Yes, it’s another foodie thread from your’s truly, because I really like my pies, and other assorted foodstuffs.
In our ever shrinking world, where immigration brings new and interesting cultures and their culinary skills with them, I suspect we’re all used to cuisine that isn’t native.
Living in the UK, I of course love a Good Curry, or a greasy Kebab, to give two obvious examples. But this thread is brought to you by Cajun and Creole cooking. No, I don’t know the difference, and that’s because I’m poorly placed to explain it. All I know is that I wants to eats it. All of it.
Now I can find recipes and videos online, but what one might call authentic involves ingredients I simply cannot source here in Blighty. Yes there are often alternatives suggested, but tasty as the outcome is, it’s still never going to be the real McCoy, is it?
And I suspect there are other food fans that also want to try foods where they come from.
My pick? Crawfish Boil, down in Louisiana. Not from a restaurant, but in someone’s backyard. Ideally many people’s backyards so I can try different takes. I like my shellfish, and I likes my spice. And I particularly enjoy communal eating. There’s something that’s just very human about communal eating that has a deep appeal to me (probably from never to now be repeated family Christmases).
Sure, when my trip to New York is organised again* I can probably find a suitable restaurant. But, until I’ve been to The Source? How do I know what it’s really all about?
Right, your turn fellow Dakkanauts. What food do you want to travel for, to taste at source?
*seems the best place to get a general taste of Americana, without being too different to what I’m used to
Meatpie any Version in england.
Haggis, scotland.
Knödel any variation.
In France mainly some haute cuisine. After that provincial.
Pirogi .
Greek fish soup.
Haggis, scotland.
Knödel any variation.
In France mainly some haute cuisine. After that provincial.
Pirogi .
Greek fish soup.
If you ever come to the uk, research this in detail and follow the best online advice... It's so easy to be disappointed and get caught out with processed crap. A decent bistro pub that makes their own and it will be a delight, nearly anything else other than quirky fine dining and it's not worth the effort to be honest.
I think it's become more widely popular and easily available within the last 5 years, but if you haven't tried it I highly recommend Lebanese food. It's fairly clean but very tasty.
Haggis, scotland.
Knödel any variation.
In France mainly some haute cuisine. After that provincial.
Pirogi .
Greek fish soup.
If you ever come to the uk, research this in detail and follow the best online advice... It's so easy to be disappointed and get caught out with processed crap. A decent bistro pub that makes their own and it will be a delight, nearly anything else other than quirky fine dining and it's not worth the effort to be honest.
Figured as much on my visit on the channel Islands.
Same with alot of Swiss dishes, especially cheese based ones... Sadly.
I'd love to check some proper Italian cuisine. I wanna try some ossobuco in particular, see how it compares to the ones I've had so far.
Aside from that, I'll have to visit Belgium again at some point. I can't get enough moules-frites and they make the best over there.
Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote: But this thread is brought to you by Cajun and Creole cooking. No, I don’t know the difference, and that’s because I’m poorly placed to explain it.
Very briefly: the Cajun were French settlers in Louisiana. They were previously kicked out of parts of Canada that France lost to the British. That colony was called "Acadie". Acadien -> Cadien -> Cajun.
"Creole" originally meant "born in the colonies" and it became kind of a generic term for people with mixed ancestry, language and culture. In Louisiana, that'd be mostly people originating from the Caribbean.
Oddly enough, my current goal is to eat more local stuff.
When Europeans settled Australia, they brought all of their food with them, completely ignoring all of the edible stuff that was already here. We've happily adopted foods from all over the world, but outside of a few herbs, native produce is still almost entirely ignored.
That's slowly changing, but would be nice to see more of it.
Although part of the problem is that people have weird hangups about it. There's this odd pushback, for example, against eating kangaroo 'because how can you eat an animal that's on our coat of arms!'... ignoring all of the towns and shires around the country that have cows or sheep on their official emblems. It's frustratingly absurd.
I’ve always had a soft spot for Italian cooking, but never actually had the material to give it a shot. Possibly something that doesn’t involve pasta would be good.
Also hoping to try cooking from countries in Asia. I love me some takeout and sweetened butter chicken has a special place in my heart, but I would love to try to make some legitimate dishes.
insaniak wrote: Oddly enough, my current goal is to eat more local stuff.
When Europeans settled Australia, they brought all of their food with them, completely ignoring all of the edible stuff that was already here. We've happily adopted foods from all over the world, but outside of a few herbs, native produce is still almost entirely ignored.
That's slowly changing, but would be nice to see more of it.
Although part of the problem is that people have weird hangups about it. There's this odd pushback, for example, against eating kangaroo 'because how can you eat an animal that's on our coat of arms!'... ignoring all of the towns and shires around the country that have cows or sheep on their official emblems. It's frustratingly absurd.
