of a regular gluten versions. It’s rough, but I’ve just learned to use less of them. In fact, I eat so many potatoes (such a cheap way to get carbs in as a GF person!) that my old flatmate said she was surprised I hadn’t turned into a potato :((
In the beginning you need to check the label of every food you eat. Most products won’t advertise as gluten free, but if there is nothing in bold on the ingredients list that contains gluten then you’ll be absolutely fine.
Lots of companies have ‘may contain gluten/wheat’ on the label, in my experience they are just doing this to cover their backs and they’re usually fine. What I do is try the product once and if it gives me a reaction (dodgy stomach, bloating or feeling very tired) I wouldn’t eat it again. It’s up to you as to whether you want to risk eating products that may contain traces.
Other ways to get contaminated/things that may give you a bad stomach are things like bread crumbs in the communal butter, chopping boards, pans that haven’t been washed properly, sharing drinks/cutlery/anything with people who have been eating gluten, people not washing their hands between touching gluten and non gluten food (I was recently contaminated by a block of cheese that my brother had touched after making a sandwich!), shared cooking utensils that have been used in/with gluten and gluten free food, cooking gluten and gluten free food on the same pan, food fried in the same oil as gluten food - typically this means no chips/fries when you’re out (FYI mcdonalds fries are gluten free, you’re welcome) you need to ask the waiter to check if any fried food would be contaminated when you’re eating out.Please be aware that you are supposed to treat coeliac disease as you would treat a nut allergy. Even traces can have a negative affect in the long run! The way that coeliac disease works (I don’t know if your doctor explained it) is that your body sees gluten in the same way as it says a pathogen (an illness) so it throws out loads of antibodies to attack it and basically it ends up accidentally attacking its own gut and doing irreparable damage. If you end up with a lot of damage in your gut you are VERY susceptible to bowel cancer later in life.
Also, when your gut is upset after being attacked by the antibodies it finds it very, very difficult to take in nutrients. This is why you feel so tired after being contaminated - you are effectively malnourished for awhile after consuming gluten because your body just can’t absorb much of anything.
Once you have been on a gluten free diet for awhile you will find that you get much more sensitive to gluten, just something to watch out for.
PLEASE be sensible and look after your body. Coeliac disease is not something you can ‘cheat’ on every now and again. It is really tough and you will go through phases when everything feels super unfair and people can be insensitive about it, but you have to prioritise your health.
When other people cook for you please watch over them to make sure they don’t accidentally contaminate you! Sometimes people just don’t know what cooking fully gluten free is and they may not understand that they need to use clean butter, separate utensils etc.
I am very sensitive to gluten - more so than most coeliacs, so you may find that small contaminations do not set you off, but they may still be doing damage to your gut that you cant see so don’t get lax about it.
Some weird things gluten are in that I wish I’d known at the beginning: milk chocolate (especially the lindt brand!!!), advent calendar chocolate, squash/cordials (such as the fruit and barley flavour), soy sauce, stock cubes/powder, gravy.
I don’t know anything about American brands, but if you’re living in the UK please ping me a message if you want any suggestions on what breads etc are actually edible because about 90% of gluten free bread is depressingly disgusting.
This will be a re-education for you. You’ll learn what works and what doesn’t, you’ll learn to go everywhere with food in your handbag/bag just in case, you’ll learn to pack bread in your suitcase when you go on holiday, you’ll learn where you can eat, you’ll learn where to find the best gluten free pizza, it’s a process but you’ll get there!
I wish somebody had been able to talk to me about coeliac at the beginning so if you want to send me an ask or a DM please do! If you can’t DM me because I don’t follow you, send me an ask off anon and I’ll follow you so we can DM. Much love to you, it’s gonna be tough but you’ve got this
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'He was a musical warlock': reflecting on Frank Zappa's greatest album at 50 | Music | The Guardian
The first songs most people hear as children are nursery rhymes and lullabies. The first songs Ahmet Zappa heard as a child were the shock-treatment tracks on Hot Rats, a groundbreaking 1969 set by his father Frank. “This is the stuff I was drinking my milk bottles to,” Zappa said with a giggle. “It’s magical.”
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He isn’t the only one who thinks so. Though Frank Zappa released no fewer than 62 albums in his too-short life – and though nearly as many sets have appeared since his death from prostate cancer at age 53 in 1993 – none sound quite like Hot Rats. It’s a work of such imagination, humor and freedom, it could appeal to a child as easily as it could a stoner, a rocker, or a fan of the avant garde. Zappa’s first true solo album, Hot Rats introduced new recording techniques, melded previously segregated styles, and even presaged a new musical genre. It also broke with the structure of previous Zappa releases. It resonated with progressive rock fans in a way no other Zappa album has, earning generous FM radio play while sending it into the UK top 10, boosted by one of the most recognizable instrumental tracks of the psychedelic era, Peaches En Regalia.
To celebrate, and document, all these innovations, the Zappa Trust are releasing a six CD box set compiled of Rats-related material, timed with the album’s 50th anniversary. There’s also a related tome titled The Hot Rats Book, which concentrates on photos taken from the album’s historic sessions by Bill Gubbins. And Dweezil Zappa is currently on the road with a tour titled Hot Rats & Other Hot Stuff, which features material from the album. “With this box set, for the first time in 50 years you get to hear the whole composition of each song as it was recorded, and as it developed,” said Joe Travers, who has served as “vaultmeister” of Zappa’s music for the last 27 years and who helped curate the set.
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While many box projects that intend to chronicle, and illuminate, classic albums waste space with mild variations on the official versions of a song, most of the tracks on the Rats box differ greatly from those listeners have previously heard. The dense and raucous jams that inspired the final cuts have been fully restored, and assembled in an order that makes the development of the official versions clear. “It provides context for the final product,” said Ian Underwood, who played a plethora of instruments on Rats and who is the only musician, besides Zappa, who appeared on every track. “Like ‘process art’, you can hear all the things leading up to a track, so you get a feel for how it arrived at the end. It’s also interesting to see what didn’t work out along the way.”
The explorative quality that informed the project reflected an especially fraught, and productive, period in Zappa’s career. He had just broken up the original Mothers of Invention, due to the cost of maintaining them and the toil in rallying them. And four months before he entered the studio for the Rats sessions, he wrapped production on another milestone album, Trout Mask Replica by Captain Beefheart. Technically, Hot Rats was Zappa’s second solo album, though his first, Lumpy Gravy, was an orchestral work which he conducted rather than played on. “Frank always considered Hot Rats his real solo debut,” Travers said.
