Fortnum and Mason

Last Thanksgiving I went home for a short trip to London. One of the highlights was a Food Tour that started out at Fortnum and Mason, I actually still can't believe I didn't go back and have afternoon tea there. It is a very old, famous department store in Piccadilly.


The Food tour guide was American, which was unfortunate as I knew much more about all the christmas traditions in England. I think I did a good job of keeping my mouth shut, for once! I may just do a blog about the whole tour later.


The entire store was decorated for Christmas and looked beautiful, I could have stayed there all day. My friend treated me to a few F&M goodies and we got his mum the famous Champagne, Strawberry Preserves that the guy at Gatwick confiscated and said he had to throw away. I am sure he enjoyed in on his toast for the month of December!


Being a very determined pair, we did pick up some similar Jam at Harrod's inside Gatwick - that was almost taken by a customs guy in Atlanta!  This is the original yummy one...

The Royal Family's favorite food hall is Fortnum & Masons.  Of course, they close the store for Royals to shop there!


The store was opened by Messrs Fortnum and Mason in 1707, they supplied provisions during both the Napoleonic and Crimean wars. Despite stocking a solid range of accessories, perfumes, furniture and homeware, the shop is, understandably, famed for its fantastic, upmarket food hall piled high with gastronomic delights and filled with chandeliers and marble pillars. Some of the delicacies here are a little overpriced but the quality is exceptionally high. If you're visiting London in the summer months and want to sink your teeth into a yummy picnic hamper, look no further; Fortnum's has supplied hampers to high society types at events such as the Henley Regatta and the Ascot Races. Even if you're not a foodie, the shop itself is worth a visit just to check out the fantastic decor. It is also an excellent place to pick up a gift. All the delicacies and luxuries on sale here come so beautifully packaged you won't want to open.

This hamper above is around $500 and can be ordered on their website. In 2008 when the store celebrated its 300th birthday they were selling hampers for $50,000 and you could get them delivered in a horse drawn carriage.

We particularly liked this hamper

On the roof on Fortnum's they have beehives which produces the honey they sell. It's true!

Here is a photo of the lovely Christmas crackers they had. The tour guide started the story on these and I finished it!

Fortnum's is just a really beautiful, old store, I prefer it to Harrod's. It is a perfect place to go for afternoon tea, so be sure to go there if you visit London.

Here is the link to their website
http://www.fortnumandmason.com/the-store.aspx




sigh - thanks for sharing my memory.

Bastille Day

Today is Bastille Day, July 14th, French Independence Day - La fete Nationale.

The French celebrate the anniversary of Bastille Day, when, in 1789, Parisians stormed the Bastille prison, setting off the French Revolution which toppled King Louis XVI and put an end to the French monarchy.

King Louis XVI and his wife Marie Antoinette took refuge in Versailles as the violent peasants pillaged and burned chateaux, and destroyed records of feudal dues—this reaction is known as the grande peur (great fear). For the peasant class, the Bastille stood as a symbol of the hypocrisy and corruption of the aristocratic government - controlled mostly by nobility and clergy. This important event marked the entry of the popular class into the French Revolution.

The French recognize Bastille Day as the end of the monarchy and beginning of the modern republic. The lasting significance of the event was in its recognition that power could be held by ordinary citizens, not in the king or in God.

Today, in Paris, the main event of the day is the traditional military parade along the Champs-Elysees. The French do celebrate in the same way as Americans, with fireworks at the end of the day.

For me, just an another excuse to talk about a food memory.
What still sticks in my mind about Paris and France, is the fresh bread & cheeses. Walking in the streets and discovering outdoor cafes, plus all these amazing Pâtisseries or Fromagerie (artisan cheese shop) Something wonderful around every corner that you turn. 
A huge cup (actually more like a bowl) of coffee in the morning there, dipping that fresh bread in it, is one of the best food memories I can think of! Especially with some Strawberry Jam - I'm sorry "confiture de fraises"!

Maybe this is where my bread and cheese craving got reinforced!

The closest thing we can do here is make a French dinner or picnic and celebrate Bastille day. 

Bon Appetit!

pour le moment, mes amis, au revoir

Anyone for Pimm's?

I have been thinking about Pimm's since Wimbledon started. It is the quintessential English drink, find it at other seasonal sporting events such as The Henley Regatta. It is the english equivalent of the Mint Julep at The Kentucky Derby.


The first time I went to Henley was working for an upscale London caterer, funnily enough I can't remember any of the food - just Pimm's! Henley is in Oxfordshire on the Thames, very snotty race with a strict dress code, ladies cannot wear anything but dresses and they must be below the knee - now that's ridiculous. I think they just relaxed the rule, to allow men to take off their jackets, but not their ties.