Could it be an issue about eating the usual farm animals rather than the rest of the local wildlife? We don’t eat beaver here, but it does sound rather enticing...
Do you know if there are any local dishes that involve the local wildlife? Now that you mention it, I can’t recall ever hearing someone bring up a signature ingredient or dish associated with Australia.
Could it be an issue about eating the usual farm animals rather than the rest of the local wildlife? We don’t eat beaver here, but it does sound rather enticing...
Do you know if there are any local dishes that involve the local wildlife? Now that you mention it, I can’t recall ever hearing someone bring up a signature ingredient or dish associated with Australia.
It's absolutely a case of what people are used to. And there's only ever been a fairly lacklustre attempt to encourage people to use more native ingredients (probably because we have so much of our agricultural infrastructure reliant on all those plants and animals the Europeans brought with them 200 years ago) so it's only the more adventurous eaters who ever get past it.
Having said that, you can buy Kangaroo meat in most supermarkets these days (although I have no idea how well it sells) and there's a slowly growing number of stores around offering native herbs and fruit, so there's hope.
As for local dishes... no. Information on Aboriginal cooking is fairly sparse, and any amount of searching for native recipes just turns up 'modern' dishes using some amount of native ingredients. It's a start, but we're unlikely to see 'flame grilled goanna' on the menu at any high-class restaurant any time soon.
Part of the issue with eating native Australian is that very few of our native foodstuffs cultivate well, either due to intrinsic factors, or lack of knowledge/money/experience in the field.
I think the only native Australian foodstuff that's well known/widely consumed is the macadamia nut.
insaniak wrote: Oddly enough, my current goal is to eat more local stuff.
When Europeans settled Australia, they brought all of their food with them, completely ignoring all of the edible stuff that was already here. We've happily adopted foods from all over the world, but outside of a few herbs, native produce is still almost entirely ignored.
That's slowly changing, but would be nice to see more of it.
Although part of the problem is that people have weird hangups about it. There's this odd pushback, for example, against eating kangaroo 'because how can you eat an animal that's on our coat of arms!'... ignoring all of the towns and shires around the country that have cows or sheep on their official emblems. It's frustratingly absurd.
Australia's become almost a second home to me over the years. The first time I went there, I remember being in a restaurant with Australian friends and ordering kangaroo - it's local, you don't find it in the UK, and frankly I wanted something a bit different. The looks from the Aussies in the group! I got so much grief for eating a "national icon". So don't put it on the menu then!
When I lived in Sydney many years ago, one of the local Vietnamese restaurants used to do alternative versions of their dishes with kangaroo replacing beef, and crocodile replacing chicken. Never really liked the croc meat (always seemed a bit chewy/stringy), but kangaroo is damn good when cooked right. I miss barramundi too - my local pub in the UK used to get a batch every few months when they had an Australian chef.
Oddly, kangaroo has become relatively easy to find here in France. There's been a fad for "exotic" meat a while back, so you can get it or stuff like ostrich or zebra without having to look super hard for it. There are even a few farms raising them here and there.
It's always been very arbitrary what meat people will find "acceptable to eat" or not. I always enjoy making people squirm by telling them how much I like horse meat. Unfortunately it's become harder to find a decent horse steak. Last time I found some, it came from Argentina and it turns out their horse is as awful as their beef is amazing.
Tiennos wrote: It's always been very arbitrary what meat people will find "acceptable to eat" or not. I always enjoy making people squirm by telling them how much I like horse meat.
My sister-in-law got very upset at a family BBQ when my uncle only told her it was a rabbit burger after she ate it.
now maybee that is snobbery, but alas:
I am rural, i hunt on occaision, and fish also.
Let me tell you in regards to meat, or other produce, the dirt and yes that is what i think it is, that is served as acceptable, by esthetic standards solely picked seemingly in supermarkets, fed up in the case of meat on a cocktail of drugs and medicine with little to no care torwards animal well beeing.
does not compare to when you go to your local farmer attempting to do right or as right as he can by nature. Go buy directly from them if you can, yes that is potentially more expensive but the marked increase in quality is well worth it, just in regards to your own wellbeeing.
My wife and I have quite a difficult time over food, as we're both quite into it and our kids are the most ridiculously over-fussy eaters you have ever seen. We literally have a menu of about half-a-dozen meals that they will actually eat and enjoy without any whinging. I have somewhere a photo of my eldest son (probably aged about 6-7 at the time) literally recoiling and cowering in horror as I held out a crouton to him to try.
One place I suspect we might get away with is Italy. The kids will at least eat pizza and pasta... Although I imagine the Italians will do it 'wrong' as far as they're concerned...
Remember that period in the latter half of the 2nd millennium when Britain invaded half the world for their spices only to decide they didn't like any of them?