The music itself was nearly all instrumental. For Rats, Zappa ditched the satirical lyrical pieces that helped define the Mothers. There’s only one vocal segment, from Captain Beefheart at the start of Willie the Pimp, a low-down blues rock track which he delivered like a surreal Howlin’ Wolf. The lyrics in the song contain the album’s title which, Frank reveals in a spoken word section of the box set, was inspired by an Archie Shepp recording of The Shadow of Your Smile. “He played this solo that sounded to me like an army of pre-heated rats screaming out of his saxophone,” Zappa says on the set.
To suit the wildness, most songs on Rats last far longer than those on the Mothers albums to that date, elaborated by roiling jams, especially in the nearly 13-minute The Gumbo Variations. The only Mother member retained for the final album was Underwood, though several others from the band, including Roy Estrada and Jimmy Carl Black, performed on sessions which are revealed for the first time on the box set. Underwood considered the elaborately composed music Zappa gave him to play for the album challenging. “You can’t play those parts by just looking at them and fobbing them off,” he said. “You have to really pay attention.”
For the rhythm section on Rats, Zappa hired experienced session guys, including drummer John Guerin and bassist Max Bennett who, collectively, worked with everyone from Ella Fitzgerald to the Partridge Family. But the standout hires were Don “Sugarcane” Harris and Jean-Luc Ponty, who each played dynamic electric violin. It’s one of the first, and certainly the most influential, uses of that instrument in a popular setting, presaging a whole trend in rock bands employing electric violins, from Papa John Creach in Hot Tuna, to David Cross in King Crimson to Jerry Goodman in Mahavishnu Orchestra. In fact, Mahavishnu leader John McLaughlin first wanted to hire Ponty as his violinist, based, in part, on Hot Rats, but immigration problems forced him to look elsewhere. The jazz-rock fusion style that Mahavishnu advanced in 1971 can be traced directly to Rats. In fact, Rats rates as one of the first-ever fusion albums, along with works recorded in the same year by Miles Davis and the Tony Williams Lifetime. More, Rats was the first Zappa album that made full use of 16-track equipment, allowing the star to easily overdub every crazy sound in his head. “He could greatly expand his sound palate,” Travers said.
The album also saw Zappa greatly advancing techniques he had earlier attempted in tape speed manipulation. “Frank would take one instrument, like the bass guitar, and do tape adjustments that, once sped up, would sound like a clarinet,” said Travers. “Or he would speed it up even further to stand in for a flute.”
The result gave some of the music a highly animated, and decidedly comedic, sound, especially in Peaches En Regalia. In sections of that song, Underwood’s array of woodwinds and horns had the character and color of cartoons, to the listeners’ delight. “Frank said Peaches is a song that nobody disliked,” Travers said.
Similarly, the whole album had an infectious energy, giving it a connection to the great psychedelic rock albums of the day, despite all its avant-garde, jazz and classical influences. Though Ahmet Zappa pointed out that “Frank was never motivated by commercial success,” he did write humorous radio commercials to lure people into the music. One, included on the box set, features an authoritative voice announcing, “the music was written by Frank Zappa. In spite of that fact, we think you should obtain it.”
“Frank was aware of the image he had,” Travers said. “He knew that Hot Rats was a departure and he wanted people to give the album a chance.”
Those that did so found a work cohesive enough to live up to Zappa’s description of Rats as “a movie for the mind”. “If you listen to the whole album, it’s a progression,” Underwood said. “It’s not just a series of cuts and then you’re done. There’s forward motion.”
Given that, it’s no surprise that Ahmet Zappa – who wasn’t born until five years after the album appeared – has found Hot Rats entrancing since childhood. “My father was a musical warlock,” he said. “The music he wrote then was just unreal.”
This content was originally published here.
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Grandma’s Yorkshire Pudding
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Grandma’s Yorkshire Pudding
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Yorkshire Pudding is traditionally served as a side dish in a Roast Dinner, for example, Roast Beef.
In the US, many call this (when made in a muffin pan) popovers, and some will often dust with powdered sugar and eat as a dessert.
However, if you have ever been to Yorkshire in the UK, you would often have this dish with your roast meat, or sausages (called Toad in The Hole), together with Roasted Potatoes, veggies and then topped with onion gravy. It really is quite a meal, very delicious often a real family favorite.
For this Yorkshire pudding recipe, we’ve added various tips along the way which will ensure your Yorkshire Puddings rise and are light and fluffy. Please do make sure you follow the instructions, and particularly, take note of the text in red as these parts are important to making sure your puddings come out perfect!
So let’s get straight to the recipe and see how we make Grandma’s Yorkshire Puddings. Please enjoy!
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 35 – 40 minutes
Yield: 4 – 6 Persons
What you need: 9 x 13 pan (oven proof)
Ingredients
3 beaten eggs
1 1/2 cups or 350 ml milk
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups or 190 g All Purpose / Plain flour
1 stick / 4 oz or 115 g REAL butter
To ensure your pudding rises, please make sure you take note of the tips in RED in the instructions below. If you don’t, your pudding may not rise.
Instructions
1. Set oven to 425 F, Gas 7, 220 C. THE OVEN MUST HAVE REACHED THIS TEMPERATURE BEFORE YOU PUT THE DISH WITH BUTTER IN.
2. Melt butter in 9 x 13 oven proof pan, making sure the butter is turning brown from the heat in the oven. THE BUTTER MUST BE REALLY HOT
3. Mix wet ingredients, then add the other ingredients mixing until smooth. USE AN ELECTRIC HAND MIXER TO GET AS MUCH AIR IN AS POSSIBLE
4. Pour over melted butter and close the oven door immediately.
5. Bake 35 to 40 minutes until well puffed and golden brown.
This mix will also make 12 muffins, follow the same instructions, and cook for 17 – 20 minutes.
This is the Yorkshire pudding I made in a large dish and I simply sliced it in to portions for serving. It was huge! WOWZAAA
TOP TIP : Once the Yorkshire Pudding is in the oven, Do NOT open oven door prior to 35 minutes. Also be sure to leave enough space in the oven for the pudding to rise..because it will!
NOTES:
One of our Supporters, Patty has offered some advice regarding temperature and altitude issues :
To avoid a dense pudding, or not rising, it could very well be due to altitude levels and temp issues… if you have an older range/oven your temp may very well not be reaching the 425* mark even though the oven is telling you it is. You could try raising your temp to 430* or even 450* just keep a watchful eye on it.
In my case I have a brand new range and mine is gas and reaches a bit hotter temp than set at so I have to lower mine to 400* rather than the 425* and sometimes with altitude difference you may need to adjust the recipe which I did and used only 1 1/3 C flour which lightened it considerably less.
We’d love to hear from you and what you thought of our post. Did you make any changes or add some other goodies? Let us know in the comments below. Thanks for reading and happy cooking!
If you would like to make a Roast Dinner to go with your Yorkshire Puddings, click on any of the photos below!
