WOOD GREEN, LONDON
It’s Sunday. We have a family tradition of sharing our joys and concerns on Sunday. We look back on the week gone by and the one ahead and reflect.
It’s Sunday. We have a family tradition of sharing our joys and concerns on Sunday. We look back on the week gone by and the one ahead and reflect.
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| Crummy Ice Creams |
My concern this week is the state of ice cream in Britain. It baffles me that our local super markets display more than 15 linear feet of cheddar cheeses and less than five feet of ice creams. The flavors are unimaginative: chocolate, vanilla, toffee and pecan, strawberry. Caramel Cinnamon Waffle suffices for a creative stand out. And the quality is on the level of American Lucky’s store brand. Really, it is a conundrum. How can a country that features and loves its sweets -- trifles, spotted dick, treacle tart, steamed puddings, sponges, pies, sticky toffee pudding -- and the birthplace of cobblers (that go so well with ice cream), neglect its ice creams? And this is the nation famous for its creams: clotted cream, crème fraiche, extra thick double cream, whipping cream, single cream, soured cream, half cream. Why not put these remarkable creams to use in excellent ice cream? I don’t have an answer. It remains a deep concern.
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| Captivating Crisps |
My joy this week are the crisps. The British have taken the potato chip and turned it into an art form. Yes, of course there are the Sea Salt and Vinegar crisps we find at home in Trader Joe’s. But the variety of fancy flavors here in London is breathtaking. Consider "Sweet Balsamic Vinegar and Caramelized Onions." What about "Thai Sweet Chili"? Or our discovery this week: "Oven Roasted Chicken with Lemon and Thyme"? Oh, I know you traditionalists are partial toward plain Lays, Ruffles and Pringles, but these fancy gourmet crisps are just fabulous. The flavors are real and add a special flair...even joy...to any sandwich picnic.
Bon Appetit!
Peter
Peter