Anyways, southwestern US Tex-Mex. No, not authentic Mexican food; authentic American bastardization of Mexican food. Not for anyone who wants anything resembling healthy. My advice is to get a good California burrito (beef, french fries, cheese, sour cream, guacamole, salsa).
As a thin blooded son of the tropics, I've always wanted to eat proper Canadian food. You know, poutine, cheese curds, beavertails etc. The sort of Northern junk that lets one go out in shorts in frigid weather, like the low 40s in shorts.
MDG if you make it far enough south to get to the South and some cajun cooking, try to find some beignets, pralines, and grits. Beignets have to be fresh, and oddly enough so do pralines. If they're shipped they lose their luster. Grits are one of those dishes that if they're made by someone that knows what they're doing is amazing, and if you encounter it in packet form is partially set concrete.
Oh, and our official drink- Sweet tea. Very distinct from iced tea with sugar in it.
Gitzbitah wrote: As a thin blooded son of the tropics, I've always wanted to eat proper Canadian food. You know, poutine, cheese curds, beavertails etc. The sort of Northern junk that lets one go out in shorts in frigid weather, like the low 40s in shorts.
MDG if you make it far enough south to get to the South and some cajun cooking, try to find some beignets, pralines, and grits. Beignets have to be fresh, and oddly enough so do pralines. If they're shipped they lose their luster. Grits are one of those dishes that if they're made by someone that knows what they're doing is amazing, and if you encounter it in packet form is partially set concrete.
Oh, and our official drink- Sweet tea. Very distinct from iced tea with sugar in it.
Bruh. Beavertails are the BEST. Just don’t fall for the “specialty” ones. Whoever decided garlic and cheese beavertails were a good idea needs to be dumped off up north. Wasn’t there also that thing with the syrup? The one where you put it in snow to turn it into some kind of taffy? If you’re looking for poutine, I hear it’s best in Quebec.
Sure, when my trip to New York is organised again* I can probably find a suitable restaurant. But, until I’ve been to The Source? How do I know what it’s really all about?
You might be disappointed, there are cajun and creole spots in the region, but they are few and far between and I've yet to find any that are really all that authentic. For the most part they are generic american fare with a couple of cajun or creole dishes on the menu. If you're willing to come to the New Jersey side of the Hudson, I can recommend Saveur Creole as being pretty damned good, and if you come in the summertime Michael Arnone's Crawfish Festival is basically a Louisiana backyard crawfish boil transported to the northeast, except the backyard is a state fairground and features a huge musical lineup from the New Orleans and Louisiana music scene.
In NYC itself, I've heard good things about a place called 1803, but from what I understand its a hipsterfied version of Cajun and Creole cuisine rather than anything authentic. Claw Daddy's is good, but I recommend it more for the appetizers/small plates/soups as they have a good selection of cajun fare, but their main schtick is otherwise a fairly generic louisiana seafood boil type thing that you can find just about everywhere. Sugar Freak is similar but a little more "down home" and has a wider range of options besides the seafood boil.
If you're willing to travel a bit further to the outskirts of Pennsylvania (probably about a 1-2hr trip from manhattan), Marsha Brown is a fixture up here and its very very good. Its refined without being pretentious, and the restaurant is an old church so it has an interesting ambiance.
NinthMusketeer wrote: Remember that period in the latter half of the 2nd millennium when Britain invaded half the world for their spices only to decide they didn't like any of them?
Anyways, southwestern US Tex-Mex. No, not authentic Mexican food; authentic American bastardization of Mexican food. Not for anyone who wants anything resembling healthy. My advice is to get a good California burrito (beef, french fries, cheese, sour cream, guacamole, salsa).
Yeah, if you're in New Mexico avoid the local cooking. I'm stuck here now and the local cuisine begins and ends with the chili pepper. How much can you cram in, and how hot can you make it is the only variables. If you're lucky there's a bit of salt and pepper involved. No subtlety or nuance, just chili peppers; the hotter the better. Why hotter? Because the locals have burned off their taste buds and can't taste anything less. Sure, you can leave the hot chili sauce off, but what's left is little more than a hamburger or chicken breast wrapped in a tortilla. Bland as all get-out.
There was a Mexican restaurant in St. Louis that was TONS better. Run by a family from the south end of Mexico. Yes, they had hot foods too, but they also used other spices to flavor the food beyond 'heat, heat, and more heat.'
I'll second Lebanese food. Back in the eighties a Lebanese grad student and his family ran a Lebanese restaurant in Lawrence, KS that was REALLY good.
Seafood... if you can't get if fresh, generally don't bother. And when I say fresh, I mean the only fish you'll get better than a little place on the coast that does it's own fishing is the fish you catch and prepare on the spot literally right out of the water. Doesn't matter what cuisine you're dealing with, fresh seafood makes all the difference.
