If you are like me, you have heard of British food and thought, "oh, yeah, fish and chips, and blood pudding" but have not fully considered the fine hearty cuisine of England. Above you can see an adorable minced pie. This was the perfect sample size for a lovely pastry stuffed with raisins and spices... Honestly, not bad, but this little guy was small so the ratio of pastry to filling was perfect (lots of pastry). Oh, and you can see the beautiful Christmas tree at Mary's house with her lovely garden in the background. Supper (what most people from the US call Dinner)I grew up on a farm and we called the last meal of the day "supper" as do the English. So, yeah, basically I am a proper lady. But you probably guessed that already. For our first supper we had a proper English chicken roast with parsnips, carrots, potatoes and PEAS. Peas are a staple here, I honestly, thought that I hated peas, it turns out, I like them. Who knew? It was a delicious meal, served at a dinning room table with cloth napkins. I'm used to getting a PBJ sammy over the sink so this was extremely high class! Another meal we had for supper was "Cottage Pie." How can you get more English than that!!! It had minced meat (ground beef to you and I) potatoes and spices. The perfect thing to eat after a full day out in the woods. Lunch (sometimes called dinner)Yes, boys and girls, that is split pea soup with ham. Never in my life would I think that I would like split pea soup until now. It was delicious! Mary must be a miracle chef, because the only thing I ever associated split pea soup with was the movie the Exorcist. So, my expectations were pretty low, but wow! And it tasted mostly like my mom's good old ham and beans. So, if you get the chance, try something you never have before, you just might like it. Fish and Chips |
Who I amI am an Associate Professor at the College of Charleston and a former public school teacher of 15 years, This blog is my documentation of a journey through Germany the Netherlands, and now England, investigating Forest Schools and how the arts are infused in their daily curriculum. |