20 cl crème fraiche (ou du Babeurre, si vous en trouvez)
20 cl de mayonnaise (aux œufs frais SANS MOUTARDE DE DIJON)
3/4 cuil. à café de ciboulette (séché)
1/2 cuil. à café de persil (séché)
1/2 cuil. à café d'aneth (séché)
1/4 cuil. à café de l'ail (séché)
1/4 cuil. à café d’oignon (séché)
1/8 cuil à café de sel et du poivre
Mélangez le tout et garder au frigo pendant 24 heures pour que les herbes ont l’occasion de bien aromatiser le crème. Servez bien froid avec crudités, comme sauce salade, ou même avec les pommes de terres au four.
Rajoutez un peu de lait pour une sauce plus liquide.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Monday, August 8, 2011
Homesick and Hungry in Southeast England
By guest blogger Chelsea Fretwell
I know I sound like I'm complaining, but I am with Mrs Deschodt on this one. Culturally aclimatizing takes a long time- longer than you realize until you're doing it and three years in. I'm sure I speak for both of us when I say that we are grateful for such wonderful husbands (and in her case kids to boot!) but somehow I struggle more with my Americanism now than I did two years ago or even one year ago, and miss the simple things like knowing where to find what I was looking for in the store, and if it's even there or not.
Do the Europeans have horrible food? Well, yes and no. It depends on how you like your food- do you want your fish to come with a head, scales, and big dead eye looking at you? If so then you're in luck, and if you're me, you're gagging! Skin on chicken and expected to eat it all? Pork belly "crackling"? Go for it, you'll be in heaven. (Just for the record, crackling is a layer of fat that partially melts into the meat as it cooks- strike one for me - and then you cut the top burnt crisp bits into chip sizes and eat on it's own. It is literally fat chips. EW!)
I am an American now living in south east England with my amer-english husband and his very tolerant food habits. Somehow he's survived two and a half years of my cooking and never complains, so I should count myself lucky. However, there are somethings and places I miss.
Things first- Jello brand deserts. Since when does the word "pudding" refer to any and all possible deserts? There was already a word for that- namely "DESERTS". When I want Jello, I want my favourite sugar free cherry jello jigglers that my mom always made on summer weekends for me. Or semi-cooled tapioca... or chocolate pudding cups... all of which can be bought in convenient little one serving plastic cups in the states, but cease to exist here. They have proved to sound incredibly good at work lunch this summer and I can't even make them to bring on my own. Bummer. I also tried the english "jelly" and it's the wrong texture and consistency. I then caved and tried to make tapioca from scratch... let's just say I will never live the mess it made down!
There is nothing better than a cold serving of jello or graham craker and icing sandwiches... I think I'm going to miss serving my future kids that after school
The meat here is also different- they have fattier cuts of all meat, and even then they have completely different names for the cuts. If the meat has a lovely marble already, they tend to put an extra cut of fat in for you to cook with. Heart attack, here I come! Best of all, if you were like me as a kid and wanted to cook and have half a clue of what you were doing when you had your own place, you paid attention to what different foods and meats were, and learned how to cook them. Prepare to throw all of that out the window- only 3 cuts are the same here: Loin, filet, and sirloin. Almost everything else has a different name. I'm two plus years in and still buying the wrong cuts without realizing it.
All credit due to a welsh butcher we went to though, the meat was BEAUTIFUL and rivaled the best Nebraska beef I've had. My family is from Nebraska, so that's not average praise either.
The stores here sell some weird things - have you ever seen macaroni and cheese in a tin? I have and it is not worth the sense of adventure you might feel when you tenatively peel back the lid and suspiciously eye up the yellow gloop. They need Velveeta shells and cheese in a major way. I buy 6 boxes at a time when I'm in the states to bring back home.
Lastly, I miss organic food stores like Whole Foods. Technically, there is a Whole Foods in Clapham Junction, which is one of the larger suburbs of London, but there don't seem to be many alternative stores here. There are some great farm shops, but considering how hard it is to get your driver's license here it can be challenging to get to them! Yes, I took the test in a manual and passed, but it was four times as long as my American driving test, on teeny little roads, and they tested every maneuver possible. I can now parallel park like a pro.