By and large, if you want really good ethnic cuisine, find a small restaurant run by people who don't speak your language very well. They are new in-country and know how their ethnicity cooks and will do it right. Sure, there'll be some linguistic misadventures, but that's part of the fun,
It's always been very arbitrary what meat people will find "acceptable to eat" or not. I always enjoy making people squirm by telling them how much I like horse meat.
I have nothing against people eating horse, but damn is it gross in my opinion. It's got an almost putrid scent. Of course that might have something to do with the fact that most horses that get butchered for eating are old, not in their prime like most meat animals.
I count myself rather lucky among Americans. While I was military, I got to live in Germany for three years. And while I know its not universally true, the one thing I overwhelmingly noticed in the city I lived in, was that if you pick an ethnic restaurant, it was owned and operated by someone of that ethnic group. The local scotch bar was ran by a gent by the name of Gordon, who was from Scotland and used his family recipes in his food. The italian joint was run by a bunch of folk who barely spoke German and even less English, etc. The one exception to that was Mexican food, and that was almost universally run by some American ex-GI who opened up shop because when he was stationed there, Mexican food was the one food he truly missed.
Anyhow, even with all the food adventures I had in Germany, I really only experienced from Wiesbaden south/east to Stuttgart, and Bavarian foods. I would love to check out northern German coastal/sea foods.
It's always been very arbitrary what meat people will find "acceptable to eat" or not. I always enjoy making people squirm by telling them how much I like horse meat.
I have nothing against people eating horse, but damn is it gross in my opinion. It's got an almost putrid scent. Of course that might have something to do with the fact that most horses that get butchered for eating are old, not in their prime like most meat animals.
Yeah, if you get some horse that was butchered because it's too old to do whatever it did before, it's going to be bad. That's true for all animals; you don't want to eat some old dairy cow; compared to proper beef it's not going to be any good.
There are farms raising horses specifically for the meat, ideally that's what you'd want. It has a distinct taste, but normally it's pretty close to beef. It seems to be pretty popular in Switzerland, you can get a horse steak in plenty of restaurants there, if you're ever curious.
Ensis Ferrae wrote: I count myself rather lucky among Americans. While I was military, I got to live in Germany for three years. And while I know its not universally true, the one thing I overwhelmingly noticed in the city I lived in, was that if you pick an ethnic restaurant, it was owned and operated by someone of that ethnic group. The local scotch* bar was ran by a gent by the name of Gordon, who was from Scotland and used his family recipes in his food. The italian joint was run by a bunch of folk who barely spoke German and even less English, etc. The one exception to that was Mexican food, and that was almost universally run by some American ex-GI who opened up shop because when he was stationed there, Mexican food was the one food he truly missed.
Anyhow, even wit h all the food adventures I had in Germany, I really only experienced from Wiesbaden south/east to Stuttgart, and Bavarian foods. I would love to check out northern German coastal/sea foods.
*Scottish.
This is true of much of Europe. Is it not the case In the US? I've only been to Orlando, New York, and San Antonio, and only been in Japanese, Chinese, Mexican, and Irish places in terms of not 'traditionally' American joints, but all were staffed by people from, or descended from, those places (or at least I assume so in the case of the Mexican places - I wouldn't know the difference between different Spanish dialects or accents).
Also always worth noting how things change for local palettes. Most Indian food served in the UK, cooked by Indian chefs in Indian-owned restaurants, is starkly different from Indian cuisine from the same region served in India. German Turkish food is not like Turkish food in Turkey, despite its huge (and often quite traditional) Turkish population.
There's also the fact that a chief, if he is worth his weight in salt atleast, will attempt to use fresh and decent quality ingredients, meaning that he or she will be forced eventually to adapt to the local produce., inevitably changing recipies.
Sooner or later, foods get adopted, localised and ingrained. You can see this quite well with border regions, often sharing similar ways to cook stuff.
Also always worth noting how things change for local palettes. Most Indian food served in the UK, cooked by Indian chefs in Indian-owned restaurants, is starkly different from Indian cuisine from the same region served in India. German Turkish food is not like Turkish food in Turkey, despite its huge (and often quite traditional) Turkish population.
That's true. Only maybe 1% of the italian restaurants spread out across the world serve real italian food.
Since I heard the Romans introduced rabbits everywhere they went as a source of food, I'd go for that if I saw it offered. I assume local recipes were common, but would be available anywhere.
Since I heard the Romans introduced rabbits everywhere they went as a source of food, I'd go for that if I saw it offered. I assume local recipes were common, but would be available anywhere.
Rabbit is a funny one here (NE UK) - it's rare to see it on restaurant menus and in butchers, but it turns up a lot in home cooking (pies & burgers being the ones I encounter most). I guess because it's not commercially farmed that much?
