615004 Sat Apr 25 19:17:27 -0700 2009 479 29 Not About Food 0 4628822 In the "One more tea rant" thread on the General Topics board, Paulustrius floated the idea of a thread with this title to address food and cooking-related vocabulary/language differences in our respective transatlantic versions of English. (It'd be interesting to note the differences in other English-speaking countries, as well. I know not all Commonwealth nations use the British conventions, and that Anglophone Canada, for instance, uses most of the same terminology the US does.) So here are a few for starters. From the tea thread: US French press vs. UK cafétiere A few more: zucchini vs. courgette eggplant vs. aubergine bell pepper vs. capsicum snow pea vs. mangetout arugula vs. rocket romaine vs. cos cilantro (or fresh coriander or Chinese parsley) vs. coriander (for the leaf) dark chocolate vs. plain chocolate all purpose flour vs. plain flour baking soda vs. bicarb or bicarbinate of soda cookie vs. biscuit french fries vs. chips potato chips vs. potato crisps Sat Apr 25 19:17:27 -0700 2009 10074 Caitlin McGrath 1 4628852 US garbanzos are UK chickpeas Sat Apr 25 19:44:46 -0700 2009 4628822 225234 KiltedCook 2 4628855 Well, they go by both names in the US, but I gather only chickpeas in the UK? Sat Apr 25 19:46:41 -0700 2009 4628852 10074 Caitlin McGrath 2 4628873 They are often chickpeas in the US, too -- which term is used predominantly is probably a regional variation (the Spanish word used more in the West/Southwest, the English word used more in the East/North East, perhaps). The same with cilantro/fresh coriander/Chinese parsley. It's only recently that "cilantro" has become used almost universally in the US. In England, it's still "coriander." Sat Apr 25 19:58:23 -0700 2009 4628852 10159 Ruth Lafler 1 4628860 Good list -- however, since you're putting the American on the left and the English on the right, you have arugula and rocket backwards. Here's another one: Corn starch vs. corn flour Sat Apr 25 19:51:43 -0700 2009 4628822 10159 Ruth Lafler 2 4628877 It's called arugula in the US, rocket in the UK, so how is it backwards? Sat Apr 25 19:58:53 -0700 2009 4628860 10074 Caitlin McGrath 3 4629430 It's also called rocket in the US. In my experience, "arugula" has only come to predominate in the last 20 years or so, but that may be a function of geography and family background. Sun Apr 26 07:16:02 -0700 2009 4628877 58743 alanbarnes 4 4629442 Not disagreeing with you, but at the same time, I've never seen arugula sold in stores (NYC, DC, Miami, North Carolina) as rocket. Sun Apr 26 07:24:15 -0700 2009 4629430 10985 MMRuth 5 4629475 According to one of my reference books, it used to be called “rocket” in the U.S. many years ago. Then, after a long absence, it reappeared as “arugula” after the Italian “rugala.” I wonder if it’s possible that in some parts of the States “rocket” is just a holdover from that earlier time. Sun Apr 26 07:36:57 -0700 2009 4629442 11407 JoanN 6 4629489 In Canada I had never heard of rocket before I saw it mentioned on a cooking show from the Kingdom of UK. Took a lot of digging before I found out it is arugula. Doesn't matter though. I can't get either in my hick town :-) Sun Apr 26 07:43:58 -0700 2009 4629475 251167 billieboy 5 4629739 I'd never seen it sold in stores at all until fairly recently. "Rocket" was one of those bitter edible weeds that I hated as a kid. Like nettles and dandelion greens. They were things that my granddad picked wild and tried to pretend were food. The notion of paying money for them would have been absurd. I actually like arugula a lot now. And have even paid a premium price for a delicious bowl of weed - er, stinging nettle - soup at Alice's Restaurant. Haven't seen dandelion greens on any menus, but that could be opportunity for some aspiring chef - just call 'em "soffione," charge $4.99 for a little bunch, and don't tell anybody they grow in the back yard. Sun Apr 26 09:40:46 -0700 2009 4629442 58743 alanbarnes 6 4630482 Dandelion greens are pretty common in France. They call them pisse-en-lit because of their mildly diuretic properties. How charmant. Sun Apr 26 15:37:41 -0700 2009 4629739 110146 greedygirl 7 4644830 You probably know this but. Dandelion is a corruption of another French name, dents de lion, lion's teeth after the shape of the leaf. Fri May 01 05:56:51 -0700 2009 4630482 154622 Paulustrious 3 4629515 Because I'm dyslexic? I don't know how I read the rest of that list correctly and not that one. Sun Apr 26 07:55:34 -0700 2009 4628877 10159 Ruth Lafler 1 4628870 I've only ever seen capsicum refer to the chemical that makes peppers spicy, not to refer to a bell pepper, and I've only seen coriander refer to the seed, not the leaf (aka cilantro). Maybe those are regional US things? Not quite on topic, but in England a few years ago I gave my hosts a good laugh at my expense by not knowing the UK definition of "pants" and offering to show off my great new pair... Sat Apr 25 19:57:24 -0700 2009 4628822 131105 Emmmily 2 4628889 Good catch! I reversed the US and UK on bell pepper/capsicum and cilantro/coriander; I'll go back and edit. ETA: fixed those in the OP. Sat Apr 25 20:02:16 -0700 2009 4628870 10074 Caitlin McGrath 3 4638789 Funny, I just saw capsicum used for the first time. It was on a jar of preserved veggies in a chinese supermarket - "capsicum in oil" was the only English on the bottle. Interesting! Wed Apr 29 08:55:27 -0700 2009 4628889 131105 Emmmily 2 4628903 most are USA v UK. Capsicum v bell pepper is switched, as the corinander v cilantro pudding and custard are used differently In the USA, pudding is almost always a sweet, stiff sauce that is eaten with a spoon. Custard is a stiffer, almost gelled sweet. UK pudding (I think) has a very wide use; custard often means the same as the US pudding. Sat Apr 25 20:08:46 -0700 2009 4628870 12139 paulj 3 4628920 Yeah, I edited to fix that error. My understanding is pudding is sometimes used to mean dessert generally, as well as for things like steamed puddings. I've seen poured custard used in UK English where in the US we'd say creme anglaise. US jelly vs. UK ? We both use jam, but is there a UK product equivalent to US clear jelly (jam without pieces of fruit)? Here, jelly, jam, and preserves are all variations on the theme, the difference being in whether there's solid fruit and how large the pieces are. US jello (from Jell-O brand) or gelatin vs. UK jelly Sat Apr 25 20:21:53 -0700 2009 4628903 10074 Caitlin McGrath 4 4629163 Some preserves without fruit in them are called jelly - redcurrant jelly being the most common. Pudding = dessert. And custard is indeed creme anglaise, although it can also refer to a cream/eggs combo such as the base of a creme brulee. Sun Apr 26 00:48:15 -0700 2009 4628920 110146 greedygirl 4 4629699 Yes, the UK's "pudding" = US dessert Sun Apr 26 09:29:09 -0700 2009 4628920 36661 Sam Fujisaka 5 4637190 except for black pudding and blood pudding Tue Apr 28 16:18:47 -0700 2009 4629699 135229 thew 6 4638080 We don't have blood pudding in the UK. It's just black pudding (and white pudding in Scotland and Northern Ireland) Wed Apr 29 01:43:50 -0700 2009 4637190 154102 Harters 7 4638163 still - not dessert Wed Apr 29 04:49:42 -0700 2009 4638080 135229 thew 2 4629162 Most people just call them peppers and refer to them by colour (color!). Years ago when I was working in publishing I organised a book tour for the American children's author Judy Blume. She was highly amused to be appearing on a popular kid's TV show over here - Blue Peter! Equally, the students she spoke to found it hilarious that her daughter was called Randy.... Sun Apr 26 00:44:26 -0700 2009 4628870 110146 greedygirl 2 4629352 It's capsaicin that makes peppers hot, not capsicum. Easy to get confused with those two. Sun Apr 26 06:19:03 -0700 2009 4628870 13150 babette feasts 2 4631547 I think there are very few people who use capsicum anymore. They are called bell peppers everywhere; on packaging at the supermaket, recipes, etc.. Mon Apr 27 03:08:15 -0700 2009 4628870 158180 nanette 3 4631685 Or, more commonly, just "peppers". Mon Apr 27 05:38:15 -0700 2009 4631547 154102 Harters 3 4633913 Maybe in the States. Here in OZ they are always refered to as either a reg or green or yellow capsicum. If you asked the average Joe for a bell pepper, they'd have no idea what you were on about. Mon Apr 27 16:31:15 -0700 2009 4631547 86137 purple goddess 4 4634361 Also in Bhutan, who 99% likely got the term from India, and if they use it in India, that's a whole lot of capsicum! Mon Apr 27 19:19:20 -0700 2009 4633913 13150 babette feasts 4 4634896 I was referring to the UK. Tue Apr 28 03:13:56 -0700 2009 4633913 158180 nanette 5 4635010 So was I ;-) Tue Apr 28 05:24:48 -0700 2009 4634896 154102 Harters 2 4697858 Er...sorry but I think you mean capsaicin as the heat-causing chemical. Capsicum DOES mean the pepper itself, but it's generally used only in Australia, not England. Tue May 19 12:30:32 -0700 2009 4628870 208053 berbadeerface 1 4628981 As a Brit in Florida here are some more self rising - self raising chili - chili con carne baked potatoes - jacket potatoes scallions - spring onions coffee with cream - white coffee rutebaga - swede golden raisins - sultanas almond flour - ground almonds we could also do a section on foods that are not seen on shelves in both countries and I don't mean branded goods but things like sweet butter in the US which does not exist in the UK, the various types of cream that the UK has which America does not. I have never seen semolina in the US. Sat Apr 25 21:03:22 -0700 2009 4628822 22559 smartie 2 4629016 Semolina is available in the US, but usually you must go to specialty grocers to find it. Sat Apr 25 21:31:06 -0700 2009 4628981 10074 Caitlin McGrath 2 4629018 Semolina is known in the US among profesionals, but not commonly found in groceries. I've found it in a health food store (bulk section), and import sections and stores (Italian, Middle Eastern, Indian). Sat Apr 25 21:32:27 -0700 2009 4628981 12139 paulj 2 4629161 I didn't realise that almond flour was simply ground almonds. Who knew? No wonder I've been confused by the discussion about one of the cakes from COTM! Sun Apr 26 00:40:23 -0700 2009 4628981 110146 greedygirl 3 4630637 I only discovered this when I baulked at the price of almond flour and "substituted" almond meal (ordinary ground almond processed in my blender, just a bit). Worked fine. Sun Apr 26 16:51:59 -0700 2009 4629161 24738 LJS 4 4630755 Almond meal made at home in the food processor is coarser and oilier than almond flour purchased comercially. You can often substitute, but as a baker I consider them different things. Sun Apr 26 17:34:16 -0700 2009 4630637 13150 babette feasts 1 4629078 I'm not sure about the snow peas and mangetout. I also see snow peas in my UK supermarket and they are bigger and thicker than what's called mangetout. Maybe it's just a different variety. Being an American, living here was very confusing at the start. :-) Something else that's different is chow mein. In the UK, it usually refers to a strictly noodle dish - not too many veggies like bean sprouts in it (at least at my local). Sat Apr 25 22:32:24 -0700 2009 4628822 11939 zuriga1 2 4629160 Do you mean sugar snap peas? They're usually bigger than mangetout? Sun Apr 26 00:39:10 -0700 2009 4629078 110146 greedygirl 3 4638554 Sugar snaps are fat, like regular peas in pods, but you can eat the whole thing. Snow peas are flat, and also fully edible. Which one is mangetout? Wed Apr 29 07:48:48 -0700 2009 4629160 14386 BobB 4 4638564 The second one. Wed Apr 29 07:51:39 -0700 2009 4638554 110146 greedygirl 5 4638589 Makes sense, since for snow peas you "eat the whole thing"! ~TDQ Wed Apr 29 07:58:18 -0700 2009 4638564 12005 The Dairy Queen 1 4629164 We have both baking powder and bicarbonate of soda. I'm not sure what the difference is, or whether you have two versions as well. I just do what it says in the recipe.... Here's a few more Appetiser vs starter/first course Entree vs main course (this one is especially confusing given that entree means starter in French) Lima beans vs butterbeans Favas vs broad beans Also cuts of meat are quite different as well. Short ribs are not something you see a lot round these parts, or tri-tip, or pork butt (is that the same as pork shoulder?). And then we've got the whole cups/imperial vs metric thing, although that's complicated by the fact that lots of cookery books use both as pounds and ounces are still in common usage. Sometimes it's a challenge cooking from the American COTMs, but you lot are usually on hand to help! Other things we don't have in Britain: Half and half Fat-free sour cream Bisquick Crisco (I think this might be called something else) Jicama Egg beaters (what are they?) Sun Apr 26 00:49:42 -0700 2009 4628822 110146 greedygirl 2 4629235 Baking powder is baking soda mixed with citric acid (citric acid is a dry white powder). In the presence of water baking powder releases carbon dioxide so it acts as a raising agent. That is why it must be kept very dry and has a definite shelf life since it absorbs moisture from the atmosphere. In the presence of water baking soda dissolves. Baking soda = sodium bicarbonate = bicarbonate of soda = sodium hydrogen carbonate Baking soda reacts with any acid, such as in tomato sauce to produce one or more salts of various types. These salts may have an unpleasant taste, which some people find more offensive than others. It is also the fastest acting 'cure' for acid indigestion, provided you can burp. Sun Apr 26 04:25:29 -0700 2009 4629164 154622 Paulustrious 2 4629779 crisco is a vegetable based shortening. used in place of lard in most recipes. egg beaters is a proprietary name for egg whites with food coloring. not exactly an egg substitute since it is egg, just omitting the yolk for "health" reasons. Sun Apr 26 10:00:12 -0700 2009 4629164 57890 KaimukiMan 2 4631549 You can find bisquick most places these days, though I don't know why people would bother. Single cream is similar in fat content to half and half, though it is 18% and half and half can be as low as 12%. Totally bumed we don't have "fake eggs" here or egg whites in a carton. Mon Apr 27 03:12:14 -0700 2009 4629164 158180 nanette 3 4642566 Don't be bummed about not having Eggbeaters - I even bring real eggs camping in the cooler. Can't stand those things! Thu Apr 30 10:37:33 -0700 2009 4631549 145413 bakinggirl 1 4629197 Americans have something called a 'graham cracker', which seems to be a digestive biscuit. Is it the same thing? Sun Apr 26 02:21:04 -0700 2009 4628822 222376 Ibrahim.Salha 2 4629227 Greedygirl: Egg Beaters: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egg_Beaters. A recipe that calls for baking soda usually has an acidic ingredient as well, such as sour cream/buttermilk (the science behind it eludes me). While digestive biscuits are used in the UK as a sub for graham crackers, they are not the same thing. Graham crackers are thin and have a different flavour to the oaty/wheaty taste of digestives. Sun Apr 26 03:53:30 -0700 2009 4629197 11962 Athena 3 4629238 There's nothing in that Wiki link, I'm afraid, so I'm non the wiser! Sun Apr 26 04:29:14 -0700 2009 4629227 110146 greedygirl 4 4629258 Egg Beaters (and there are similar products under different brand names) are a low-cholesterol alternative to eggs in the shell. It's mostly egg whites (no yolk) to which nutrients and coloring have been added. Sun Apr 26 05:12:26 -0700 2009 4629238 11407 JoanN 5 4629311 Nothing like that here. Probably too many memories of rationing (powdered egg)! Plus egg-white omelettes aren't that popular here. Sun Apr 26 05:52:33 -0700 2009 4629258 110146 greedygirl 4 4629304 I'm sorry! Don't know why the link didn't work. Sun Apr 26 05:48:07 -0700 2009 4629238 11962 Athena 5 4629309 It does work, but the article doesn't have anything in it. Sun Apr 26 05:51:21 -0700 2009 4629304 110146 greedygirl 6 4631426 If you still want to read the article, click the link and delete the period at the end of the url. Sun Apr 26 22:53:41 -0700 2009 4629309 106932 Agent Orange 4 4631440 Just take off the extra period at the end of the URL: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egg_Beaters Sun Apr 26 23:10:04 -0700 2009 4629238 24055 Atahualpa 3 4629357 Graham crackers are also much lower in fat than digestive biscuits. At least, the ones we get from India are loaded with fat. Sun Apr 26 06:21:02 -0700 2009 4629227 13150 babette feasts 2 4629656 Graham crackers are named after an American, Rev. Sylvester Graham (1794-1851), who promoted a flour and diet high in wheat bran. Graham flour has coarser bran and wheat germ than regular whole wheat flour (they are milled separately). Sun Apr 26 09:05:50 -0700 2009 4629197 12139 paulj 2 4642573 And graham crackers are a necessary ingredient in s'mores - a sandwich with graham crackers in place of bread, filled with a toasted marshmallow and a chocolate square. Yummy! Thu Apr 30 10:39:03 -0700 2009 4629197 145413 bakinggirl 3 4642615 Oh, absolutely! We even have an little hibachi so we can make s'mores in the house, should we feel like it. Although I don't recall paying $60 for ours! Come to think of it, I believe it was a gift. Thank you, Laurianne! http://www.chefsresource.com/pupucombo.html Thu Apr 30 10:51:56 -0700 2009 4642573 249664 kattyeyes 4 4747926 kattyeyes, i'm not sure that running an hibachi in the house is wise? maybe i'm confusing that situation with running a generator in the garage? but you're alive to tell the tale, so....... Sat Jun 06 07:54:16 -0700 2009 4642615 105717 alkapal 5 4747941 No, no--perfectly safe. They run on sterno like the old school pu pu platters from back in the day Chinese places. Our local one was the Hu Ke Lau! :) Sat Jun 06 08:02:19 -0700 2009 4747926 249664 kattyeyes 6 4748171 that reminds me, you said in some thread about the funny name of the asian/viet store ("dong"?) -- there was a thread with funny restaurant names that was hilarious. if you haven't seen it yet, i'll find it. here: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/536969 (my sighting: "the squat and gobble" by I-95 in georgia). Sat Jun 06 09:52:13 -0700 2009 4747941 105717 alkapal 1 4629256 Thank you for the credit. Saute vs Fry Broil vs Grill Grill vs Griddle (well sort of) Canadian Bacon vs Back bacon Bacon vs Streaky Bacon (close enough anyway) Hard cider, vs cider Cider vs Apple juice Lemonade - equivalent doesn't exist in UK as a word really Sprite / lemon soda vs lemonade (Except in the UK you can get orange lemonade) supper vs tea (there are