I know I sound like I'm complaining, but I am with Mrs Deschodt on this one. Culturally aclimatizing takes a long time- longer than you realize until you're doing it and three years in. I'm sure I speak for both of us when I say that we are grateful for such wonderful husbands (and in her case kids to boot!) but somehow I struggle more with my Americanism now than I did two years ago or even one year ago, and miss the simple things like knowing where to find what I was looking for in the store, and if it's even there or not.
Do the Europeans have horrible food? Well, yes and no. It depends on how you like your food- do you want your fish to come with a head, scales, and big dead eye looking at you? If so then you're in luck, and if you're me, you're gagging! Skin on chicken and expected to eat it all? Pork belly "crackling"? Go for it, you'll be in heaven. (Just for the record, crackling is a layer of fat that partially melts into the meat as it cooks- strike one for me - and then you cut the top burnt crisp bits into chip sizes and eat on it's own. It is literally fat chips. EW!)
I am an American now living in south east England with my amer-english husband and his very tolerant food habits. Somehow he's survived two and a half years of my cooking and never complains, so I should count myself lucky. However, there are somethings and places I miss.
Things first- Jello brand deserts. Since when does the word "pudding" refer to any and all possible deserts? There was already a word for that- namely "DESERTS". When I want Jello, I want my favourite sugar free cherry jello jigglers that my mom always made on summer weekends for me. Or semi-cooled tapioca... or chocolate pudding cups... all of which can be bought in convenient little one serving plastic cups in the states, but cease to exist here. They have proved to sound incredibly good at work lunch this summer and I can't even make them to bring on my own. Bummer. I also tried the english "jelly" and it's the wrong texture and consistency. I then caved and tried to make tapioca from scratch... let's just say I will never live the mess it made down!
There is nothing better than a cold serving of jello or graham craker and icing sandwiches... I think I'm going to miss serving my future kids that after school
The meat here is also different- they have fattier cuts of all meat, and even then they have completely different names for the cuts. If the meat has a lovely marble already, they tend to put an extra cut of fat in for you to cook with. Heart attack, here I come! Best of all, if you were like me as a kid and wanted to cook and have half a clue of what you were doing when you had your own place, you paid attention to what different foods and meats were, and learned how to cook them. Prepare to throw all of that out the window- only 3 cuts are the same here: Loin, filet, and sirloin. Almost everything else has a different name. I'm two plus years in and still buying the wrong cuts without realizing it.
All credit due to a welsh butcher we went to though, the meat was BEAUTIFUL and rivaled the best Nebraska beef I've had. My family is from Nebraska, so that's not average praise either.
The stores here sell some weird things - have you ever seen macaroni and cheese in a tin? I have and it is not worth the sense of adventure you might feel when you tenatively peel back the lid and suspiciously eye up the yellow gloop. They need Velveeta shells and cheese in a major way. I buy 6 boxes at a time when I'm in the states to bring back home.
Lastly, I miss organic food stores like Whole Foods. Technically, there is a Whole Foods in Clapham Junction, which is one of the larger suburbs of London, but there don't seem to be many alternative stores here. There are some great farm shops, but considering how hard it is to get your driver's license here it can be challenging to get to them! Yes, I took the test in a manual and passed, but it was four times as long as my American driving test, on teeny little roads, and they tested every maneuver possible. I can now parallel park like a pro.
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Where to find American and British Food in Scandenavia
Stockholm
The English Shop
Söderhallarna
118 26 Stockholm
T-bana Medborgarplatsen
Website
Gray's American Stores
Gray's American Stores
Storsätragränd 5
127 39 Skärholmen, Sweden
08.535.299.50
Taylors and Jones
British and English Groceries
Website
Taylors and Jones of Sweden AB
Hantverkargatan 12, 112 21 Stockholm
Tel: 08-6512910
Göteborg
The English Shop
Plantagegatan 3
413 05 Göteborg
Bus 60, tram 1 or 6
Website
The English Shop Gustav Adolfs Torg 8B
211 39 Malmö
Website
FinlandKoskenkorva West
Claims to sell American sodas etc. but difficult to navigate if you don't read Finnish!