Another uncle lives in France, and used to live near an amazing meal du jour place (no menu or choice, you have what they cooked for that day), but they got annoyed if you asked what you were actually eating...
Wait, is rabbit actually not something you normally eat in the UK? I thought the burger story was someone being fussy about eating a cute bunny.
People don't do that much anymore, but in the countryside almost everyone would raise some rabbits. They breed famously fast, don't take much space and you can feed them whatever bits of vegetables you don't want for yourself. Kinda like chicken. That means there's plenty of recipes for rabbit in home cooking.
The meat has plenty of tiny bones that make eating it messy and annoying, that may be why restaurants don't serve rabbit too often. Or maybe it's considered too "plain" for restaurant food.
Yep, no rabbit on the normal restaurant menus in the UK.
We know about it, and rabbit stew gets the occasional mention, but rabbit, horse and a few others, nope.
SkavenLord wrote: I’ve always had a soft spot for Italian cooking, but never actually had the material to give it a shot. Possibly something that doesn’t involve pasta would be good.
So, pizza? .
Anyway, I've been trying my hand at making for myself all kinds of food but also the dishes from where I grew up - Limburg, colloquially called the Bourgondia of the Netherlands. Hunter's stew is my favourite not-very-well-known food so far.
We also have the best fruit pies is the world, the Limburgse vlaai - and that's not a boast.
I also would like to get to Louisiana and eat my way through creole and cajun cuisine. I've had a few pretty good takes on, more since I moved to the south, but I want the real thing.
Here's the thing with regional cuisine: it's tough to get right outside of the region, unless there are enough people to support distribution of all the ingredients. Even then, some dishes are changed to suit local tastes. My personal example is lebanese food. I grew up in Dearborn, Michigan, which has a huge lebanese population. I struggle with Hummus or shwarma from most places I eat at now. Even if what I grew up with was itself an evolution, its what I love!
Since I heard the Romans introduced rabbits everywhere they went as a source of food, I'd go for that if I saw it offered. I assume local recipes were common, but would be available anywhere.
Rabbit is a funny one here (NE UK) - it's rare to see it on restaurant menus and in butchers, but it turns up a lot in home cooking (pies & burgers being the ones I encounter most). I guess because it's not commercially farmed that much?
Do you mean NE UK or NE England? I've come across rabbit quite a lot on menus in Perth/Aberdeen/Elgin/Inverness. It's standard at a couple central belt places I visit fairly frequently, too. Usually as a starter in sorta lower-high end places. Could be mostly restricted to quite traditional places, though.
Since I heard the Romans introduced rabbits everywhere they went as a source of food, I'd go for that if I saw it offered. I assume local recipes were common, but would be available anywhere.
Rabbit is a funny one here (NE UK) - it's rare to see it on restaurant menus and in butchers, but it turns up a lot in home cooking (pies & burgers being the ones I encounter most). I guess because it's not commercially farmed that much?
Do you mean NE UK or NE England? I've come across rabbit quite a lot on menus in Perth/Aberdeen/Elgin/Inverness. It's standard at a couple central belt places I visit fairly frequently, too. Usually as a starter in sorta lower-high end places. Could be mostly restricted to quite traditional places, though.
Tiennos wrote: Wait, is rabbit actually not something you normally eat in the UK? I thought the burger story was someone being fussy about eating a cute bunny.
People don't do that much anymore, but in the countryside almost everyone would raise some rabbits. They breed famously fast, don't take much space and you can feed them whatever bits of vegetables you don't want for yourself. Kinda like chicken. That means there's plenty of recipes for rabbit in home cooking.
The meat has plenty of tiny bones that make eating it messy and annoying, that may be why restaurants don't serve rabbit too often. Or maybe it's considered too "plain" for restaurant food.
I think part of that was due to the myxamtosis virus doing massive damage to UK rabbit population in the mid-1950s with a few further outbreaks down the years that outside of the more rural areas it largely fell off the radar, Ive tried it and wasnt keen I'd rather eat Bambi
And it’s difficult to find, but proper, over an open fire, spit roast beef is out of this world good. Team it with seasonal, local veg, dripping gravy and Yorkshire Pudding, you’ve got an absolute winner.
This is true of much of Europe. Is it not the case In the US? I've only been to Orlando, New York, and San Antonio, and only been in Japanese, Chinese, Mexican, and Irish places in terms of not 'traditionally' American joints, but all were staffed by people from, or descended from, those places (or at least I assume so in the case of the Mexican places - I wouldn't know the difference between different Spanish dialects or accents).
