Homesick and Hungry

Sauce Crudité/Salade Cremeux- Style "Ranch"

2012-01-10T08:20:00.001+01:00

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.

Homesick and Hungry in Southeast England

2011-08-08T05:47:00.001+02:00

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.

Sourdough Bread in France

2011-07-05T08:36:00.002+02:00

It's called 'pain au levain.'

Where to find American and British Food in Scandenavia

2011-05-17T07:52:00.009+02:00

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

Metric/Standard Cooking/Baking Conversions

2011-05-16T22:04:00.000+02:00

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.

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

2011-05-16T21:38:00.000+02:00

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

How to make caramel apples even if you don't have any caramel!

2010-10-20T17:33:00.003+02:00

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!

How to make Pumpkin Pie without canned pumpkin!

2010-10-20T12:59:00.003+02:00

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%.

How to make Pumpkin Pie Spice....

2010-10-20T12:49:00.003+02:00

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!

Cottage Cheese in France- thanks for the info www.myamericanmarket.com

2010-06-25T13:08:00.001+02:00

"Caillé"

Tribute to Fig Newtons!!!

2010-01-14T11:56:00.003+01:00

This is the cutest little tribute ever to Fig Newtons!!!

And not that French, Italian, and Chinese figish newtonesque cookies aren't good, but who wouldn't have the original? Make your own!

Eating "Bio" in France

2010-01-04T21:10:00.004+01:00

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...

2010-01-04T21:04:00.002+01:00

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?

2010-01-04T20:38:00.003+01:00

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!

My American Market- Toulouse, France, and via internet!

2009-12-03T09:18:00.003+01:00

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).

Iced Tea...

2009-11-29T12:55:00.002+01:00

Forgot to add Iced Tea to my Lemonade post... obviously you can make your own [sweetened] iced tea with simple syrup as well.... brew up some iced tea, when it cools, chill it mixed with simple syrup and maybe some fresh mint leaves, then enjoy!

Pumpkin Cream Pie

2009-11-29T12:45:00.004+01:00

How to make a pumpkin pie without canned pumpkin? The smart ass response is: "buy a pumpkin and use real pumpkin," but we're Americans, and that is just too much work.

So this year I opted for the smarter, lazy sollution of making up my own recipe using the only jarred pumpkin I knew to be available in France... baby food.

I used Nestlé Naturnés... it only contains 40% pumpkin and the rest potatoe, but that is ok!

Mix together:

4 jars/containers of pumpkin baby food

1 container mascarpone cheese

1 container sweetened condensed milk

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

go crazy with the cinammon

try also ginger, nut meg, and ground cloves...

Chill this all and then plop it into a baked ready-bake pie crust and enjoy!!!!

Lemonade

2009-10-26T09:39:00.003+01:00

Mix sugar, water, and lemons together and get lemonade, right? Wrong! For best results, first make simple syrup, which will make your lemonade smooth rather than grainy!

All you have to do is heat sugar and water (about 3/4 cup of sugar to 1 cup of water) on the stove until the sugar disolves! Add this syrup to 4 cups cold water and the juice from 6 lemons- give or take to your taste!

Bagels in France

2009-07-20T15:11:00.003+02:00

Can buy them at the frozen stuff store Picard Surgelés.

Where to Find French Food in the USA

2009-07-19T21:04:00.010+02:00

This one's for Mireille...

TBC
New York City, NY
Le Bernardin- 155 W. 52st St.- 212-554-1515
Jean Georges- 1 Central Park West-212-299-3900
Per Se- 10 Columbus Circle Manhattan (Times Warner Center, 4th Floor)- 212-823-9335
Daniel- 60 E. 65th St.-212-288-0033
Bar Boulud- 1900 Broadway, 212-595-0303
Café Boulud- 20 E. 76th St. -212-772-2600
DB Bistro Moderne- 55 W. 44th St.- 212-391-2400
DBGB Bar and Kitchen- 299 Bowery- 212-933-5300