How To Cook A Prime Rib Beef Roast. Includes cook times for your liking
How To Cook A Sunday Roast Chicken Dinner
How To Cook Roast Pork with Crispy Crackling
Best Ever Slow Cooker Beef Ribs (recipe for multi cooker / Instantpot too!)
We’ve also got a few other great side dishes you can make to join your Yorkshire Puddings! Delicious!
Easy Garlic Cabbage and Carrots
Creamy Cheesy Mashed Potatoes
Grandma’s Yorkshire Pudding
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
40 mins
Total Time
50 mins
Servings: 12
Ingredients
3 beaten eggs
1 1/2 cups or 350 ml milk
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups or 190 g All Purpose / Plain flour
1 oz stick / 4 or 115 g REAL butter
Instructions
Set oven to 425 F, Gas 7, 220 C. THE OVEN MUST HAVE REACHED THIS TEMPERATURE BEFORE YOU PUT THE DISH WITH BUTTER IN.
Melt butter in 9 x 13 oven proof pan, making sure the butter is turning brown from the heat in the oven. THE BUTTER MUST BE REALLY HOT
Mix wet ingredients, then add the other ingredients mixing until smooth. USE AN ELECTRIC HAND MIXER TO GET AS MUCH AIR IN AS POSSIBLE
Pour over melted butter and close the oven door immediately.
Bake 35 to 40 minutes until well puffed and golden brown.
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Originally published on Hi Tea, Afternoon Tea, and Other Tea Rituals written by Anam Faruqui on Anam Faruqui
Tea is a popular drink of choice all over the world. Whether its green tea, piping hot tea, black tea, iced tea, or kahva, most people can’t say no to it. The popularity of tea has given rise to hi-tea, and afternoon tea, which has become a culture of their own. Restaurants and hotels now offer hi tea. People bond over cups of tea and hi-teas make that bonding more enjoyable. They are also great for informal meetings, where you can chat and unwind over delectable sandwiches and cakes with a nice cup of tea.
How Did the Afternoon Tea and Hi Tea Culture Begin?
Afternoon tea or hi-tea is a light meal usually eaten between 3.30pm and 6pm. Observance of the custom began from the wealthy classes in England in 1800s. Anna Maria Russell, Duchess of Bedford, is credited for transforming afternoon tea in England into an afternoon meal. By the end of the nineteenth century, afternoon tea had developed to its current form. It was practiced by both the upper and middle classes. It was everywhere, even in the faraway villages. For the more privileged and wealthy, afternoon tea was served with delicate savories like cucumber sandwiches or egg sandwiches, bread and butter, scones with cream and jam, and cakes and pastries. The sandwiches were cut into small segments, as triangles or fingers. Biscuits are not served usually. Slowly the culture spread all over the world, and it is not limited to the UK now. Many hotels, restaurants, and eateries all over the world offer hi-tea and afternoon tea. They are usually served in form of buffets, with per head charges. The most pleasurable part is indeed the countless cups of tea that you can drink.
How Has the Culture Evolved
High tea usually consists of a hot, light dish, followed by cakes, pastries, and bread, butter and jam. Sometimes there would be cold cuts of meat. It is no longer limited to the upper class or British people. People all over the world enjoy high tea now. In fact, an afternoon or evening tea with a light meal is actually common all over the world now. So, in a way, people have their own versions of high tea and afternoon tea now. Most commonly served items are sandwiches, biscuits, and savory items like pies, samosa, and patties. The consumption of tea and coffee has increased a lot over the past few years. People sip tea throughout the day in their homes, offices, and universities. Tea contains caffeine which has a feel good factor to it, and makes people feel revitalized and energized. Tea is also a lot more affordable now. They are also easier to make, particularly the tea bag ones. The introduction of powdered milk has made the preparation of tea even easier. Premium and high-quality teas are also available in the market, but these are usually more expensive. Other variants like green tea and iced tea are also now commonly available. Green teas are not reserved to the usual minty flavor now, but you can also buy fruity and exotic flavors now like peachy tea and cinnamon tea.
Also Read: Best Summer foods to keep you cool
Why is it called ‘high tea’?
A possible explanation why is that the tea and accompanying food items were eaten at a table. Comparatively, afternoon tea was taken while sitting in low, comfortable chairs or sofas, like in a drawing room setting. In fact, variations of the afternoon tea developed by the upper class later came to be known as high tea. It was a meal that could be eaten when without help from servants and maids as it was easy to prepare. The high tea was like an evolution of afternoon tea along with the addition of pigeon, salmon, and fruits.
It is called hi-tea because it is served on a table, as opposed to low chairs and sofas
Afternoon Tea menu served in the UK is often referred to as high tea in many other parts of the world. That is why some hotels, like The Ritz in London, use the term high tea in London to advertise the Afternoon Tea because a many of their customers are from other parts of the world. Some places serve a special high tea menu which includes additional savory items like Welsh Rarebit, English muffins, pies and omelet.
Menu Ideas
An afternoon/evening meal, served usually from 4 – 6 pm, includes the tiers of little crustless sandwiches, scones, clotted cream, curd, sweets and many servings of tea. There are no rigid rules about the contents of a menu, but usually consists of sandwiches and a variety of sweet items. A typical menu offers a selection of freshly prepared finger sandwiches, scones with clotted cream, preserves, and jams.
Menu items are usually served on a three-tiered tray like this one
Afternoon tea trays have three levels:
Top one has variations of plain, sweet and savory scones like plain, buttermilk, whole wheat, cream, chocolate glazed, sweet Dried Fruit, fresh/frozen berries, date, savory, cheese and choice, and fresh herbs.
Middle one has sandwiches like coronation chicken, cucumber, cucumber and salmon, salmon, eggs, watercress, tuna, cheese puffs, goat cheese, raisin bread, pinwheels, fig tarts, tomato tarts, mushroom tartlets, and quinoa cakes.
Also Read: Also Read: Power of Antioxidants – Advantages of Antioxidants
Bottom layer has sweet biscuits, coconut sandwiches, lady fingers, Florentines, chocolate biscuits, chocolate Oreos, oatcakes, shortbreads, angel food cake, rhubarb cake, Victoria sandwich, banana bread, currant buns, fruitcakes, bran loafs, pumpkin bran muffins, eclairs, macaroons, peanut butter fudge, sugar plums, caramel truffles, dusted truffles, Turkish delights, fudge cupcakes, brownies, flapjacks, berry tarts, chocolate pie, custard tarts, jam tarts, and pumpkin tartlets.
Fruit tarts are an integral part of high teas and afternoon teas
Different cultures have their own variations as well. For instance in Pakistan you will also find samosas, tikka (meat chunks), aaloo ki bhujia (potato curry), kheer (rice pudding), gol gappay (a salty snack), haleem (made with gravies, lentils, and wheat), bun kabab (pakistani take on burgers), gulab jaman, etc.