So, oddly, you're a bit mistaken on this point. Many Japanese restaurants (especially sushi spots) in the US are actually run by Koreans. Most pizzerias in the northeast are actually run by Albanians and sometimes Greeks (as are some more upscale Italian restaurants, though these tend to be run by folks who are American born and bred and only speak 10 words of Italian, poorly, and whose families have been here for 3+ generations). Outside of the American southwest, Mexican restaurants aren't usually run by Mexicans (though you usually get other central americans instead). Often, Thai and Vietnamese restaurants are run by Chinese instead (and in some areas Chinese restaurants are run by Thai/Vietnamese as Thai/Vietnamese cuisine tends to be a harder sell to Americans). A lot of restaurants that claim to be Turkish are actually run by Lebanese, and a lot of Lebanese places by Turks. A lot of "American" eateries (i.e. Diners) are run by Greeks (which is why so many of them have Greek dishes on the menu). A lot of Greek restaurants are run by Turks or Macedonias, and sometimes Serbs or other Balkan ethnicities. Almost all of these restaurants have guys from Latin America working in their kitchens (though anyplace where the kitchen is visible to the patrons, such as chinese takeouts and sushi restaurants, they usually keep it people who at least look like they are of the ethnicity in question).
BobtheInquisitor wrote: I miss Ethiopian food. As far as I’m concerned, the source I want to tap is Cafe Colucci in Oakland. Southern California problems.
It was too easy a joke not to make. It’s like “that.’a what she said” but slightly less played out.
Anyway, concerning ethnicities of chefs vs ethnicities of dishes, I don’t find it to be much of a problem. Yeah, I did raise my eyebrow at the Indian restaurant that served beef curry, but their food was amazing. Tradition isn’t everything; I prefer the experimental fusion restaurants to many of the “authentic” ones.
Rabbit was pretty common when people shopped at the local butcher (often wild caught and supplied to him by a few local folk with ferrets)
but when shopping over here mainly moved over to supermarkets they didn't stock it as it wasn't available in bulk from a few main sources (we never really had farmed rabbit like some European countries seem to have had)
Automatically Appended Next Post: Italians and Cypriots used to run a lot of the UK's fish and chip shops (and a mighty fine job they did too)
it's a bit more varied now but a lot of the best are still 2nd/3rd generation folk from there
I'd love to gorge on all the Asian street foods you see on movies & TV, looks great (well most of it)
Some of the best pizza I have had here in Southern California is made by a first-generation Asian immigrant family. Not like, the spouse is American or Italian the whole family is Asian. Ethnicity can be an indicator for cooking, but far from a guarantee.
Automatically Appended Next Post:
Blackie wrote: I've always wanted to try alligator meat, but of course I'd need to travel to America first.
You aren't missing much; it really does taste like chicken.
This is true of much of Europe. Is it not the case In the US? I've only been to Orlando, New York, and San Antonio, and only been in Japanese, Chinese, Mexican, and Irish places in terms of not 'traditionally' American joints, but all were staffed by people from, or descended from, those places (or at least I assume so in the case of the Mexican places - I wouldn't know the difference between different Spanish dialects or accents).
So, oddly, you're a bit mistaken on this point.
I'm not sure how 'This is my experience, is it not representative?' can be wrong, but I don't find much of the explanation surprising. I suppose most of my eating in the US has been in fairly expensive places (because it's been at a conference and an Ivy League credit card has been picking it up or just because it was a holiday and we were splurging a bit) which are likely to be a bit more 'authentic' or I've been with people from the same place as the restaurant and they were doing the choosing.
I cannot speak for crocodile meat, just gator. Though it reminds me of a tip I learned to tell the difference between an alligator and a crocodile; pay attention to if the animal sees you later, or in a while.
This is true of much of Europe. Is it not the case In the US? I've only been to Orlando, New York, and San Antonio, and only been in Japanese, Chinese, Mexican, and Irish places in terms of not 'traditionally' American joints, but all were staffed by people from, or descended from, those places (or at least I assume so in the case of the Mexican places - I wouldn't know the difference between different Spanish dialects or accents).
So, oddly, you're a bit mistaken on this point.
I'm not sure how 'This is my experience, is it not representative?' can be wrong, but I don't find much of the explanation surprising. I suppose most of my eating in the US has been in fairly expensive places (because it's been at a conference and an Ivy League credit card has been picking it up or just because it was a holiday and we were splurging a bit) which are likely to be a bit more 'authentic' or I've been with people from the same place as the restaurant and they were doing the choosing.
'
I didn't say it was "wrong", I was answering your question.
This is true of much of Europe. Is it not the case In the US? I've only been to Orlando, New York, and San Antonio, and only been in Japanese, Chinese, Mexican, and Irish places in terms of not 'traditionally' American joints, but all were staffed by people from, or descended from, those places (or at least I assume so in the case of the Mexican places - I wouldn't know the difference between different Spanish dialects or accents).