regional variations here which include 'dinner') candy vs sweets dessert vs dessert OR sweet English muffin vs muffin (guess that makes sense) Cookie - Biscuit Biscuits (as in biscuits with gravy) - I don't know how to translate that one Pancake - nearest I can get is drop scone or scotch pancake Crepe - Pancake Boston lettuce vs Bibb lettuce Pint (16 ounces) vs Pint (20 ounces) - and gallons have same 20% disparity. And then there are just words like spud, pasty, banger. Sun Apr 26 05:04:50 -0700 2009 4628822 154622 Paulustrious 2 4629263 Speaking of soda, when London BF is in residence here I sometimes get tripped up on that word. I believe that in the UK “soda” refers only to carbonated water and/or perhaps seltzer. Are other fizzy waters called only by brand name or flavor, such as Coke or root beer? Sun Apr 26 05:16:14 -0700 2009 4629256 11407 JoanN 3 4629274 They're known as soft drinks or fizzy "pop". Soda is specifically soda water. Sun Apr 26 05:28:15 -0700 2009 4629263 110146 greedygirl 4 4629297 = seltzer as per Joan's suggestion.. Sun Apr 26 05:45:12 -0700 2009 4629274 154622 Paulustrious 5 4629312 Seltzer only used in conjunction with "alker" as in hangover cure! Sun Apr 26 05:53:20 -0700 2009 4629297 110146 greedygirl 2 4629283 The broil thing really confused me for a while. I thought it was something special that only American ovens could do! "Orange lemonade" = orangeade. But usually called by its brand name, normally Fanta. The American-style lemonade is usually called still lemonade. The muffin thing is becoming more confused, as American-style muffins are now very popular here. Supper/tea/dinner - that's VERY complicated - you could almost write a thesis on it! It's often class-related as well as regional. Really posh people often call their evening meal supper whereas for most people supper is a snack before going to bed. Calling your evening meal "tea" is quite a northern thing. Dessert vs dessert OR sweet OR pudding. Biscuits with gravy - doesn't exist. Similarly breakfast sausage. And grilling in the American sense is normally called barbecuing, I think. Sun Apr 26 05:35:59 -0700 2009 4629256 110146 greedygirl 3 4629323 There are regional differences in the US too with dinner/supper, even though we don't have tea. My dad always calls his evening meal supper and I had a college roommate from nearby his area that called lunch dinner. Sun Apr 26 05:57:51 -0700 2009 4629283 107671 queencru 4 4629691 While 'tea' as a meal is rarely used in the US, the dinner / lunch / supper pairing is more variable (in both countries). The lunch and supper articles of Wiki are interesting reading, and likely to leave you more confused after reading than before. Sun Apr 26 09:25:43 -0700 2009 4629323 12139 paulj 4 4629934 I believe calling lunch dinner is a pretty old-fashioned thing, not common since the earlier part of the 20th century. greedygirl, I have experienced the opposite confusion with the grill vs. broil thing when looking at UK cookbooks: "Put it UNDER the grill? Wha...?" I hope some of our Australian hounds will chime in, too. I recall purple goddess saying in another thread that in Australia, it's eggplant and zucchini (but they do use capsicum), and ketchup is tomato sauce. (In the US, there's an entirely other product called tomato sauce, that is an ingredient.) Sun Apr 26 11:15:20 -0700 2009 4629323 10074 Caitlin McGrath 5 4630085 Yes, I've had the same confusion about putting it "under" the grill. I was trying to imagine what kind of grill one could cook things under! Sun Apr 26 12:38:44 -0700 2009 4629934 10985 MMRuth 6 4630275 I cook black widow spiders under my grill all the time. Sun Apr 26 14:07:06 -0700 2009 4630085 58743 alanbarnes 6 4631682 In the US and Canada I do not recall seeing an 'eye-level' grill. Unless you are two years old. Mon Apr 27 05:37:10 -0700 2009 4630085 154622 Paulustrious 7 4634367 Restaurant salamanders can be near adult eye level. Mon Apr 27 19:21:56 -0700 2009 4631682 13150 babette feasts 8 4634930 I didn`t know that word - I`ve never worked in the restaurant trade. Here is a n example of a cooker with an eye level grill (broiler). http://www.appliancesdirect.co.uk/_5016993_Creda_HL500E/version.asp?refsource=apdealtime Also very common are cookers of this type (both gas and electric). http://www.appliancesonline.co.uk/product_information.aspx?ProductID=7092&ProductCode=G60D_WH There are two ovens, the top one of which is used primarily as a grill (UK) or broiler (US). Another difference between most UK and US ovens is that the lower element is normally not visible. Tue Apr 28 04:17:56 -0700 2009 4634367 154622 Paulustrious 5 4630490 Ketchup also known as tomato sauce here. I don't think we have the canned tomato sauce that you have in the States. Sun Apr 26 15:40:30 -0700 2009 4629934 110146 greedygirl 6 4630911 There are plenty of jar tomato sauces- possibly a smaller selection, but I bought them all the time in the UK. Sun Apr 26 18:24:47 -0700 2009 4630490 107671 queencru 7 4630973 queencru, are you referring to, for example, jarred tomato pasta sauce or to the canned (in tins) "tomato sauce" (that's what it's called on the can) that is an ingredient like tomato paste and sold in the US next to the tomato paste? Because people outside the US have occasionally asked on Chowhound what the latter is when they saw it called for in a recipe someone posted. Sun Apr 26 18:46:16 -0700 2009 4630911 10074 Caitlin McGrath 8 4631168 I have bought at a multi-ethnic produce stand and grocery, some Italian tomato sauce. It is labeled as Passata di Pomodoro. In small type the English translation is Strained Tomatoes. It's a little simpler than the typical American tomato sauce (no onions, etc), but still usable in the same way. It was shelved in a section with a variety of eastern European products. Sun Apr 26 20:02:54 -0700 2009 4630973 12139 paulj 6 4631453 Here in Canada: Tomato Sauce = everything from puréed tomatoes (e.g. Itallian Passata – certainly not concentrated like tomato paste) through to fully seasoned, ready-to-use pasta sauce (like a marinara or putanesca). So, what are pureed tomatoes in a can called in the UK? Do Brits use passata for that? Sun Apr 26 23:19:52 -0700 2009 4630490 24055 Atahualpa 7 4631534 Yes - that's passata or seived tomatoes. What we don't have is canned tomato sauce with onions etc. We do have pasta sauce, but I thought that was different. Mon Apr 27 01:58:18 -0700 2009 4631453 110146 greedygirl 8 4633500 Ah, I'd just consider our tomato sauce with onions, garlic, and maybe a few seasonings in it to simply be very very simple/bland pasta sauce or just think of it as a pasta sauce base to which you can add things. Mon Apr 27 14:27:21 -0700 2009 4631534 24055 Atahualpa 5 4631557 Actually calling lunch dinner might be "old fashioned", but I know plenty of 20 somethings who call lunch dinner. And school lunches are still called school dinners. It is very much a regional and class thing as greedygirl highlighted. Mon Apr 27 03:16:29 -0700 2009 4629934 158180 nanette 6 4633005 Is this in the US or the UK? I was speaking of the US in particular (where school lunches are called school lunches, and the evening meal is dinner or supper, depending on who and perhaps where you are). Mon Apr 27 12:16:38 -0700 2009 4631557 10074 Caitlin McGrath 7 4633869 In the US, I knew people who called lunch "dinner" and the evening meal "supper." It's really a regional thing. My college roommate was from a small town in rural Indiana and my father is from NW Indiana and still uses those terms. Mon Apr 27 16:17:52 -0700 2009 4633005 107671 queencru 7 4634898 Sorry, the threading on this has gotten so long and not very well divided it is hard to follow. I meant the UK. Tue Apr 28 03:15:44 -0700 2009 4633005 158180 nanette 5 4633942 Caitlin, I've been looking for the other thread on this very subject, but my brain is fried right now. Tomato sauce is a condiment, passata is an ingredient. The other issue that never ceases to annoy me is that you Americans use different measurements. And I'm not just talking about converting from ounces to grams, basic recipe indicators such as teaspoon and tablespoon. A tablespoon in an American recipe is a different amount from the Imperial/Metric measurements used in UK and OZ. ED TO ADD: Here's the link to the last discussion on this.. very VERY funny thread! http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/523985 Mon Apr 27 16:39:43 -0700 2009 4629934 86137 purple goddess 6 4634064 I am American and I hate the American measurement system. It would be so much easier to put everything in mL or grams or something, not this teaspoon, tablespoon, pint, etc nonsense. Mon Apr 27 17:20:16 -0700 2009 4633942 107671 queencru 7 4634145 But that American system was inherited, with some modification, from the English. Mon Apr 27 17:51:08 -0700 2009 4634064 12139 paulj 8 4634294 And the British, when they saw a far superior system, were smart enough to adopt it. How many drams in a gill, again? Mon Apr 27 18:52:02 -0700 2009 4634145 58743 alanbarnes 6 4634656 Much as I wish we'd switch to metric in general, I like our pints and cups and tablespoons etc. If we were ever to metricize, I hope we'd leave our recipes unchanged. At least for cooking. In baking, weights makes much more sense. But one thing I've always wondered, does everyone in metric countries have a kitchen scale? Even the people who don't do much cooking/baking? Scales seem to be pretty rare in American kitchens. Mon Apr 27 21:32:54 -0700 2009 4633942 106932 Agent Orange 7 4634973 Orange, I have a wonderful cup measure made by a company called Tala. I bought it in England about 20 years ago, my mum always used one, and as far as I know they are still available. It is a conical shape made of tin and is marked inside with grammes, lbs and oz, fluid oz, and English and American cups, and separates flour, sugar, rice etc into different weights. So I have always used that for baking. There is a generation in the UK between about 45 and 55 years old who were taught imperial measures at first in school and then were wickedly switched to metric so we are capable of interchanging metric to imperial without any problem. That being said I still bake in lbs and oz and if I see a metric recipe I mentally calculate all ingredients to imperial before I start. But yes, Brits who bake use scales, either the old fashioned ones with weights or the type with a dish and a clock scale. Tue Apr 28 04:58:32 -0700 2009 4634656 22559 smartie 8 4635026 I think you're right, smartie. I feel pretty interchangeable these days. I now think of a bag of sugar as 1 kg, not 2lbs. And can cook in metric and imperial. But I'm still 5' 8" and weigh 16 stone (yep, I'm a little fat man). I buy petrol in litres but still talk about the car's consumption in miles per gallon and drive it in miles per hour. Which is a real nuisance when my Spanish brother in law and I do "men's car talk" , as he prefers to think in kilometres per litre and kph. I can usually handle one of the conversions but not two at the same time. And, on international discussion boards, I always convert to metric as it's, erm, more international. Except a pint of milk is still a pint, even when it's a half a litre. J Tue Apr 28 05:36:45 -0700 2009 4634973 154102 Harters 9 4635062 I think most people in Britain mix and match a bit. I'm 5'8 too (but not 16 stone!) and can do both metric and imperial. Tue Apr 28 05:49:51 -0700 2009 4635026 110146 greedygirl 10 4635166 I'm not so sure about the "most". My fave story..... ....I was buying some ham in the market hall at Ashton under Lyne about 5 years back. I asked for 125g. Woman next in the queue is a few years older than me, maybe mid-60s. She says "Ooooh, luv, I'll never get used to that foreign stuff - I'm only just able to work out the new money". It was 1973 when we changed to decimal currency! Tue Apr 28 06:41:05 -0700 2009 4635062 154102 Harters 11 4637133 Brilliant!! We changed to decimal currency the year I was born, but changed to metric in 1973, so I had a few years of schooling in the old system. Like you, I think in metric and imperial. I can calculate horizontal length in metric, but I am 5ft 9 (but my ideal weight is 75kgs!) Tue Apr 28 15:55:18 -0700 2009 4635166 86137 purple goddess 11 4638180 Wow, I'm almost afraid to ask ... how did non-decimal currency work? Germans still use "pfund" (pound) to refer to a half kg, which makes sense. But unlike here in France where it's reasonable that prices are still posted in francs for those who couldn't learn to calculate in Euros (you try to divide by 6,5!) -- I just have to laugh when you sometimes hear older Germans ask for a price in Deutschmarks. (The conversion is 2DM=1€) Wed Apr 29 05:01:30 -0700 2009 4635166 177724 tmso 12 4638199 You really don't want to know. But if you want to waste a portion of your remaining life you can start here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decimal_Day Wed Apr 29 05:08:24 -0700 2009 4638180 154622 Paulustrious 8 4637362 My mum has one of those, it is WONDERFUL! I have been looking for one for years, but with no success (I am in Aus) Tue Apr 28 17:21:16 -0700 2009 4634973 261734 AussieBeth 9 4637778 scrounge around Salvos, or even better garage sales of deceased estates. That's where I got mine (suburban Melb) Tue Apr 28 20:12:11 -0700 2009 4637362 86137 purple goddess 9 4638149 They crop up on ebay http://cgi.ebay.com/MADE-IN-ENGLAND-COOKS-DRY-MEASURE-CONE-CUP-TALA_W0QQitemZ350158346730QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item350158346730&_trksid=p3286.m20.l1116#ebayphotohosting ...even in Australia... http://cgi.ebay.com.au/VINTAGE-TALA-MEASURING-CUP_W0QQitemZ180349714765QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_15?hash=item180349714765&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=66:2|65:1|39:1|240:1318 Wed Apr 29 04:19:49 -0700 2009 4637362 154622 Paulustrious 8 4639381 That's sounds a bit tedious. At least you can use recipes from both sides of the Atlantic. I don't know if we Yanks will ever join the twenty-first century. Or, um, would that be nineteenth? I recently purchased a digital scale. Comes in handy way more than I would have imagined. Wed Apr 29 11:31:31 -0700 2009 4634973 106932 Agent Orange 9 4640251 I use my scale all the time - love that it measures in both metric and pounds/oz. Wed Apr 29 15:13:07 -0700 2009 4639381 10985 MMRuth 8 4644400 my mom still uses one when she makes her German recipes. I had to buy one from the German store when she sent her recipes to me. Thu Apr 30 21:01:31 -0700 2009 4634973 225355 baybritta 8 4932283 I have one of those Tala cup measures. They are hard to find now! Invaluable. Mon Aug 10 03:40:18 -0700 2009 4634973 213547 cathodetube 5 4648434 Supper in my area of the US is always an evening meal, while dinner is the largest meal of the day, usually in the evening. Lunch is always midday, but a large midday meal can be dinner, usually on a holigay or Sunday ( eg, Sunday dinner and Thanksgiving dinner) and can be at any time on the designated day. And, of course, there can be a light supper if you had dinner midday. Sat May 02 12:26:30 -0700 2009 4629934 221285 therealdoctorlew 6 4648562 What area is that? Sat May 02 13:52:45 -0700 2009 4648434 106932 Agent Orange 2 4631555 Cloudy lemonade approaches similarity with US lemonade. Most Brits will distinguish with pancakes and will say "american pancakes" when refering to what Americans call pancakes. Mon Apr 27 03:15:01 -0700 2009 4629256 158180 nanette 3 4940211 I find this quite interesting, since I speak another version of commonwealth English - South African English. After living in the States for four years, I came back calling flapjacks 'pancakes' (since this is the type of pancake found predominantly in the US). But in South Africa, a pancake automatically assumed to be a crepe. Irritates my boyfriend when I get them confused. Wed Aug 12 11:15:24 -0700 2009 4631555 10431 Gooseberry 2 4631625 I thought that what we in North America would call lemonade (or orangeade) is called a "lemon (or orange) squash" in the UK. And what we call in "steak sauce" in North America is usually "brown sauce" in the UK. Similarly, "ketchup" is "tomato sauce". Mon Apr 27 04:57:43 -0700 2009 4629256 48210 KevinB 3 4631649 There's that USA thing. Here in Canada (maybe just Toronto?) in the other 50% of North America it tends to go by the brand name of HP. In the US I think you can get away in most places by calling it A1. Mon Apr 27 05:20:56 -0700 2009 4631625 154622 Paulustrious 4 4631671 I live in Toronto; yes, HP is fairly common, and when I was in the UK a few years back, I asked for it at the B&B where I was staying. "Oh", replied my hostess, "You mean brown sauce". And at my local No Frills - which doesn't have the widest selection of anything - there's a whole variety of "steak sauces", including HP, A1, Heinz 57, Lea and Perrin's, and others. A1 is, IMHO, an inferior, watery substitute to HP, but if you get more than 100 miles south of the US-Canada border, asking for HP at a restaurant gets you a blank look. When you ask for A1 to go with your eggs instead of ketchup, you get an incredulous look. And when they actually see you mixing the sauce with the egg yolks, you get the same look of horror and transfixment that car wrecks engender. Mon Apr 27 05:32:04 -0700 2009 4631649 48210 KevinB 5 4636631 Huh. I eat A-1 with my eggs all the time and never get weird looks. I live in Phoenix, only a few hours from the other 9% of North America. Tue Apr 28 13:29:01 -0700 2009 4631671 173425 Jen76 6 4637223 And another 24% of North Americans! Tue Apr 28 16:31:59 -0700 2009 4636631 36661 Sam Fujisaka 7 4637840 Indeed. And a fun bunch they are! I sure gave them weird looks when I was offered a super spicy chile flavored candy! Tue Apr 28 20:43:55 -0700 2009 4637223 173425 Jen76 4 4631945 Of North America, Canada represents 46% of area; the US 45%, and Mexico 9%. Mon Apr 27 07:43:53 -0700 2009 4631649 36661 Sam Fujisaka 5 4634378 and population? Mon Apr 27 19:24:59 -0700 2009 4631945 13150 babette feasts 6 4634519 68% US, 24% mexico, 8% Canada. Mon Apr 27 20:15:34 -0700 2009 4634378 36661 Sam Fujisaka 7 4634878 So Canada should be happy we let them get away with all those extra 'u's and such...waaaay outnumbered! : ) Tue Apr 28 02:11:43 -0700 2009 4634519 13150 babette feasts 3 4631709 I think squash is without equivalent in the US. It is closer to a cordial than lemonade. Mon Apr 27 05:57:04 -0700 2009 4631625 158180 nanette 2 4648415 Does UK spud refer to a potato? Spud is used as a slangy/colloquial word for potato in the US. Boston