Of All Foods British

 It is aad day for the world and for Britain. The Queen reprsdented the epitome of English resolve and the enviable fortitude. She truly persisted. It's time to honor her and the foods that made her beloved country great.

The British Isles are just that isles, surrounded by the English Channel and the North and Irish Seas. Is it any wonder that fish plays an important part of their diet. One of the most popular is the internationally loved fish and chips. How did battered cod and the English version of fries come into being? Through  Spanish and Portuguese Jewish immigrants by way of the Netherlands. Thye fried battered  fish on Friday night and could eat it cold on Saturday, their Sabbath. Charles Dickens mentioned it in Oliver Twist while  Alexis  Soyer, a French chef recorded it in his cookbook, A Shilling Cookery For the People in 1845. Deep fried "chips"of potatoes started around this time too.fish and chip shops started around this time in London thanks to eastern European Jewish immigrant Joseph Malin while in Lancashire, John Mossley began his.In Edinburgh Scotland,a Belgian immigramt Edward de Gernier introduced them to the city. Surely the Queen loved a good Yorkshire pudding. This savory , heavenly tasting popover accompanies another English favorite roast beef.It came about in the 1700's and was then known as dripping puddings. These buttery sides are made with the roast beef drippings and is served with huge slabs of beef and generous helpings of gravy.

Thanks to The Great British Baking Show  everyone knows about British goodies and tea time delights. The Queen undoubtedly enjoyed Victoria Sponge named for her great-great grandmother Queen Victoria, the second longest reigning British monarch. The recipe is a buttery sponge food cake one baked into two layers and filled with a whipped cream frosting and raspberry jam. A fun dessert is Eton mess. This is a tasty mash up of broken meringues, whipped cream and fresh cut fruit such as  strawberries and peaches. It's a favorite of her grandsons William and Harry. Her Majesty probably also enjoyed jam roly poly's or shirt sleeve pudding. This is another Nineteenth Century creation, first made with a dough using suet or beef fat. Butter replaces the suet in this steamed pudding.It's kind of like a Swiss roll but filled with either plum or raspberry jam. Custard is ladled on the steamed rolls. One of the most famous British desserts is the Christmas plum pudding. Again this is a steamed cake , made with breadcrumbs and rich with eggs. spices are added  as is port wine for color and sweetness.It's then topped with a spring of holly or lit on fire.

Queen Elizabeth made an impact on the world as did British cuisine. Like her it will be forever in our hearts and history. Rule Britannia.

The Edgy Veg - Vegan Fun in A Cookbook

Most vegetarian cookbooks are usually preachy with staid tofu recipes. Not so with a kicky new meat free recipe nook that's loaded with fun recipes. The Edgy Veg turns the vegan lifestyle on its ear and gives it  roller coaster ride of flavor in the kitchen.

Candice Hutchings and her husband,James Aita are the writers of this really entertaining cookbook published by Robert Rose Publishers. The pictures alone are drool worthy, that make anyone want to eschew meat and head to the kitchen. The books has an unusual opening, starting with books and TV programs about  going meatless before diving into the basics. Another big plus is that Ms. Hutchings and Mr. To have a list of tools that are divided into three categories - critical, important and helpful.  There is also a very detailed list of pantry staples that all novice vegans should have. Every meat free cookbook has egg, meat and dairy substitutions and this one is no different.These can be bought or made at home.Some are versatile such as aquafaba - bean water from chickpeas along with coconut milk.Tofu and seitin are musts . They are the backbone of any kitchen as Ms. Hutchings points out. Another plus is that there is an opening chapter devoted to basic recipes. You can learn how to make four types of yummy vegan bacon along with pizza dough and simple neat - yes neat - balls.She has recipes for such basic sauces as Hollandaise and Bearnaise along with eggless mayo and non dairy sour cream.

I  absolutely love this book and the fun recipes in it.It's divided into such  cheekily named chapters as Souper Natural, The Main Squeeze and Thirsty Girl. MY favorite chapter is MUnchies which has  crunchy golden samosas and even movie popcorn with four different flavorings ,from dill to chili cheese to salted chocolate. They include a yummy Buffalo cauliflower seven ways that would be the perfect Saturday night dinner/snack. Of course there is main and side dishes too, and they are from around the world , including recipes that honor Mr. Aita's Syrian background.A vegan home chef could easily impress guests with their steaks with Bearnaise sauce or impress family with a cauliflower version of General Tso's Chicken.Pair it with the Edgy Roasted Veg ,a tasty mix of various veggies zinged up with hot pepper and lemon juice. Comfort foods are also here, There is tomato bisque served with non cheese grilled cheese along with a French dip sandwich and Easy Cheesy Fondue made without any cheese! There is a chapter on power drinks like the eye opening ginger shot and the tasty mint chocolate chip smoothie. Of course there are desserts and they feature the elegant and the cozy. Home bakers will love recreating the classic Victorian Sponge while kids will go mad for the coconut cream based ice creams and the "Literally Dying Skillet Cookie ala Mode, a giant chocolate chip cookie.