So, oddly, you're a bit mistaken on this point.
I'm not sure how 'This is my experience, is it not representative?' can be wrong, but I don't find much of the explanation surprising. I suppose most of my eating in the US has been in fairly expensive places (because it's been at a conference and an Ivy League credit card has been picking it up or just because it was a holiday and we were splurging a bit) which are likely to be a bit more 'authentic' or I've been with people from the same place as the restaurant and they were doing the choosing.
'
I didn't say it was "wrong", I was answering your question.
We obviously define 'mistaken' differently, but fair enough.
SkavenLord wrote: Odd question: Has anyone ever used a tajine? Been meaning to try Moroccan dishes too, but I heard it’s useful to have one of these around.
Yes - and, it does make a difference if you want the authentic dish. That said it's not exactly required, and it's a big thing to have lying around if you're only using it once in a blue moon.
I'd suggest trying out the dishes in a slow cooker first, and if you like, get the tajine later.
SkavenLord wrote: Odd question: Has anyone ever used a tajine? Been meaning to try Moroccan dishes too, but I heard it’s useful to have one of these around.
Yes - and, it does make a difference if you want the authentic dish. That said it's not exactly required, and it's a big thing to have lying around if you're only using it once in a blue moon.
I'd suggest trying out the dishes in a slow cooker first, and if you like, get the tajine later.
Rather surprised to hear that it’s that big. Most of the pictures I have seen made it appear rather small! I’ll try out the slow cooker idea. Probably would have that bolder slow cooker-y taste, but would be much easier to use. Thanks!
Well, it's more to do with the vertical space it takes up! The base width is no bigger than a slow cooker.
...it doesn't help that I'm going by UK kitchen sizes, which aren't typically huge even in a full-on house.
Best of course in Devon & Cornwall, where the Jam and clotted cream mines are. But any decent tea room promises a treat.
Im duty bound to point out that one of these places does it wrong, and its rumoured, rather than churchy stuff, that the schism between the Big Enders and Little Enders in Gullivers Travellers is inspired by this ongoing difference of opinion
Best of course in Devon & Cornwall, where the Jam and clotted cream mines are. But any decent tea room promises a treat.
Im duty bound to point out that one of these places does it wrong, and its rumoured, rather than churchy stuff, that the schism between the Big Enders and Little Enders in Gullivers Travellers is inspired by this ongoing difference of opinion
The trick is to split your scone. One half jam then cream, the other cream then jam.....
Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote: Should be pronounced “Scoon”, and that’s the pronounciation of the town in Scotland where they originated (Scone).
So what you're telling me is that the Scots know something that seemingly no English knew (until me, maybe you too...?).
I bet that's caused many a giggle at the bar.
Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote: Should be pronounced “Scoon”, and that’s the pronounciation of the town in Scotland where they originated (Scone).
So what you're telling me is that the Scots know something that seemingly no English knew (until me, maybe you too...?).
I bet that's caused many a giggle at the bar.
I thought it was fairly well known lots of UK foods have names relating to ooop North and Beyond the Wall, but besides Plymouth Gin such things are rare in the shire
Turnip Jedi wrote: I thought it was fairly well known lots of UK foods have names relating to ooop North and Beyond the Wall, but besides Plymouth Gin such things are rare in the shire
Absolutely - I just had no idea that scoons were one of them.
Doc, glad to hear no harm done - as long as you don't Marilyn Monroe your kilt at me, I won't pop off my monocle at you.
Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote: Should be pronounced “Scoon”, and that’s the pronounciation of the town in Scotland where they originated (Scone).
That they're named for Scone is just a hypothesis suggested in, insofar as I'm aware, a single cookbook. The origins of the name are a bit murky and they may well be false cognates.
Just looked into it myself a bit. It's disingenuous to suggest a single cookbook as the source, it can be found elsewhere. But it's fair to say the origins are murky.
There's this possibility in particular:
"Other contenders include the Gaelic “sgonn” (rhymes with gone), a shapeless mass or large mouthful; the Dutch “schoonbrot,” fine white bread; and the closely-related German “sconbrot,” fine or beautiful bread."
This kind of link combined with the amount of commonality between English and other European languages, makes me think the actual explanation is probably just that sgonn, schoonbrot, sconbrot and scone all derive from a common predecessor word for bread, that may now be lost to the mists of time.
Super Ready wrote: Just looked into it myself a bit. It's disingenuous to suggest a single cookbook as the source, it can be found elsewhere. But it's fair to say the origins are murky.
There's this possibility in particular:
I did say 'insofar as I'm aware'. Interesting that others give the town as its etymological origin. Who does that?
One, for missing you saying that, somehow.
Two, because "disingenuous" wasn't meant to come off as an attack.