OnlineGray's American Stores
Gray's American Stores
The English Shop
Söderhallarna
118 26 Stockholm
T-bana Medborgarplatsen
Website
Gray's American Stores
Gray's American Stores
Storsätragränd 5
127 39 Skärholmen, Sweden
08.535.299.50
Taylors and Jones
British and English Groceries
Website
Taylors and Jones of Sweden AB
Hantverkargatan 12, 112 21 Stockholm
Tel: 08-6512910
Göteborg
The English Shop
Plantagegatan 3
413 05 Göteborg
Bus 60, tram 1 or 6
Website
The English Shop Gustav Adolfs Torg 8B
211 39 Malmö
Website
FinlandKoskenkorva West
Claims to sell American sodas etc. but difficult to navigate if you don't read Finnish!
OnlineGray's American Stores
Gray's American Stores
Monday, May 16, 2011
Metric/Standard Cooking/Baking Conversions
One of the hardest parts about cooking and baking in a foreign country is trying to get measurements right. I'm to the point where I usually eyeball it- I use an actual teaspoon for a teaspoon measurement and an actual tablespoon for a tablespoon measurement. For a cup I eyeball a standard coffee mug 3/4 full.
A very handy tool is a digital cooking scale. These can usually be set to different units of measurement, making using recipes from back home a snap.
A very handy tool is a digital cooking scale. These can usually be set to different units of measurement, making using recipes from back home a snap.
http://www.traditionaloven.com/ has got the BEST converter calculators around for cooking and baking!
Here is their flour calculator. You can convert volume measurements to weight measurements and vice versa. So you can, for example, find out how many grams are in 3 cups of flour!
Here you've got conversions for butter! You can find out how many grams are in an American stick!
They've also got the other most important ingredient in American cooking, and that is sugar!
When you need to know at what temperature to set your oven, check out temp conversions there too!
Where to get American Food in the UK
American Bagel Factory
Tel: 020 73579456
Unit 17 London Bridge Station, Railway Approach, London, SE1 9SP
American Burger House
Tel: 020 89085984
249 Preston Road, Harrow, Middlesex, HA3 0PS
American Charcoal Burger
Tel: 020 89032429
3 Wembley Hill Road, Wembley, Middlesex, HA9 8AF
American Dream
Tel: 020 85600717
33 St. Johns Road, Isleworth, Middlesex, TW7 6NY
American Fried Chicken
Tel: 020 86541909
75 Portland Road, London, , SE25 4UN
American Pizza and Pasta
Tel: 020 75851718
173 Battersea High Street, London, , SW11 3JS
American Take Out
Tel: 020 85700809
267 Cromwell Road, Hounslow, Middlesex, TW3 3QU
Henry J Beans Bar and Grill1 Tower Street, York
Tel: 01904 464727
Old Orleans, York (Cajun food)
9-11 Low Ousegate , York
Tel: 01904 620158
or, of course, on ebay!
http://stores.ebay.co.uk/American-Food-Shop
Bodean's BBQ-
Bodean's BBQ in London at the following locations: Soho, Clapham, Fulham, Towerhill
Fatboy's Diner
Fatboys Diner
020.7987.4334
Trinity Bouy Wharf, 64 Orchard Place, London, E14 OJW-
The Big Easy - "TimeOut's Most Authentic US Restaurant in London!"
The Big Easy
BBQ and Crabshack
332-334 Kings Road, Chelsea, London, SW3 5UR
020.7352.4071
Christopher's American Bar and Grill
Christopher's American Bar and Grill,
Steaks and Lobster
18 Wellington Street Covent Garden London WC2E 7DD
020.7240.42222
Los Locos
Los Locos
Tex-Mex
24 - 26 Russel Street, Covent GardenWC2B 5HF
020 7379 0220
Navajo Joe
Navajo Joe
34 King Street, London
Covent Garden, London WC2E 8JD
020.7240.4008
All Star Lane
All Star Lanes
American food and bowling (and karaoke)
Holborn, Bayswater, Bricklane
Sticky Fingers
Sticky Fingers
1A Phillimore Gardens, Kensington, London, W8 7QG TBC
020.7938.5338
Tel: 020 73579456
Unit 17 London Bridge Station, Railway Approach, London, SE1 9SP
American Burger House
Tel: 020 89085984
249 Preston Road, Harrow, Middlesex, HA3 0PS
American Charcoal Burger
Tel: 020 89032429
3 Wembley Hill Road, Wembley, Middlesex, HA9 8AF
American Dream
Tel: 020 85600717
33 St. Johns Road, Isleworth, Middlesex, TW7 6NY
American Fried Chicken
Tel: 020 86541909
75 Portland Road, London, , SE25 4UN
American Pizza and Pasta
Tel: 020 75851718
173 Battersea High Street, London, , SW11 3JS
American Take Out
Tel: 020 85700809
267 Cromwell Road, Hounslow, Middlesex, TW3 3QU
Henry J Beans Bar and Grill1 Tower Street, York
Tel: 01904 464727
Old Orleans, York (Cajun food)
9-11 Low Ousegate , York
Tel: 01904 620158
or, of course, on ebay!