Ayza- 11 W. 31st St.- 212-714-2992 Wine and Chocolate Bar with live Jazz

L'Ecole- 462 Broadway- 212-219-3300 Restaurant of the French Culinary Institute

La Bonne Soupe- 48 W. 55th St. 212-586-7650

The Modern- The Modern Museum of Art- 9 W. 53rd St.- 212-333-1220

Country- 90 Madison Ave.- 212-889-7100

Balthazar Bakery- 80 Spring St.- 212-965-1785

Aquavit- 65 E. 55th St.- 212-307-7311

Seppis- 123 W. 56th St.- 866-544-8556

Le Cirque- 1 Beacon Court, 151 E. 58th St.- 212-644-0202

Veritas- 43 E. 20th St.- 212-353-3700

Artisanal- 2 Park Ave.- 212-725-8585 Fromagerie, Bistro, Wine Bar

French Roast- 78 W. 11th St.- 212-533-2233

2340 Broadway- 212-799-1533

Le Périgord- 405 E. 52nd St.- 212-755-6244

Eleven Madison Park- 11 Madison Ave.- 212-889-0905

212 Restaurant and Bar- 133 E. 65 St.- 212-249-6565

Le Rivage- 340 W. 46th St.- 212-765-7374

Jules Bistro- 65 St. Marks Place- 212-477-5560

Ceci Cela Patisserie- 55 Spring St.- 212-274-9179

Opia- 130 E. 57th St.- 212-688-3939

Cafe Un Deux Trois- 123 W. 44th St.- 212-354-4148

Pastis- 9 9th Ave. 212-929-4844

La Goulue- 746 Madison Ave.- 212-988-8169

Bouley Restaurant- 163 Duane St.- 212-964-2525

Bouley Bakery/Café/Market- 120 W. Broadway- 212-219-1011

Bouley Upstairs- 130 W. Broadway- 212-608-5829

Village- 62 W. 9th- 212-505-3335

Gasgogne- 158 8th Ave.- 212-675-6564 Traditional French with emphasis on Southwestern

Odeon- 145 W. Broadway- 212-233-0507

L'Absinthe- 227 E. 67th St. - 212-794-4950

Triomphe- 49 W. 44th St.- 212-453-4233

Petrossian- 182 W. 58th St.- 212-245-2214

Marseille- 630 9th Ave.- 212-333-2323

Englewood, New Jersey

Balthazar Bakery- 214 South Dean St. - 201-503-9717

Chicago, IL
Les Nomades- 222 E. Ontario St.- 312-649-9010
Le Bouchon- 1958 North Damen Avenue- 773-862-6600
Brasserie JO- 59 W. Hubbard St- 312.595.0800
Avec Restaurant- 615 w. Randolph- 312-377-2002
La Creperie- 2845 N Clark- 773-528-9050
NoMI- Park Hyatt, 7th Floor, 800 N. Michigan Ave. -312-239-4030
La Sardine- 111 N. Carpenter-312-421-2800
Blackbird Restaurant- 619 W. Randolph- 312-715-0708

Yountville, California (Napa Valley)
The French Laundry- 6640 Washington St.- 707-753-0088

Las Vegas, NV
(Caeser's Palace) Guy Savoy- 3570 Las Vegas Blvd. South-702-731-7286
(MGM Grand) Joël Robuchon at the Mansion- 3799 Las Vegas Blvd S- 702-891-7925
(Wynn Resort) Daniel Boulud Brasserie- 702-770-3310

(Bellagio Hotel) Petrossian- 3600 Las Vegas Blvd. S- 702-693-7111 ext 6163

Palm Beach, FL
Café Boulud- 301 Australian Ave.- 561-655-6060

Places to get an American meal in London

2009-04-26T22:01:00.003+02:00

Bodean's BBQ in London at the following locations: Soho, Clapham, Fulham, (ham...haha... get it??? BBQ...ham...pork...nevermind.) Towerhill, Westbourne

Brass Rail in Selfridge's food hall- for NY style deli sandwhiches...

Fatboys Diner, 'Authentic American Diner', Trinity Bouy Wharf, 64 Orchard Place, London, E14 OJW-

The Big Easy, BBQ and crabshack, 332-334 Kings Road, Chelsea, London, SW3 5UR

Christopher's American Bar and Grill, quality steaks and lobsters, 18 Wellington Street Covent Garden London WC2E 7DD

Los Locos, Tex-Mex, 24 - 26 Russel Street, Covent GardenWC2B 5HF

Navajo Joe, 'southwestern food, tequillas', 34 King Street, London

All Star Lanes, 'diverse American food' and bowling, Holborn, Bayswater, Bricklane

Sticky Fingers, 'American inspired food', 1A Phillimore Gardens, London, W8 7QG

The Texas Embassy Cantina, 'The most successful 'Texan-Mexican' restaurant in London!' 1 Cockspur Street-Trafalgar Square- London- SW1Y5DL- Tel: 02079250077

The Mississippi Exchange, Europa Park Road, Guildford, GUI1AJ 01483302544

TBC

Restaurant Review: Buffalo Grill- France, Spain, Luxembourg, Switzerland, and Belgium

2009-04-12T08:53:00.004+02:00

Buffalo Grill
Founded by a Frenchie who travelled to the USA and wanted to create a French chain featuring our fine cuisine from the "far-west", this flashy barn-styled restaurant features Indian statues, hamburgers, and paper menus.
Their "welcome salad", offered to each guest upon arrival, is basically three leafs of iceberg lettuce, five kernels of canned corn, and two red beans. All of this is then drowned in a creamy pepper dressing, that I suppose is supposed to be Ranch. And if you order a hamburger, that petite salad is basically all you're gonna get as far as vegetables go.