Three, because on checking again, I was mistaken (again!!) - what I was seeing was a general consensus that the word originated from Scotland, but not mentioning the town specifically.
Best of course in Devon & Cornwall, where the Jam and clotted cream mines are. But any decent tea room promises a treat.
Im duty bound to point out that one of these places does it wrong, and its rumoured, rather than churchy stuff, that the schism between the Big Enders and Little Enders in Gullivers Travellers is inspired by this ongoing difference of opinion
They're both doing it wrong. The American method is right and proper: split the scone, cream one side, jam the other, put it back together and then eat it as a cream and jam sandwich.
Now feels like a good time for my favourite Boston Tea Party joke.
UK: "Hey, guys, I couldn't help but notice, you're spelling 'harbour' a bit weird. You're spelling it..."
US: "...without U. Yes, we know. Take the hint."
Super Ready wrote: Now feels like a good time for my favourite Boston Tea Party joke.
UK: "Hey, guys, I couldn't help but notice, you're spelling 'harbour' a bit weird. You're spelling it..."
US: "...without U. Yes, we know. Take the hint."
A proper middle-ages (or even pre-roman) British diet is woeful. I'm sure the main reason for the empire was to get some proper grub.
We'll take anything over turnips with every meal.
Skinnereal wrote: A proper middle-ages (or even pre-roman) British diet is woeful. I'm sure the main reason for the empire was to get some proper grub.
We'll take anything over turnips with every meal.
I guess the ancient Brits didn't like the challenge? I think most of French cuisine was born from someone saying "I only have that disgusting crap to eat, but I'll find a way to make it the most delicious thing ever!" Like you shouldn't expect anything good from a pig's colon, but somehow it works... And preparing snails is actually a week-long job. That's how motivated/desperate you have to be to eat some snails.
Skinnereal wrote: A proper middle-ages (or even pre-roman) British diet is woeful. I'm sure the main reason for the empire was to get some proper grub.
We'll take anything over turnips with every meal.
I guess the ancient Brits didn't like the challenge? I think most of French cuisine was born from someone saying "I only have that disgusting crap to eat, but I'll find a way to make it the most delicious thing ever!" Like you shouldn't expect anything good from a pig's colon, but somehow it works... And preparing snails is actually a week-long job. That's how motivated/desperate you have to be to eat some snails.
Yep, I too did it once, after feeding them a few days got an entire night to it and played cards with my brother while they were boiling.... Disgusting!
French cuisine is great though, and eating good is that important to us that proper ready-cooked dishes made it into our combat rations....
Skinnereal wrote: A proper middle-ages (or even pre-roman) British diet is woeful. I'm sure the main reason for the empire was to get some proper grub.
We'll take anything over turnips with every meal.
I guess the ancient Brits didn't like the challenge? I think most of French cuisine was born from someone saying "I only have that disgusting crap to eat, but I'll find a way to make it the most delicious thing ever!" Like you shouldn't expect anything good from a pig's colon, but somehow it works... And preparing snails is actually a week-long job. That's how motivated/desperate you have to be to eat some snails.
Yep, I too did it once, after feeding them a few days got an entire night to it and played cards with my brother while they were boiling.... Disgusting!
French cuisine is great though, and eating good is that important to us that proper ready-cooked dishes made it into our combat rations....
During my travels I've managed to try the following:
- Wagyu beef in Kyoto. Found a restaurant specialising in it, had visited a tofu place earlier in the day with my vegetarian girlfriend so I had earned this one. Was rather expensive at around £35-40 for a 7oz steak but by god it was divine.
- Whale meat in Iceland while I was there on fieldwork. Again, very delicious, surprisingly little fat on it. Also tried hakarl and brennevin (rotted shark and an aniseed spirit), which was, not surprisingly, vile.
- Kangaroo meat in Australia, which was much more common than I expected.
I've always wanted to visit a proper American BBQ joint. We have a decent place in London called Big Easy (which I thoroughly recommend), but never got the chance while I was over there.
Skinnereal wrote: And, who has a kettle in the US, to make a proper cuppa...?
Man I know we have some linguistic shift, but that is the weirdest way to spell 'microwave' I've ever seen.
Interesting Microwave Trivia. Microwaves are actually the most energy efficient way to heat food in terms of % of energy that makes it into the food itself.
Living in the southeastern US, I would love to try different pork barbeque across the states. Living in North Carolina, we have a constant debate between vinegar or ketchup based sauces. This debate is engrained in our states society as it really depends on which side of the state you come from. I've also gotten a pork barbeque plate in Georgia before and boy do they things spicy!
h all the food adventures I had in Germany, I really only experienced from Wiesbaden south/east to Stuttgart, and Bavarian foods. I would love to check out northern German coastal/sea foods. 