and Bibb lettuce are used interchangeably in the US. Sat May 02 12:14:51 -0700 2009 4629256 10074 Caitlin McGrath 3 4932284 The word spud for potato is commonly used in Ireland which explains why the Brits use it. Mon Aug 10 03:42:15 -0700 2009 4648415 213547 cathodetube 1 4629286 Fun thread! This is just what I need to get me through the Hopkinson, Ottolenghi, and Rose Bakery Cookbooks. Do you have porcini vs. cepes yet? That hung me up for the longest time when we were cooking from Hopkinson! ~TDQ Sun Apr 26 05:39:09 -0700 2009 4628822 12005 The Dairy Queen 2 4629294 They're interchangeable actually. Porcini is the Italian word, obviously and cepes is the French. I think more people say porcini, but I could be wrong. Sun Apr 26 05:43:48 -0700 2009 4629286 110146 greedygirl 3 4630513 It's very uncommon to call them cepes here, except, at a French restaurant. ~TDQ Sun Apr 26 15:54:50 -0700 2009 4629294 12005 The Dairy Queen 1 4629303 And then there are cuts of meat such as tenderloin vs fillet. These are quite confusing as the butchery is different between the two arenas. I am yet to see the word entrecote in Canada. I have no idea how to translate scrag end into Americanese. Sun Apr 26 05:47:58 -0700 2009 4628822 154622 Paulustrious 2 4629320 Tenderloin is now routinely used for pork fillet - that's how they label it at my butcher. Entrecote is a French cut similar to sirloin - no? We don't have entrecote either. Scrag end is such a great phrase! I don't know what the American equivalent is either. Neck of lamb? Sun Apr 26 05:56:52 -0700 2009 4629303 110146 greedygirl 2 4629324 Cuts of meat are just impossible. I walk around London markets going "What's that? What's that? and my BF walks around NYC markets going "What that? What's that?" There was something that seemed fairly common in London markets that I believe was called a Baron Chop. It was a double lamb chop that seemed to have been cut from the saddle. Looked like a gorgeous hunk of meat. My local butcher had no idea what I was talking about. Sun Apr 26 05:57:57 -0700 2009 4629303 11407 JoanN 3 4629336 You probably mean a Barnsley chop? Not that common apart from in well-to-do parts of town. I'd have to specially request it I reckon. Sun Apr 26 06:10:10 -0700 2009 4629324 110146 greedygirl 4 4629369 Ah, yes. Barnsley chop. I guess I thought it rather common since in addition to butcher shops I'd seen them in a couple of supermarkets. Perhaps they were more up-market markets than I'd realized. Sun Apr 26 06:26:57 -0700 2009 4629336 11407 JoanN 5 4629379 Are you coming to London any time soon JoanN? What part of town do you stay in? Sun Apr 26 06:36:34 -0700 2009 4629369 110146 greedygirl 6 4629392 His flat is just a couple of blocks from the old Tate. But no plans to come any time soon since we're planning a long trip to South America and are both saving our shekels. Sun Apr 26 06:48:41 -0700 2009 4629379 11407 JoanN 3 4629445 I think "best end of lamb" is rack of lamb, as well. Sun Apr 26 07:25:39 -0700 2009 4629324 10985 MMRuth 3 4936525 I know this post is four months old... but the most useful information I have EVER gotten from the grocery store was a guide I picked up for free at Albertson's that translated American beef cuts into their closest Mexican Spanish equivalents, and vice versa. Since I normally buy my beef from Mexican markets, I used to have the damndest time trying to explain to someone what "diesmillo" or "palomilla" are. It's amazing that eighty miles south of here, the style of butchery changes utterly. Tue Aug 11 09:42:52 -0700 2009 4629324 10811 Das Ubergeek 3 4940227 The meat, full stop. I actually bring the cookbook into the butcher with me now, if I'm using an American cookbook, to make sure I'm getting the right thing. Even then, my butcher tells me some american cuts are more fatty or thicker than our local cuts, so recipes aren't always successful when followed religiously. Wed Aug 12 11:17:39 -0700 2009 4629324 10431 Gooseberry 1 4629317 Sprite/7-Up vs. Lemonade. This was not a happy surprise for me when I first go to the UK since I hate Sprite. Sun Apr 26 05:56:21 -0700 2009 4628822 107671 queencru 1 4629919 Is peanut oil generally called groundnut oil in the UK? popsicle vs. ice lolly - is that correct? Sun Apr 26 11:08:30 -0700 2009 4628822 10074 Caitlin McGrath 2 4629941 yes Caitlin it is Sun Apr 26 11:18:04 -0700 2009 4629919 22559 smartie 3 4631667 In my part of the world it was lolly-ice. Mon Apr 27 05:29:35 -0700 2009 4629941 154622 Paulustrious 1 4629971 a few more things I thought of - Britain has a fantastic selection of creams, double, single, whipping and of course clotted. I also have yet to understand why the electric kettle has never taken off in the US. I did manage to buy one in Walmart when I first got here but friends come over and ask in astonishment what that item is on my counter. I did not know what a bialy was when I first came to America, they don't have them in Jewish shops. also, corned beef is salt beef and they are not quite the same thing. British corned beef is a reconsituted type of meat which can be bought in a can, or sliced at the deli but it is nothing like deli corned beef. Sun Apr 26 11:31:23 -0700 2009 4628822 22559 smartie 2 4629974 Electric kettles are wonderful. Since I first bought one, I've never looked back. I think bialys came to the US with a certain set of immigrants (i.e., from a certain area). Sun Apr 26 11:35:17 -0700 2009 4629971 10074 Caitlin McGrath 2 4630133 Asian shops in the US sell quite a few electric kettles. There are even versions specifically for brewing medicinal teas. The canned corned beef is readily available in the US, right next to the Spam. Most comes from Argentina, Brazil, or (better ones) New Zealand and Australia. You can find more brands in Asian groceries. The deli corned beef, as with most deli things in the US, has its roots in Jewish NYC, traceable back to immigrants from eastern Europe. I wouldn't be surprised if the link between corned beef and St Patrick's day comes more from contact between NY Irish immigrants and Jewish ones, than from old Ireland. A number of the other differences between the US and UK come from other immigrant groups in the US. Cilantro comes via Mexico, even though Chinese use it, and apparently it used to be common in Europe. Arugula comes from Italian, though rocket might be an older derivative from Italian (or latin). Sun Apr 26 12:55:55 -0700 2009 4629971 12139 paulj 3 4631159 I'll blind taste test you on Brazilian / Argentinian vs. New Zealand / Australian canned corn beef. Sun Apr 26 19:58:56 -0700 2009 4630133 36661 Sam Fujisaka 3 4631190 Re: canned corned beef. As SPAM is the national meat of Hawai'i, corned beef in a can (aka "pisupo" or "pea soup" - long story) is the national meat of Samoa. It's a big enough deal that you see cans of Ox & Palm being given as gifts at special occasions. Sun Apr 26 20:17:10 -0700 2009 4630133 58743 alanbarnes 4 4631209 Of the brands that I've looked at, Ox & Palm seemed to be the 'healthiest', as in lowest in salt and fat, not that differences were that great. Since I only use a can once every two years (more or less), when I have nothing else in the camping box, I can't say much about the comparative taste or texture. Sun Apr 26 20:25:06 -0700 2009 4631190 12139 paulj 2 4631631 Geez, I can't think of a department store in Canada (or any kitchen goods store, for that matter) that DOESN"T have a wide selection of electric kettles. I love mine, since I live alone, and I can heat up water for a cup of coffee or tea in less than two minutes - far faster than using than stove. Mon Apr 27 05:01:45 -0700 2009 4629971 48210 KevinB 3 4633492 Good article on electric kettles (and a few comments on their absence from the US) here: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/607513?tag=post-box-content;4546083#4546083 Mon Apr 27 14:24:57 -0700 2009 4631631 24055 Atahualpa 2 4640827 We finally began using an electric kettle after my English husband burned up his sixth tea kettle on the stovetop. More than twenty years in this country, and he still can't get used to a kettle that doesn't shut itself off. Wed Apr 29 18:27:31 -0700 2009 4629971 12708 tonifi 2 4932285 The salt beef available in Jewish restaurants and areas of the UK is like US corned beef. Selfridges sells delicious salt beef sandwiches. The stuff in the tin is what Americans would use to make corned beef hash. Mon Aug 10 03:44:44 -0700 2009 4629971 213547 cathodetube 2 4940234 I never noticed an absence of electric kettles when I was in the States. But I was amazed how every home had an automatic coffee filter. I don't know anyone who has that here (South Africa) - most have a cafetiere, or now those fancy electric espresso makers. Something American which hasn't taken off widely in the UK or SA as far as I can see - the toaster oven. I miss that from my days in the States. Wed Aug 12 11:20:11 -0700 2009 4629971 10431 Gooseberry 1 4633961 Also discovered Candy Floss = cotton candy. And the first time I went to Starbucks and asked for Half and half, they said "half what?" Stumped me! Still laugh when I think about it. Mon Apr 27 16:44:48 -0700 2009 4628822 14921 Just One Bite 2 4634067 Funny! I remember having some back and forth at a U.K. Starbucks about nonfat milk. I don't remember if "nonfat" was the term they weren't familiar with, or if it was something else. But I think they understood "fat-free" and "skim." I also remember being surprised about the "bacon" in a bacon sandwich (didn't resemble American bacon), but was quite happy once I dug in... I was also surprised at the pronounciation of "fillet" in the U.K. Mon Apr 27 17:21:54 -0700 2009 4633961 156153 akq 3 4932286 If you want American style bacon in a sandwich then ask if it is 'streaky' bacon. Mon Aug 10 03:45:38 -0700 2009 4634067 213547 cathodetube 2 4634177 The US-Canada candy divide that I remember easiest is whether Smarties are a chocolate candy resembling M&Ms (Canada) or a wee puck-shaped candy made almost entirely of flavored sugar (US) Mon Apr 27 18:04:33 -0700 2009 4633961 11781 beachmouse 3 4635879 UK Smarties are Canada Smarties too! Tue Apr 28 10:16:25 -0700 2009 4634177 14921 Just One Bite 4 4636556 Except that one of the 2 factories that makes American Smarties is in Ontario :) Tue Apr 28 13:11:08 -0700 2009 4635879 135311 mpjmph 1 4634503 toffee apples - candied apples in the US? Mon Apr 27 20:09:01 -0700 2009 4628822 22559 smartie 2 4634652 The ones covered in red candy are candied apples, the ones covered in caramel candy are caramel apples. Mon Apr 27 21:25:35 -0700 2009 4634503 10074 Caitlin McGrath 1 4634974 tell you where I get in a mess with recipes are egg sizes. Large British eggs are much much bigger than American large eggs. I would say an American large egg is on a par with British medium. Also available in British supermarkets are duck eggs and quail eggs. Tue Apr 28 05:00:36 -0700 2009 4628822 22559 smartie 2 4635034 My local farmers' market ( in north west England), has a stall selling ostrich meat. Occasionally, they have ostrich eggs. One is the equivalent of 14 hens eggs - now that is one heck of an omelette. One day, I'll have to buy just to try. Tue Apr 28 05:41:28 -0700 2009 4634974 154102 Harters 3 4635190 If you do then blow the egg so you can keep the shell. They are a talking point, and you can start using words like cloaca. Tue Apr 28 06:49:47 -0700 2009 4635034 154622 Paulustrious 2 4635887 I had a problem with egg color! Last year, I had friends with little kids coming from the US for Easter, and we couldn't find any white eggs to dye! Ended up using the Clarence Court eggs, and dying over the color! Tue Apr 28 10:18:28 -0700 2009 4634974 14921 Just One Bite 3 4636831 FWIW - I dyed about 80 quails eggs this year, and they were absolutely gorgeous. Much nice than the white eggs I tried, which kept coming out garish. Tue Apr 28 14:19:59 -0700 2009 4635887 10985 MMRuth 4 4637411 They look like designer malted milk balls. :) What a lovely centerpiece! Note I did not say TABLESCAPE. Nice job! Tue Apr 28 17:46:49 -0700 2009 4636831 249664 kattyeyes 4 4638159 Oh, those are really lovely! ~TDQ Wed Apr 29 04:40:50 -0700 2009 4636831 12005 The Dairy Queen 4 4642420 Beautiful! I'm going to do that next year. Thanks for the idea, and the photos! Thu Apr 30 09:57:42 -0700 2009 4636831 14921 Just One Bite 2 4636530 Second that, smartie. Egg sizes in Europe are different and a medium here is the same as a large in the US. Can really screw up your baking if you aren't aware of the difference. Tue Apr 28 13:05:39 -0700 2009 4634974 158180 nanette 3 4636593 I didn't know that. Weird, because chickens are generally bigger in the US, afaik. Tue Apr 28 13:19:48 -0700 2009 4636530 110146 greedygirl 4 4636648 Laying chickens and chickens raised for meat are separate industries raising different sorts of chickens, though. In all liklihood, the breeds used for both in North America are different than those in Europe. Tue Apr 28 13:32:29 -0700 2009 4636593 10074 Caitlin McGrath 4 4636859 Chickens produce eggs in a whole range of sizes, they are then sorted according to size. Sizing standards developed independently in different countries, using different ranges, and different names. The Wiki article for eggs has several tables, for US, modern Europe, Australia, NZ Tue Apr 28 14:30:10 -0700 2009 4636593 12139 paulj 2 4636826 That's good to know about the eggs when I cook from British recipes - usually American ingredients, onions etc., are larger. I find quail eggs in our supermarket in Manhattan, but usually buy them in Chinatown, where they are much cheaper. At our farmers' market, I buy duck and pheasant eggs. Tue Apr 28 14:18:11 -0700 2009 4634974 10985 MMRuth 2 4936536 I had a HUGE problem converting egg sizes (and had correspondingly gooey cakes) until I finally THOUGHT about my great-grandmother's pound cake recipe (pound as in 453.6g), which calls for a pound of eggs, which comes to exactly 8 US "large" eggs. So a US "large" egg is 2 oz. or about 57g, weighed with the shell on. Tue Aug 11 09:47:52 -0700 2009 4634974 10811 Das Ubergeek 1 4637007 Pork and Beans - Baked Beans (sometimes with pork / sausage) Faucet - Tap Cooktop - Hob Range - Cooker Pickle - Pickled Gherkin ??? - Silver (skin) onions .... help Fava beans - broad beans Green beans - string or runner beans Aluminum - Aluminium (different pronunciation) Licorice - Liquorice - (different pronunciation) Dutch Oven - Casserole dish [Pizza] Pie - Only ever called a pizza in the UK. Washcloth - flannel Apron - Apron, pinafore or pinny I am sure that with some of the above the divide is not black and white. A couple of things I have (almost) never seen in the US are soup spoons and fish knives. Tue Apr 28 15:09:36 -0700 2009 4628822 154622 Paulustrious 2 4637020 Soup spoons are common in the US; fish knives, much less so. You'll see them in elegant restaurants, but most who have them at home have inherited them in a complete set of silver service. I have some modern stainless steel ones (along with matching fish forks), but that's very unusual. Modern placesettings rarely include matching fish knives and forks. Tue Apr 28 15:16:13 -0700 2009 4637007 11407 JoanN 2 4637148 spatula - fish slice I have an old Penguin paperback on Indian cooking that says 'Now pick up the bread [chappati] on a fish slice, and if you are using gas, hold over a high flame with out turning. The bread will puff up and is then ready to eat.' Tue Apr 28 16:00:48 -0700 2009 4637007 12139 paulj 2 4637179 I don't think they're exactly the same, but in the US a silverskin onion would probably be a pearl onion. Tue Apr 28 16:13:05 -0700 2009 4637007 11407 JoanN 2 4940243 carmel versus caramel! Even when it's spelled with the second A in the States, they don't pronounce it. I quite like that one, said with an American drawl... Wed Aug 12 11:22:15 -0700 2009 4637007 10431 Gooseberry 3 4940262 I think it depends on where in the U.S. you were when you heard "carmel" for "carAmel". I've never said "carmel" except when referring to Carmel, CA. I've seen it spelled that way (carmel) countless times, and it drives me nuts. The word is spelled "car-a-mel" (although I know it can be pronounced "kahr-muhl" in some areas, as you noted). http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/carmel Wed Aug 12 11:27:27 -0700 2009 4940243 10532 LindaWhit 4 4940740 I'd have to agree with you, Linda. In the areas where I've lived, caramel is pronounced by near everyone just as it's spelled. I fret that it's one of those things that people will start largely mispronouncing because it's so often misspelled. I don't mind that it's pronounced with the elided second 'a' in some areas because it's a geographical variation, I just don't want everyone, everywhere saying "carmel" only because they don't know the word. Wed Aug 12 13:31:30 -0700 2009 4940262 10074 Caitlin McGrath 5 4940788 Unfortunately, I think your fretting is way too late, Caitlin. I see "carmel" all the time and have been hearing it more and more pronounced as if it was the California city (accent on the 2nd syllable). Even the "kahr-muhl" pronunciation I noted above has a slight middle syllable, vs. car-MEL, which is just. plain. wrong. when it's used in reference to the candy. Wed Aug 12 13:47:06 -0700 2009 4940740 10532 LindaWhit 6 4940849 Ugh. That sound you hear is my head banging against the wall. Wed Aug 12 14:02:16 -0700 2009 4940788 10074 Caitlin McGrath 7 4941102 Use some caramels to blunt the blow. ;-) Wed Aug 12 15:21:09 -0700 2009 4940849 10532 LindaWhit 5 4940918 Where I grew up (central NJ) it is pronounced with three syllables. The first one is the sound in "fat", the second one is schwa, the third one is the sound in "fell" with a fully-pronounced L sound. CAA-ruh-mell. Here in LA more often I hear "CAR-mull" with a swallowed L. Makes me insane. Wed Aug 12 14:20:13 -0700 2009 4940740 10811 Das Ubergeek 6 4940994 I grew up in Northern CA, where it is pronounced your central-NJ way, and that's how I heard it most in my NY days, as well. In either place, the latter pronunciation an exception. I know it cannot help that it's often pronounced "CAR-muhl" by narrators in national ads. In fact, I'm sure that's among the chief culprits, because listeners assume those pronunciations are correct. Wed Aug 12 14:43:29 -0700 2009 4940918 10074 Caitlin McGrath 7 4941140 Awww. I really wish we hadn't got into pronounciation. We have regional differences as well in the UK with southerners having a long soft "A" and we northerners having it short and clipped. Generally. Or scone (on which you have jam and cream). We call