But if you don't mind being constipated, their burgers are ok (depending on the day), but make sure to order it "bien cuit" (well done) or the waiter will ride the cow over to the table, cut off a slab, and put it on your plate...
The joint is a good family place, which is very uncommon in France, and is usually open pretty early for dinner.
I wouldn't really call it American food, but you can get bbq sauce there...
It is basically a glorified McDonald's.
But they do play country music and have paper hats...

Restaurant Review: Indiana Café, Paris

2009-04-12T08:38:00.003+02:00

Indiana Café
It's kinds of one of these "France's version of what an American/Tex-Mex restaurant is"... but I thought, what the heck? Couldn't be worse than Buffalo Grill, right? Plus I was having a MAJOR America attack, so I decided to go (République).
I ordered the Fajita Salad, and while it was good, there was WAY too much salad dressing (besides why would put salad dressing on it? There was gauc and sour cream, that's fine for me....) and then of course there weren't any tortillas or tortilla strips or whatever... what? How can you have a menu item called "fajita" without a tortilla? It's like a breadless sandwich. And trust me, the dried out French bread didn't cut it. Thank GOD I had my coke to wash it down... Basically it was a fajita soup with some lettuce in it...
But besides that bad ordering experience, I can honestly give this place a five-star rating based solely on dessert: I got the cheese cake. Just thinking about it I just had a tiny orgasm. It was pure bliss. PERFECTION. (It was prob frozen cheesecake or something, but you know, when it's been this long...) I mean who would think that the country that boasts "over 500 different kinds of cheese" wouldn't normally do cheese pie?
I'd go back and just order dessert...

The Bread Machine...

2009-04-12T08:22:00.003+02:00

...what a lovely invention...
With it I can make sandwich bread, Cinnamon rolls, and pizza dough.
Last night, my boys being out of town, I made a luscious thick crust pizza, all doughy and soft, very unlike the French pizza crust which is thin and croustillant.
And of course I put on it a lovely cheddar and mozzarella blend, unlike the French who often prefer to put on gruyère or emmenthal, basically Swiss cheese.

Restaurant Review: Piraat Grill- Nieuwpoort, Belgium

2009-04-05T22:39:00.002+02:00

Piraat Grill or "Le Piraat" in Nieuwpoort, Belgique is worth mentioning here.
Although it is not an American or British restaurant, it IS an all you can eat, drink, and party buffet.
At around 30 euros a person, it is well worth your money, especially if you're not the designated driver. (Everyone knows that a beer in Belgium is usually around 10 euros, and who wouldn't want to drink 3 for dinner?) They've got all sorts of Belg variety on tap, for example my favorite Kreik, the cherry kind, and of course, coke free refills as well. Although it was your standard Sprite, Fanta, Coke, and diet, I was please to find a bottle of grenadine syrup with my name on it and I made myself up a whole pitcher of cherry coke.
Moving on to the 'buffet d'entrées' complete with all sorts of cold pasta salads, one even with hot dogs cut up into it (which by the way in France are called Knacki). You know Joni Michell's "Miles of Aisles"? Well this is "Miles of Pasta Salads" and veggies salads and cold cuts and fish if you like that, and then there is the other part where you earn all your money back, the meat. Trays and trays of raw meat, of any kind, that you throw on the fire yourself. Who doesn't like to bbq their own meet when they're out on the town? Ketchup, mayo, and fries seal the deal. It's like the fourth of July everyday in there. (And for those of you with kids, there's a little movie room, how nice...)
Of and I know I forgot to mention the whole point of this church-turned into restaurant, it is totally like a pirate threw up in there. It is some pretty sweet décor...
And I'm not even to the dessert buffet, yet, included in the price, with all sorts of pies, pastries, and of course homemade waffes or crépes. (Just beware of the crépe flipper, he doesn't like it if your kids run around screaming, which they probably will, wouldn't you if you were on a pirate ship?)
This last time we were in there it was prob. about a THOUSAND degrees, and it is best to have a reservation, but I def. think it is worth your time, and even a detour.
See? I'm not against European food, I just think it is better when I can shovel ladelfuls onto my plate and go back for seconds...

I did it! I found Cream of Wheat in France!

2009-02-16T19:51:00.004+01:00

We had like 3 litres of milk about to expire, so my husband suggested I make him one of his childhood favorite desserts: semoule.
I called his mother and followed these simple instructions:
Boil milk
Add semoule- 20 grams for each 1/4 litre of milk (which can be found in the flours section of the grocery store)
Stir for 5 - 10 minutes until desired consistancy

(If making for French dessert, add sugar and vanilla or jam or fruit...)