Ettiquetes
As hi tea and afternoon tea culture originated in Britain, it can be expected that there are some etiquettes attached with it. British are very proper people and they have set ways of doing things. Here are some customs and etiquettes you must follow while attending a hi tea:
Pour tea first, followed by sugar or sliced lemons. Never add milk and lemon together as they will curdle and cause stomach issues if ingested.
Pour milk after tea.
The hostess should pour. If you are enjoying tea at a tea house, the person who is closest to the pot should serve.
Spoons should never stay in the cup.
Use both of your hands to lift both cup and saucer.
Eat savories first, scones after it and sweets in the end. Or eat the scones first while they are hot, and then eat savories, and then sweets.
Split the scones horizontally before adding spreads.
Put clotted cream first on scones, then jam. Eat with fingers neatly.
Eat bite size pastries with your fingers, break off small pieces before eating. Use a dessert fork to consume larger pastries.
Do not dunk unless the party is informal.
Tea Rooms and Tea Houses
These days, a formal afternoon tea is more of a special occasion, often taken as a treat in a hotels and restaurants. The food is usually served on a tiered stand. You can also find tea rooms and coffee shops in many places. These used to be common in the UK. A tearoom/shop is a small restaurant where beverages like tea and coffee and light meals are served. They usually have a light, relaxed atmosphere. A tea house is a place which serves tea and light refreshments. Tea houses sometimes serve as centers of social interaction. In Nepal and China, a tea house is a place which offers. People gather at tea houses to talk, mingle, and enjoy tea. Young people often meet at tea houses for dates. Some tea houses serve dim sum too. In Japanese tradition, a tea house is used for holding Japanese tea ceremonies. This is called chashitsu . The architectural space called chashitsu is created keeping aesthetic and intellectual fulfillment in mind
Turks are big fans of tea and they sip it the whole day
In Arab countries like Egypt, places that serve tea, coffee and herbal teas such as karkade are known as ahwa or maqha. The tea in Arab countries is normally a strong dark blend. Arab teas are often brewed together with sugar and served in tall glasses, filled to the top. It is presented with more sugar. It is also sometime served with mint or cardamom, or with a some of milk. Another special tea is Maghrebi mint tea also known as Moroccan, Touareg and Sahrawi mint tea. It is a green tea made with spearmint leaves and sugar, traditional for the Greater Maghreb region. It has also spread throughout North Africa, some parts of Sahel, France and Arab world. In Spain it is known as “Moroccan tea”. A similar drink is made in Spain but it is served chilled as iced tea in the summer. It is a combination of imported ingredients and local ingredients so it is an example of globalization in cuisine. In Turkey, they usually drink black tea in very small cups. This is so that tea can remain hot. Tea is very popular in Turkey. Herbal teas are also used as herbal medications. They are popular with tourists with things like apple, rosehip, lindin flower, and sage. On a separate note, Turkish coffee is also very popular throughout the world.
Maghribi mint tea, anyone?
In Pakistan, you can small tea houses dotted across the country. These usually serve chai (tea). They also serve breakfast of crispy parathas and omelets in morning. The road side tea shops are usually men only. The owners and serves are usually Pathan. These tea houses are frequented by students and working class young men to unwind and socialize.
We don’t have Starbucks in Pakistan, we have sattarbuksh!
The teahouse culture has recently changed in Pakistan. As opposed to Western countries where coffee shops dote the streets, Pakistan has a lot of tea houses. This is partly because the weather is mostly hot in Pakistan, and in such a weather it does not make sense to have coffee. Coffee is enjoyed in winters, with add-ons like cream. There are also some coffee cafes like espresso. A lot of dhabas have opened up which cater to the middle and upper class. They are frequented by men and women alike. Thir ambiance is a little like those of road side tea shops, but a little more well managed.Along with tea, they serve food items like cheese parathas, nutella parathas, chicken parathas etc. The well known Pak Tea House is an intellectual tea café located in Lahore.
What is the tea ritual in your country? Do you enjoy your tea alone or do you like to engage with people over a cup of tea? What do you like to eat along with your tea? Let us know in the comments box below!
The post Hi Tea, Afternoon Tea, and Other Tea Rituals appeared first on Fashion Ki Batain.
#fashion #fashionkibatain #pakistanifashion #Pakistan #FashionPakistan #PakistanFashion #newarrival #newcollection #trends #trend #vogue
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Rules: Complete the survey and say who tagged you in the beginning. When you finished tag 5 people to do this survey. Have fun and enjoy!!! Tagged by @apicturewithasmile like a week or so ago but I had no phone reception so couldn't do it til now Are you named after someone? Nah, mum found my name in a newspaper and liked it When was the last time you cried? Well I crashed the work car a few weeks ago, sat in the office and cried for half an hour, and then sporadically through the next week (almost burst into tears at choir that week cos the conductor was snippy with me) Do you like your handwriting? I'm kinda sick of it cos I write way too many things on the work whiteboard and it's all I stare at when I'm at the til taking orders What is your favorite lunch meat? I don't really eat lunch meat? I usually just have chicken in some form, but not like that stuff that goes on sandwiches Do you have kids? Please. If you were another person, would you be friends with you? I'd hope so Do you use sarcasm? That ep of Bob's Burgers where Bob asks Louise if she wants her last words to be sarcastic and she yells "nooooo!" very sarcastically? I'm Louise. Do you still have your tonsils? Yep. Don't think I've ever really had tonsillitis. My immune system is pretty great Would you bungee jump? I would not. Especially with my knee the way it is What is your favorite kind of cereal? I don't get out of bed in time for breakfast (but even when I do I barely eat breakfast, let alone cereal. I guess Weetbix if I had to. Or corn flakes. Both with milk and sugar sprinkled on top though.) Do you untie your shoes when you take them off? Only if I've recently retied them and did them too tight. Do you think you’re a strong person? Physically, nah. Mentally, at times. What is your favorite ice cream flavor? I'm a sucker for a good lemon or mango sorbet, if that counts. What is the first thing you notice about people? I love people's hands Red or pink? Probably pink What is the least favorite physical thing you like about yourself? I hate my boobs. They're too big and I can't buy cute dresses cos I can never get the damn things to close over my massive chest. Can't wear button up shirts (I'm dreading my new work shirt), and did you know the middle of a bra is supposed to sit flat on your chest cos I sure as hell didn't. Which means I've never had a bra fit me properly. And also larger bras are boring and/or super expensive. All in all, I wish my boobs were a lot smaller than they are, my life would be so much easier What color pants and shoes are you wearing now? I'm in bed. I'm wearing bike shorts and no shoes What was the last thing you ate? Grabbed food from work when I picked up Jocelyn. Man, I've missed our chips and gravy What are you listening to right now? Insects. Cos it's the middle of the night