Hi lads, Geordie Sam here, can I just ask, why is it that a British meat pie is so hard to come by in the "states?" you can get apple or any other type of fruit pie, but a good "steak" or "mince"(that is savoury mince by the way) pie is just so difficult to find. Italian, German, Jewish etc food is practically available on every street corner, but if you fancy some "fish and chips" or "bangers and mash" or again as I said a British meat pie you really have to go hunting it down. And please dont use the "cheap shot" that British food is bland, who do you think invented the "great sunday roast." By the way can I also ask, when you do have a "sunday roast" do you have "Yorkshire pudding" with it?. A lot of you are probably scratching your heads, thinking, what's the "Limey" on about now?,well let me tell you NO sunday roast is complete without it. Please check it out, I'm sure you will love it. Geordie Sam.
About the only thing British I find is some sort of fish and chips and sheppard's pie if you go to a pub, not sure what bangers and mash is but, I'd like to try a meat pie though.
It's really not a cheap shot, as a general rule British food is bland. In my area, we have a lot of restaurants, and the only one I'm aware of that serves British food is a chain that's really more of a bar than restaurant (Baker Street Pub). It's mediocre.
You need to go to the more rural areas of the south and mid west where items like this can found in a less contrived setting. http://www.explorenatchitoches.com/events-and-festivals/natchitoches-meat-pie-festival/ Also, it seems that more people in the US are gaining interest. http://www.watoday.com.au/world/aussie-meat-pies-gaining-fans-in-us-20120303-1u9if.html
Malt vinegar on fish & chips - especially on the chips - makes a world of difference (or at least 8 hours worth via transatlantic flight).
True, but fried cod with fries doesn't compare with blackened redfish on a bed of dirty rice either. Of course, a couple of ales improves it dramatically.
I'll agree about the redfish but have never been a fan of rice. Can I get the redfish with fries? (just a few, I'm allegedly low carb)
When I went to England, all I ate was fish and chips. We didn't spend much time there and I spent more time drinking than I did eating.
Go with the sweet potato fries and you will help the sugar reaction issues. Carbs not so much. http://articles.latimes.com/2011/jul/01/news/la-heb-sweet-potatoes-weight-gain-201100701
Amen to the Yorkshire pudding! No Sunday roast is complete without it! I haven't had a meat pie in ages. When I was a kid we would eat them, but my mom served a lot of English/Scottish food back then. Then it just stopped. I'll have to look up the recipe for the pie! I want my kids to get to know the great food I grew up with!
I've had a lot of Irish food. I spent more time there than I did in England. I would like to go back sometime and go to Scotland too.
Bangers and mash, it's just sausage and mashed potatoes with lovely onion gravy, the "bangers" have to be traditional British style (pork or beef) a bit of seasoning (black pepper, salt, maybe a few breadcrumbs) but NO garlic or chilli or any other Italian or German type flavourings.As for the meat pie a good one is really something to experience.Pie and "mushy" peas is another good British feed.
Ryan, a lot of Irish food IS British and vice- versa.With the odd exception hear and there both Britain and Ireland eat the exact same food.And as for the Scots, I live 90 miles from the Scottish border, they too eat exactly the same as the English, with the odd haggis thrown in now and again. Haggis is lovely by the way (but if you look at the recipe it would put you off it for life.)
I always figured since you guys are so different, they had their own stuff. That would be like saying that Puerto Ricans eat the same food as Mexicans. We share a common language with Mexico, but the food is way different.
Really there is no difference between the English race, or the Irish or Scots.We watch each others tv, we follow each others sports, we are in essence the same people. We just pretend we dont like each other.But we always fight alongside one another.
For meat pies in the US one has to go where there are lead mines settled by Welchmen. The thick edges on their meat pies were there to protect the miners from ingesting lead. They took the meat pies into the mines for lunch. Held them by the thick edge and then did not ingest the portion that was held between their fingers.
If you find a Molly Maguires restarant you should try it! They serve many "irish" items you should be familar with. Bangers and mash IS on the menu. Plus they always have Guiness on tap. Compared to Britsh beer, most American beer tastes like pee IMHO. Dark beer makes me happy.
As a Norseman I live just across from England, and until a few years ago, we even had a ferry going directly to Geordie land. My own little town have a decent amount of English and Scotsmen living here. But there is still no trace of fine English cuisine to be found. The closest thing would have to be a pint of Guinness or Newcastle Brown Ale. Granted, any of these fine beverages might be considered a meal in itself. But still, I wouldn't mind a taste of classical English food, besides fish and chips. Perhaps we could trade in a few English oil workers for an English chef
