Winter Treats and Wanderings in Great Britain

My apologies for the extended lack of postings! The past six months of my life have been dominated by academics and assorted personal problems, and I just could not find the time to update. Needless to day, in the midst of all the chaos, I actually did manage to find time to eat, so I've got a bit of a back log.

After the insanity of last semester, I decided that I needed more, and so planned a trip to the UK and Scandinavia over winter break.

The journey began in Southampton, where I was reminded of the true meaning of love with the best homemade full English breakfast the UK has ever seen. (See my prior post for details of what this consists of).

Stuart and I then made our way to Horsham, where Stuart's mother entirely outdid herself, and prepared a Hogwarts-scale Christmas dinner with all the English classics.

The centerpiece of the meal was a free range turkey from the local butcher. Beautifully cooked and absolutely splendid with gravy, roast potatoes, parsnips, and carrots. It was great to be able to have turkey both for Thanksgiving and for Christmas!

Desert is where things got really classically English, however. Homemade minced pies with vegetarian mincemeat. Mincemeat generally consists of dried fruit, spices, and brandy. Stuart's mother used Grand Marnier which embellished wonderfully upon the fruity flavor of the pies. These were a mere appetizer to the Christmas pudding that followed.

The Christmas pudding was, like the mince pies, replete with dried fruit and nuts. Soaked in brandy and warmed by a quick flambe, this was a gorgeously rich winter desert. It was only made better by the addition of clotted cream, custard, and brandy butter.



My sister Becca flew over to join us in time for Boxing Day, and soon we were off to Wales with Stuart and friends! Wales is a truly beautiful place: Rolling green hills, castles, and pristine beaches. We were privileged enough to be able to explore the countryside; visiting the Holy Wells of Gumfreston, scaling the walls of Carew Castle, and gallivanting off to Tenby.
Of course all of these adventures made us hungry, and Will's mother was kind enough to feed us! The one bit of Welsh cuisine that is unforgettable is the cheese. In particular, a cheese from Snowdonia called Red Devil. This cheese is so sharp and spicey that it makes your mouth itch and your cheeks sweat...A truly welcome experience given the monotony of Wisconsin's mild cheddars.
After our sojourn to Wales, we headed off to London for New Years. After a night of revelry with Four Tet and Nathan Fake, Becca got to have her first ever full English breakfast. (Photo courtesy of Becca herself).

"It is an awesome feeling." She said. When asked how it compared to American diner food she responded, "It's much more of a unified vision of breakfast than American diner food. The variety is more subtle and dependent on location and chef rather than the elements themselves." In terms of its healing properties, she replied that, "It's excellent for recovery after a long night out...the lack of options is great...it's like 'yes, this is what will heal you!'"

Again, I really cannot comprehend why English cuisine has such a bad rap. Sure, some of it is a bit heavy, but isn't that what one craves for their physical fortitude winter? As an objective newcomer to English food, Becca offered her opinion, "I was surprised by how different than American food it is...It really is its own distinct cuisine. There are flavors you don't find at all in American cuisine. More emphasis on the savory, which is a good thing."

A Jolly Good Food Tour

It's been a while since my last post. I've been too busy with school and life to keep tabs on my cooking. I did, however have some decadent culinary experiences while I was in England over spring break.

When most people talk about traveling to England, one of the things that inevitably comes out of their mouth is, "...And the food was just awful." Wrong. English food is not awful. The fact is that these poor shlubs have only ever experienced awful English food. There is something very hobbit-like and unpretentious about British cuisine: Comfort food without the frills.

This is the tale of one day's epic culinary adventures.

My boyfriend and friends and I had a late night, but we dragged ourselves out of bed before noon to go to Brighton while it was still sunny outside. Before hitting the road, we stopped off for some breakfast at The Comodor in downtown Horsham. We were not disappointed. For about £5 we each ordered a full English breakfast.


...And the snooty waitress delivered us each the perfect platter of greasy salty bliss. Savory sausage, salty bacon, eggs sunny-side up, roast tomato and mushrooms, and fresh crispy toast in a bed of baked beans. What could be better?

I know a lot of my American friends would respond, "That, without the baked beans." But seriously, there is nothing like a little sweetness to balance out all that salt. Think of it as a mild version of dipping sausage in maple syrup. Yum.

So, thoroughly satisfied, we drove to Brighton. As we moseyed around town one of out fellow travelers suggested we stop by Angel Food Bakery. Best. Cupcakes. Ever. Well, I only got to try three kinds, but they were epically delicious. I had the pleasure of trying a devils food cupcake with coffee frosting, a chocolate cupcake with orange chocolate frosting, and a banana cupcake. The banana cupcake was the best: Moist banana cake with about an inch of cream-cheese frosting on top, but everything I had was the epitome of what a cupcake should be.

Don't those just look delicious?

Anyway after a day's shopping in The Lanes we decided it would be appropriate, given Brighton's seaside location, to finish the day off with some fish and chips. We stopped off at a tiny shop on King Street that touted its establishment of over 40 years. I ordered a cod and chips with an addition of a pickled egg, to cut through the grease.


I really didn't think I'd be able to get through it all, but there was an actual fish under all the breading, so I couldn't let it go to waste. We enjoyed our meal, and full and exhausted headed back to Horsham for a good night's sleep.