it a "skon". Other regions might call it a "sc-own". Wed Aug 12 15:31:34 -0700 2009 4940994 154102 Harters 8 4941202 As I said above, I don't mind pronunciation differences that are genuine differences based on region, which are present within almost all nations. No objection there at all. What I, and I think LindaWhit, were objecting to in this particular case is the standardization of a certain pronunciation that's not necessarily predominant geographically, based on a more and more common spelling error - one that is seen more and more often in commercial advertising. Americans certainly say "sc-own," but then most of us haven't heard it said by speakers from the lands whence it came and I assume that's why American English takes it that the 'e' following the 'n' renders a long 'o' (as in stone). Wed Aug 12 15:53:56 -0700 2009 4941140 10074 Caitlin McGrath 9 4941369 Exactly - what Caitlin said re: pronunciation. Wed Aug 12 16:40:04 -0700 2009 4941202 10532 LindaWhit 8 4942220 Let's not get into the "scone" versus "skon" debate! It's not a regional thing - it's a family thing. My Yorkshire lot all say "scone". If someone asked me for a "carmel" I'd wonder what the hell they were talking about! Wed Aug 12 23:28:47 -0700 2009 4941140 110146 greedygirl 9 4942398 as an american, i'd always called it sc-own, until i had one at blenheim palace (in the "pleasure gardens café"), and they pronounced it "skon". then i thought, so *that's* the "correct" pronunciation. btw, it was the best, silkiest scone i've ever eaten! if anyone has the recipe, let me know! (i think a lot has to do with the butter, cream and flour, of course). http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/494915 Thu Aug 13 04:39:44 -0700 2009 4942220 105717 alkapal 10 4942438 You were right - it is a sc-own! Thu Aug 13 05:16:46 -0700 2009 4942398 110146 greedygirl 11 4942709 Nah. It's skon to ryhme with John, not scown to rhyme with Joan. But I would say that. J Thu Aug 13 07:04:34 -0700 2009 4942438 154102 Harters 12 4942819 Skon is for poshos. Thu Aug 13 07:36:35 -0700 2009 4942709 110146 greedygirl 13 4944531 DING DING DING! in the corner over here, we have the sc-owns...and in the opposite corner, the skons. at the bell, come out slugging! http://www.jirehcakes.com/slides/Boxing%20Ring%20Cake.jpg Thu Aug 13 14:59:06 -0700 2009 4942819 105717 alkapal 8 4942309 My bad, as the Americans would say! I know it's silly, but SKOWn strikes me as stupid, whereas CARmel strikes me as charming. Thu Aug 13 02:24:54 -0700 2009 4941140 10431 Gooseberry 1 4637476 I was thinking doughnuts or donuts as the Yanks call them. I miss British doughnuts - slightly crispy outside dredged in castor sugar, doughy inside with a good dollop of strawberry or raspberry jam - heavenly. American donuts are too sweet, the texture is just wrong and all that frosting in sickly flavours like strawberry and caramel. I will be back in Blighty for a few days in July and I am heading straight to a bakery for a doughnut and a Chelsea Bun. Tue Apr 28 18:16:24 -0700 2009 4628822 22559 smartie 2 4637803 I didn't really see any difference in the donut varieties, to be quite honest. Not all American donuts are the Krispy Kreme types (which I have had in the UK) that are really sweet. We have plenty of other types. Tue Apr 28 20:24:20 -0700 2009 4637476 107671 queencru 2 4637845 What is castor sugar? Tue Apr 28 20:45:52 -0700 2009 4637476 173425 Jen76 3 4637895 Castor sugar = superfine sugar or bakers sugar. Tue Apr 28 21:35:08 -0700 2009 4637845 253318 toastnjam 3 4638081 Very fine sugar - but not as fine as icing sugar. Wed Apr 29 01:46:58 -0700 2009 4637845 154102 Harters 4 4638161 By icing sugar, do you mean what we Americans call powdered sugar? ~TDQ Wed Apr 29 04:43:25 -0700 2009 4638081 12005 The Dairy Queen 5 4638204 That's right. I believe it's also called confectioner's sugar. It's used for making icing (or frosting, for you guys), funnily enough! Wed Apr 29 05:14:46 -0700 2009 4638161 110146 greedygirl 5 4638205 Yes DQ powdered sugar is icing sugar. Also the Brits don't call it frosting when you mix icing sugar with butter for a cake. It's called icing! Wed Apr 29 05:16:15 -0700 2009 4638161 22559 smartie 6 4639414 Actually, then use of the term "icing" instead of frosting is pretty common in the South. I'm not sure if I can speak for anyone else, but I tend to say "icing" when the application of butter-sugar mixture is thin and "frosting" when it is thick. To me, icing is usually more dense and frosting airy. Perhaps it's just a personal quirk. Could be because my geographic heritage is a mixture of Southern and Midwestern. Wed Apr 29 11:38:37 -0700 2009 4638205 106932 Agent Orange 7 4639435 That is definitely counter-intuitive Wed Apr 29 11:42:54 -0700 2009 4639414 154622 Paulustrious 7 4639440 I'm with you there and I'm from the Northeast--I think of icing as more applicable to gingerbread men; frosting is for cakes. So I think your thin/thick description works well. But I bet this varies all over the place! Wed Apr 29 11:44:17 -0700 2009 4639414 249664 kattyeyes 8 4639464 That makes sense, except, the expression doesn't go, "Well, that's just the frosting on the cake!" The expression says "icing"--I wonder why? ~TDQ Wed Apr 29 11:51:55 -0700 2009 4639440 12005 The Dairy Queen 9 4639484 HA HA--maybe that expression has British origins? Now can I have my cake and eat it, too? ;) I know what it means, but that expression has always hit me the wrong way. If I HAVE the cake, you'd better believe I'm gonna EAT it, too. LOL! Wed Apr 29 11:55:28 -0700 2009 4639464 249664 kattyeyes 10 4648453 The original expression was "eat your cake and have it, too," which makes much more sense given the meaning of the idiom! Somewhere along the way it was inverted. Sat May 02 12:38:25 -0700 2009 4639484 10074 Caitlin McGrath 7 4639500 I think of icing as something that tends to be in a thin, hard layer- like on a sugar cookie or gingerbread man. Frosting is a bit fluffier and creamier. Wed Apr 29 11:59:37 -0700 2009 4639414 107671 queencru 7 4639894 I agree! I grew up with the same definitions of icing/frosting. Just like queencru, icing reminds me of the thin sugary stuff mom would drizzle over a bundt cake and it would get hard, whereas frosting is usually soft, creamy and fluffy. Wed Apr 29 13:41:38 -0700 2009 4639414 173425 Jen76 6 4648348 It's labeled icing sugar here in Canada, too, and we call it icing rather than frosting. Frosting is what ladies in the 70's did to their hair, before they called it "highlighting". Sat May 02 11:35:08 -0700 2009 4638205 139180 Blush 2 4697972 Completely agree! I'm another Brit living in the US, and there is no comparison with doughnuts. The ones I grew up eating were so monumentally different. The ones here are way too dense, and I think it's partly because they're not usually made with yeast. In England, the good ones are. I made some using an Italian recipe recently, and they were closer to the real thing. They were so good - fresh, warm and doughey! Tue May 19 13:05:41 -0700 2009 4637476 208053 berbadeerface 2 4932291 I love a nice American cinnamon roll - like the Cinnabon ones. Kind of like a Chelsea Bun. Mon Aug 10 03:48:21 -0700 2009 4637476 213547 cathodetube 1 4638582 All these comments and no one has yet mentioned one of my favorites: hard candy (US) = boiled sweet (UK). Wed Apr 29 07:56:28 -0700 2009 4628822 14386 BobB 2 4639290 But what flavour boiled sweet? Lemon, orange, blackcurrant (yuk), butterscotch, blackballs.... Wed Apr 29 11:06:10 -0700 2009 4638582 253318 toastnjam 3 4639420 toastnjam Plenty of choice here - http://www.aquarterof.co.uk/ I see the website also reports that the packaging of Sherbet Fountains is to be changed from paper to plastic. In some countries, there'd be rioting on the streets to protest. Wed Apr 29 11:40:17 -0700 2009 4639290 154102 Harters 3 4639633 What!? Blackcurrant is the best, and unfortunately, something we only get in the US when buying imported British or French candies (er, boiled sweets). Probably in part because blackcurrants aren't really grown here (this has to do with plant disease; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackcurrant ). Wed Apr 29 12:36:33 -0700 2009 4639290 10074 Caitlin McGrath 3 4639735 Sour cherry, please! Wed Apr 29 13:00:56 -0700 2009 4639290 14386 BobB 1 4639376 There's caster sugar in the UK, which is super fine sugar here Wed Apr 29 11:29:16 -0700 2009 4628822 10087 Pat Hammond 1 4639685 Okay, I can't believe the chocolate bar comparison hasn't come up yet. Milky Way - Mars Bar 3 Musketeers - Milky Way If that's not confusing enough, until quite recently the US had a Mars Bar, too, which was nougat studded with whole almonds, covered in milk chocolate. It's no longer made, though (it was always less common, harder to find in my lifetime). Lord only knows why M&M/Mars couldn't have the same name for their candy bars the world over. Snickers is the same everywhere, I think, though greedygirl said in another thread that it used to be called Marathon in the UK. Wed Apr 29 12:48:48 -0700 2009 4628822 10074 Caitlin McGrath 2 4640119 yep Snickers used to be called Marathon, it got changed about 10 years ago. Wed Apr 29 14:44:27 -0700 2009 4639685 22559 smartie 2 4640141 Hang on - a Milky Way is a Mars Bar in the US? How confusing is that? And weird because a lot of sweets were renamed to conform with some kind of international standard a while back - so Marathon became Snickers and Opal Fruits became Starburst. But some obviously slipped through the net. The nougat studded with almonds is still available in France I think, where it's also known as Mars. Wed Apr 29 14:48:13 -0700 2009 4639685 110146 greedygirl 3 4640193 No a US Milky Way is a UK Mars Bar (or is that what you were trying to say?). What you know in the UK as Milky Way is 3 Musketeers in the US. The almond-studded one was the US Mars Bar (discontinued). Confusing, indeed! So I assume Americans not in the know who hear of deep-fried Mars Bars think "huh," but have no idea they're hearing about deep-fried US Milky Way. I assume the other names weren't changed because it'd be super-confusing to have the name of one switch to the name of another pre-existing, different bar, and that become something else! Wed Apr 29 14:58:53 -0700 2009 4640141 10074 Caitlin McGrath 4 4641163 Just amending as I reread my response to you, greedygirl, that I realize "or is that what you were trying to say?" sounds a bit rude. Apologies for that, as what I meant was really, "Maybe that's what you were saying," as I realized that I could simply have not understood you and was being dim. Wed Apr 29 20:45:13 -0700 2009 4640193 10074 Caitlin McGrath 2 4640177 Wait, wait... are you sure? The revered and unobtainable Mars Bar, so lauded by Brits and Canadians, is just ... a Milky Way? I thought Mars simply were not available anywhere in the States. I was hoping to try one on a future trip to another Anglo country. I am so disappointed. Wed Apr 29 14:56:01 -0700 2009 4639685 106932 Agent Orange 3 4640290 Sorry to rain on your fantasy travel parade. It's a Milky Way. Wed Apr 29 15:30:01 -0700 2009 4640177 10074 Caitlin McGrath 4 4648352 And to add more confusion, American Milky Way bars are made at a plant in Newmarket, Ontario, Canada, on the same line as Canadian Mars Bars. Canada doesn't keep any of the Milky Ways; they all get shipped across the border for sale in the US. Sat May 02 11:37:42 -0700 2009 4640290 139180 Blush 1 4642096 Americans call them shrimps. Australians call them prawns In Britain, we use both words and, for us, size is important. The shrimp is a tiny thing, about 5mm long. Anything bigger is a prawn. Shrimps are, almost exclusively, fished from Morecambe Bay (off the north west coast of England) and, almost exclusively, they find their way into one of life's little luxuries - the potted shrimp. Nothing more than shrimp, butter and a touch of seasoning. Eaten as a starter with bread. It's the same beast that you find in the Netherlands and the Flemish part of Belgium where they turn up in salads and, my fave, the shrimp croquette. I'm in Belgium this weekend and can't wait to devour some croquettes (and a main course of mussels if the season is still open). Thu Apr 30 08:28:53 -0700 2009 4628822 154102 Harters 2 4642560 I miss those - I lived in the area for three years. And the odd thing is, the smaller the prawn / shrimp the more flavour it has. I remember smiling when I saw giant shrimp for sale. (As an aside, in my memory Americans call them shimp - singular.) Thu Apr 30 10:36:00 -0700 2009 4642096 154622 Paulustrious 3 4642659 The closest thing you're likely to find this side of the pond are tasty little Maine shrimp, which are in season in late winter. Thu Apr 30 11:02:54 -0700 2009 4642560 14386 BobB 3 4642707 Yes, shrimp is the word in both the singular and the plural. Like fish or deer. Thu Apr 30 11:16:23 -0700 2009 4642560 106932 Agent Orange 2 4642685 Actually... Prawn is used extensively in the U.S. referring to the larger beasts. In my experience... anything smaller than U20 is almost always shrimp... anything bigger is often referred to as prawns. I guess we just have a larger definition for large =) Thu Apr 30 11:09:44 -0700 2009 4642096 42572 Eat_Nopal 3 4642705 Possibly in some other parts of the country, but I've never seen the term prawn used here in New England, outside of the occasional curry house run by British Commonwealth expats. Thu Apr 30 11:15:56 -0700 2009 4642685 14386 BobB 4 4643127 I see prawn used often by Chinese restaurants on their menus. And, now that I think about it, my ex-MIL, who is from Hong Kong, used prawn to refer to anything larger than small-medium shrimp. Thu Apr 30 13:22:06 -0700 2009 4642705 10074 Caitlin McGrath 5 4643183 Looks like a West Coast usage, then. We'll have to start a new thread: East Coast and West Coast, One Country Divided by a Common Language. You say potato, we say edible tuber. ;-) It's not strictly culinary, but I'm curious as to how far west you have to go before numbered highways acquire the definite article. You drive on the 101, we drive up 128. Thu Apr 30 13:36:44 -0700 2009 4643127 14386 BobB 6 4643239 I lived in New York for a number years, but I don't remember offhand whether I saw prawn used there. To your second point: you are mistaken, my friend. I drive on 101. Only in Southern California do they drive on *the* 101. To Northern Californian ears it sounds just as odd as it does to you. Thu Apr 30 13:52:48 -0700 2009 4643183 10074 Caitlin McGrath 7 4644708 I see prawns in Chinese restaurants in NY all the, fwiw. Fri May 01 04:06:12 -0700 2009 4643239 10985 MMRuth 4 4643512 There was a tapa dish on a restaurant's menu in Somerville, MA that were called "prawns" - large, head-on shrimp. Aura in Boston has had prawns on their menu and I know I've seen it elsewhere. Now, perhaps, they just call them that ever oxymoronic "jumbo shrimp". Thu Apr 30 15:23:42 -0700 2009 4642705 10532 LindaWhit 3 4642903 Here in NorCal, spot prawns are called "prawns" regardless of size. Apparently they're true prawns, which are biologically distinct from true shrimp. Although once they've been incorporated into a coctel de camarones, the distinctions seem to fade... Thu Apr 30 12:12:13 -0700 2009 4642685 58743 alanbarnes 4 4643305 I'm not sure about what "true shrimp" might be in the US. The shrimp I mention earlier has the latin name of "Crangon Crangon". Known as the brown shrimp in the UK and the grey shrimp in France/Belgium/Netherlands. Same beast. Thu Apr 30 14:13:31 -0700 2009 4642903 154102 Harters 5 4643473 It has nothing to do with geography; it's all biological taxonomy. But although there appears to be a consensus that shrimp and prawns are different suborders or infraorders of decapods, there's conflicting information about how and where the line is drawn. I'll leave it to the taxonomists to sort out. From a culinary standpoint, the distinction between shrimp and prawns appears to be primarily regional and linguistic, having nothing to do with the taxonomic categories. Thu Apr 30 15:06:59 -0700 2009 4643305 58743 alanbarnes 6 4643562 Maybe Pepe the King Prawn can help sort it out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d19BawjJPhY Thu Apr 30 15:42:45 -0700 2009 4643473 249664 kattyeyes 2 4766714 I don't know about that - I remember ordering a "prawn cocktail" in an Italian resto in England - and what I got was a bunch of baby shrimp mixed in with some ghastly orange dressing! Fri Jun 12 09:40:40 -0700 2009 4642096 174753 NellyNel 1 4657905 Is okra known as lady fingers in the UK? (In the US, lady fingers are cookies.) Tue May 05 20:17:45 -0700 2009 4628822 10074 Caitlin McGrath 2 4657966 From Wiki: "Okra (American English: [ˈoʊkɹa], British English [ˈəʊkɹə], [ˈɒkɹə]), also known as ladyfinger, bhindi (Indo-Aryan) and gumbo" Have an old Penguin paperback of Indian cooking that uses Okra (lady's fingers), as well as the Hinid Bhindi. Tue May 05 20:41:28 -0700 2009 4657905 12139 paulj 2 4658221 Can be, but most people call it okra these days. Wed May 06 02:00:58 -0700 2009 4657905 110146 greedygirl 1 4659847 Gyro / Shwarma vs Doner Kebab Accroding to Lord Wiki... Shawarma (Arabic: شاورما‎), also spelled Chawarma, Schawarma, Shawirma, Shwarma, Shuarma, Shawerma, Shoarma, Schwarma, Shoermeh, Siaorma, or Shaorma. That must be right up there with pillau rice as having the most alternatives. I saw at least ten different spellings in UK Indian restaurants. Wed May 06 12:47:01 -0700 2009 4628822 154622 Paulustrious 1 4664775 Thought of another: Whole wheat vs. wholemeal Thu May 07 20:36:42 -0700 2009 4628822 10074 Caitlin McGrath 2 4665196 Golden syrup = nothing. Whahhhhhh, I want to bake some cornflake cakes for my coworkers but all the recipes I have call for Golden Syrup and I cannot get that in Florida. Fri May 08 05:07:31 -0700 2009 4664775 22559 smartie 3 4665310 You can in Canada - I have a can in my kitchen. Treacle was difficult in Fl as well. Molasses just aint right for a treacle tart. Fri May 08 05:58:16 -0700 2009 4665196 154622 Paulustrious 3 4665419 Smartie - are you sure? I can find Lyle's Golden Syrup in cans in my local supermarket in the Northeast - I *think* either in the International aisle or the aisle with maple syrup and honey. I haven't purchased it there - but I know I've seen it. (I had some in my cupboards that I've pulled out to use based on this thread!) But if not - you most certain can order it online. Fri May 08 06:37:17 -0700 2009 4665196 10532 LindaWhit 4 4697603 Be sure that when you buy the golden syrup that you use it before the expiry date. Don't leave it