http://stores.ebay.co.uk/American-Food-Shop
Bodean's BBQ-
Bodean's BBQ in London at the following locations: Soho, Clapham, Fulham, Towerhill
Fatboy's Diner
Fatboys Diner
020.7987.4334
Trinity Bouy Wharf, 64 Orchard Place, London, E14 OJW-
The Big Easy - "TimeOut's Most Authentic US Restaurant in London!"
The Big Easy
BBQ and Crabshack
332-334 Kings Road, Chelsea, London, SW3 5UR
020.7352.4071
Christopher's American Bar and Grill
Christopher's American Bar and Grill,
Steaks and Lobster
18 Wellington Street Covent Garden London WC2E 7DD
020.7240.42222
Los Locos
Los Locos
Tex-Mex
24 - 26 Russel Street, Covent GardenWC2B 5HF
020 7379 0220
Navajo Joe
Navajo Joe
34 King Street, London
Covent Garden, London WC2E 8JD
020.7240.4008
All Star Lane
All Star Lanes
American food and bowling (and karaoke)
Holborn, Bayswater, Bricklane
Sticky Fingers
Sticky Fingers
1A Phillimore Gardens, Kensington, London, W8 7QG TBC
020.7938.5338
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
How to make caramel apples even if you don't have any caramel!
You can apparently make your own caramel. I guess I was clueless as to what exactely caramel is... apparently the folks at the caramel candy factory don't just magically make it appear, and apparently it does not come from a caramel bean or something. It is basically burned sugar. Brilliant.
Here are detailed instructions- happy holidays!
Here are detailed instructions- happy holidays!
How to make Pumpkin Pie without canned pumpkin!
Yes, you can. Not easy (a little time consuming) but not hard (as long as you can find the right pumpkins or squash!). Def. worth it.
Just follow these easy steps from http://www.pickyourown.org/!
Having troubles finding pumpkins? Try specialty veg and fruit shops, farmer's markets, or even the local grocery store... or grab some seeds and plant your own?
http://www.pickyourown.org/ reccomends "pie pumpkins" which are small pumpkins, are sweeter and less grainy (think NOT jack-o-lanterns, although if that is all you've got just add 25% more sugar!) Butternut squash can also be used, which according to the site tastes the same (will let you know on this, have 3 sitting on my counter just waiting...). Apparently in Eastern Asia, the "Japanese Pumpkin" or the Kabocha can be substituted, although since they are naturally sweeter, try reducing the sugar by 25%.
Just follow these easy steps from http://www.pickyourown.org/!
Having troubles finding pumpkins? Try specialty veg and fruit shops, farmer's markets, or even the local grocery store... or grab some seeds and plant your own?
http://www.pickyourown.org/ reccomends "pie pumpkins" which are small pumpkins, are sweeter and less grainy (think NOT jack-o-lanterns, although if that is all you've got just add 25% more sugar!) Butternut squash can also be used, which according to the site tastes the same (will let you know on this, have 3 sitting on my counter just waiting...). Apparently in Eastern Asia, the "Japanese Pumpkin" or the Kabocha can be substituted, although since they are naturally sweeter, try reducing the sugar by 25%.
How to make Pumpkin Pie Spice....
Always get stuck on pumpkin pie recipes when they call for "pumpkin pie spice." What is that? I mean, really? It dawned on me today, in my 26th year of life, being the super intelligent American that I am, that pumpkin pie spice IS NOT some special, secret blend of the first pumpkin pies ever made, no, it is probably just a mix of other spices. Duh.