If you were a crayon, what color would you be? Can't say I've ever given that much thought. Like a reddish brown maybe? Favorite smell? Lush stores and book stores Who was the last person you spoke to on the phone? Buggered if I know. I hate talking on the phone so I try to avoid it at all costs Favorite sport to watch? The only sport I tend to watch is the afl grand final (though if I miss it I don't care, I'm really not into sports), the Olympics, and lawn bowls is oddly captivating to watch Hair color? Brown, but the ends are currently bleached Eye color? Brown Do you wear contacts? Nope, my eyesight is fine. Although if it wasn't I still couldn't wear contacts, there's no way I could stick those in my eyes. Just thinking about it makes my eyes water Favorite food to eat? Chips. (Hot chips) Scary movies or comedy? I love a good rom com. Can't do scary movies, I don't understand why people like them Last movie you watched? Love Actually just before Christmas. Annual tradition What color of shirt are you wearing? An old grey redbubble shirt, perfect for sleeping in Summer or winter? Neither. I mean, our winters are pretty mild in Perth, but I hate the rain. And summer, ugh. 40° days? No thank you. (That's Celsius btw) Hugs or kisses? Hugs are awesome. Don't have much kissing experience so I can't say for sure What book are you currently reading? I think I have a few on the go but it's been a while since I've been home so I can't remember which ones Who do you miss right now? A few of the guys I used to work with. I miss their humour and how fun it was when they were at work (I don't blame them for leaving, but the place is a little less bright without them there) What is on your mouse pad? People still have mouse pads? (People still have mouses? I mean I do, but it's only cos the touchpad on my laptop doesn't work) What is the last TV program you watched? Watched some Pokemon and American Dad today. Watched a lot of Steven Universe and Bob's Burgers while I was away What is the best sound? A really good choir. (I love the basses most of all) Rolling Stones or The Beatles? The Beatles I guess What is the furthest you have ever traveled? I've been to the UK which is a fair hike from Western Australia Do you have a special talent? Well, I guess I can sing. I don't tend to do it alone though Where were you born? Armadale, Western Australia (I pass by the hospital every time I head off to Albany and it's like I've made another circle in my life) People you expect to participate in this survey? I'm not gonna force anyone. If you wanna do it, go for it. If not, don't stress. (But @ourlittlebear so she gets the pleasure of being tagged, and @myerida or @lady-esty I don't remember which blog you use 😂)
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A Quick Guide to British Drinks
Tea - boil the kettle, pour it in the cup with the tea bag, add the milk, add the sugar, stir. Or some people put the milk in before the hot water.
Coffee - spoonful of instant coffee, hot water from the kettle, add the milk and sugar to taste. Coffee machines, grinders, caffetieres, and pod machines are popular and probably half the norm now but for decades, coffee in the UK was mostly just instant from a jar. Which we had no problem with, leave your instant coffee snobbery at the door, please and thank you. Nescafe is the leading brand, it’s expensive as hell. The next one would probably be Maxwell House. If you go any cheaper, you’re looking at shop’s own and that’s where your snobbery can come back because that’s just coffee scented dust.
Hot chocolate - 3 heaped spoonfuls, hot water from the kettle, then depending on brand add milk and sugar to taste. The leading brands are cadbury’s and options, the really posh stuff would be Green and Black’s Cocoa. We now have varieties such as Malters, Galaxy, Mars Bars, Magic Stars (which is Rubbish! The packaging made it look like the chocolates floated on the top and they don’t! They just melt and form a melted lumps at the bottom of the cup!) but again, shop’s own versions are available.
Lesser popular hot drinks are ovaltine and Bovril. Ovaltine is a malt drink, people tend to drink it before bed, it’s got a reputation of being an old person’s drink and maybe what grandparents will give their grandkids before bedtime. I can’t stand the stuff. Bovril is a yeast extract drink. It’s got a reputation for being associated with Birmingham, but it’s popular in a lot of areas across England, and it’s also associated with football fans.
Even lesser popular drinks, is hot beef oxo. The poor man’s Bovril. Oxo is a stock cube mostly used to make gravy with, also used in casseroles and cottage pies (beef flavouring only). I don’t know if it’s popular in one area over others, it just tends to be a replacement for Bovril, or because the flavour isn’t as strong as Bovril, as a preferred choice over bovril.
Cold drinks:-
Almost all drinks with -ade in the name are fizzy drinks. Powerade, which is a brand of energy drinks, not a flavour, are not. But lemonade, limeade, strawberryade, cherryade, orangeade and raspberryade ald other flavours named like that all are. We do not use the word soda besides when talking about Cream Soda, a specific type of fizzy drink. Regional and age demographics with determine on if it's called pop or not. In some areas pop just means lemonade, in others it means all fizzy drinks. It can be one of those family idiosyncrasies.
Rootbeer is a modern American import, most people aren't likely to drink it, we also don't have Yahoo. Almost every popular type of branded drink we have here has a shop's own version, except Tizer, Irn Bru, Lucozade. You can have a good fun time making up discounted versions of drinks. In real life we had Panda Pop Cola, Rola Cola, and Happy Cola.
Ribena is a leading brand of squash, that's a bottle of concentrated fruit syrup that you dilute down with water. It comes in blackcurrant, orange and summer fruits. There's a non-concentrated ribena strawberry version, originally available in just a little carton that you drink with a straw, but now available in bottles. Vimto is Ribena's main competitor, it’s basically the same stuff.
Depending on social class, Ribena will either be called juice, squash or cordial. Cordial is actually something slightly different. It's the same principle, a fruity syrup you dilute down but it can also be mixed with alcohol. Cordials come on fancier flavours, like elderflower, barley and fruits of the forest and is mainly aimed at a more adult market. Squash is juice, cartons of fruit juice from concentrate is juice, freshly squeezed juice from fruit is juice, bottled freshly squeezed fruit juice is called juice. Ribena has a separate cordial range but they're fairly new to the cordial market. This is a sweeping generalisation, but actual cordial is middle class. Calling squash “cordial” is “Poshing it up”.
Going back to the ribena strawberry in a carton. We do not call them juice boxes, they are “small carton drinks” and only snotty people would comment on someone drinking from a carton with a straw. I’ve seen some wierd reactions to people over the age of 12 drinking from a small carton with a straw on american television shows and it baffled me, because that’s not the general attitude here. In fact, this is a general lesson everyone should just learn actually: Don't be rude about other people's drink choices. You have no idea why someone might be drinking from small cartons with a straw. In fact, for a while CapriSun were popular with everyone, not just kids.
On the other hand, Ribena Fruit Shoot, which are small bottlles with sports lids, are marketed at kids and young teens, and you don’t find many adults drinking them, but because they’re self contained and easy to hold, I saw them quite regularly being used in disabled circles, for both kdis and adults.