in the larder too long. Tue May 19 11:13:56 -0700 2009 4665419 60603 TroyTempest 5 4697808 WAY too late for that ~ I've had the two bottles, one currently unopened, for about 8 years or more, I believe. What I used from the opened bottle a few days after the above post was still fine. And I'm still alive. :-) And there was no expiration or "use by" date on the bottles. Tue May 19 12:18:48 -0700 2009 4697603 10532 LindaWhit 6 4706105 It's almost pure sugar - it will last forever when resealed. It is possible the sugar will crystalise, but heating it up will redissolve it. Don't keep it in the fridge. Fri May 22 06:46:25 -0700 2009 4697808 154622 Paulustrious 7 4706122 That's what I thought, Paulustrious. I liken it to it being similar to honey. And it's now in the pie safe - front and center and visible when I open up the cupboard doors. I did have to heat it up the last time I used it, but have turned the container upside down so the syrup is at the squeeze area. Fri May 22 06:54:31 -0700 2009 4706105 10532 LindaWhit 8 4706713 I dread to think how many years we've had the tin. A couple of spoonfuls or so every year and that's it. Lasts forever. Fri May 22 10:04:59 -0700 2009 4706122 154102 Harters 3 4665541 I've seen Lyle's in Florida grocery stores in areas where there's a substantial expat Brit population. Right next to the cans (er, tins?) of Batchelors Mushy Peas. Fri May 08 07:08:38 -0700 2009 4665196 58743 alanbarnes 1 4668147 Head cheese vs brawn or souse. In terms of pronunciation we have tomato and yoghurt. I am unable to Americanise gammon as in 'gammon and eggs'. Sat May 09 04:39:59 -0700 2009 4628822 154622 Paulustrious 2 4668247 I had to go looking up gammon to see that it is a particular cut of bacon or ham steak, right? (From a different area of the pig.) And I did find this for British ex-pats in the States if you want to order back bacon, gammon, Lincolnshire sausage, Cornish pasties, etc: http://www.britishbacon.com/comersus6f/store/comersus_index.asp Sat May 09 06:12:32 -0700 2009 4668147 10532 LindaWhit 2 4668253 I once recommend ham and eggs when my British friend wanted gammon and eggs and that seemed to do the trick for him. Don't know, though, just what kind of American ham gammon would be. There are so many different kinds of ham here, both cooked and uncooked, and I have trouble keeping them straight without a scorecard. Sat May 09 06:16:06 -0700 2009 4668147 11407 JoanN 1 4697678 Cans - tins. Was it brought up ? Packaging vs food items. Am I right ? Never went to the UK..just watch the occasional foreign film..BBC America. Tinned beans on toast ? Takeout...Takeaway ? What do they call soda in the UK ? Tue May 19 11:36:34 -0700 2009 4628822 80323 rochfood 2 4703938 soda in the UK usually known by the brand name eg, coke, pepsi, sprite, or just fizzy drinks. we forgot the word 'produce'. It is not used in the UK for fruit and vegetables which are just know as fruit and vegetables! Thu May 21 11:09:40 -0700 2009 4697678 22559 smartie 2 4936580 In New York, such a thing used to be known as "carryout". Nowadays with the advent of SeamlessWeb, it's normally called "delivery" or "why schlep?". Tue Aug 11 09:55:50 -0700 2009 4697678 10811 Das Ubergeek 1 4697751 Here's one I just came across today - "coarse fish". Per an angler's website: "every creature that swims in freshwater that isn’t a trout or a salmon; in the US, they are known as “white fish” or “suckers”." Tue May 19 12:02:18 -0700 2009 4628822 10985 MMRuth 2 4698166 ""coarse fish". Per an angler's website:" I'm not an angler but I think this is an angling term rather than culinary. "Coarse fishing" - in freshwater - as opposed to "sea fishing". But don't quote me....... Tue May 19 13:59:33 -0700 2009 4697751 154102 Harters 3 4699621 Elizabeth David used it in a recipe calling for a sorrel sauce, that she wrote goes well with "coarse fish". I then looked it up, and found the term on the angler's site. For some reason, by the way, when I cooked the sorrel it had a really unpleasant smell, so I pitched it. Wed May 20 04:15:58 -0700 2009 4698166 10985 MMRuth 4 4707763 To understand coarse fishing one needs to read "The Art of Coarse Fishing" by Michael Green. Unless you are a golf / rugby / acting / cricket etc fan, in which case one needs to read "The Art of Coarse Golf / Rugby" etc. Fri May 22 16:31:35 -0700 2009 4699621 154622 Paulustrious 1 4701837 Here's one gleaned from the "Desserts of the British Empire" thread on Home Cooking: sprinkles/jimmies (varies in the US, covered at length in other threads) vs. hundreds-and-thousands Wed May 20 15:45:35 -0700 2009 4628822 10074 Caitlin McGrath 2 4932607 AKA Nonpareils Mon Aug 10 07:08:40 -0700 2009 4701837 24055 Atahualpa 3 4932630 Yes... though there is also a different confection that was called nonpareil when I was a kid, and apparently is still available in specialty shops. It's a slightly rounded chocolate disc about one inch in diameter covered with tiny white candy dots. http://www.oldtimecandy.com/nonpareils.htm Mon Aug 10 07:15:23 -0700 2009 4932607 14386 BobB 4 4935546 bobB, it's the candy dots (nonpareils) that lend their name to that candy -- classic movie snack food, too! Tue Aug 11 01:53:26 -0700 2009 4932630 105717 alkapal 4 4937830 Ahhhh, nonpareils...a.k.a. Sno-Caps. It ranks right up there with Raisinets for me as candy to eat in the movie theater! ;) http://www.oldtimecandy.com/sno-caps.htm Tue Aug 11 15:43:35 -0700 2009 4932630 249664 kattyeyes 3 4932635 But nonpareils are harder and crunchier than sprinkles/jimmies. Not as hard as dragees, but still crunchier than jimmies - which have no crunch at all. Mon Aug 10 07:16:41 -0700 2009 4932607 10532 LindaWhit 1 4712355 Streusel vs crumble (somewhat arguable) Mon May 25 05:24:10 -0700 2009 4628822 154622 Paulustrious 2 4712453 Also: flapjacks (usa) vs. pancake ???? syrup soaked oat bar vs. flapjacks (UK) Mon May 25 06:35:33 -0700 2009 4712355 22624 relizabeth 3 4712516 I suppose, therefore: Pancake (US) vs American Pancake (UK) Mon May 25 07:10:16 -0700 2009 4712453 154102 Harters 3 4712546 UK flapjacks are US bar cookies--(here) not necessarily syrup-soaked oat bars. Example, our Magic Cookie Bars or Hello Dollies (7-layer bars) are bar cookies. UK folks would call them flapjacks, right? Or is it specific to oats/syrup? Mon May 25 07:21:12 -0700 2009 4712453 249664 kattyeyes 4 4712566 Flapjack as I'd understand it in the UK (whether homemade or shop bought) - butter, sugar, golden syrup, oats. Mix & bake. Mon May 25 07:34:33 -0700 2009 4712546 154102 Harters 5 4713703 If so, that's definitely not a one for one with our bar cookies. We had this discussion on Soop's "shall we make a recipe" thread a while back, but now I see a flapjack is kind of its own thing. What do you call a bar cookie, I wonder? Mon May 25 16:17:29 -0700 2009 4712566 249664 kattyeyes 6 4713778 A barmaid Mon May 25 16:45:05 -0700 2009 4713703 154622 Paulustrious 7 4713787 Oh, you mean a tart! Mon May 25 16:47:24 -0700 2009 4713778 249664 kattyeyes 1 4718600 I can't believe this isn't on here already.... In the U.K. a "bap" is a sandwich on a soft roll (the soft roll is actually the bap). In addition: In the U.K., faggot = meatball. When I was there with a girlfriend as a teenager, a company was introducing a line of frozen meatballs with the advertising tag line "Take a faggot to lunch" which had us in gales of laughter! Wed May 27 09:01:34 -0700 2009 4628822 10159 Ruth Lafler 2 4718674 Although faggot is also used as a derogatory term for a homosexual in England. On a similar theme, do you have fag=cigarette? Wed May 27 09:19:02 -0700 2009 4718600 110146 greedygirl 3 4718873 I think perhaps the derogatory usage has migrated over from American slang fairly recently. I'm pretty sure that in 1978, the word didn't have that meaning (or they wouldn't have been using it in advertising). And yes, after all these years I still do a double take when one of my English cousins says he's going out for a fag! Wed May 27 10:12:43 -0700 2009 4718674 10159 Ruth Lafler 4 4738654 That's because he's got his own, Ruth. Otherwise he would be bumming a fag. And the 'alternative' meaning of faggot goes back way before 1978. Wed Jun 03 08:16:31 -0700 2009 4718873 154622 Paulustrious 5 4739340 "Faggots" used to refer to gathered firewood. Wed Jun 03 11:31:44 -0700 2009 4738654 36661 Sam Fujisaka 6 4739647 Gathered and bound into bundles. Same root as the Italian fascio, which is the etymological source for the name of the Fascist movement. According to the OED, it sometimes referred specifically to the bundles of fuel used for burning people at the stake. Heretics who recanted were required to wear an emblem of a faggot on their clothing as a reminder of the punishment for relapse. It's amazing what you learn when you spend six years as an undergraduate assiduously avoiding any classes that might possibly have practical application. Wed Jun 03 12:49:10 -0700 2009 4739340 58743 alanbarnes 7 4739704 I knew of "faggots" meaning gathered firewood from reading historical novels, but didn't know of the etymological source as well as heretics wearing the emblem as a reminder not to relapse. You learn all sorts of things on Chowhound. :-) Wed Jun 03 13:11:25 -0700 2009 4739647 10532 LindaWhit 8 4739815 Ditto to your entire post (both paragraphs), Linda! Wed Jun 03 13:43:44 -0700 2009 4739704 10074 Caitlin McGrath 5 4752929 Yes, and when you combine that with the English meaning of "bum" then you get quite a picture. ;-) I wonder if my cousin has ever thought of that ... might be enough to get him to stop smoking! Mon Jun 08 09:35:39 -0700 2009 4738654 10159 Ruth Lafler 4 4932297 And on that note, why does Gok Wan call breasts bangers? Totally bizarre. Mon Aug 10 03:52:44 -0700 2009 4718873 213547 cathodetube 2 4718879 "Bap" - geographical reference to a soft bread roll. It's what they call them about 10 miles north of me. Twenty miles south east, they are "cobs". Where I am, it's a "barm (or "barmcake"). And then there's "oven bottom muffins" - which are flatter and denser - and not to be confused with "English muffins" (which are American , but we have them now in England) or "muffins" (which are English and are teacakes to be toasted). And just to correct, a "meatball" is a "meatball" in the UK as it is in the US. A "faggot" is a "faggot" - very different beastie made from pigs offal, such as heart and liver, and then wrapped in caul. Very much a regional dish from the West Midlands and almost invariably served in a very rich gravy. Further north (where I am), we call them "savoury ducks" - although they don't have duck in them . Go figure. Needless to say, the alternative use of the word by Americans (and now known to us) is a source of puerile humour. Ruth's frozen food company was most probably Brains Limited, who are the market leader of commerical faggots. Even though Brains Faggots, don't have brains in them. They don't taste too bad either - if you're an offal sort of person. John Wed May 27 10:14:31 -0700 2009 4718600 154102 Harters 3 4718910 Ah. I've been spending an inordinate amount of time in the Midlands, obviously (my cousins at the time lived between Nottingham and Leicester, and now live in Manchester). Wed May 27 10:22:41 -0700 2009 4718879 10159 Ruth Lafler 4 4719007 Ah, yes. I think I recall you mentioning on a much much earlier thread that you'd visited my home city of Manchester.The Cheese Hamlet in Didsbury rings a bell - five minutes drive from me and the second best cheese shop in the north west. Wed May 27 10:47:36 -0700 2009 4718910 154102 Harters 5 4719478 That's right! I spent a lot of time (and money) in The Cheese Hamlet. My cousin was a little mystified -- until he sampled the cheese I bought. Then he had to admit that he was enjoying cheeses he never thought he liked. They've since moved to my cousin-in-law's childhood farm in Derbyshire, which is going to make foraging for good chow a bit more challenging next time I visit. On topic: In the U.K. what we would call sheep's milk cheese is called (more accurately), ewe's milk cheese. Wed May 27 13:03:42 -0700 2009 4719007 10159 Ruth Lafler 6 4719686 Ruth Feel free to contact me next time you visit - I'd have some good Derbyshire tips for you (including one of the best farmers markets I know for miles around). On topic, I'd always think of it as sheep's milk cheese - but I can understand why the pedants amongst our nation would say ewe's - there ain't much milk coming out of a ram. Wed May 27 14:01:13 -0700 2009 4719478 154102 Harters 3 4719856 In Liverpool the cobbs were the crusty rolls (aka crusty rolls) and the barms were the soft ones, sometimes flour dusted. They were also known as barm cakes, though not technically cakes at all - unless they had suet in them. Come to think of it, I and not quite sure what a cake is (technically) . Never heard of faggots as savoury ducks. If they ever sold them here in NA I think Brains Faggots would have to undergo some name change. Here are a couple of adverts... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ItF0CcJBN4 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9y136zBVjBg Wed May 27 14:56:39 -0700 2009 4718879 154622 Paulustrious 2 4766745 Also a sandwich in the UK - a" Butty" - ie - bacon butty or chip butty (the best!!) Fri Jun 12 09:46:21 -0700 2009 4718600 174753 NellyNel 1 4719821 whilst the Brits all use ketchup we also call it red sauce to differentiate it from brown sauce which is HP or OK sauce. In America red sauce means tomato sauce for pasta. I also have not heard Americans use the term spaghetti bolognese. American lasagne seems to usually have ricotta cheese in it but the Brits would never or rarely use that. Home fries do not exist in the UK, they would be called fried or sauteed potatoes. Wed May 27 14:45:20 -0700 2009 4628822 22559 smartie 2 4720271 In my house (US), sauce means tomato sauce for pasta by default. "Making a pot of sauce" is what my family always said and still do. It baffled me when I moved in with someone and announced I felt like making a pot of sauce and was asked, "What KIND of sauce?"...as if there was any other kind of sauce than what I was talking about. It's an Italian thing, I guess--unless you are the type of Italian who calls sauce "gravy." In my family, gravy is an accompaniment for turkey or meatloaf. I am an all-American mutt, too watered down to claim much more than a quarter of any particular heritage, maybe that's part of the issue. Wed May 27 17:30:47 -0700 2009 4719821 249664 kattyeyes 2 4721597 The term spaghetti bolognese is fairly common in the US, though not as universal as in the UK. And in both places it all-too-rarely means true bolognese, it usually just means tomato sauce with some ground meat added. Thu May 28 07:46:31 -0700 2009 4719821 14386 BobB 3 4721769 I doubt if anyone from Bologna would recognise the spag bol we generally cook in Britain as being "their" ragu. Thu May 28 08:42:14 -0700 2009 4721597 154102 Harters 2 4751971 I think the difference with lasgana in the UK is that they use a white sauce rather than red sauce, not that there isn't any ricotta. As far as I understand, this a Northern Italian v. Southern Italian thing. Mon Jun 08 03:05:22 -0700 2009 4719821 158180 nanette 3 4766752 I lived in England for 6 years and lasagna was always served with red sauce...but def. not ricotta. My area did have a large Italian population though, so perhaps that's why. (?) Fri Jun 12 09:47:48 -0700 2009 4751971 174753 NellyNel 1 4727446 Ground beef - Mince and sometimes mincemeat Ground pork - Mince(d) pork Then we have the whole UK confusion of mincemeat also being the sweet diced fruit / suet blend. The word mince usually means savoury except in terms of mince pies which usually means either sweet pies or your eyes. Unless it says mince pie and potato. Oh, I give up. It's a context thing. And I still cannot get used to the North American pronunciation of tuna. (UK = tchew-nar, NA = two-nuh, Boston = different) Sat May 30 06:24:05 -0700 2009 4628822 154622 Paulustrious 2 4736217 I'm UK and I say 't-yoo-nah', or 'toon-ah'. Tue Jun 02 12:03:08 -0700 2009 4727446 40746 Peg 3 4736270 The U sound varies throughout the UK, in words like Tuesday, news etc. Your t-yoo and my tchew are very close. I was just trying to find a phoenetic equivalent. (Phonetic in the US) Tue Jun 02 12:17:33 -0700 2009 4736217 154622 Paulustrious 4 4736704 I've just listened to myself speaking aloud - yes, it's a very sad life I lead on this Tchewsday evening. Then we have the word "stew", which I pronounce "stchew" Tue Jun 02 13:59:29 -0700 2009 4736270 154102 Harters 4 4736859 I have friends who have Polish-speaking parents who do the same pronunciation (nyoo) of both "new" and "avenue"...so is it a European-based thing (not specifically UK)? I also know a native NYer who says these words the same way. Tue Jun 02 14:50:44 -0700 2009 4736270 249664 kattyeyes 4 4932299 My aunt from Yorkshire used to say tooner for tuna! Why I don't know! Mon Aug 10 03:54:59 -0700 2009 4736270 213547 cathodetube 1 4727511 for British Jews v American Jews smoked salmon v lox or nova salt beef v corned beef lockshen pudding v noodle kugel, brits don't make it dairy but always parev beigel v bagel - although Brits mostly now call them bagels there are no bialys in the UK but you can get platzels though not the same Gefilte fish, whilst Brits do make boiled gefilte fish, it is more common (and nicer) to buy or make it fried. Americans have never heard of it. there must be other differences but I can't think of any more. Sat May 30 07:10:27 -0700 2009 4628822 22559 smartie 2 4727519 we say smoked salmon in the US also lox isn't smoked. Sat May 30 07:16:33 -0700 2009 4727511 135229 thew 3 4727973 Lox and nova are not terms used in the UK Sat May 30 11:19:56 -0700 2009 4727519 22559 smartie 4 4728300 but smoked salmon is a phrase used in the USA. and lox still isn't smoked ;) Sat May 30 14:06:15 -0700 2009 4727973 135229 thew 2 4727552 A friend from London seems to use the term "salt beef" to refer to both corned beef and pastrami. Or, perhaps I'm just misunderstanding what he's asking for. Is pastrami called something else in the UK? Sat May 30 07:32:26 -0700 2009 4727511 11407 JoanN 3 4728330 Joan No - pastrami is pastrami. And I think it's the same as I've had in the States But, just to confuse matters further, I think "salt beef" is what we'd call the product Americans call "corned beef". Something similarish in texture/taste to pastrami. I'm referring to what I would call "Jewish salt beef", as opposed to "Irish salt beef", which to me, seems very different. In the UK, "corned beef" is a