As I stirred, I thought to myself 'this looks familiar...'

And as I served myself up a bowl, I realized it- it was friggin cream of wheat.

Craving Cluster's cereal?

2008-12-22T00:59:00.002+01:00

... Try Kellog's Special K Noisettes et Amandes Effilées

Baking American in France- Substitues and Vocab

2008-12-22T00:51:00.004+01:00

Corn Starch- maizena "fleur de mais" (knorr brand makes it), usually found near the flour
Light Corn Syrup- sirop de mais
Condensed Milk (sweetened or unsweetened) - lait concentré (sucré ou non sucré), sometimes not in the baking section or the milk section, but rather near coffee and tea? Not Carnation brand but rather Nestlé, of course
Buttermilk- babeurre

Anyone know any substitutes for vanilla waffers or graham crackers?

The difference between pancakes and crepes...

2008-12-13T09:35:00.004+01:00

Pancakes have taste: butery, warm, lovely, wholesome
Pancakes have texture: light, fluffy, filling
Pancakes can be eaten with many different ingredients: fruits, jams, syrups, honey, sugars, chocolate, creams, nuts, etc...

Crepes have taste: carboard
Crepes have texture: rubber
Crepes MUST be eaten with different ingredients: the crepe is really just a way to get nutella in your mouth, and frankly a spoon or my finger work just as well.

When my French husband is out of town...

2008-09-30T22:09:00.003+02:00

-I eat dinner at 6 pm instead of 9 pm.
-I have eggs for breakfast.
-I drink soda out of the can and I drink beer out of the bottle.
-I can have a bite of the ingredients of what I'm cooking without being accused of starting the "aperitif" without him.
-I eat on the couch in front of the TV.
-I order a pizza and have it delivered and eat it COLD for BREAKFAST.
-I eat sandwiches for lunch with chips and there is not part of the meal that is heated up.
-I can fill a plate with salad and another with something else without it having be "too much."
-Yogurt is a snack item and not a dessert.
-I eat desserts like pie and cake with a FORK and not a SPOON.
-I eat my cheese whenever I damned well please... WITH my meal if I want.
-I eat my SALAD when I damned well please... WITH my meal if I want.
- I eat in bed.
-I cook and don't clean up the dishes until morning.

Make your own Ranch Dressing???

2008-09-30T21:47:00.006+02:00

This recipe calls for citric acid, sour cream, and buttermilk among other spices.

This recipe claims to taste like Hidden Valley. Calls for mayonnaise instead of sour cream, so be careful because often European mayo doesn't taste like American mayo because it is made with safflower oil and not hydrogenated soybean oil... usually the cheaper the brand of mayo you get, the more American it is.... gross but glorious.

Is this person for real? If I HAD the Ranch Dressing mix pack, would I really need a recipe?

And this one calls for mayo AND sour cream. But it claims to be creamy... hmmm.

Sour Cream in France?

2008-09-30T21:41:00.004+02:00

The closest thing is "crème fraîche".

If you close your eyes and dip your tortilla chip in it, it might just do...

Department Stores- International section might just carry what you're looking for...

2008-09-30T21:33:00.004+02:00

In Spain- El Corte Inglés
In France- Printemps, Galerie Lafayette
In UK- Harrods, Selfridges
In Germany- Hertie am Hauptbahnhof, Karstadt am Dom, Galeria Kaufhof

Discovering Swensen's- South America, Asia, and more

2008-09-30T21:06:00.003+02:00

http://www.swensensicecream.com/
Steaks, fries, burgers. Available in Canada, , Singapore, China, Taiwan, Thailand, Kuwait, Dubai, Saudi Arabia, Colombia, Venezuela, Malaysia, Oman, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, and Trinidad. Oh, and in Topeka, Kansas.
I guess it is a chain, but not really a fast food chain.

HOW we eat

2008-09-29T21:53:00.004+02:00

Sometimes, living abroad, I don't miss WHAT we eat as much as I miss HOW we eat, after all, it is sometimes the culture surrounding food, and not the food itself, that makes us infamous.

All you can buffets.
"Family style dining."
Belching out loud at the table.
Getting ahold of any kind of food you could possibly crave, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
A big and hearty breakfast.
"Help yourself."
Saying grace.
Sharing.
Early dinner.
A 'light' lunch.
Free refills.
Happy hours.
Midnight snacks.
Eating what you want, WHERE you want (in the car, while walking around...)

Top "American" Food?

2008-09-29T21:44:00.003+02:00

According to some of my fellow Americans, these are important "American" foods-

The Hamburger
BBQ Baby Back Ribs
Buffalo Chicken Wings
Chili
Pizza
Macaroni and Cheese
Caesar Salad
Fried Chicken
Pancakes
Apple Pie
Clam Chowder
Fajitas
Hot Dogs
Meatloaf

Please add your favorites to this list...