And lo and behold, here they are!
To make 1 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice:
1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon of ground allspice or ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon of nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon of ginger
Ta-da!
And lo and behold, here they are!
To make 1 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice:
1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon of ground allspice or ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon of nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon of ginger
Ta-da!
Friday, June 25, 2010
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Tribute to Fig Newtons!!!
Monday, January 4, 2010
Eating "Bio" in France
It is hard to always find the "healthy" or "bio" ingredients you need to cook in France...
I often times have luck in the 'bio' aisle of the grocery store, usually with a Swedish brand or a store bio brand.
One thing I can't stand is trying to sort my way around "wheat" products.... bread, tortillas, flour- in the USA it can be labelled wheat or whole wheat (not the same thing)... in France it is always labelled "Blé Complet", yet the 'whole wheat" bread I eat here does not seem to be whole at all.
I did find today wheat germ! Simply translated as germ de blé!
Living abroad and missing American food? Hit the hotels...
Why a place for tourists, such as a hotel, would feature American food, or any foreign food for that matter, is beyond me, but they do! Particularly American hotel chains like The Marriott and The Hilton... check out Thanksgiving Day Buffets!!!
Is it really too late for a website dedicated to eggnog?
I am sorry I waited until after the holidays to come across this website... eggnog is really a North American thing- but it doesn't have to be! Go to this website and MAKE some for your friends!Thursday, December 3, 2009
My American Market- Toulouse, France, and via internet!
The charming and lovely Anne-Claire has an important message for Homesick and Hungry readers- not only can you now get great American food shipped to your French doorstep, but you can get a discount, too! Read on:
Are you struggling to satisfy your cravings because you are:
- Embarrassed to ask your family and friends for one more favor?
- Fed up with products that melted or broke during the transatlantic trip?
- Worn out from having to rush around Paris, search for parking spaces and drive in traffic?
- Frustrated from having to wait until your next trip or someone’s visit?
- Tired of bringing back heavy suitcases from your trip to the US?
Then, My American Market has been designed for you: it is a hassle-free online store for your American food and beverage staples.
My American Market’s best features:
Selection
One of the largest assortments of American food and treats
in stock and ready to be shipped.
Convenience
Open 24/7, My American Market is there whenever the cravings get you!
Easy to order
My American Market online store is very user-friendly.
Find and order your favorite products in just a few clicks.
Fast Delivery
Your order will be processed within the next business day.
Your shipment will be securely packaged and sent via La Poste Colissimo.
In France, it will be delivered to your door within 2 business days.
Secure
My American Market uses a 128bit SSL encrypted checkout system.
You can choose to process your payment online, on the phone or by check.
Community-oriented
Get connected with Europe's American community and friends.
Great customer service
The American way, period!
It is time you do something about your cravings!
Visit the online "épicerie américaine" today: http://www.myamericanmarket.com/
and enter coupon code “BLOG21” to get a 10% discount on your order (shipping costs not included).
Are you struggling to satisfy your cravings because you are:
- Embarrassed to ask your family and friends for one more favor?
- Fed up with products that melted or broke during the transatlantic trip?
- Worn out from having to rush around Paris, search for parking spaces and drive in traffic?
- Frustrated from having to wait until your next trip or someone’s visit?
- Tired of bringing back heavy suitcases from your trip to the US?
Then, My American Market has been designed for you: it is a hassle-free online store for your American food and beverage staples.
My American Market’s best features:
Selection
One of the largest assortments of American food and treats
in stock and ready to be shipped.
Convenience
Open 24/7, My American Market is there whenever the cravings get you!
Easy to order
My American Market online store is very user-friendly.
Find and order your favorite products in just a few clicks.
Fast Delivery
Your order will be processed within the next business day.
Your shipment will be securely packaged and sent via La Poste Colissimo.
In France, it will be delivered to your door within 2 business days.
Secure
My American Market uses a 128bit SSL encrypted checkout system.
You can choose to process your payment online, on the phone or by check.
Community-oriented
Get connected with Europe's American community and friends.
Great customer service
The American way, period!
It is time you do something about your cravings!
Visit the online "épicerie américaine" today: http://www.myamericanmarket.com/
and enter coupon code “BLOG21” to get a 10% discount on your order (shipping costs not included).
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