tinned/canned product, which is nothing like pastrami or salt beef (either sort) Still makes a fine sandwich with lots of Colmans mustard - or hash (to be slathered in brown sauce) Sat May 30 14:16:49 -0700 2009 4727552 154102 Harters 4 4728469 Okay. Got it. Thanks, Harters. So when my friend says he wants a salt beef sandwich, he's not talking generically. He specifically wants what we'd call corned beef. And if he wanted pastrami he'd say so. (Although I must say, the last time we had this conversation he didn't seem to be all that sure what pastrami was. But then, although he now lives in London, he's a Scot. And maybe that makes a difference.) Sat May 30 15:36:29 -0700 2009 4728330 11407 JoanN 2 4727855 This fourth-generation American Jew grew up on lockshen kugel, never noodle kugel. It was made dairy, though, and usually served at a fish & dairy-based brunch. Sat May 30 10:12:29 -0700 2009 4727511 14386 BobB 1 4730094 Here's another one inspired by another thread! Grill (US) vs barbecue (UK) Sun May 31 10:55:36 -0700 2009 4628822 110146 greedygirl 2 4730100 Yes - my sense is that in the UK, barbecue just means to cook things outdoors on the grill, whereas in the U.S., "BBQ" means specific types of cooking - ribs, pulled pork, etc. Sun May 31 10:58:48 -0700 2009 4730094 10985 MMRuth 3 4730333 Although in the U.S., "BBQ" has also come to mean just grilling as well. Much to the ire of true barbecuers. :-) Sun May 31 12:57:44 -0700 2009 4730100 10532 LindaWhit 3 4730474 I think that in many parts of the US, BBQ was the same as grilling, just as it is in the UK and Australia. But in the past 20 years or so, fans of the 'true', slow cooked, smoked style (whether Texas, KC, Memphis or Carolina) have fought to (re)define it to fit their orthodoxy. Without the influence of the BBQ competition circuit, Food Network, and retailers of smoking equipment, most Americans would still equate BBQ with burgers on the backyard grill. Santa Maria BBQ is an example of a style that is closer to grilling than the Southern closed cooker smoking. As a cooking method it owes more to California Spanish/Mexican influences than anything from the South. It probably will resist any efforts to change the name fit the new orthodoxy. Sun May 31 14:16:58 -0700 2009 4730100 12139 paulj 3 4730507 Not "just" the process. It is the equipment as well. And an event. It goes like this invitation. "Would you like to come to lunch on Saturday? We're having a barbeque. I'll be barbecuing some lamb chops and sausages on the barbecue". A "grill" is something in the kitchen - with overhead heat - usually above the oven ( a salamander in the restaurant trade, in the UK and, I think, in the US as well). I "grilled" bacon on the "grill" for breakfast this morning. Sun May 31 14:31:37 -0700 2009 4730100 154102 Harters 4 4730621 As to that "indoor grill" of yours - for household use, we in the U.S. call that the "broiler"....ours is most often within the oven itself for electric ovens and for gas oven, a separate compartment located below the oven. It's just a different knob setting to have the upper coils to be used in an electric oven for heat vs. the ones on the floor of the oven. I haven't had a gas oven for years and years :::::Waaahhhhh!:::::: so I honestly can't remember if there's a separate knob for the broiler. I don't think so. Sun May 31 15:15:23 -0700 2009 4730507 10532 LindaWhit 5 4730640 Ah, that's it - "broiler". I knew I knew the American word! I cook on electric and UK ovens come as "single ovens" , which also has a grill/broiler, or "double ovens". We've a double oven - the main fan-assisted oven is just an oven, above that, there's a small conventional oven that can be switched to grill/broiler. We mainly use the small oven just as a grill, but it's sometimes handy to work with two ovens, if you're cooking things that need different temperatures. Sun May 31 15:26:24 -0700 2009 4730621 154102 Harters 6 4730747 I would LOVE the two ovens, Harters! I do have a small convection/toaster oven that helps when I need different temps, but it's not like having two separate ovens. ::::Sigh:::: Someday. Sun May 31 16:15:11 -0700 2009 4730640 10532 LindaWhit 6 4731278 In the broil vs. grill discussion above, Paulustrious posted a link showing examples of ranges ("cookers" in UK parlance) with the double oven/grill: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/615004#4634930 Better gas ovens have a broiler feature in the top of the oven, so you can effectively adjust the rack's distance from the heat (I haven't had the privelege of using one). And some higher-end ranges now have infrared broilers built in. Sun May 31 19:41:18 -0700 2009 4730640 10074 Caitlin McGrath 5 4730654 In that common US usage, broiler supplies radiant heat from above (or possibly from side). Grill heats from below. In this usage, a grill cooks with a combination of contact (from the hot metal support grill), hot gases, and radiation. In broiling in that sense is a modern derivative of roasting meat before an open fire, whether on a rack or spit. Grilling is more akin to cooking over hot coals. Southern US BBQ (usually) uses indirect heat, no radiation, and smoky gases no hotter than the boiling point of water. Sun May 31 15:33:21 -0700 2009 4730621 12139 paulj 2 4766766 I was just going to add Grill (UK) VS Broil In the Uk they don't use broiled the way we do For instance in the UK Burger Kings ads say : "Flame Grilled" NOT "Flame Broiled" Fri Jun 12 09:50:40 -0700 2009 4730094 174753 NellyNel 3 4766934 In fact, we don't use "broil" at all. Fri Jun 12 10:34:48 -0700 2009 4766766 154102 Harters 4 4766988 I wasn't sure about that. I know it drives my DH crazy (English) when I say I'm going to pop something into the "broiler"! In England that part of the oven is called the "Grill"! Oh - I just remembered another one! An ice cream sandwich is a "choc ice" !! Fri Jun 12 10:48:42 -0700 2009 4766934 174753 NellyNel 1 4734483 Here is another: US corn vs. UK sweetcorn In general parlance in the US, if you say corn, it's assumed it's assumed you mean sweet (eating) corn; for feed corn, one would say field corn. Is this latter what's called maize in the UK, or am I missing other shadings of corn there? Mon Jun 01 20:30:25 -0700 2009 4628822 10074 Caitlin McGrath 2 4734514 Hmmm--whenever we get corn on the cob that isn't as good as we think it should be, my mom calls it cow corn! Mon Jun 01 20:40:13 -0700 2009 4734483 249664 kattyeyes 3 4734546 Field corn, cow corn, clearly alternate names for same meaning! Mon Jun 01 20:58:07 -0700 2009 4734514 10074 Caitlin McGrath 2 4734515 Hmmm, in my experience (influenced by growing up in the Southwestern US), "corn" refers to what the rest of the world knows as maize. It can be sweet corn or field corn. Corn tortillas, blue corn, etc. all refer to field corn. Corn on the cob implies sweet corn unless you're in a predominately Hispanic area. Popcorn gets its own special designation. How are these things differentiated in the UK? Mon Jun 01 20:40:48 -0700 2009 4734483 58743 alanbarnes 3 4734556 Well, I'd qualify that in the US we say "corn tortillas" (distinguishes corn from flour), "blue corn" (distinguishes "blue" variety), etc., but what I was getting at was that in the US when we refer to corn the vegetable, it means sweet corn (in US culture at large, vs., as you say, Hispanic area; see katteyes' post above). Corn as vegetable in particular is the corn vs. sweetcorn distinction above. Mon Jun 01 21:05:18 -0700 2009 4734515 10074 Caitlin McGrath 4 4734595 I agree that when you serve corn as a vegetable in the US, it's implicit that it's sweet corn. But the vast majority of the corn grown here isn't served as a stand-alone vegetable. Most corn is not consumed directly by humans. It's used for animal feed, ethanol production, or the manufacture of food-like substances (eg High Fructose Corn Syrup). But of the rest, most is ground into flour. Think cornbread, polenta, tortillas, etc. And all cornmeal is made from field corn. So while I agree with you that "corn" can imply "sweet corn" when describing a dish, that's like saying that "wheat" implies bulgur. Fact is, people eat a lot of corn in the US. And only a tiny portion of it is sweet corn. Mon Jun 01 21:31:57 -0700 2009 4734556 58743 alanbarnes 5 4735977 Sure. My contention, though, is that when people in the US say "corn," they mean sweet corn. When they are talking about the products made from corn that they eat, they don't call them "corn," they say cornmeal, masa, polenta, grits, etc. So I don't think it's the same as saying wheat implies bulgur, because people do not talk about eating "wheat" when they're talking about eating specific wheaten foods. They might mention wheat flour, wheat berries, bulgur, etc., just as they use modifiers or other names when talking about those corn products. When people in the US just say they're eating or cooking with corn, they do mean corn as vegetable, don't they? Otherwise, they'll say they're using cornmeal or eating corn tortillas or whatever. The UK term "sweetcorn" is more specific because it differentiates, but seems to be equivalent to what we mean in the US when we just say corn, in a dining context. Tue Jun 02 10:48:35 -0700 2009 4734595 10074 Caitlin McGrath 5 4736284 >> Fact is, people eat a lot of corn in the US. And only a tiny portion of it is sweet corn. << In fact Americans eat most corn in the form of corn syrup. (That's a total guess, but it stands a reasonable chance of being true) Tue Jun 02 12:20:54 -0700 2009 4734595 154622 Paulustrious 3 4766841 Well I'm not sure about all that - but not only do they call their regular "corn" - "sweetcorn"...but they also call "baby-corn" sweet corn! I remember sharing a Chinese meal with my in-laws(English) - and they kept referring to the baby corn as "sweet corn"! At first I thought it was a family quirk - but nope - it's an English thing! Fri Jun 12 10:10:12 -0700 2009 4734515 174753 NellyNel 4 4766982 "I thought it was a family quirk - but nope - it's an English thing!" Nope - I think it's a family quirk. Baby corn, such as you get in Chinese cooking, is baby corn. Sells in the supermarkets usually in 250g packs (sometimes half and half with mangetout) - looking online my usual supermarket, Sainsbury, has it at £1.52 a pack. Fri Jun 12 10:46:39 -0700 2009 4766841 154102 Harters 5 4768077 How interesting. One really doesn't see fresh baby corn in supermarkets in the US, only canned (tinned). Fri Jun 12 16:18:17 -0700 2009 4766982 10074 Caitlin McGrath 6 4769061 In my ex-part of the UK, although things came in a tin they were still canned. Possibly a hangover from tinning being the process of applying tin to the cans. Sat Jun 13 05:06:30 -0700 2009 4768077 154622 Paulustrious 6 4769250 Equally interesting that you don't generally have fresh which, as you'll appreciate, is a much better texture than tinned (which we also have). Looking online, the major crop comes from the Punjab and is supplied by Bharti - Del Monte. Seems they supply all of our major supermarkets. I know we import a lot of that sort of crop from kenya and surrounding countries. Sat Jun 13 07:06:40 -0700 2009 4768077 154102 Harters 7 4770241 Absolutely, I'd imagine, though I don't believe I've ever had fresh. Were fresh available here generally, or used even by restaurants, baby corn would no doubt not be loathed as it is by so many people. I'm going to bet it's simply not in enough demand to be produced domestically or from our major suppliers of imported produce, which are various Latin American countries. Sat Jun 13 16:00:27 -0700 2009 4769250 10074 Caitlin McGrath 8 4771620 "Were fresh available here generally, or used even by restaurants, baby corn would no doubt not be loathed as it is by so many people." Don't be so sure. :-) I find it a bland, boring and almost entirely pointless veg - one that really only adds texture in a stirfry. Sun Jun 14 09:26:03 -0700 2009 4770241 154102 Harters 7 4771288 Thailand, Taiwan, and China are the biggest producers of baby corn. Other baby corn producers include: Sri Lanka, Indonesia, India, Zambia, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Guatemala, Nicaragua - and others. Sun Jun 14 06:49:57 -0700 2009 4769250 36661 Sam Fujisaka 8 4934257 There is one farmer at my farmers market that sells baby corn (seasonally of course). I'm in Southern California. Mon Aug 10 14:39:37 -0700 2009 4771288 72532 rds246 8 4940276 We may produce it, but I still don't know why we eat -or pay a fortune for -it, Sam. I find it sort of bland, nothing like an ear of corn. Wed Aug 12 11:32:02 -0700 2009 4771288 10431 Gooseberry 1 4736209 UK - brown bread. US - wheat bread? UK - white coffee. US - not sure, but I don't think it's called 'white'... coffee with cream maybe - but is coffee really served with cream, or is it milk? Tue Jun 02 12:01:16 -0700 2009 4628822 40746 Peg 2 4736301 Brown bread in the US would be "whole wheat" bread. And yes, it would be "coffee with cream" -- I think most people who drink coffee use half-and-half which is fairly close to what the UK would be "table cream" (I think there was an earlier post on the variations on cream). In the same vein as "corn/sweetcorn": "beets/beetroot" -- in the US when you refer to eating "beets" that always means the beetroot. If it were the greens, that would be specified. "pickles/cucumber pickles" -- as a huge pickle lover it drives my Dad crazy, but in the US "a pickle" is always a cucumber pickle of some kind. In the UK the type of pickle is specified, and the type of sour pickles you would find on the shelf in every grocery store in the US are hard to find. Tue Jun 02 12:25:27 -0700 2009 4736209 10159 Ruth Lafler 2 4736826 It may be a New Yawk thing, but here the equivalent of "white coffee" is "regular." No idea why white coffee is "regular" while black coffee Is "black," but it is. If you order "regular" coffee, more often than not you'll get coffee with whole milk. If you want cream, half-and-half, or skim you need to specify. Tue Jun 02 14:40:44 -0700 2009 4736209 11407 JoanN 3 4736951 It's definitely a New York thing. Visitors from other areas get a rude awakening when they get coffee from, e.g. a deli (as opposed to a "coffeehouse," Starbucks, etc. where you add your own) and don't specify black. I think nowadays "regular"="white coffee," at least it seemed that way when I lived in NYC, but my mother, who grew up there, says that back then regular meant both milk and sugar. Tue Jun 02 15:26:21 -0700 2009 4736826 10074 Caitlin McGrath 4 4736965 My understanding is that regular means both milk and sugar. I'll ask next time I'm in a deli! Tue Jun 02 15:33:22 -0700 2009 4736951 10985 MMRuth 5 4736996 In Boston, regular definitely means milk and sugar. Tue Jun 02 15:47:05 -0700 2009 4736965 58743 alanbarnes 4 4737000 I've lived in the city for more than 40 years, and now that you mention it, Caitlin, I do indeed have a vague recollection of "regular" meaning both milk and sugar. I'm just guessing, but I'll bet that the whole problem of how much sugar and what kind (especially once the substitutes started to become popular) was just more trouble than it was worth and so, with the sugar selections always on the table or packets tossed into a takeaway bag, "regular" came to mean with milk. The sweetener was do it yourself or not as you pleased. I'll be curious to hear what your deli folk say, MMRuth. And make sure to note how old the person is that you ask. ;-) Tue Jun 02 15:48:51 -0700 2009 4736951 11407 JoanN 5 4737058 Now that I think about it, I think people just specify if they want something other than whole milk + one sugar, as you note with black and other types of dairy. I do remember hearing people say, e.g., two sugars, so they prob. do the same with other sweeteners, along with saying ifthey want it "light" (lots of milk). Can you tell I never ordered coffee at a deli or corner bakery? Tue Jun 02 16:04:29 -0700 2009 4737000 10074 Caitlin McGrath 6 4737368 You got it--whenever I go to Dunkin' Donuts, my exact order is: small, decaf, hazelnut, light, two sugars, please! I refer to it as a hot coffee shake. It is megatasty! My mom and two of my closest buddies like it just the way I do, too. Tue Jun 02 18:14:19 -0700 2009 4737058 249664 kattyeyes 7 4737549 So is a "regular" coffee milk and one sugar in your neck of the woods, ke? Perhaps a northeastern thing rather than a NY thing? Tue Jun 02 19:17:45 -0700 2009 4737368 10074 Caitlin McGrath 8 4737559 Almost! CREAM and one sugar = regular. If you want milk instead of cream, you'd have to ask for it specifically. Some folks also ask for coffee "light and sweet" but that is sweeter than two sugars and too sweet for me. Tue Jun 02 19:23:35 -0700 2009 4737549 249664 kattyeyes 9 4737653 This taxonomy is getting almost as fine as the names for rolls Harters posted about above! [grin] Tue Jun 02 20:07:20 -0700 2009 4737559 10074 Caitlin McGrath 10 4737850 'Round here (Toronto, possibly Canada-wide) "double-double" is what you'd say for coffee with two cream, two sugar. I think this is the most popular option as the term is so widespread -- say double-double and everyone knows you're talking about coffee, but single-double or double-single (etc) is not so entrenched in the vocabulary. Tue Jun 02 21:46:49 -0700 2009 4737653 16363 mogo 11 4738273 That's funny. When you say "double-double" it reminds me of a popular McDonald's commercial from my growing up years: "Double-double cheese-cheese burger-burger, please!" Anything double around here would be espresso-related. Wed Jun 03 06:08:25 -0700 2009 4737850 249664 kattyeyes 10 4738774 Particularly, Caitlin, as "regular" in this sense, is not a word in, erm, regular use in the UK - except for those places which are American influenced or owned, such as Starbucks or its lookalikes. And then "regular" means "small", as opposed to whatever contrived name they've invented to replace "medium" and "large" :-( Go into almost anywhere, other than these sort of chains, and ask for a coffee, you'll get white (with milk). Wed Jun 03 08:54:09 -0700 2009 4737653 154102 Harters 11 4738796 <<And then "regular" means "small", as opposed to whatever contrived name they've invented to replace "medium" and "large">> Yup, sometimes it's that way here, too. And I'm with you on why can't we just have small-medium-large. So much simpler. So the "white" in UK is always cream, not milk? I'd say here in the US it's the opposite. Wed Jun 03 08:59:07 -0700 2009 4738774 249664 kattyeyes 12 4738828 White coffee is always with milk. You don't get coffee with cream that much any more. And it's always single cream, which is