My First Thanksgiving!

[Epeecurean]

And although I'm in danger of going blue inthe face saying this, stereotypes about Englsih food and culture are merely that - stereotypes. English food properly done is not bland, greasy or tasteless.

What people don't realise is that many of these stereotypes were formed over 50 years ago when England was in the midst of a war and had food rationing! You can have amazing traditional English dishes at several resaurants in London. Plus being a huge cosmopolitan city and capital of a once global imperial power, London has a wide selection of international restaurants, French, Indian, Turkish, etc.

Here's a good website for restaurant recommendations:

www.chowhound.com

[Larrison]

I'll also echo that I've found English food to be stereotyped -- that most of of it is pretty good, and varied. I've eaten well in Ulster, Scotland, Wales and England itself.

But I will take US food as better overall. It's not that its "better prepared", but as was also mentioned on here, the US has a much higher diversity of food depending upon the region. One of the fun things about traveling around the US is the amazing diversity of regional cuisines, if you look for them. Ranging from "barbeque" in the South East, to Cheaspeake Bay seafood, to New England seafood, to Hawaiian, to Southern Cooking, to Gulf Coast, to Southwest (including Tex Mex, Sonoran, Santa Fe and coastal styles), to Californian, to Pacific Northewestern to Midwestern.

Every area has speciality dishes and means of preparation which gives a large and diverse range of foods. The difference between the US and English in general, is that the US has a larger number of regions with a larger diversity of foods, primarily because it is a larger geographical area.

[esskreemr]

"Yo! Sushi" is good, or Moshi Moshi. Both of these are chains. Then there are the independent reatuarants. For takeaway, there's a fab little place in the Leadenhall market, City of London...mmm... Outside the major cities you would have more difficulty though; it depends where your sister is moving to.

I'm not sure where she's moving to. Her hubby-to-be gave me a Bournesmouth t-shirt. I'll have to profess a general ignorance of England's geography. It's a town near London, neh?

Btw, my friend didn't cook mashed potatoes, she did wild rice. Is that not traditional?

Wild rice is not traditional. Rice for the most part is not a standard staple except perhaps in the Louisiana region

And no, sorry, sweet potato goo was (right back at ya) a bit bland.

Was it sweet potatoe casserole? Did it have brown sugar, walnuts, other assorted stuff? Not on my list of favorites. Another more popular version is typically candied yams, which is really just sweet potatoes with brown sugar.

And although I'm in danger of going blue inthe face saying this, stereotypes
about Englsih food and culture are merely that - stereotypes. English food properly done is not bland, greasy or tasteless.

Don't take offense. We have the same misconceived view of "Western European" and German foods.

Perhaps the misconception was aided by the fact that we can't seem to mention the traditional English culinary repertoire without such dishes as "Black Pudding", "Spotted Dick", "Bubbles and Squeak", and "Toad in the Hole".

These terms are usually reserved for dire medical diagnosis requiring large amounts of powerful antibiotics.

That being said, a little research shows that the Anglish are eating curries, rice and pasta for dinner in increasing numbers. Sounds good to me.

[Louweasel]

I'm not sure where she's moving to. Her hubby-to-be gave me a Bournesmouth t-shirt. I'll have to profess a general ignorance of England's geography. It's a town near London, neh?

Well, Bournemouth [N.B.not Bournes mouth] is a seaside town on the south coast of England, on the English Channel near the Isle of Wight. By our standards, England being a little place, I wouldn't have said is was near London. I suppose because by that standard, about a third of the towns in England are, so it wouldn't help much! But by US standards it is probably quite close; about 100 miles away. Takes about 2 hours on the train.

The coastline in that area is very beautiful - high cliffs and sandy coves. In Bournemouth there is a long (7 miles) sandy beach there, and it's supposed to be a pretty town with parks and gardens etc.

[esskreemr]

Well, Bournemouth [N.B.not Bournes mouth] is a seaside town on the south coast of England, on the English Channel near the Isle of Wight. By our standards, England being a little place, I wouldn't have said is was near London. I suppose because by that standard, about a third of the towns in England are, so it wouldn't help much! But by US standards it is probably quite close; about 100 miles away. Takes about 2 hours on the train.

The coastline in that area is very beautiful - high cliffs and sandy coves. In Bournemouth there is a long (7 miles) sandy beach there, and it's supposed to be a pretty town with parks and gardens etc.

