Eating Habits

Thats a good point.
I've got the book of 'You Are What You Eat', and the author talks about this.

Ack! I have that book, too. It's currently hiding under my sofa. I am both awed and terrified by it. I know that much of what she says is true but the thought of making the switch is absolutely mind boggling. Though, in her defense, she does say to do it 80% of the time.

Well that's just the thing, isn't it?  Once you add all the spices one wants to or can add, it begins to overpower that which you're adding them to, doesn't it? 

True. It is very easy to overwhelm things. I know my uncle is WAY too fond of salt. I try to keep things balanced. Often, we just lightly salt and pepper our lamb chops or veg.

I do have to say though, that I DO like raw, plain carrots and I can taste the difference between a young, sweet one and an older tougher one that's better for the soup pot. And I adore fresh picked tomatoes. I have a friend who says tomatoes should taste like sunshine - that's a bit hard to find here, but I keep trying! 

You can get a spicey Curry but that's not really British is it?

Actually it pretty much is. With the exception of some Tandoori dishes most of the dishes served in Indian restaurants abroad aren't what you would get in India.... Like Brit Wife says, Chicken Tikka Masala is the most popular dish in England, but you'd be hard pressed to be able to order it anywhere in India.

I'd also back up balmerhon's statement that all you have to do is follow contemporary British chefs a bit to see that it's far from bland. Maybe it has been in the past (and I'll also echo that that seems to be largely a product of WWII rationing) but it's certainly not now. Watch Good Food Bites for a day!

Tikka Massala was invented by some British general in the Raj period - something to do with mixing tomato soup with his curry - so there you go - the original fusion cuisine! Oh and if you want to talk about mashed potato being bland - well for gods sake there is nothing to stop you adding whatever you want to it is there? I often add cheese and/or garlic and herbs to mine as well as the usual milk/butter etc. In any case, you can't blame Britain for the potato, we didn't even have it here until Colombus brought it back form some colony .. oh where was it .......thinks hard....... oh yes.. America! 

We got to know the people in our local Chinese to the point we felt comfortable making a strange request. Graham and I had just walked there for the fun of it and I realized I hadn't a clue what I wanted. My eyes went down the list, but my innards weren't yelling out "ooo, I'll have that-n-that-n-that". So I asked the owner if she'd recommend something Chinese, and surprise me with it. I mean, REALLY Chinese. She got the biggest grin and I know her cook delighted. She said that nothing they normally serve is really Chinese, that they have to make it all appeal to the British pallet.

Pretty much what's been said already about Indian food. But it reminded me of what my mother told me the other day...my nephew, asked about his recent trip to Rome, commented "It was great, but they don't know how to make pizza."

I feel rather melded now, confusing some memories with others, can't always recall my pre-UK impression of <whatever>. But I do recall being highly impressed with the different choices of flavorings when I first moved across. And how instant soup really had some oomphf. I'd love a bigger variety of salad dressings, though. Just spotted that Newman makes Caesar, though..I'm thrilled! (Now, if he'd only make some Parmesan Peppercorn.)

I can see a reason for thinking the food is bland, but I'm going to actually prefer the adjective "dry" to describing my own impression of typical pub food. Roast something with new potatoes and garden peas and salad. Flavorful, yes...but if I'm asked if I want any sauces, I'm usually wanting something for the roast (usually peppercorn), something for the potatoes (butter will do, but I'd love sour cream as well, and I then embarrass everyone at the table and mush them all up to total goo), something for the peas (butter) and something for the salad (either a vinagrette or something creamy, but not salad cream and not mayonaise). All that stuff is available for the asking. I just happen to like my food really sauced up. 


Oh, one more disjointed random thought. A friend was recently telling us he knows a restaurant owner who refuses to put salt and pepper on the table. He wants to make sure everyone has tried the food before "bastardizing" it.

I think some of this 'bland' label may have come from the cooking styles of the older generations. For instance, my MIL absolutely flipped when I wanted to add spices to roast beef or veggies. "Oh no, dear, we don't use any spices. It's good just the way it is."

I agree with your MIL - I like to taste the food itself - not cover it up with other things.  Yes, sometimes herbs and spice "enhance" the flavour - but more often than not I really prefer the actual taste of the food I'm eating.  I want my carrots to taste like carrots - not butter and salt.  I want my beef to taste like beef, not rosemary or thyme or whatever.

Doesn't mean I can't appreciate a good spicy Mexican dish or aromatic Indian meal.  Just means I don't feel EVERY meal I eat needs to be "enhanced."

hahah I am loving u guys.
 1. the food that i have had is not bland. it has it's own flavor i think. but i am picky.
2. I dont  knwo if its  just the family that I am aquainted with. but UM...
 DO u notice that they use a fork and a KNIFE for everything?  i had some chineese food. most of its pickup with a fork, and then everything else was like french fries and fried chickenballs so i ate that with my hands. Is that rude?  I swear, my bf eats everything with  both hands?  its supposed to be food not going to work on a masterpiece. ITS SO CUTE THOUGH

Have to agree with LisaE.. it's not necessarily lack of flavor.. it just seems to always be dry.  No sauces or very little/no butter.  Also, I don't eat much meat at all and don't like the taste of it, so when I'm served up a dry, unspiced roast.. I just can't do it.  If I am eating meat, I need it to be covered up with lots of different flavors and textures.

Oh and here I thought I was just weird. 

LOL!

I don't think that British food is bland, I think American food has too much MSG. This was something I (to my horror) learned when I got here. I was horribly addicted to MSG. All the crap I was eating was loaded with it and when I arrived here all the food (good, fresh, healthy) I was eating didn't seem right.

I'm still addicted to it. Not so much as I was. I can really enjoy good food now but I still get mad cravings for  food like Taco Bell. But it's getting better. We've cut down on our intake on preservatives. We buy organic now and we've bought a bread machine to make our own bread. It's helping. I can actually taste how good something is. 

Anyways, that's my theory.

Ashley, that's one thing that's always really impressed me about the food here...it's just so natural and fresh, mostly preservative-free. It's all yummy!

But what I can't understand is that now that I am eating so much healthier, why did I gain weight?

Just have to add that I LOVE the corner grocers, butchers, flower places...really makes shopping in town fun to be stopping in and loading up with armfuls of these fresh and local and wonderful things.

But what I can't understand is that now that I am eating so much healthier, why did I gain weight?

You too?  I don't get it.. I eat healthier over there, and walk EVERYWHERE.. yet still manage to put on weight?  Probably because I'm eating larger quantities, telling myself, 'no harm, it's fairly healthy' 

that's one thing that's always really impressed me about the food here...it's just so natural and fresh, mostly preservative-free.

I know!  When I came here and read the labels of foods, I was sooo happy about how little preservatives and other garbage they put in. It's all real food! They actually care about that here.  Also, in America, I noticed that almost all snack foods and so many other seemingly innocent foods like bread and peanut butter have hydrogenated oils, whereas here it's actually a rare thing to see in the ingredient labels. I think it probably has something to do with the fact that food in America has to be mass-produced because it's such a huge country, whereas Britain is tiny so everyone can have fresher and higher quality foods. I don't know, but eating real food without all the additives really makes me feel better, so I love the food here! 

I know why I'm putting on weight - the beer...

I know why I'm putting on weight - the beer...

LOL

Drink wine, hon. You'll keep fitter. 

I'm lucky in that I don't like beer at all. Can't even stand the smell.