roughly equivalent to half-and-half in the US. Wed Jun 03 09:08:34 -0700 2009 4738796 110146 greedygirl 11 4739179 So, while you don't have "regular" coffee in the Northeastern sense, it's the same thing: if you don't specify otherwise, it comes with milk (though maybe not sugar, as we've discovered here "regular" coffee means in NY and Connecticut). I think it's less so in NY now, but time was, if you just ordered coffee at a non-coffee house type place, you automatically got "regular." Wed Jun 03 10:53:31 -0700 2009 4738774 10074 Caitlin McGrath 1 4736388 Clams vs cockles ( not precisely, but close enough if clams is not prefixed.) Shark vs Rock salmon, Huss Dover sole vs Dover sole - not the same fish at at all (cf. robin) Fluke (?) vs flounder Periwinkles vs winkles Vindaloo. In NA it is primarily a flavour rather than a 'temperature'. Vancouver crab (Toronto and maybe elsewhere) vs Dungeness crab Tue Jun 02 12:46:01 -0700 2009 4628822 154622 Paulustrious 2 4736461 On the west coast of the US, and I'd venture to guess in Vancouver (the Pacific coast down to the Monterey Bay is its harvesting ground), it's known as Dungenses crab. Tue Jun 02 13:03:14 -0700 2009 4736388 10074 Caitlin McGrath 3 4736482 Is there a similar crab in the U.K. though? I seem to remember some references to certain types of crab in the David books. Tue Jun 02 13:09:16 -0700 2009 4736461 10985 MMRuth 4 4736747 Crab is usually just sold as "crab". Although there may a cachet attached to certain ports where it's landed - such as Cromer, in Norfolk. I have to say, one of the joys of an English summer is to sit outside a seaside pub eating a crab sandwich for lunch and watching the world pass by. Thick white bread, but not too thick, a generous buttering and a good thickness of crab with nothing more than a squeeze of lemon and a grind of pepper. By comparison, you can keep your Michelin starred places. Tue Jun 02 14:08:16 -0700 2009 4736482 154102 Harters 5 4736753 By the way - have you seen that the COTM is three of E. David's books? Tue Jun 02 14:09:49 -0700 2009 4736747 10985 MMRuth 4 4736788 I have no idea! Only Paulustrious can clarify, but I just assumed he was lining up North American vs. UK on the Dungeness front, as with the other. Tue Jun 02 14:28:19 -0700 2009 4736482 10074 Caitlin McGrath 5 4736853 That was me being ignorant. Sorry, not my intention. It is known as Vancouver crab in many places in Toronto. I am ignorant of the rest of NA. Dungeness is in the UK, but the one the crab is named after is Dungess in Washington. I had assumed it was the same big red crab we get off the coast of the UK. I was wrong. Next time I will check with The Great Google. Tue Jun 02 14:48:33 -0700 2009 4736788 154622 Paulustrious 2 4736686 can you explain this vindaloo temperature thing? i'm not following also fluke is specifically summer flounder i believe Tue Jun 02 13:55:27 -0700 2009 4736388 135229 thew 3 4736707 Yeah, I wouldn't say temperature either. Vindaloo on either side of the pond is one of the spiciest dishes on an Indian menu, but in the UK it's generally prepared a LOT hotter (as in chile-hot) than it is here. Here I order vindaloo and have to ask for it extra hot - over there I usually just order Madras, which is one level down in heat, and it's still hotter than most US vindaloos. Tue Jun 02 13:59:50 -0700 2009 4736686 14386 BobB 3 4736879 In the UK there is very much a 'heat' associated with a curry type. In ascending order of fierceness it goes... Madras, Vindaloo, Tinderloo, and/or Phal In reality these should be associated with flavours. So if I have a vindaloo in Toronto it does not necessarily blow my head off. The UK one would give me hiccups after the first couple of mouthfuls. At one time (maybe even now) you could order a vindaloo Rogan Josh, meaning a rogan josh spiced up to seriously hot. Sorry about the fluke-flounder thing. Once again the Chow police have battered me into submission with a promise to do better next time. Tue Jun 02 14:57:10 -0700 2009 4736686 154622 Paulustrious 4 4737099 According to my first Indian cookbook (an old Penguin paperback, 1970, UK), vinegar is the defining ingredient in a Vindaloo. 'The quantity of red pepper is a matter of discretion." Tue Jun 02 16:19:18 -0700 2009 4736879 12139 paulj 5 4738331 from my time in india - vindaloo in india, as in here (NYC) is a specific type of "curry" (yeah i know but it's convenient) based on vinegar, AND is the hottest "curry" - the sourness is a Goan preference, and the heat came when the portuguese introduced the chili pepper to india. Here, as in india, to order a vindaloo rogan josh would make no sense, as they are two completely different dishes, it would be like ordering a lasagna fried fish. Phaal is a british dish, not heard of in india, and as of yet i have not had a phaal i liked - all heat and zero taste. I like it hot like that, but it must taste good too. tinderloo? that i've never heard of. Wed Jun 03 06:34:51 -0700 2009 4737099 135229 thew 6 4738686 I had. Just did a google. Not many hits even allowing for spelling variants. LOL...My new spell-checker just objected to google - it suggested: Go ogle. How amazingly appropriate. Wed Jun 03 08:26:37 -0700 2009 4738331 154622 Paulustrious 7 4752397 Similar to the British use of the word "chutney' for any kind of stewed savoury pickle. You will never be served a sweet mango 'chutney' in India, chutney refers to a very specific kind of condiment. The equivalent of British chutneys are probably the sweet mango 'chhundo' or the like Mon Jun 08 07:05:16 -0700 2009 4738686 283388 waytob 8 4752471 really? i seem to recall sweet mango chutney in india, but maybe i'm mistaken Mon Jun 08 07:20:31 -0700 2009 4752397 135229 thew 8 4752584 "You will never be served a sweet mango 'chutney' in India" I've never been to India, but there are certainly plenty of mango chutney recipes from authoritative Indian sources. Here are the ingredients in a mango chutney from Madhur Jaffrey's "World Vegetarian" that I made once and it was definitely sweet, although spicy as well. 2 Large green mangoes 2tsps salt 2-4 cloves garlic, peeled 1 inch fresh ginger, chopped 12 floz cider vinegar or distilled white vinegar 14 oz granulated sugar 4 tbsp golden sultanas half tsp ground turmeric 1 tsp cayenne pepper According to Julie Sahni, preserved relishes, especially those made with fruits, often contain expensive ingredients so are reserved for special occasions such as wedding banquets. Perhaps a chutney such as this one just wouldn't be served at an everyday meal. Mon Jun 08 07:56:27 -0700 2009 4752397 11407 JoanN 8 4753742 "Similar to the British use of the word "chutney' for any kind of stewed savoury pickle." I always work to the premise that a chutney is a preserve with no identifiable pieces. Otherwise it's a pickle. Except that our best known commercial brand, Sharwoods, has some very nice big pieces in its mango chutney. I currently have three home-made chutnies - beetroot (still the 2006 vintage), mango and plum. And pickled onions. Mon Jun 08 13:26:09 -0700 2009 4752397 154102 Harters 9 4755425 Chutney has evolved the same way as Chicken tikka masala...it is not an Indian original, however due to popularity has become part of "Indian cooking" We have acchar in India and sweet pickles have unique names - katki keri - made from extremely finely diced green mango soaked in a sugar syrup (chaansni)) with chilli powder and spices Chhundo - grated green mango again in a sugar syrup, with vinegar and spices Limbu achhar - lemon quarters with sugar and spices to make a sweet/sour pickle Chutney is generally liquidy or a thick paste, but rarely will have whole fruit pieces in it Tue Jun 09 00:08:52 -0700 2009 4753742 283388 waytob 10 4756708 Chutney apparently derives from Hindi chatni and this is one site's spin on it which backs up your post. http://asiafood.org/glossary_1.cfm?alpha=C&wordid=2487&startno=1&endno=25 But the word in the UK came to mean chunks of stuff in a spiced 'sour' sauce, whether sweet or savoury, vegetable or fruit. Possibly the most famous, Branston Pickle, doesn't use the word chutney. As a kid I used to read the labels of everything I ate. Niacin, thiamine and so on I remember that Branston had this magic secret ingredient rutabaga that I had never seen. I had no idea what part it played in the pickle. It was many years later that I realised it was swede and that they were just trying to make the relish more esoteric. Now what makes a relish different (or the same) as a chutney? Is a relish more finely minced? I've never seen Gentlemen's Relish West of the Atlantic. Tue Jun 09 10:33:05 -0700 2009 4755425 154622 Paulustrious 9 4755798 Harters, would love a recipe for beet(root) chutney, perhaps you could post on Home Cooking? Beet lover here. Tue Jun 09 06:38:46 -0700 2009 4753742 13709 buttertart 2 4932673 I'm in Toronto and I've never encounter "Vancouver Crab". Go down to the St. Lawrence Market and it is all Dungeness. Mon Aug 10 07:33:26 -0700 2009 4736388 24055 Atahualpa 1 4738131 I thought of another difference - the word salad! an egg sandwich in the Uk is called egg mayonnaise not egg salad, ditto for tuna, brits would say a tuna mayo sandwich (it usually has sweetcorn in it). Brits do not say egg salad or tuna salad and expect it to be mixed with mayo. If you ask for a tuna salad in the UK you would get a green salad with tomatoes cucumbers etc with a can of tuna on it, an egg salad would be a green salad etc with slice eggs on it. Wed Jun 03 04:30:17 -0700 2009 4628822 22559 smartie 2 4738816 I recall ordering a chicken salad in North Carolina on our last trip - it turned out to be a deeply unpleasant surprise of gloop on a plate - not at all the nice crisp leaves and piece of chicken I was expecting Wed Jun 03 09:04:58 -0700 2009 4738131 154102 Harters 3 4740114 yep Harters, in the UK a chicken salad has leaves salad vegetables and pieces of chicken on it. Here in the US you get bits of chicken mixed with mayo. I have lived in the US for a few years now and still confuse myself and others with food terminology and expectations. Wed Jun 03 15:01:32 -0700 2009 4738816 22559 smartie 2 4741477 But oddly, potato salad is mayonnated. Thu Jun 04 06:04:45 -0700 2009 4738131 154622 Paulustrious 2 4932303 In the UK, I wouldn't expect an egg sandwich to have mayonnaise in it. That would just be sliced egg, probably with just pepper and salt. Or egg and tomato, or egg and onion possibly. The mayo would have to be requested. Mon Aug 10 04:00:27 -0700 2009 4738131 213547 cathodetube 1 4743431 we have not mentioned the confusing names for meal times usa breakfast lunch and dinner UK - breakfast self explanatory although a cooked breakfast usually means a fry up of bacon sausage, eggs, beans, toast etc etc lunch can also be called dinner - school dinners are school lunches, it also depends on your class and where you originate. tea - this can mean 4pm cup of tea, sandwiches, cakes, biscuits, scones OR it can mean your dinner (never lunch though) again class and geography dependent supper - this is dinner or supper or a very late snack dinner - either lunch or dinner. Thu Jun 04 16:49:52 -0700 2009 4628822 22559 smartie 2 4743535 Discussion of meal names above starts here: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/615004#4629283 As you will see, the US versions aren't so cut and dried, either. Thu Jun 04 17:32:14 -0700 2009 4743431 10074 Caitlin McGrath 1 4743610 US pigs in blankets - UK sausage rolls Thu Jun 04 18:01:44 -0700 2009 4628822 22559 smartie 2 4743722 Toad in the hole Thu Jun 04 18:48:34 -0700 2009 4743610 36661 Sam Fujisaka 3 4743769 Egg fried in the middle of a slice of bread with a hole cut out of it vs. Sausage baked in Yorkshire pudding Thu Jun 04 19:08:29 -0700 2009 4743722 10074 Caitlin McGrath 4 4744007 I can't think of a typical American dish that is similar to toad in the hole. I make it every now and then, but that based on book-learning. Never had it made by someone else. Parkin is another uniquely British dish - it's a Yorkshire gingerbread, heavy in rolled oats and molasses. Thu Jun 04 20:54:11 -0700 2009 4743769 12139 paulj 5 4744236 I love toad in the hole, but rarely make it because my other half isn't keen. It's sausages and Yorkshire pudding (both of which he likes). What's not to like? My mother used to make parkin a lot when we were kids - haven't had it for years. Fri Jun 05 01:29:14 -0700 2009 4744007 110146 greedygirl 3 4940303 I get them confused; once called Toad in a Hole "Pig in a Shed". My family's kept that name, ever since. Wed Aug 12 11:38:46 -0700 2009 4743722 10431 Gooseberry 2 4744234 Pigs in blankets here are chipolatas wrapped in streaky bacon - typically served as part of Christmas dinner with roast turkey etc. Fri Jun 05 01:27:46 -0700 2009 4743610 110146 greedygirl 3 4747952 As opposed to pigs in blankets that I had for breakfast in West Virginia - sausages wrapped in pancakes. In the UK, I've done them like this with Staffordshire oatcakes. Both a fab start to the day. Mrs H is retiring at the end of September and has vowed to take up baking as a hobby - parkin is one of her favourite cakes so I'm looking forward to autumn on a number of levels. Sat Jun 06 08:09:33 -0700 2009 4744234 154102 Harters 4 4748039 Staffordshire oatcakes? Sat Jun 06 08:49:47 -0700 2009 4747952 110146 greedygirl 5 4752197 I think they should start marketing them as the Potteries Wrap http://www.staffordshireoatcakes.com/ Sprinkle with cheese, pop under the grill for a minute of so, wrap round sausage or bacon. Breakfast is served, ma'am. Mon Jun 08 06:00:28 -0700 2009 4748039 154102 Harters 6 4752762 Haven't had them for ages. I used to get them in Stoke. I like them with an egg. Here's a recipe I've used. http://www.allotment.org.uk/recipe/77/recipe-for-north-staffordshire-oatcake/ Mon Jun 08 08:53:39 -0700 2009 4752197 154622 Paulustrious 2 4747966 Just to be sure we are on the same page in the US (as I think there are variations), I think of pigs in blankets as hot dogs wrapped in Pillsbury crescent dough. At parties, they're usually those little cocktail franks in something similar like crescent dough or maybe puff pastry. Sat Jun 06 08:14:45 -0700 2009 4743610 249664 kattyeyes 2 4751975 I wouldn't say that pigs in blankets (US) are the same as sausage rolls (UK) as in the US they are frequently mini hotdogs wrapped in dough, where as a sausage roll is sausage meat cooked in puff pastry and then cut into pieces. Mon Jun 08 03:12:39 -0700 2009 4743610 158180 nanette 3 4752094 I would agree with you Nanette! I am not sure what you would call Pigs in Blankets in the UK and I have had them there. Any US equivalent to a Scotch Egg? A boiled egg centred in sausage meat and deep fried. Mon Jun 08 05:14:05 -0700 2009 4751975 22559 smartie 4 4752556 I've not had them here, I think they might have "dog" in the title. I can't think of anything equal to a Scotch Egg. Good thing. Mon Jun 08 07:49:39 -0700 2009 4752094 158180 nanette 4 4752566 No, on the rare occasions I've seen Scotch Eggs in the US, that's what they were called. I'm surprised we don't see more of them over here, it seems like something that would fit right in with Southern cuisine. Mon Jun 08 07:52:42 -0700 2009 4752094 14386 BobB 2 4932304 Pigs in blankets are whole sausages in a pastry/croissant crust. Sausage rolls are chopped up sausage meat in flaky pastry. Not really the same and usually much nicer/ Mon Aug 10 04:01:28 -0700 2009 4743610 213547 cathodetube 1 4753381 US gravy seems to be any kind of sauce, whereas UK gravy is made of meat drippings (or Bisto). And another thing - I've seen a lot of US posts referring to food by colour instead of flavour (color/flavor). Like 'red sauce', 'yellow cake', 'white gravy' - in the UK I've never heard food referred to in this way - we tend to refer to flavours instead. There also seems to be a US chocolate cake dyed red - what's that about? Mon Jun 08 11:35:59 -0700 2009 4628822 40746 Peg 2 4753463 The US "gravy" being sauce is usually limited to New York/New Jersey Italian families (or those that grew up around them). Not sure if it's also out there for other areas of the U.S., but despite having grown up in northern NJ, "gravy" to me has always meant meat drippings in the roasting pan mixed with flour, seasonings, and Kitchen Bouquet or Gravy Master. Red sauce gravy (i.e., pasta sauce) has always been spaghetti or pasta sauce for my family, never "gravy". Mon Jun 08 12:03:36 -0700 2009 4753381 10532 LindaWhit 3 4753879 In my family (of Italian heritage) your last sentence describes "sauce"--not red, not tomato, not pasta or spaghetti--all that is understood. If my mom says she's going to make a pot of sauce, I know. Outside my family, I have learned that sometimes I need to explain what "sauce" means to me. ;) It's funny how that cutoff line seems to separate NY/NJ from CT...unless there are other Italians in CT who used to say "gravy"--we didn't in my hometown, and my town is a sister city to Melilli, Sicily, so we've got serious Italian roots here. Very interesting. Mon Jun 08 13:59:21 -0700 2009 4753463 249664 kattyeyes 4 4754618 and it was more in NJ than NY, and within NY it was more in teh suburban and outer boroughs areas Mon Jun 08 17:44:39 -0700 2009 4753879 135229 thew 2 4753479 The UK has brown sauce aka HP Sauce. Red cake is red velvet cake. Wikipedia reports that it is dyed red to mimic earlier colours of chocolate or from the substitution of beets during WWII. Mon Jun 08 12:08:38 -0700 2009 4753381 158180 nanette 3 4753854 And it's not really a chocolate cake, as most recipes contain only a couple of tablespoons of cocoa powder. Mon Jun 08 13:52:21 -0700 2009 4753479 10074 Caitlin McGrath 2 4753508 Your UK gravy description makes more sense to me (gravy = pan drippings). That's kind of funny about our (US) tendency to refer to food by color. I believe the chocolate cake you reference is red velvet. Someone from the southern part of the US can answer you better than I can, so I will step aside and let an expert give you the lowdown there. I should say, though, there's a difference between white cake and yellow cake. I can't explain what it is precisely, but it goes beyond the color. Yellow is my favorite cake (for birthdays)...with chocolate frosting. Mon Jun 08 12:18:04 -0700 2009 4753381 249664 kattyeyes 3 4753605 A white cake contains whole eggs; a yellow cake contains only the yolks. Mon Jun 08 12:44:26 -0700 2009 4753508 11407 JoanN 4 4753893 JoanN, thanks. I'll admit this publicly--if only I had ever made a yellow cake from scratch rather than Duncan Hines (butter recipe golden), I would know