Spices- Italy

2008-09-29T21:36:00.001+02:00

Spices-

Basil- basilico
Bay leaves- laurier
Cayenne Pepper- capsicum
Cilantro- coriandolo/cilantro
Cinnamon- cannella
Garlic- aglio
Ginger- zenzero
Mint- menta
Nutmeg- noce moscata
Onion- cipolla
Oregano- origano
Paprika- peperonciono
Parsley- prezzemolo
Pepper (black, green, white)- pepe (nero, verde, biano)
Salt- sale
Rosemary- rosmarino
Tarragon- dragoncello
Thyme- timo
Vanilla- vaniglia

Where to get American (and British and International) Food in the Czech Republic

2008-09-29T21:28:00.003+02:00

Culinaria Praha
Skořepka 9
Praha 1, 110 00 (Prague)
Phone: - (+420) 224 231 017
E-mail - office@culinaria.cz
http://www.culinaria.cz/

Robertson (Prague)
Shop - Nusle, Praha 4
Nuselská 60, Praha 4, 140 00
Public transport: Take tram number 11 to stop Horky which is one stop after Náměstí Bratří Synků.

Shop - Dejvice, Praha 6
Jugoslávských partyzánů 38, Praha 6, 160 00
Public transport: Take the A line metro to Dejvická and walk for 5-10 minutes or take tram number 8 to either Podbaba or Lotyšská stop.
http://www.robertson.cz/

Where to get American (and British) Food in Belgium and the Netherlands

2008-09-29T16:20:00.004+02:00

Grare American Food Store
Prins Boudewijnlaan 175,
2610 Wilrijk, BE
03-449.41.18

Stonemanor, The British Store
Steenhofstraat 28
3078 Everberg, BE
Tel: 02.75.949.79

Rue Théophile Delbar 8a
1410 Waterloo, BE
Tel: 02.351.63.54
http://www.stonemanor.uk.com/

The Store
Brusselsesteenweg 402
3090 Overijse, BE
Tel. 02/687.36.52
"American and British foods. Cookery and children's books, greeting cards, giftware and accessories. UK newspapers on Sunday."

British General Stores
Kinkerstraat 39
Amsterdam, NL
Telephone 020 683 6191
email: lsargent@zonnet.nl

Arkwright’s
Rozengracht 13
Amsterdam, NL
Telephone 020 320 0710

Eichholtz
Leidsestraat 48
Amsterdam, NL
Tel: 020 622 0305

Tjin’s
Eerste van der Helstraat 64
1072 NZ Amsterdam, NL
Tel: 020 671 7708

Van Dijk
Ursulaland 80
2591 HA, 's Gravenhage (Den Haag), The Hague, NL
Tel: 070 385 64 65.

Jac Bostelaar
Steenweg 21,
Utrecht, NL
Tel: 030 231 4186

A.A. Rutte
Bloemendaalseweg 202061 CK
Bloemendaal, NL
Tel: 023 525 58 12

Where to get American Food in Australia

2008-09-29T16:17:00.003+02:00

USA Foods Melbourne
146 Cochranes Rd
Moorabbin, Victoria
Australia 3189
Phone: (03) 9555-0288

Misty’s Diner
103-105 High Street Prahran VIC 3181
Phone 9510 0033
info@mistysdiner.com.au
http://www.mistysdiner.com/

Where to get American Food in Asia

2008-09-29T16:15:00.003+02:00

Fire House- burgers, ceaser salad, milk shakes, coffees, and cocktails
4-5-10 Hongo
Bunkyo-ku
Tokyo
03-3815-6044
www.firehouse.co.jp

Baiyoke Sky Hotel- buffet style- steak, lobster, pork chops, mashed potatoes, burgers...
222 Rajprarop Road
Bangkok, Thailand 10400
Tel: 66 (0) 2 656 3000

Where to get American (and British) Food in GERMANY

2008-09-29T08:20:00.007+02:00

Piccadilly English Shop
http://www.piccadilly-english-shop.de/
Kurfurstenanlage 62
69115 Heidelberg (opposite central station)
+49 (0)62 21-16 77 72
or in Stuttgart
Schellingstrabe 11
70174 Stuttgart (around the corner from "Friedrichsbau")
+49 (0) 711 22 60 902

********United Lifestyles PLEASE SEE USER COMMENTS
http://www.british-american-food.de/
offers free shipping on orders over €75 (in germany)
delivers in germany for only €5.80 and in europe for €16.99
LINDENSTR. 19
14467 POTSDAM
TEL: +49 (0)331 5058792

Hello Food
info@hello-food.de
Hochstr. 2242499 Hückeswagen

Food From Home
http://www.foodfromhome.de/
books n movies
sell ur books!