Other popular soft drinks we have, besides the obvious coke and Pepsi and ones mentioned above are: Lilt, 7up, Fanta, Rubicon, Dandelion and Burdock, innocent smoothies and innocent juices. And yes, orange juice from actual oranges will come in either "Orange Juice" or "Orange Juice with Bits".
Lucozade for years was touted as a sort of cure all. Have a cold, the flu, upset tummy, or headache? You'd drink Lucozade to help the actual medicine along a bit. In the 90s it changed tactics to be more of a sports drink but I'd say it's only in the last 10 years it was able to shake off the idea that it was good for you if you were sick. It then fell out of favour a few years ago when it changed its recipe to reduce sugars, and now a lot of people don't like it.
There was a whole craze between 2005 and 2011 of drinking RedBull energy drinks and there were so many channel 5 health documentaries that talked about how bad it was for you.
Energy Drinks are still quite popular and are also something you can have a wild time coming up with names for. Popular brands here are Monster, Relentless, Rockstar, Grenade and, er... Well, I don’t want to say the name of the other popular one. The people behind the product swear they don’t mean it in a sexually vulgar way but at the same time, their advert got banned for being sexually explicit, and there’s no cats involved in either the marketing OR the making of process. Just think of the name of the James Bond character played by Honour Blackman and you can figure it out from there.
And then there's water. Generally speaking, all water in England has been safe to drink out of taps for decades. It would be highly unusual to have unsafe drinking water from a tap. However, it does happen and it’s a nightmare to sort out because you get passed from pillar to post as every department possibly involved blames all the other departments. So it does happen. But generally speaking, no big deal if your England-based character just drinks water from their tap.
And on a slightly related note, most water from the Midlands to the south is hard water - it produces lime scale - most water in the North is soft - it doesn't produce lime scale.
If your character is from the north and goes to university in the south, they might get a nasty shock one day after using their kettle for a couple of months if they didn't already know what lime scale in a kettle looked like.Especially when they’re tipping a kettle to pour the water, and lime scale comes out along with it, ruining the perfect cup of tea.
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I was feeling too sleepy to get out of bed this morning, but then Jolly began jumping … yes jumping on my bed! Just as I was about to throw something at him, he reminded me that today is a special Jolly Monday and that I must get up. And so, I dragged my tired old body out of bed … though I think I may have left my brain asleep … and here we are. What, you ask, makes this a special Jolly Monday? Well … today we will be celebrating National Ice Cream Day!!! The day was actually yesterday, but since the entire month of July is National Ice Cream Month, and we don’t do a Jolly Sunday post, we will celebrate belatedly, but with just as much fun! So, there isn’t any bacon per se, guys, but there is bacon ice cream!!! Grab a bowl or a cone, whichever you prefer, and come see what cool treats we have in store for you to start this week!
Do you prefer yours in a dish …
Or a cone?
And here’s enough bacon ice cream for Larry, David, rawgod, Larry, and Emily … play nice!
Would you like a burger with that?
With lockdowns and stay-at-home orders throughout the spring, some have put their creative genius to work, it would seem. The R&D guys at Heinz Foods have been hard at work developing new … flavours … of ice cream. Yes, you heard me right! The people who make ketchup have developed their sauces into ice cream flavours. According to an article in the UK publication, The Mirror …
As July is National Ice Cream Month and taking trips to your local ice cream parlour may look a little different, Heinz has launched a selection of DIY ice cream kits. Using a range of Heinz Sauces, you can now make your very own ‘Heinz Creamz’ at home and enjoy a soft serve in the comfort of your own home.
The DIY Heinz Creamz kits are £15 each and available now. The kits include the accessories you need to make the no-churn saucy deliciousness, including the sauce of your choice, your chosen recipe, a limited edition keystone-engraved golden scoop and golden spoon plus branded Heinz Creamz reusable tub to serve with extra pizzazz.
Um … somehow … I’m not all that enthused, though I would try a bite of one, perhaps the BBQ Creamz?
Ice Cream graveyard …
Ben & Jerry’s has been the creator of some of the most unique (not to mention yummy) ice cream flavours through the years. Every now and then, though, they miscalculate and produce one that isn’t all that beloved, so it is retired. A few of these actually don’t sound bad to me …
Peanut Butter and Jelly – Proving that peanut butter and jelly is better suited for a sandwich, Ben & Jerry’s retired this flavour after selling it for just a year – from 1989 to 1990. Heck, it sounded good to me!
Wavy Gravy – A flavour made from caramel and cashew brazil nut ice cream, chocolate hazelnut fudge swirl and roasted almonds, Wavy Gravy was sold from 1993 to 2001. Years later, the flavour is still remembered on social media – as one person attempted to start a campaign to bring back the ice cream in 2011.
Late Night Snack – An ice cream flavour dedicated to Jimmy Fallon, Late Night Snack was a combination of vanilla ice cream, salted caramel swirls and fudge-covered potato chips and was available from 2010 to 2014.
Schweddy Balls – This uniquely-named ice cream was sold in 2011 as a holiday season limited edition flavour. The ice cream, which was made from vanilla ice cream with a hint of rum and completed with fudge-covered rum and malt balls, was inspired by SNL’s recurring character Pete Schweddy.
Vermonty Python – Vermonty Python was a coffee-liqueur flavoured ice cream made with chocolate cookie crumb swirl and fudge cows.
Actually, none of those sound half bad! Perhaps they sound better than they tasted.
Political Ice Cream???
Ben & Jerry’s is making a statement about the need for criminal justice reform with the launch of its newest flavour, “Justice ReMix’d”.
The company announced in September that it had created the cinnamon and chocolate ice cream, flavoured with gobs of cinnamon bun dough and spicy fudge brownies, to “spotlight structural racism in a broken criminal legal system”. According to the company, the limited-edition flavour is the latest in its commitment to “creating social change” since its inception more than 40 years ago.
“Our approach to creating social change is to raise up the work non-profits are doing on the ground. We bring every resource we have to support them—our business voice, our connection with fans, our Scoop Shop community and of course, ice cream. Somehow, it’s easier to talk about difficult issues over a scoop or two.”
While I’m not sure how much of a difference the ice cream will make, I admire and support any company who is trying to raise awareness for social justice issues.
I’ve got a few fun facts for National Ice Cream Day, too, courtesy of the National Day Calendar folks …
Thousands of years ago, people in the Persian Empire put snow in a bowl, poured concentrated grape-juice over it, and ate it as a treat. Even when the weather was hot, they would savor this sweet treat. Their trick? They placed snow in underground chambers known as yakchal where the temperatures kept the snow from melting. The Persians also hiked to the mountain tops by their summer capital to gather snowfall.
The Chinese, under the Tang Dynasty around 697 AD, took to freezing dairy with salt and ice. However, the results aren’t exactly the ice cream we enjoy today. Frozen treats and beverages later, culinary folks point to Naples, Italy as the birthplace of the first ice cream. They give credit to Antonio Latini. He was born in 1642 and created a milk-based sorbet.