that. It's on my list of things to try. I have baked plenty of other cakes and cookies from scratch, but DH butter recipe golden was always my b'day cake of choice and it still tastes good to me...with my own chocolate lover's frosting. Mon Jun 08 14:01:54 -0700 2009 4753605 249664 kattyeyes 5 4755485 sista kattyeyes, try adding a bit of vanilla extract and an extra egg to your duncan hines butter recipe. yum! Tue Jun 09 03:04:54 -0700 2009 4753893 105717 alkapal 6 4755573 Must try it--thanks, sis. You know ol' Duncan and I are old friends. Tue Jun 09 04:48:51 -0700 2009 4755485 249664 kattyeyes 7 4755598 i made diamond shaped "cupcakes" in those silicone cups. they tasted like little pound cakes. Tue Jun 09 05:04:45 -0700 2009 4755573 105717 alkapal 8 4755612 Those kinda diamonds would be THIS girl's best friend! ;) Shine on, sista! Tue Jun 09 05:13:50 -0700 2009 4755598 249664 kattyeyes 9 4755633 wilton silicone cupcake molds in various shapes are neat. i also have the square and triangle shapes shown here. http://www.amazon.com/Wilton-Diamond-Silicone-Baking-Count/dp/B000NBQFI2 they're also available at target. Tue Jun 09 05:29:19 -0700 2009 4755612 105717 alkapal 10 4756528 Oh, I can't use those silicone pans - nasty rubbery smell (and taste!) the first time I used one when they first started being sold. Turned me off them forever (kinda like I can't drink vodka and OJ after a it chose not to stay in my stomach after a high school party <g>). I do have an antique square/diamond cupcake pan tho. But I don't make all that many cupcakes. :-) Tue Jun 09 09:45:13 -0700 2009 4755633 10532 LindaWhit 11 4759194 ah, that's too bad. these wiltons don't have any discernible odor, to me. if you were on the vanguard of trying the "new" silicone baking containers, perhaps the products have been improved quite a bit since you tried them and got turned off. plus, i think wiltons is a premium brand. Wed Jun 10 05:54:41 -0700 2009 4756528 105717 alkapal 12 4760059 I know Wilton's a very good brand. And I'm sure they are better than they first were. But remembering that smell in the house just icks me out every time I contemplate buying another one. Wed Jun 10 10:10:30 -0700 2009 4759194 10532 LindaWhit 13 4763163 I discussed this yesterday at a local (trusted) kitchen store owner. She assured me Wilton's molds don't smell. She did say, like so many other products, quality of ingredients (or lack thereof) in the actual moldmaking could have yielded that smelly result you encountered back when. They had little standalone fluted cupcake molds (12 in a pack). Quite adorable--you'd just stand 'em on a tray to bake. Maybe when you see a shape that grabs you, you'll try again. ;) Thu Jun 11 08:57:51 -0700 2009 4760059 249664 kattyeyes 14 4764201 I was just given some of those standalone cupcake molds as a gift. I was a bit concerned, as I have a couple of other silicone pans (also a gift) that I don't particularly like - they don't smell bad or anything, I just don't like the way baked goods come out in them. But I read a piece from the NY Times from a while ago that said the cupcake molds are the most effective of the silicone pans. I'll see if I can find it. ETA: Here is the article. She doesn't discuss the cupcake molds in the article, but does list them in her recommended items. The article also states the issue that leads to smelly results like Linda's: pans manufactured with fillers, as opposed to pure silicone. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B03E5DF1230F933A25752C0A9619C8B63&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=1 Thu Jun 11 13:30:28 -0700 2009 4763163 10074 Caitlin McGrath 15 4764535 Speaking of cupcakes, that's another one for the list: US "cupcakes" are "fairy cakes" in the UK. Thu Jun 11 15:05:35 -0700 2009 4764201 10159 Ruth Lafler 15 4764635 Ahhh, interesting, Caitlin, on the use of fillers instead of pure silicone. Perhaps that's what they did early on in the manufacture of these things. I do admit I don't recall whether the silicone pans I bought years ago were made by Wilton - I can't recall the name. I just remember I got them at Sur la Table (which is a bit of a drive for me), and was ticked I had to drive there to return them. At this point - I have enough metal pans (inherited from Grandma and Mom gave me some), so I'm good. Thu Jun 11 15:47:50 -0700 2009 4764201 10532 LindaWhit 4 4753913 Interesting that you say this, Joan, as my reading of recipes has always shown white cakes to be made with egg whites only (the lack of yolks giving the white color), and yellow cakes made with either yolks only or whole eggs, depending on the recipe. Mon Jun 08 14:06:34 -0700 2009 4753605 10074 Caitlin McGrath 5 4753937 Here's an explanation from Joy of Baking that's on the same page with you, Caitlin: http://www.joyofbaking.com/YellowButterCake.html Have you or Joan ever made this particular cake, by chance? Mon Jun 08 14:14:12 -0700 2009 4753913 249664 kattyeyes 6 4754061 Now I'm thoroughly confused. Just checked a bunch of recipes and you're right, Caitlin. All but one of the recipes for white cake uses whites only. But the link you provided, kattyeyes, says what I did originally: "the difference is that a yellow cake contains just the egg yolks, whereas a white cake contains whole eggs." Since I'm obviously not sure what I'm talking about, I'll now bow out of this discussion. Mon Jun 08 14:49:12 -0700 2009 4753937 11407 JoanN 7 4754103 Ha, Joan, I was on my way to say the same thing: "Since I'm obviously not sure what I'm talking about, I'll now bow out of this discussion", as I looked at a variety of recipes (on the web) for "white cake" and some used whites only, some whole eggs. Oh dear, mass confusion and no real answers! Chocolate cake for everyone. Mon Jun 08 15:00:56 -0700 2009 4754061 10074 Caitlin McGrath 7 4754107 Sorry, Joan, I've contributed to the confusion, too. Here's the quote from Joy of Baking: "Before we begin I should first explain the difference between a yellow and a white butter cake. If we put the mixing methods aside, we find that while the two batters both contain butter, sugar, eggs, flour and milk, the difference is that a yellow cake contains just the egg yolks, whereas a white cake contains whole eggs." This is NOT what Caitlin stated--sorry for the confusion. I guess the concept as a whole is a bit confusing, given the variations between recipes. Mon Jun 08 15:02:03 -0700 2009 4754061 249664 kattyeyes 1 4764414 we have forgotten these Heinz products available in the UK but not in the US (unless on the British sections) Heinz sandwich spread - hard to describe, kind of a mayo with bits of peppers, pickles etc, great on hot toast Heinz Salad Cream Heinz Tomato Soup - fab nothing like it Heinz Beans - might have been discussed earlier but not like US baked beans. Thu Jun 11 14:27:47 -0700 2009 4628822 22559 smartie 2 4764524 I used to see sandwich spread around. Isn't salad cream basically the same as Miracle Whip? But the topic is not foods that exist in one place but not the other (atlhough it did drift a bit that direction), but rather foods that have different names in the U.S. and the U.K. Thu Jun 11 15:02:47 -0700 2009 4764414 10159 Ruth Lafler 2 4765180 If Heinz sandwich spread is mayo-like with bits of peppers, pickles--isn't that a variation of tartar sauce (plus peppers)? Thu Jun 11 18:55:41 -0700 2009 4764414 249664 kattyeyes 3 4765464 As I said, sandwich spread exists in the U.S. I don't think Heinz makes it for the U.S. market, but Best Foods/Hellman's does: http://www.bestfoods.com/products/sandwich_spread.aspx Thu Jun 11 20:58:47 -0700 2009 4765180 10159 Ruth Lafler 4 4765727 yes ruth lafler, that's exactly the one i was thinking of, too. it's like a more mayonaisse-y thousand island dressing. Fri Jun 12 03:38:13 -0700 2009 4765464 105717 alkapal 5 4766744 Yup. I hate mayo and wouldn't touch the stuff, but I remember my grandmother liked it. Fri Jun 12 09:46:10 -0700 2009 4765727 10159 Ruth Lafler 4 4766354 I'll try to remember to buy some next time I'm out and see if it is roughly the same as my memory. However alkapal's use of the word mayonaisse-y would make me think it isn't. Heinz salad cream is not the same as Hellmans mayonnaise. The salad cream is sweeter and sourer than Hellmans. My guess is just more sugar and vinegar plus something to make it yellower. (Might be the malt vinegar?) The same may be true of the sandwich spread. And then there is piccallili, a condiment I don't remember from the USA. I'm not saying it doesn't exist, just that I cannot remember it. Home-made is the best... http://www.waitrose.com/recipe/Piccalilli.aspx Fri Jun 12 08:07:24 -0700 2009 4765464 154622 Paulustrious 5 4766520 Piccalilli definitely exists in the U.S. I saw it often when I lived in central PA. Ours often doesn't usually contain the cauliflower or green beans, but instead is often based on green tomatoes: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piccalilli#American_piccalilli And here's an early recipe: http://tinyurl.com/lr4lzn Fri Jun 12 08:46:48 -0700 2009 4766354 10532 LindaWhit 5 4766762 We're talking about three different things: mayo, "salad cream" and "sandwich spread." From previous discussions, I think the closest to "salad cream" in the U.S. is Miracle Whip. "Sandwich spread" is what was being described as "mayonaisse-y Thousand Island dressing" and seems to be basically the same product in the U.S. and U.K. Fri Jun 12 09:49:41 -0700 2009 4766354 10159 Ruth Lafler 6 4932737 You can occasionally get Salad Cream here in Toronto, Canada. It is definitely not the same as Miracle Whip. Thinner, tart-er, maybe even sweeter. Mon Aug 10 07:52:18 -0700 2009 4766762 24055 Atahualpa 7 4932756 Heinz's Salad Cream is sold in U.S. supermarkets now as well. I *think* in the international aisle, but also perhaps in the condiment (mayo/mustard/ketchup/BBQ sauce) aisle. Mon Aug 10 07:56:30 -0700 2009 4932737 10532 LindaWhit 2 4765917 "Heinz sandwich spread - hard to describe" How about "vomit in a jar"? But Heinz Tomato Soup is what you just have to have if you're feeling a bit poorly and run-down. A life restorer if ever there was one. Fri Jun 12 05:57:43 -0700 2009 4764414 154102 Harters 3 4766009 How does it differ from Campbell's tomato soup, the US kiddie lunch special and sentimental favorite of many adults (incl me) in the US? Fri Jun 12 06:32:45 -0700 2009 4765917 13709 buttertart 4 4768343 Heinz Tomato soup is nothing like campbells, firstly it's ready to heat no adding of water or milk. It's smooth with no bits, it's darker and it kinda burns the back of your throat and as Harters says it's perfect if you feel a little unwell. But I can't agree with his description of sandwich spread being like 'vomit in a jar'. But like Marmite - you either love it or hate it. Fri Jun 12 18:00:18 -0700 2009 4766009 22559 smartie 5 4769065 A very graphic description. If he attacks any more of my condiments I will marmalise him. (Not heard that word in the US). Sat Jun 13 05:09:44 -0700 2009 4768343 154622 Paulustrious 6 4769156 Had to look that up. Sounds very Willy Wonka a la when Augustus Gloop falls into the Chocolate River. ;) Sat Jun 13 06:15:21 -0700 2009 4769065 249664 kattyeyes 5 4769269 True, true. I can't abide Marmite, either. But I do lurrvve Gentleman's Relish. Sat Jun 13 07:13:37 -0700 2009 4768343 154102 Harters 6 4770981 harters, would you please describe gentleman's relish's flavor and texture? it has anchovy as a base flavor, right? is it generally available, or only from higher-end purveyors, like fortnum & mason? i have it on mr. alka's shopping list while he's in london. is there a "best" version? Sun Jun 14 00:02:37 -0700 2009 4769269 105717 alkapal 7 4771024 As far as I am aware there is only one version - Patum peperium gentlemans relish, in a round white pot with black lettering. (Though at Christmas the packaging can change to somethng fancier). I've seen it in Asda (Walmart), and other supermarkets. Anchovy is not the'base flavour', it is THE flavour. Well, spiced up a bit. They do a salmon spread too (similar pot) though I've not tried it. Sun Jun 14 00:56:33 -0700 2009 4770981 40746 Peg 8 4771308 thanks, peg. so, it is a proprietary product. i found a "recipe" taste-alike (allegedly) on recipezaar. http://www.recipezaar.com/Patum-Peperium-the-Secret-is-out-Gentlemans-Relish-228778 but here's a slightly different "copycat": http://www.hungrybrowser.com/phaedrus/m0122M07.htm which one (if either) do you think looks about right to you? Sun Jun 14 06:59:23 -0700 2009 4771024 105717 alkapal 3 4932306 The recipe for the Heinz Tom Soup has changed though, not the same as it is a lot sweeter. The nostalgia link just isn't there for me any more. I would rather have chicken noodle soup made with chicken stock and quick noodles. Mon Aug 10 04:04:07 -0700 2009 4765917 213547 cathodetube 1 4933366 Tuxedo - Dinner jacket Hog - Pig saran {wrap} - clingfilm burner - ring ragu - bolognese (approx) fish sticks - fish fingers Mon Aug 10 10:48:58 -0700 2009 4628822 154622 Paulustrious 2 4935572 Brits now say hog roast and not pig roast. Speaking American seems to be a badge of pride now. Sometimes that is good!!?? They also say hob instead of burner. Ring would refer to the coiled elements on electric cookers which are uncommon now. Tue Aug 11 03:04:38 -0700 2009 4933366 213547 cathodetube 3 4935594 i think more americans say pig roast than hog roast. Tue Aug 11 03:28:42 -0700 2009 4935572 105717 alkapal 3 4935891 I should mention that burner is used here for electric as well as gas. Times must have changed since I lived in the UK. In them thar days, a hob was the complete unit (= American cooktop) and you had gas rings and everything round here was just fields. Tue Aug 11 06:38:09 -0700 2009 4935572 154622 Paulustrious 4 4936073 A lot of British homes now have separate hobs, ie ceramic, halogen, gas, mounted in a countertop. The oven is separate. If you still have an old fashioned cooker , then that it the complete unit like a US stove is. You would still say on the hob if you are talking about cooking something on the top, ie not on or in the grill (eye level or not!) or in the oven. Personally I am a big fan of eye level grills. Or should that be broiler?! Tue Aug 11 07:27:50 -0700 2009 4935891 213547 cathodetube 5 4936113 There's another one: cooker (UK) = stove (US). The word cooker is never used on its own in the US, but only with an adjective before it to refer to certain small appliances (e.g., rice cooker, pressure cooker, slow cooker, etc). Anything with a cooking surface on top and an oven of some sort in the middle is a stove. Tue Aug 11 07:39:10 -0700 2009 4936073 14386 BobB 6 4936988 Or occasionally a "range." Tue Aug 11 11:34:27 -0700 2009 4936113 10074 Caitlin McGrath 1 4935573 The creeping Americanization of the UK means that they usually say fries here now. I blame MacDonalds! Tue Aug 11 03:07:18 -0700 2009 4628822 213547 cathodetube 2 4935671 Certainly "fries" is becoming more commonly used - particularly amongst the generation that frequents burger places There are, erm, certain types of restaurant which will also say "fries" instead of "chips". Usually places I wouldnt want to eat in. "Fries" are marginally worse than the now ubiquitous "fat chip", which is also an abomination to our national cuisine. A chip, whether to be eaten with fish, steak, eggs or whatever, should be chip shaped. Tis no wonder that we no longer have an empire when we've let this happen to us. Tue Aug 11 04:47:10 -0700 2009 4935573 154102 Harters 3 4936058 And what about the use of 'frites' for the skinny fries. Or should it be 'shoestring'? Does/did anyone in the US call them 'freedom' fries? I couldn't ever believe that story....... Tue Aug 11 07:24:14 -0700 2009 4935671 213547 cathodetube 4 4936123 I don't mind them being called "frites" - so long as it's in a French restaurant or, at least, one with pretensions to be. Tue Aug 11 07:40:33 -0700 2009 4936058 154102 Harters 4 4936662 Believe it. Here is the wikinfo.. On March 11, 2003, Representatives Robert W. Ney (R-Ohio) and Walter B. Jones, Jr. (R-North Carolina) declared that all references to French fries and French toast on the menus of the restaurants and snack bars run by the House of Representatives would be removed. House cafeterias were ordered to rename French fries to "freedom fries". This action was carried out without a congressional vote, under the authority of Ney's position as Chairman of the Committee on House Administration, which oversees restaurant operations for the chamber. The simultaneous renaming of French toast to "freedom toast" attracted less attention. Frogs' legs had no such bounds. Another extract from that same article that made me laugh was an atypical French understatement... The Embassy of France in Washington, D.C. made no comment beyond pointing out that French fries probably come from Belgium. "We are at a very serious moment dealing with very serious issues and we are not focusing on the name you give to potatoes," said Nathalie Loisau, an embassy spokeswoman. Tue Aug 11 10:18:27 -0700 2009 4936058 154622 Paulustrious 5 4936898 Oh God, I remember that. "Freedom" fries have long since gone away, though some places now call them "American" fries or just plain "fries". The one that did take me aback was an ice cream shop on Main Street in Woodbridge, New Jersey where I spent three minutes trying to figure out what made "Liberty Vanilla" different to "Vanilla". (Hint: Liberty Vanilla contains eggs.) And my French friend's reaction to the whole debate was very similar to the embassy's: "Ce que vous voulez appeler un mets belge, nous nous en foutons comme de nos premières culottes." Tue Aug 11 11:15:40 -0700 2009 4936662 10811 Das Ubergeek 5 4937000 However, it was pretty much considered silliness outside the HOR. To answer cathodetube's question, the general public didn't adopt that locution. Tue Aug 11 11:38:24 -0700 2009 4936662 10074 Caitlin McGrath 6 4938890 I know this is slightly off topic, but has the US banned imports of Roquefort cheese now? I read it somewhere. If so, why? Wed Aug 12 02:25:12 -0700 2009 4937354 213547 cathodetube 7 4939075 It wasn't a ban, per se - it was an extremely high tariff on the import. It was retaliatory against the EU's ban on accepting imports of hormone-treated beef from the U.S. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124163054223492525.html The high tariff has been dropped. For now. Wed Aug 12 05:42:46 -0700 2009 4938890 10532 LindaWhit 5 4938892 Thanks for that explanation Palustrious- very interesting and strange! Wed Aug 12 02:26:23 -0700 2009 4936662 213547 cathodetube