The International Store
Kurfürstenstr 28
40211 Düsseldorf
Tel: +49 (0)211 36 77 211
In addition to their shop in Düsseldorf and doing online mail orders, they have a “mobile store” throughout the North Rhine-Westphalia region of Germany, The Netherlands, and Luxembourg where you can either pick up orders, or sometimes even shop! These locations include:
Aachen, Bergisch-Bladbach, Bochum, Bonn, Bottrop, Bramsche, Brunssum, Dormagen, Dortmund, Duisberg, Essen, Gelsenkirchen, Goch, Grevenbroich, Hagen, Hamm, Kerpen, Kleve, Krefeld, Leverkusen, Mönchengladbach, Münster, MG Rheindalen, Nettetal-Lobberich, Neuss, Osnabrück, Recklinghausen, Remscheid Süd, Sindorf, Solingen, Viersen, Witten, Roermond (Netherlands), Luxembourg (Luxembourg)

Tom’s American Shop
https://www.american-food.com
info@american-food.com
Am Hirschknock 10
96052 Bamberg
Tel: 09 51 / 4 48 99 01 70 /1 41 28 44

G & A Grocery Store aka Schmankerlnische
Baaderstraße 65
Glockenbachviertel
80469 Munich

All American
Wienenbuschstr. 4545149 Essen
Nur Versand, kein Ladengeschäft
Telefon.: 0201 -76 20 95
info@allamerica.de
http://www.allamerica.de/

Bagels-
Käfer's in the Prinzregentenstraße
the "Fresh Bagels & Muffins Coffee Shop"
Barerstraße 72,
80799 München-Schwabing.
Delistar with three Munich locations
G&A Grocery Store.
Bagel Brothers.

AMERICAN LIFESTYLE
Attilastraße 177
12105 Berlin-Tempelhof
Telefon: 030-76 00 76 10
E-Mail: info@american-style.de
Shop-URL: http://www.american-style.de/

Bobby's Foodstore
Schleifmühlgasse 8
A-1040 Wien, Austria!!

American Chains seen abroad- To be Cont...

2008-09-28T23:21:00.002+02:00

Tgifs
Starbucks
Burger king
McDonald’s
KFC
Dunkin Dognuts
Planet Hollywood
Hardrock Café
Tony Roma’s
Subway
Outback Steakhouse
7-Eleven
Little Caesar's
Pizza Hut
Domino's

Where to get American Food in MADRID and BARCELONA

2008-09-28T23:18:00.003+02:00

To be Continued-

The American Store
Pº San Francisco de Sales 3.
28003, Madrid
Tel. 91 544 27 03
http://www.theamericanstore.es/

Chicago Pizza Pie Factory (The)
Provença, 300
Barcelona , 08008
+34 93 2159415

Foster's Hollywood
Magallanes, 1
Madrid 28015
+34 91 448 9165
fostershollywood@fostershollywood.es

Spices- Spain

2008-09-28T23:16:00.001+02:00

Spices-

Basil- albahaca
Bay leaves- alloro
Cayenne Pepper- pimienta roja
Cilantro- cilantro/coriandro/culantro
Cinnamon- canela
Cumin- comino
Garlic- ajo
Ginger- jengibre
Mint- menta
Nutmeg- nuez moscada
Onion- cebolla
Oregano- orégano
Paprika- pimentón
Parsley- perejil
Pepper (black, green, white)- pimienta (negra, verde, blanca)
Salt- sal
Rosemary- romero
Tarragon- estragón
Thyme- tomillo
Vanilla- vainilla

How to make Pancakes abroad- with no mix!

2008-09-28T23:10:00.003+02:00

Pancakes
Improvise!

Many Americans (including you?) may be used to pancakes from a box, that is, a pancake mix. I once remember talking to my brother on the phone while he debated whether or not his craving for pancakes was strong enough for him to get dressed and go to the store to buy a pancake mix. “Do you have eggs?” I asked him. Yes he did. “Flour?” Yes. “Milk or water?” Yes again. “Sugar?” Yes, of course. “Oil or butter?” Yes, obviously. Some sort of baking powder or soda could help as well, but not necessary in the case of a code red craving. “Well, dork, you don’t need to go to the store then, you have everything you need to make pancakes right there!”