In the United States, the Quaker colonists earn the nod for bringing their ice recipes over with them. They opened the first ice cream shops, including shops in New York and other cities during the colonial era.
Annnnnd … believe it or not, Jolly ‘n Joyful even found some ice cream cartoons!!!
And we even found a Maxine ‘toon for Hugh …
And while they were finding the toons, I found not one, but TWO videos of cute animals eating ice cream!
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We hope you’ve enjoyed National Ice Cream Day here at Filosofa’s Word. Remember to share your smiles … and your ice cream too!!! Love ‘n hugs from Filosofa, Jolly, and Joyful!
Jolly Monday — ICE CREAM!!! I was feeling too sleepy to get out of bed this morning, but then Jolly began jumping … yes jumping on my bed!
#animals eating ice cream#bacon ice cream#Ben & Jerry&039;s#cute animal video#Heinz ice cream#Maxine#National Ice Cream Day
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My daughter’s boyfriend recently came back from Singapore and declared his favourite dish is now laksa. I have a lot of empathy with him as laksa is also a strong favourite of mine and it made me realise that I have not had a laksa for years, living in France.
So it was something of a surprise and relief to hear that laksa restaurants are now sprouting around London, a city which I visit several times a year and where I am currently writing this.
To research the dish, my daughter and I planned visits to several restaurants serving laksa but in the end, we only managed two venues due to work and other issues.
In preparation, I did some investigation into what constitutes a laksa. And there is no straight answer due to the varieties of laksa available. One would have thought all laksa would have something in common, but that is simply not the case (with the exception of bean sprouts).
Varieties
As I grew up in Johor, the first laksa I had encountered was Johor Laksa, an idiosyncratic version seldom found anywhere else. It comprises thick noodles, sardine paste tangy with calamansi limes, cooked in coconut curry gravy with laksa leaves and garnished with fresh salad.
Later I discovered a different laksa in Kuala Lumpur, which actually originated from Ipoh. This is a bowl of rice or wheat noodles drenched in a spicy orange/gold soupy gravy prepared with pulverised dried shrimps, curry paste, sambal (shrimp-based chilli paste), garnished with fish cake slices, fried tofu cuts and/or chicken.
Bloody raw-looking cockles are often an extra addition for just a few cents more. This is more commonly known as curry laksa.
Assam laksa is popular in Penang. Photo: Filepic
And in Penang, there is the fragrant but punchy assam laksa, a rice noodle bowl which uses no coconut milk in a broth based on tamarind, lemongrass, belacan (fermented shrimp paste), fish bones and garnished with ginger flower, bean sprouts, cucumber, shaved onions, raw chillies, mint, prawn paste, chopped fish and laksa leaves.
The Singapore laksa seems to be a sanitised variant of curry laksa from Kuala Lumpur or Ipoh, though it does not offer the option of bloody cockles and may introduce char siew (barbecued pork) or roast pork instead.
Laksa leaf
One would have thought that all laksa would necessarily contain the eponymous laksa leaves. But this is not the case as curry laksa typically do not use them. Nevertheless, the leaf itself is an interesting subject.There are actually two kinds of laksa leaf, which taste similar and are used interchangeably. One is known scientifically as Persicaria odorata and the other is Polygonum minus or Polygonum minor.
The first species is commonly known as Vietnamese coriander in the West, daun laksa (Malaysia), Rau Ram (Vietnam) and Phak Phai (Thailand) where it is the main spice in various kinds of tom yam dishes.
The second species is known as daum kesum and is popular in Malay dishes. Both species are related to knotweed and are from the Polygonaceae family; they are both perennial creepers native to South-East Asia.
The daun kesom is a type of laksa leaf. Photo: Filepic
Both species have high concentrations of aliphatic aldehydes in its oils which contribute to their particular aroma and flavours; eg. decanal and dodecanal.
In total, 69 aroma compounds have been identified in the plant oils by chromatography and mass spectroscopy. These compounds are also claimed to have antimicrobial, antioxidant, immuno-stimulant and anti-carcinogenic properties. Additionally, laksa leaves have a relatively wide spectrum of mineral/vitamin nutrients and the high oxalic acid content is also a digestion aid.
In other countries, Persicaria hydropiper, also known as the water-or marsh-pepper, is sometimes confused for the laksa leaf plant. Wild water-pepper contains compounds which can irritate the skin so the Japanese use cultivars (specially cultivated varieties) of water-pepper to make a garnish for sashimi and also an unusual water-pepper sauce served with grilled fish.
History of laksa
Laksa is acknowledged to be a Peranakan concoction, based on the historical co-mingling of Chinese, Malay and Indonesian influences, with probably a touch of Indian as well.
The origin of the word laksa itself is particularly hazy. One leading theory is that it came from the Persian word, “lakhsha” which translates roughly into “slippery”, and possibly alludes to the noodles in the bowl, according to the Oxford Companion to Food.
Or it may have been a bastardisation of the Cantonese words “ley sah” (or “spicy sand”) which references the texture of the ground dried prawns used in some versions. Or it might have come from the Sanskrit “laksha” which is the word for “many” and may be a reflection of the many ingredients in the dish. The least attractive suggested origin may be the corruption of the Hokkien phrase “lup sup” which basically means “messy” or “dirty”.
From the name history, it is feasible that laksa, or at least curry laksa, may have originated before the use of laksa leaves as an ingredient.
Laksa In London – Part 1
As mentioned, I managed to sample only two restaurants serving laksa in London – I am not sure of the exact number of laksa restaurants now but it is certainly far more than when I was last living there over 20 years ago.
My daughter says more than a dozen venues are selling the dish and it is marketed frequently on social media.
Laksa has becoming increasingly popular in the West, with restaurants like Laksamania in London leading the charge. Photo: Chris Chan
It may be laksa is now the current foodie fad in London. It would not be surprising as fads come and go easily (and often) in large metropolitan cities and the surprise is that laksa is doing so well as it would normally be too spicy for Western tastes.
The first place we ambled to was Laksamania, where my daughter had the Ipoh laksa and I ordered the Singapore laksa.
Both were curry laksa and we were curious about the difference. The restaurant is contemporarily pleasant, with lots of elegant dark wood. The laksa duly arrived and both tasted quite good but were missing the undefined “zing” of a real laksa.
Also, one of the laksa (I forget which) also had an unusually strong flavour of star anise which was interesting, but lost it a few marks on the authenticity scale. That is because star anise is not a flavour I normally associate with curry laksa even though it tasted quite pleasant.
Laksa in London – Part 2
I initially had low expectations when we visited the second venue, partly because a senior UK food critic raved about it too fervently. Usually, when a food critic is so biased, it means he likes the food but that does not necessarily apply to everyone else.
