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I wish I were British...

Liking bitter stuff being a synonym for an Englishman? :-)

To quote the Macc Lads (anyone remember them...?) "You are what you drink, and I'm a Bitter man"

Two words that are missing from this thread: Lancashire Hotpot


I've been over in the US for 12 years now, and I've found suppliers of PG Tips, Marmite and Branston, but still can't find a good pork pie anywhere.

(hint: if you're looking for a Full English Breakfast in the US, many places sell exactly the same thing labelled as "Irish Breakfast" for marketing reasons. No bubble-and-squeak anywhere though.)
 
To quote the Macc Lads (anyone remember them...?) "You are what you drink, and I'm a Bitter man"

Two words that are missing from this thread: Lancashire Hotpot


I've been over in the US for 12 years now, and I've found suppliers of PG Tips, Marmite and Branston, but still can't find a good pork pie anywhere.

(hint: if you're looking for a Full English Breakfast in the US, many places sell exactly the same thing labelled as "Irish Breakfast" for marketing reasons. No bubble-and-squeak anywhere though.)

The Macc Lads, yes, you can't ever forget Sweaty Betty and No Sheep til Buxton after you've been exposed :D
 
UncleFluffy, please explain Lancashire Hotpot and Branston.

Lancashire Hotpot is a traditional working-class food, using cheap cuts of meat or leftovers and cooking them slowly - ideally, all day. It's basically just alternating layers of meat, potatoes, onions seasoned with salt and pepper and maybe a little stock. Put it in the oven in a casserole dish or pot at a very low heat before you leave for work in the morning and let it cook all day. Great cold weather or starving student food as well.

It's something I cook once in a while for Brit friends when we're missing our Mums.

lancashire-hot-pot.jpg


Branston Pickle is a sweet, tangy pickle that, together with a mature farmhouse cheddar on crusty bread makes the greatest sandwich on Planet Earth. It's also good stirred into scrambled eggs just before serving.

31SsEpOLhDL._SL500_AA300_.jpg
 
To quote the Macc Lads (anyone remember them...?) "You are what you drink, and I'm a Bitter man"

Two words that are missing from this thread: Lancashire Hotpot


I've been over in the US for 12 years now, and I've found suppliers of PG Tips, Marmite and Branston, but still can't find a good pork pie anywhere.

(hint: if you're looking for a Full English Breakfast in the US, many places sell exactly the same thing labelled as "Irish Breakfast" for marketing reasons. No bubble-and-squeak anywhere though.)

There's a couple of good spots in Santa Monica. The King's Head and The Tudor House. No bubble and squeak though
 
Thanks Uncle Fluffy.....now I'm considering cancelling all my touring plans for the states. Not being able to get an Ulster fry, I can deal with, I've gotten used to that on the road, but if I order and Irish breakfast and they bring me an English, all hell is going to break loose!
 
Yeah, they get a bit confused about the subtleties over here. It's just some kind of in-between pile of greasy stuff with baked beans. At least it's greasy, though.

It's very hard to find proper back bacon and sausages in the US... you'll find Irish shops occasionally have stocks of them out back, but otherwise you have to put up with streaky bacon, bad Italian sausage and bread loaded with HFCS. Hint - bread isn't supposed to be sweet. :)
 
Thanks Uncle Fluffy.....now I'm considering cancelling all my touring plans for the states. Not being able to get an Ulster fry, I can deal with, I've gotten used to that on the road, but if I order and Irish breakfast and they bring me an English, all hell is going to break loose!

It's something that takes a bit of hunting, as does learning to figure out which "Irish Pubs" are owned by people who've been to Ireland at least once in their lives and which are just about Disneyfied leprechauns and green paint.

There was a place up the road from me that did a reasonable job, including proper back bacon and Barry's Tea. Closed down now, though.
 
It's something that takes a bit of hunting, as does learning to figure out which "Irish Pubs" are owned by people who've been to Ireland at least once in their lives and which are just about Disneyfied leprechauns and green paint.

There was a place up the road from me that did a reasonable job, including proper back bacon and Barry's Tea. Closed down now, though.

As an Irish person, I can wholeheartedly state I will NEVER drink in an Irish pub outside Ireland!
 
As an Irish person, I can wholeheartedly state I will NEVER drink in an Irish pub outside Ireland!

Some aren't bad. There are a couple near me that have been started by ex-pats that have got some idea of how to keep and pour Guinness. Most, however seem to think that authenticity is to do with how well you can draw a shamrock in the foam using the tap and nothing to do with how it tastes. And, more importantly, that it should feel like you're coming into someone's home, not a shop that sells beer.
 
As an Irish person, I can wholeheartedly state I will NEVER drink in an Irish pub outside Ireland!

I went into an Irish pub in Boston, and was expecting the usual "plastic Paddy" experience, but I was pleasantly surprised when the landlord turned out to be an Irishman, the bar had good Guinness, Bulmer's Cider, Smithwicks, etc, Tayto crisps and Mars bars behind the bar, and actually felt pretty damn authentic. More authentic than those tourist traps you find in Temple Bar in Dublin, anyway. :D

I guess they take the Irish experience very seriously in Boston! )
 
Some aren't bad. There are a couple near me that have been started by ex-pats that have got some idea of how to keep and pour Guinness. Most, however seem to think that authenticity is to do with how well you can draw a shamrock in the foam using the tap and nothing to do with how it tastes. And, more importantly, that it should feel like you're coming into someone's home, not a shop that sells beer.

Guinness doesn't travel well! I've never had a GREAT pint of Guinness outside the homeland, I've had a few alright Guinnesses in Britain, and one good pint of it in Wales. I've never had anything that I wouldn't send back if I was down the local outside of the UK.

I went into an Irish pub in Boston, and was expecting the usual "plastic Paddy" experience, but I was pleasantly surprised when the landlord turned out to be an Irishman, the bar had good Guinness, Bulmer's Cider, Smithwicks, etc, Tayto crisps and Mars bars behind the bar, and actually felt pretty damn authentic. More authentic than those tourist traps you find in Temple Bar in Dublin, anyway. :D

I guess they take the Irish experience very seriously in Boston! )

That sounds interesting actually! Though, for the reasons I mentioned above, I'd stick to the Smithwicks in there!

This may seem like a ridiculous question, but were the Tayto packets like this;

images?q=tbn:ANd9GcS83pX4W-jZ0f-90ETaBNUVEnhYlo3ebVO_xuRwV0QARlwswQGf.jpg


or this;

images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQ5zq96rWSF3F71YXaxkXWQx68unn-2YBn9S9N_mUmdlYvpZnELQA.jpg



The Temple Bar area is about as Irish as the queen of England!
 
Guinness doesn't travel well! I've never had a GREAT pint of Guinness outside the homeland, I've had a few alright Guinnesses in Britain, and one good pint of it in Wales. I've never had anything that I wouldn't send back if I was down the local outside of the UK.



That sounds interesting actually! Though, for the reasons I mentioned above, I'd stick to the Smithwicks in there!

This may seem like a ridiculous question, but were the Tayto packets like this;

images?q=tbn:ANd9GcS83pX4W-jZ0f-90ETaBNUVEnhYlo3ebVO_xuRwV0QARlwswQGf.jpg


or this;

images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQ5zq96rWSF3F71YXaxkXWQx68unn-2YBn9S9N_mUmdlYvpZnELQA.jpg



The Temple Bar area is about as Irish as the queen of England!

The proper red and blue packets, with Mr. Tayto. :) Second only to Golden Wonder Sausage & Tomato in the ranks of crisp greatness. :D