To make pancakes, it would be nice to have-
A frying pan (but you could use the bottom of a sauce pan in an emergency)
A spatula (but a fork, knife, or other kitchen utensil could do)

How to make the batter-
1 c. flour-1 tsp. soda-1 tsp. baking powder-3 tbsp. sugar-2 tbsp. oil-Pinch of salt-1 egg-1 c. buttermilk or 1 tbsp. vinegar in milk

1 c. sifted flour-1 tbsp. baking powder-3 tbsp. melted butter-1 tsp. vanilla-2 tbsp. sugar-1 c. milk-1 egg

How to make the cakes-
Put a bit of oil or butter in your pan, you don’t need much just enough to coat it. Heat up your pan, on fairly low heat. You’ll know your pan is hot enough when you sprinkle a bit of water on it and it sizzles (if it evaporates right away it is too hot, if it stays in the pan it is too cold.) Spoon or pour a circle of batter into the pan. You’ll know it is ready to flip when the side up bubbles and the bubbles pop and stay open. Turn over (or for pros, flip it!)… The bottom side won’t need as long to cook, you can peek underneath to see if it is done. You’re going for golden brown and not too gooey on the inside- if it is too dark or too light the temperature may not be right or you may be leaving it too long or too short.

No maple syrup?

Try the following pancake toppings-

honey

nutella

jam

fresh fruit (berries, bananas)

sugar

powdered sugar

juice from squeezed oranges

whipped cream

chocolate sauce

Cream Cheese in France?

2008-09-28T23:06:00.003+02:00

No Philadelphia, but they have what is called St. Moret. Not, of course, exactly the same, but can be very nicely substituted in recipes.

Spices- France

2008-09-28T22:35:00.002+02:00

Spices-

In France, a cheaper way to get spices is to get a spice mix... one of the most common, sold in bigger sized jars is called Herbes de Provence and is a mixture of rosemary, oregano, basil, thyme, savory, and marjoram.

Basil- basilic
Bay leaves- laurier
Cayenne Pepper- piment de cayenne
Chives- ciboulette
Cilantro- coriandre
Cinnamon- cannelle
Cumin- cumin
Fennel- fenouil
Garlic- ail
Ginger- gingembre
Mint- menthe
Nutmeg- noix de muscade
Onion- oignon
Oregano- origan
Paprika- paprika
Parsley- persil
Pepper (black, green, white)- poivre (noir, vert, blanc)
Salt- sel
Rosemary- romarin
Tarragon- estragon
Thyme- thym
Vanilla- vanille

Ranch Dressing on Macoroni and Cheese

2008-09-26T20:12:00.003+02:00

Tonight I was feeling down, so I tried to make some "home food".
I made homemade mac and cheese by mixing some butter, "cheddar" (English cheddar is different than what we have in the US) and some Swiss, to make a sharp mac and cheese.
Of course accompanied with a salad smothered in ranch.
And then the mac and cheese ended up being covered in ranch.
Thomas just gave me this look... 'ah bon?'

Where to get American Food in PARIS

2008-09-23T11:44:00.009+02:00

To be CONTINUED............

http://www.myamericanmarket.com/

Thanksgiving- American grocery store featuring genuine US products and also a cajun restaurant and catering service.
20, rue Saint Paul 75004 PARIS Tel: 01 42 77 68 28 or 29
http://www.thanksgivingparis.com/

Breakfast in America- An American Diner in Paris. Pancakes, bagels, burgers, wraps, chilli, cheesecake, milkshakes, and more.

17, rue des Ecoles
75005 Paris
Métro: Cardinal LeMoine or Jussieu
Tel: 01 43 54 50 28

4, rue Malher
75004 Paris
Metro: St Paul
Tel: 01 42 72 40 21

http://www.breakfast-in-america.com/

Chicago Pizza Pie Factory
5, rue de Berri,
75008 Paris
Tel: 01.45.62.50.23

Haynes (The Original American Soul Food)
3, Rue Clauzel
75009 Paris
Tel : 01 48 78 40 63
Bagel store
31, Rue Turenne 75003 Paris
Tel: 01 44 78 06 05

Bagels and Brownies12, Rue N D des Champs 75006 Paris
Tel: 01 42 22 44 15

Sam’s Bagels
51-53, Passage Choiseul
75002 Paris
Réservations : 01 42 86 07 36

Epicerie Americaine http://www.epicerie-americaine.com/
5, cité du Wauxhall • 75010 PARIS • Tél. : 01 42 00 36 20

O'Bagels -107 rue Manin-75019 Paris
Au Diable des Lombards- 64, rue des Lombards- 75001 Paris- Tel: 01.42.33.81.84- Métro: Les Halles
Joe Allen- 30 rue Pierre Lescot- 75001 Paris- Tel: 01.42.36.80.80
Scoop- 154 rue Saint Honore- 75001 Paris- Tel: 01.42.60.31.82 "Menu" starting at 13 euros
Café Board- 8, rue Coquillère- 75001 Paris- Tel: 01.40.28.02.33 Metro: Louvre Rivoli
American Dream- 21; rue Daunou- 75002 Paris- Tel: 01.42.60.99.89
Coffee Room- rue du Cherche Midi- 75006 Paris- Tel: 01.43.29.01.22
Planet Hollywood- 78, ave. Champs Elysees Tel: 01.53.83.78.27
Chesterfield Café- 124, rue La Boétie- 75008 Paris- Tel: 01.42.25.18.06
Hard Rock Café- 14, Blv. Montmartre 75009 Paris Tel: 01.53.24.60.00 http://www.hardrock.com/
Blue Bayou- 111, rue Saint Maur- 75011 Paris- Tel: 01.43.55.87.21
Meating- 123 Ave. de Villiers- 75017 Paris- Tel: 01.43.80.1010 Menu 60 euros