I need not have worried as the dining at Singapore Garden is indeed quite good. They only have the Singapore (curry) laksa and it tastes as authentic as what one would expect at a good food court in Kuala Lumpur.
The evening was enhanced by bumping into a waiter we had known for many years and who helped us choose the best dishes on the menu.
Both places were not expensive by London standards and subjectively worthwhile to get over the craving for laksa. I also bought some packs of curry laksa paste to take back to France to try on some adventurous (and unsuspecting) friends.
There is one other curiosity about laksa leaf. In Vietnam, laksa leaves are used to suppress sexual urges, and Buddhist monks grow and eat the leaves to help maintain their celibacy. If you are looking for the opposite effect, then the Vietnamese believe that raw bean sprouts improve libido.
I have not researched these claims though it is interesting that the only ingredient in common with all laksa is bean sprouts.
from Food – Star2.com https://ift.tt/2MTH6Jy
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Living in England gives me a pretty fair advantage when it comes to this list of things to try that are British and Irish before you die. I have currently tried 10 out of the 63 recommended food items. Listed below is my current list of foodcomplishments:
Afternoon Tea
A long standing tradition that dates back to the nineteenth century. Afternoon tea isn’t your sweet tea or iced tea. The best kind is a loose leaf tea similar to what you would have purchased at Teavana in the U.S. In the U.K. my favorite tea company is Whittard’s and their tea combinations are wicked. A more formal tea where you go out will also typically provide various tea options to include the famous Earl Grey and breakfast tea. Most afternoon teas include a serving of biscuits with clotted cream and jam. If you go to the right place, you might get lucky and check three things off your list. To see my afternoon tea recommendations click here.
Macaroon
Afternoon Tea desserts
Bangers and Mash
Bangers and Mash sounds pretty gnarly and if you get the right one it tastes pretty gnarly too. Simply put it’s sausage and mashed potatoes but the former sounds much better. The most common meat used for sausage is pork but don’t be dismayed, there are other types available for those who don’t eat swine. The most common sausage used is the Cumberland banger (sausage) but you could really get fancy and use any sausage. One of my favorites is a chicken and sage banger it definitely speaks to the savory side of me. One of the best places to get a bangin’ Bangers and Mash is at The George located at 2 High Street Spaldwich, Huntingdon UK PE28 0TD.
Black Pudding Hash
It looks just as appetizing as it sounds. So crazy little tidbit here, my daughter has a computer game called crazy café. One of the levels had a British breakfast and it included making a plate of black pudding hash, beans, eggs and mushrooms. I know some of you are wondering who thought up that combination. During the war food became scarce and well we know how that goes. I don’t know how it works but it works. So fast forward to us living in England and guess what is included in the traditional English Breakfast…you guessed it Black Pudding Hash. I was reluctant at first but you know what sometimes you have to eat in the moment. So to date the best Black pudding hash I’ve had has been at Johnson’s Farm in Huntingdon, UK.
Biscuits
These are your Pillsbury biscuits although a good southern biscuit is great. English biscuits are more of a biscotti texture. To Americans the closest thing to a biscuit would be shortbread biscotti I suppose. Many biscuits are served with cheese as they are sturdy enough to support a good brie with a nice chutney. That’s they way I eat them at least.
Borough Market
If you ever have the pleasure of making it to London or if you live in the UK and have not made it to London. Let me be the first to go on record and say visit the Borough Market. There is almost something for everyone there. I’ve had some amazing Paella, Ethiopian Food and Mushroom Risotto. It is set up food market style so you are free to roam from vendor to vendor and chose whatever is speaking to your soul. My only recommendation is get there early and if you have a fear of crowd’s this isn’t the venue for you. It is literally shoulder to shoulder on Saturdays. The typical hours are 10am to 5pm Monday to Saturday, although Monday and Tuesday there are limited vendors.
Clotted Cream
The book describes clotted cream as the cream of raw milk that is left for 12 hours and then scalded. It’s so hard to describe but it reminded me of whipped butter the very first time I tried it. It is usually accompanied with strawberry jam and scones. The clotted cream at St. Ermin’s Hotel Tea Lounge is pretty darn good.
Fish and Chips
The signature dish of England is pretty much fish and chips. Any pub you go into will most likely have fish and chips as a staple on the menu. Chips for the record are what American refer to as fries except they are chunky so we would probably consider them almost wedges. The fish is commonly Haddock, Whiting or Cod and is usually covered in a light batter. If you are fortunate the fish will be fried well enough that it isn’t drenched in grease. Drip a little lemon juice over that bad baby and Bam you are on the money. If you are in the area the fish and chips at the Duke of Cambridge is definitely worth a stop.
Mushy Peas
If you like peas you may be turning your head ever so slightly at the thought of mushy peas. If you don’t like peas hopefully I can convince you to give them a try. They are made using fresh early peas and usually mushed with some butter. Most of the peas lack salt so be sure to add salt and pepper to give them a good flavor. My favorite mushy peas to date have been mint mushy peas served at one of my favorite places the Brampton Mill.
Roast Beef and Yorkshire Pudding
Sunday Roast is a thing in England and perhaps throughout Europe. Roasts can be roast beef, pork or chicken and they are usually accompanied with Yorkshire Pudding. I’m sure almost everyone growing up has had at least one Sunday Roast fresh out of Grandma’s kitchen. There really is not much different in American Roasts and English Roasts. What is different is Yorkshire Pudding. The name is deceiving as it is not pudding at all. It’s actually a puffy egg bread that baked and sometimes braised with roast drippings then covered in gravy. Currently, my favorite place to have Sunday Roast and Yorkshire Pudding is at the Brampton Mill in Huntingdon.
Sunday Roast
Yorkshire Pudding
Scones
I added scones to my list because well they are quintessential of afternoon tea. If they are homemade the texture is a bit wonky but man oh man a warm English scone with clotted cream and strawberry jam will make your taste buds do the happy dance. Scones are often accompanied with clotted cream and served with Afternoon Tea as mentioned above. Best scone to date I ate at Betty Bumbles Vintage Tea Room.
Scotch Eggs
Scotch eggs are essentially a boiled egg incased in a meat such as ham or pork sausage. It is then breaded and deep fried. If I know what thing, I know deep fried foods are good. Due to the small nature of an egg, it makes a great appetizer. I’ve only tried them once and that was at the café at Sandringham palace and they were good. I know there are some amazing scotch eggs out there and I’ll keep searching until I find the best ones.
If you’ve tried any of these dishes already let me know what you think. Is there anything on the list that isn’t already there? Also, be sure to check back for more additions to the list as I continue to explore more food.
Forks Up!
British and Irish: 1,000 foods to eat before you die. Living in England gives me a pretty fair advantage when it comes to this list of things to try that are British and Irish before you die.
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