So, Henley would not be the same without a Pimm's. It is the drink of a cricket game too, which would definitely make the game a little less boring!


Pimm's originated in an Oyster Bar in London, owned by James Pimm's. He created the Pimm's "house cup" flavored with Liquors and fruit extract. There is even a Pimm's Bar at Wimbledon, it opened in 1971. The only drink more popular in England is Tea.


The garnish is important, cucumber, mint and strawberries. The classic recipe calls for one part Pimm's to two parts Lemonade, the American equivalent is Sprite.


Traditional Pimm’s Cup Recipe:-

2 oz. Pimm’s No. 1

4 oz. English lemonade or lemon-lime soda
Mint sprig, cucumber slice, strawberry slice and apple slice, for garnish

Add ice to a chilled tall glass. Add the Pimm’s and lemonade or lemon lime soda. Stir gently, and garnish with the mint sprig, cucumber slice, strawberry slice and apple slice.

Thanks for visiting my blog!

A Woman Sconed!

Y'all knew it was coming, the scone blog. I know you wish you had scratch and sniff computers now but you can always come get some! Most of my friends know my oven saga - the new one is due to come on July 12th - just in time to bake a cake for the kid's 17th birthday!


The Scone is the essential part of our English Afternoon Tea, best served with strawberry Jam and clotted cream, in my opinion. It is yet another food in my childhood memory list!


I've been making scones for probably 20-25 years. I did not do much cooking or baking with my father, but I can remember him teaching me how to feel the food with my hands when we made pastry and I feel that way with scones. I can also smell when they are done, slightly odd but true! I would only eat a scone fresh out of the oven, the only way to eat them.


Some people believe that the scone was named after the Stone of Destiny which was a stone throne on which Scottish kings would sit to be crowned. The Oxford dictionary on the other hand believes that it comes from a word "sgonn" meaning mouthful or shapeless mass, or the German word "sconbrot" meaning beautiful bread.

Originally, scones were made with oats, shaped into a large round, scored into four or six wedges and griddle-baked over an open fire. With the advent of oven baking, the round of dough was cut into wedges and the scones were baked individually. I actually thought about trying to grill some while I have had no stove - an alternative to the easy bake oven!

Today’s scones are quick breads, similar to American biscuits. They are traditionally made with wheat flour, sugar, baking powder or baking soda, butter, milk and eggs, and baked in the oven—both in the traditional wedge form and in round, square and diamond shapes. This recipe produces a hard, dry texture.

Traditional English scones may include raisins or currants, but are often plain, relying on jam, preserves, lemon curd or honey for added flavor—perhaps with a touch of clotted cream. Fancy scones—with dried fruit such as cranberries and dates, nuts, orange rind, chocolate morsels and other flavorings—are best enjoyed without butter and jam.

Getting ready for a small batch

These were Cinnamon Scones - you add your flavoring at the dry stage

I use Heavy Cream

For some reason I only took a photo of the unbaked - maybe I was delivering these unbaked to someone?

Here are some Freshly baked Lemon Poppyseed Scones! 

I don't give out my scone recipe - just the Scones!  


Thanks for reading.....

May Day

I know this blog isn't about food but May Day is a pretty special memory to me. May 1st in England is a holiday and has a few traditions surrounding it. Growing up, it had another special meaning because it was the day we got to change over to our gingham short sleeve blouses and lose the tie from our uniform at school! 

May Day celebrations have their origins in the Roman festival of Flora, goddess of fruit and flowers, which marked the beginning of summer. Floralia was held annually from April 28th to May 3rd. There are also links to Beltane, a Celtic fire festival that celebrates of the coming of summer and the fertility of the coming year.

May Day has been a traditional day of festivities throughout the centuries. It is most associated with towns and villages celebrating springtime fertility and revelry with village fetes and community gatherings. Traditional English May Day rites include Morris dancing, crowning a May Queen and celebrations involving a Maypole.


I have to admit that I did the maypole dancing in our village as a kid.

                             
                                                                 Morris dancing

This is a form of dancing that is commonly practiced throughout May, although it is often seen on May Day itself. It almost always involved men, who are highly trained, and dance in sixes or eights to accordion and fiddle music. Dressed in colourful costumes, the dance moves involve much leg movement to release the sound of the bells attached to their legs, and the banging together of poles that each dancer holds. Waving handkerchiefs is also a common practice. Many areas have their own dances. 

My own memory of May Day in Oxford.


First we got up and washed our faces in the morning dew, thought to make you beautiful! Then we walked to the bridge to hear these lovely voices sing.

