'I've tasted an English breakfast but otherwise I've heard the food is awful'

Guardian (U.K.) ^ | Monday June 27, 2005 | Hsiao-Hung Pai and Jonathan Watts

[brwnsuga]

I lived in the UK in the 90's. Breakfast was great. Fruits and vegetables beautiful. Fish and chips , Sweet! Couldn't bring myself to eat lamb because we lived next to a pasture. Beef was awesome. Pork products came from Denmark. Lovely bacon. I tried steak and kidney pie on a whim. Won't do that again.

[HostileTerritory]

H.M. the Queen is directly descended from the House of Wessex which ruled parts of England in the 8th century

But as you know, so are millions of her subjects. The exponential increase in one's ancestors over the centuries means that almost any Christian in Western Europe has a reasonable chance of descent from Charlemagne or William the Conquerer.

[-YYZ-]

Did I mention the blood sausage?

Given the kinds of things that are eaten in China quite regularly, I doubt the average Chinese would be put off at all by black (blood) pudding (sausage), stewed kidneys, kippers, or any of those other British breakfast delicacies. And other British staples, like properly done fish and chips, or the Cornish pastie, are good eating. OTOH, a lot of traditional British cooking is just plain stodgy and bland, if not outright bad. No lack of Indian and Chinese restaurants in the UK, though, fortunately.

[expatpat]

English food can be very good, but you have to work hard to find it. In France, you have to work hard to find poor food.

[expatpat]

I was once serve spaghetti on toast for breakfast!

[Ashamed Canadian]

Um, from what I can tell, any breakfast in England would include something like poached eggs, crumpets, tomato, sausages etc. Is that really much different than any of us eat in North America? The only real difference is we have peameal bacon, pancakes and maple syrup etc.

[Charles Martel]

And the fact that none of these restaurants is from New Orleans shows that those compling the list are idiots and certainly know nothing about good food.

Yup. See #37 above for the most likely explanation.

[Kay Syrah]

My big worry is money. That is why I'll stay most of the time in London. I heard that a three-hour train journey in the UK can cost as much as 800 rmb (£60).

Well anyone who can write that can't be seriously considered as a food critic.

But when we lived there I found nothing more delightful than the fresh soups sold in packets(mmmmmmm mushroom soup) And of course the times my husband came home with a fresh Dover sole and scallops which I always prepared meuniere just because it was what we preferred. And of course once in a strange fit of excess he came home with an entire wheel of stilton from Paxton and Whitfield. Kept it in the garage,(it was winter). Made more broccoli and stilton soup and never got tired of it. Well...

I was raised eating lamb, and roast beef with yorkshire pudding, both of which I can prepare exceedingly well. I prefer lamb shoulder, more taste but its very hard to find here. As well as assorted puddings. And who can not adore scones with devonshire cream, fresh raspberries with double cream?

Of course the full english is a bit weighty for my taste, and the sausages are bit more mealy than I care for, but tomatoes mmmm good. And of course I liked the old staple bangers and mash. Guess I've never been a fussy eater, and that has been a good thing.

[SoothingDave]

Um, from what I can tell, any breakfast in England would include something like poached eggs, crumpets, tomato, sausages etc. Is that really much different than any of us eat in North America? Eggs, bread, meat. No, not really that much different. Acorns don't fall far from the tree. The breakfasts in Ireland were delicious and filling. Apart from the blood sausage. Tried one bite the first day.

SD

[null and void]

Smoke me a kipper; I'll be back for breakfast.

He' one of us...

[Wonder Warthog]

"I tried steak and kidney pie on a whim. Won't do that again."

I'd make a small wager that if you turned some 'Cajun chef loose with the recipe for steak and kidney pie, that the end result would be an epicurean treat. I have yet to find any dish that the 'Cajun touch can't improve. The 'Cajuns took the inherent love/ability of the French for cooking, and IMPROVED ON IT by a factor of ten.

Thank God I married a 'Cajun gal with that touch--she can get in the kitchen with an iron skillet, "get creative" with mundane ingredients, and turn out dishes "fit for a king"--it makes the constant struggle to keep the weight down REALLY DIFFICULT!!!

[Churchillspirit]

Scotland too - it is know as black pudding. White pudding has the same ingredients - except for the blood.

[Churchillspirit]

What do you call it without the raisins?

LOL!!

The answer is - sponge pudding.

[AnAmericanMother]

Difference between Heaven and Hell:

In Heaven, the English are the police, the French are the cooks, the Swiss are the administrators, the Italians are the lovers, and the Germans are the automobile mechanics.

Whereas, in Hell, the English are the cooks, the French are the administrators, the Swiss are the lovers, the Italians are the automobile mechanics, and the Germans are the police.

Y'all be good, now, y'hear?

[tjwmason]

But as you know, so are millions of her subjects. The exponential increase in one's ancestors over the centuries means that almost any Christian in Western Europe has a reasonable chance of descent from Charlemagne or William the Conquerer.

Yes but how many of those millions of us have been sitting on the thrones of this land for the last 100 years in pretty much constant succession?

My point was the with the rather otious statement that H.M. is German - especially ironic coming from an American, given that (this is said without any trace of rancour) the large majority of Americans are new-comers to that land.

[COBOL2Java]

All the Chinese exhibits there were looted from our ancestors by British imperialists and I am ashamed to see them here. They belong to us.

Don't worry, in a couple generations they'll belong to Allah.

[Oberon]

You can't go wrong with Oriental though. The Chinese restaurants in London...mmmmm.

I've heard that the best Indian food in Europe is served in London...and the best food in London is the curry. =]

[ladyjane]

Tomatoes are a vegetable of the New World.

Tomatoes are actually a fruit.

[evets]

[Oberon]

Tomatoes are actually a fruit.

Oddly enough, so is Elton John. But I wouldn't have him for breakfast.