American Fast Food in France

2008-09-23T11:41:00.002+02:00

MacDo- www.mcdonalds.fr

In 1972 the first McDonald’s opened in a south-eastern Parisien suburb. Since then le fast-food industry in France has exploded, and at the beginning of 2007 there were more than 1000 McDo’s in France. 1085 to be exact. It might be easier to list the towns in France that don’t have McDonald’s than listing those that do...
Finding the closest one to chez toi is easy using http://www.mcdonalds.fr/. You can find an address using your zip code, or also find one on your driving route by plugging in your departure and arrival adresses... “MacDo”... c’est tout ce que j’aime.

Starbucks Coffee- http://www.starbucks.fr/

Even though Starbucks Coffee is now the biggest international coffeehouse chain, it’s first café didn’t open in France until 2003. For the moment, you can only find them in Paris and it’s suburbs... but there are quite a few and the number is growing. Remember, a short is a petit, and a tall is a moyen, but a grande is still a grand and a venti is still a venti.

SUBWAY®- http://www.subway.com/

Making it’s grand début in Paris in 2001, there are now more than 70 SUBWAY® franchises in France. While there is certainly not a lack of places in France to get a good sandwhich, nothing beats getting to pick out your own fresh ingredients and having them put on fresh, soft bread right before your eyes...

Baking in France

2008-09-22T16:55:00.009+02:00

Baking soda- bicarbonate de sodium- is purchased at the pharmacy
Baking powder- levure chimique/poudre à lever- is usually sold in packets which are 10 grams, or about ¾ tablespoon.
Sugar- sucre en poudre
Powdered sugar/ confectioner’s sugar- sucre glacé
Brown sugar- vergeoise (brune)/cassonade

Oven Temperature Conversions

F° C°

225 - 110

250 - 130

275 - 140

300 - 150

325 - 165

350 - 175

375 - 190

400 - 200

425 - 220

450 - 230

475 - 245

500 - 260

550 - 290

My very own Thanksgiving Dagwood...

2008-09-22T12:15:00.001+02:00

One thing I miss in France is good bread...
I know you're thinking "WHAT? Is that woman crazy? Does she miss good cheese, too?"
(And the answer may be yes, I miss some nice, sharp, Tallamook cheddar from time to time...)
But I mean in the US we do have some nice sandwich breads, all different kinds. Oats, potato, whole grain, sourdough, etc...
In France, the grocery store has two varieties of sliced bread- wonderbread-esque white and wonderbread-esque wheat.

None the less I opted for some processed wheat, and headed to the new "International" food section, now popular in most big French grocery stores, and purchased some Ocean Spray cranberry Sauce (in the British section). I added to my sandwich lettuce, tomato, and the closest thing to Cream Cheese in France, St. Moret. It was like a little bit of Thanksgiving between two slices of bad bread... fall is here.

I hope to get a bread machine for Christmas... I am hinting at it already to Thomas.

Ranch Dressing on Pizza

2008-09-22T12:01:00.001+02:00

My husband Thomas went to Canada last week for his brother's wedding. Although he went to the French speaking part (Quebec) I remembered my brother in law mentioning they had Wal Marts there etc. so I asked Thomas to see if they had any Ranch Dressing there...

And he brought me back two delicious bottles of it.... unfort. the generic Wal Mart Great Choice brand or whatever, but it will do.

So my first step was to get some salad and pizzas.... I ordered myself the closest thing I can get to American pizza here in France (La boite à Pizza, thick crust that they call "pâte moelleuse"- http://www.laboiteapizza.fr/- I guess there is one in Miami, Florida now, they are also in Belgium and soon in Shanghai, China)... then some coke of course, and Ben and Jerry's ice cream for dessert, and salad etc... and then I poured the ranch all over it and voila, we called it a meal. The bottle of ranch is half gone, and if you don't believe me you're welcome to look in my fridge-i-daire.

I must have been sexy there on the couch, stuffing my face with pizza, ranch dressing dripping from my fat lips, staring at the TV that was blasting "Big Love".... Thomas has never lived abroad and cannot know the importance of my little "American Nights".... where, as disgusting as I may be, I feel at home.