I'll have to ask. I might have got confused because she was in London for about 3 months when she was in school.

[jeff]

We have our fireworks on 5th November, and if anyone doesn't know why, I am happy to explain...

Guy Fawkes' Day! (was I first? )

[ls14evar]

I know there is a well propigated rumor that English cruisine isnt very good. Ive had some, it it was allright, but nothing to write home about. The Indian food I had in London was wonderful however.

OTOH what you generally get at "American" resturaunts (which are rare btw) are steak and potato type dishes. Maybe some hamburgers and a little seafood tossed in. "Surf and Turf" is alot of what Ive seen. Its fairly descent, but not terribly original. I suppose something like appleby's would be a lower end "traditional" american resturaunt.

Most places in the US label themselves either regional/specialty or ethnic. We have a whole lot of good food, just not a well defined national cruisine.

I think when people complain about english food they are thinking of shepards pie, bangers and mash, blood sausage and the like.

[Louweasel]

Guy Fawkes' Day! (was I first? )

Guy Fawkes' Night is correct! Yes Jeff, you were first, and can have a gold star!

Another gold star on offer for the person who can give me the story behind it!

*louweasel, on a crusade to bring British history to the US*

[Louweasel]

I think when people complain about english food they are thinking of shepards pie, bangers and mash, blood sausage and the like.

Blood sausage? Do you mean black pudding?

I might also add tha shepeherd's pie and sausage and mash are not bland if they're done properly! They are really good! I made cottage pie (like shepherd's pie but with beef) the other night and it was delicious!

[esskreemr]

Guy Fawkes' Night is correct! Yes Jeff, you were first, and can have a gold star!

Another gold star on offer for the person who can give me the story behind it!

*louweasel, on a crusade to bring British history to the US*

"Remember, remember,
the fifth of November,
Gunpowder, treason and plot.
We see no reason why
Gunpowder treason
Should ever be forgot!"

So, are you celebrating the plot or the breaking up of the plot?

[VorpalCat]

That's weird...what she does is her own business but she doesn't speak for most English people. We don't celebrate anything on 4th July, it's just a normal day. Fairly simple really - no pilgrim fathers having a good harvest with Indians, and no independence from colonial oppressors, so why would we have either thanksgiving or 4th July? Strange woman.

We have our fireworks on 5th November, and if anyone doesn't know why, I am happy to explain...

Some Americans on the same board had tried to jerk her chain about celebrating on July 4 (Independence Day over here). With her usual aplomb, she replied that she does celebrate on July 4, 'it's just called Thanksgiving instead' (i.e. 'Thank goodness you lot are gone' logic). Didn't mean for it to sound like she (or anyone else) seriously thinks it's a national holiday in the UK, guess I should've used instead of

[Schiavona]

Guy Fawkes' Night is correct! Yes Jeff, you were first, and can have a gold star!

Another gold star on offer for the person who can give me the story behind it!

*louweasel, on a crusade to bring British history to the US*

A perfectly reasonable plot to blow up the Queen, QE 1 I believe, that went awry Gunpowder in the basement, right?

[Louweasel]

A perfectly reasonable plot to blow up the Queen, QE 1 I believe, that went awry Gunpowder in the basement, right?

Nearly.
It was a plot on the part of Guy Fawkes and bunch of other conspirators to blow up the Houses of Parliament, on the day that parliament opened for that session (they have terms like a school) and therefore when the King, James 1, would have been present. They dug a tunnel through to the cellars from another nearby cellar and planted barrels of gunpowder, but Parliament got an anonymous tip-off and Fawkes was caught red-handed with the barrels.
You were nearly right with the monarch - Liz 1 died in 1603 and was suceeded by James 1, who was James 1V of Scotland (Liz 1 never married and had no kids). The Gunpowder Plot took place in 1605 so you weren't far out.
As an extra, it wasn't a plot against the monarchy per se, it was a catholic plot against protestant oppression. You see, around that time, it was eeny meeny miney mo as to whether the catholics were burning the protestants or vice versa. Fawkes and his lot were disgruntled catholics, although they'd pretty much got over the burning stage by then, Guy Fawkes wasn't burnt on a bonfire, he died a traitor's death, i.e. he was hung, drawn and quartered. That is to say the strung him up in a noose and strangled him a bit, cut him down whilst still alive, disembowelled him and cut him in four pieces. Then they stuck his head on a spike. Not a nice way to go.

And that was today's history lesson!