Hey! Your food doesn't suck!

One of the things I kept hearing over and over again was how dull and horrible English food is.  Even honey jokes about it whenever I talk about needing my Spanish products.

I haven't had too many "Traditional" English meals (I don't think) but everything I've had here I've really liked.  Granted, I have to comment that it doesn't have a wow factor - but!  Its solid comfort food.

Lamb and pork is extremely popular and there's bangers (sausage) for everything, everywhere.  (Baked) beans go on EVERYTHING (huzzah!), and most things are fried.   Meals are no nonsense meat and potatoes set ups, but there is PLENTY of it.  Lunch is called "Dinner" and Dinner is "Supper".  My poor head tries to get around that one still.  Oh!  And, "Pudding" means dessert and has nothing to do with actual pudding, which is called "custard" here.

Beef actually tastes different, here.  Trying to make picadillo took practice since the minced beef handles and cooks differently, but you can get it just the way you like it, with a few tries.   Deli meats are also different in look and taste.  I've had very good sliced ham here, and it still isn't what I'm used to in the states.

Oh and by the way, McDonalds, Burger King and Subway are still places you can 'count on' (for lack of a better phrase) to taste pretty much the same.  Though their chicken with sweet chilli sauce is yummy!

The other thing I like about this place is that Indian, Chinese and Thai are your everyday alternatives.  Most everyone goes for a 'Curry' and its easy to get Indian food at the supermarket.  In fact, Morrisons (a supermarket chain) has some really good 'Indian for 1 (or 2 or 4)" meals.  And its their supermarket brand.  But don't expect all the usual favorites at your local Chinese place.  And ordering what YOU think is Sweet and Sour Chicken, may be different than what you actually get.  Funny thing is that most Chinese places make Indian curry dishes and most places have the usual "British" items on there.

I think the best thing about food around where I live - is how affordable it is.  Local growers are at the town market every day with tons of fresh fruit and vegetables.  I don't know why anyone would go to the Supermarket for fruits and veggies, actually, unless they happen to be there and are short on time.

For just about 5 quid (British Pounds),  which is just under $8, I can get 6-10 bananas,  about a dozen peaches, two pineapples, and a bunch of asparagus and still have change left over.  The people are great, the produce is delicious and people eat healthily.

....or not.

The one thing that really surprised me was the amount of candy and chips (wooops! I mean 'crisps') that people consume here, right along with deliciously bad for you meat or bean pies of all kinds.  But really...wow...the amount of chocolate and candy is astounding.  My jaw dropped on several occasions and I fear for some people blood sugar! LOL.

I'd mention all the fried food as well. But really...who am I to talk about fried food when most of the stuff on the island comes out of a pot of oil? LOL.  They've got a pretty good balance between fried and roasted, but its easy to fall into the fried side.

With that said.  Here are some of my favorites...
1. Chips and Beans - as in, French Fries and Baked Beans.  Oh man this is awesome at any time and ESPECIALLY after a night of bar hopping.  Move over 3am pizza!  Stand aside 4am Gray's Papaya hot dogs!
2. Bangers and Mash with Yorkies - As in Sausages and Mashed Potatoes (with Gravy) and Yorkshire Pudding.  Yorkshire pudding is, in fact, not pudding as we know it, but a dough that's baked in oil. Like a cross between a pancake and bread.  Delicious! Especially the way my honey makes them.  Did I mention he's a wiz at Yorkies and Scones? Mmm...
3.  Fried Bread - as in regular sliced bread fried in lard or olive oil.  OH. MY. GODS.  How amazing is this!?!?  Add a fried egg, sunny side up, on top of it, add some beans (yeah...beans for everything) and bacon and I'm a happy camper.  Speaking of bacon...
4. Bacon - as in....BACON.  Puts us and the Canadians to shame.
5. Salad - as in British Salad.  Salad isn't necessarily salad.  Its a spread.  With just about everything you can think of from canned corned beef, to pickled onions, to pork pie.....everything!
6.  Cobs - as in...sandwiches.  Also called "Baps".  My favorites are Chicken Tikka (which I now make at home) and Tunafish with Mayo and corn. ::drool::

And yes.  I HAVE tried Steak and Kidney Pie.  But no...I haven't had Bubble and Squeak.  OH! And - thanks to me landing in the hospital one night with a very bad throat infection, I tried porridge!  Yummy!

Until next time! Keep eating!