In Oxford, it is traditional for people to gather below the Great Tower of Magdalen College at 6.00am to listen to the college choir sing traditional madrigals as a conclusion to the previous night's celebrations. It was then thought to be traditional for some people to jump off Magdalen Bridge into the River. I think they went to great lengths to stop people doing this. 


After this we usually went to the pub, had breakfast and went home to bed! I never jumped off the bridge by the way. maybe that is because we went to the pub after the singing - we will never know!

Time for Strawberries

The smell  of Strawberries brings so many memories to the front of my mind. As all my childhood memories are mostly of food, this isn't such a surprise!


Growing up, we had two old ladies next two us, the Morris sisters, they never got married, just married to their garden! Every time I looked out my bedroom window upstairs all you could see was their bottoms - they stood to garden and bent over in their long dresses. They grew everything, from beans to sweet pea flowers and it was a full time activity for them. My parents were avid gardeners but paled in comparison. I really didn't appreciate any of this at the time.


My Dad took really good care of these two ladies and he was always sending me over with food or meals. To this day I cannot cook strawberries or make Jam without thinking about the delicious waft of Strawberry jam cooking that came out their front door! Making jams and jellies takes patience.


My other strong memory, which I just bored my kids to tears with today, is picking Strawberries in England  to make money. I actually biked 2 villages over to Costessy, Norfolk, on my own, and picked  strawberries all day to make pocket money ( I also ate a lot!). Often, it would rain and I would have to go home with no money. I am sure I had a fully tummy though!

After all the picking, you can still choose to buy some and bring them home. Lots of people just go picking fruits for themselves. The quintessential dish after this is Strawberries with Cream!



Strawberries and cream is really the perfectly complementary combination. An English summer is unimaginable without them. It is the popular choice at Wimbledon!  Legend has it that Cardinal Wolsey was the first person to serve the two together, at his palace, Hampton Court. 

The strawberries in the USA just don't taste as good, I don't know if it is the soil or all the rain England gets. I like to buy mine at the local fruit stand and then leave them out overnight to ripen. They smell really good when I walk down the next day.


If anyone wants to create my memory here is a link to find a job!


http://www.findextrawork.co.uk/strawberrypicking.php




I may have to blog about Scones and Afternoon Tea now!

High-Fructose Corn Syrup

My daughter has a new swim coach and last week she came home with a new label obsession - High-Fructose Corn Syrup. This immediately removed 2 snacks from her list of 8 that she can eat, it actually takes a long time to read all the ingredients but it is essential for good health. 


When I started this blog I got a few suggestions on writing about Food/Nutrition labels and diet restrictions. Of course my daughter and I are already very well trained in reading labels to look for Tree Nuts. If you have ever looked, it is difficult to find cereal, cookies or energy bars that don't have nuts. I would have to say, she is much better than I am at reading labels because she can actually see!


Swimmers are already on top of their nutrition and a large part of my daily life is making sure my athlete gets enough calories and in the correct form. She does cheat on rare occasions and has a soda or fast food. Even Gatorade contains High Fructose Corn Syrup, so it is really only safe to drink water, well more safe than the soda and gatorade. What is in your water will come in another blog!

Above is a food label from a loaf of Bread. You should be able to click on it.

When I first moved to the USA I was shocked at the breakfast foods that people eat here. Doughnuts, pancakes with syrup, huge over-sweetened muffins! Of course, all some of my favorites now! When I lived in England I was definitely much healthier, especially before I had kids. Some of this had to do with the amount of walking people do there, compared to driving everywhere.  Obesity has become a huge problem in children in the UK also now, because people have adopted the "fast food" life.


High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is derived from corn, and used primarily to sweeten beverages. It is linked to childhood obesity, diabetes and hypertension.

HFCS is not to be confused with Fructose, which is a natural sugar found in fruits and vegetables.

HFCS is found in:-

• Soft drinks
• Fruit-flavored beverages
• Fruit canned in syrup
• Ketchup and BBQ sauces
• Jam and syrups
• Frozen foods
• Popsicles/ice pops
• Salad dressing
• pasta sauce purchased in a jar
• Canned soup
• Highly sweetened breakfast cereals
• Bread
• Fruit flavoured yogurt
• Frozen yogurt
• Many processed foods

Trying to lead a healthy lifestyle is not easy, working full time or care taking full time and trying to provide a home cooked meal without processed foods can be a challenge. Using Organic foods, fresh vegetables and fruits and whole grains can make this process a little less complicated. Plus, it saves time reading all those tiny labels - which personally gives me a headache!

Next time you are at the store see if you can find anything without High Fructose Corn Syrup, I bet when you do you are standing in the produce section or the pharmacy. 

here is an interesting link on it too:-

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100322121115.htm

thanks for reading!