 Home chefs should definitely buy The Edgy Veg. This is the perfect cookbook for any vegan or thinking about a lifestyle change carnovire. The recipes are way too delicous to pass up! Get it today  for some yummy cooking and eating!

The Future Of British Baking

As we all know there's nothing as entertaining as The Great British Baking Show. It's a fun yet refreshingly gentle romp through competitive baking. Unlike American reality shows, there's no cattiness or backstabbing. It as soothing as a slice of Victoria Sponge cake with a good cup of tea. Yet, it's future is being threatened. Will it be the same?Or a blander, less sweet version.

That was one of the questions posed by Melissa Clark who took a break from her A Good Appetite column to write this in today's New York Times Food section.. "The Great British Bake Off "or as it's known here in the States, "The Great British baking Show" (the phrase "bake off can;t be used because Pillsbury has the exclusive rights to it). The show  had good anchors and.hosts, Paul Hollywood and  Mary Berry were fair and sometimes strict judges but in the end, they always chose appropriately. The hosts, Mel Giedroyc and Sue Perkins gave us witty, as only the British can, puns and  sisterly encouragement to all contestants.The contestants themselves were an egalitarian mix of all classes and all races.The last winner was the bubbly and skilled Nadiya Hussain. Even though she was born to Bangladeshi parents  and wore a hajib, this Luton born Brit was just sassy and funny as Sue and Mel. She added pop and fizz to such classics like gingerbread - she added cayenne -and oomphing up croquembouches with such flavors as bubble gum and peppermint.

Now the show is in what could be serious trouble. The show is heading over to Channel 4 from BBC.Only Hollywood went with them. The other three quit out of loyalty to the station. How will this affect the show? Who will replace them? There's no talk or even suggestion of replacements. The show has given the world and Britain a renewed interest in such British classics as the Victoria Sponge and Eccles cakes, More and more Brits are baking and getting back into  cake decorating. There has been an uptick in icing and piping tools at Hobbycraft , a UK version of our hobby shop , Michael's  There are also more baking classes being offered and in such diverse recipes as potato farl from Northern Ireland and Welsh fruit and tea loaf.Ms. Clark includes two recipes the aforementioned  Victoria Sponge and Mary Berry's lemon drizzle cake. Both are relatively easy to bake and construct. The first is a simple plain sponge with a raspberry jam and fresh whipped cream filling while the other is simple butter snack cake with a crusty lemon sugar topping.

There will always be an England. There will hopefully be a Great British Baking Show. It shows the best of the British people and their loves of cakes. Rule Britannia and the Brits who bake.

The Bake Off Returns

Who doesn't like a competition show. There's drama, tears, back stabbing and Victoria sponge.Yep, the Great British Bake Off is back on the air in America at 7PM on Sundays, thanks to the good people at PBS.It's an informative and fun romp through the various levels of baking. Because it's British to the core, it's not as brutal as some Yank competition shows. It's sort of like a tea- but with bite.

The judges are back - the suave but stingingly honest Paul Hollywood,the sweetly stringent Mary Berry, and the hosts Sue Perkins and Mel Giedroyc. These two are a comedy duo but have also hosted other English  food shows  such as Light Lunch and Late Lunch.Ms Perkins also was featured with food critic Giles Coren on the Supersizers series where they ate dishes from various centuries. Together this band  creates the perfect blend of serious and funny. The hosts offer encouragement and laughter to stressed out bakers, while Mr. Hollywood and Ms Berry offer advice in a teacher like way similar to Tim Gunn's way on Project Runway. The show is divided into three sections, the signature bake where bakers have to make their own recipes according to a certain theme (such as sponge or pies) the technical which is where they all  must follow one recipe) usually one contributed by  Mr. Hollywood or Ms. Berry) and the show stopper, This last tests the bakers on their skill and talent. All the shows a have a theme, whether, breads, pies, cakes, and biscuits - or cookies here.

Unlike some competition show, the competitors aren't cut throat or even that back stabbing. Maybe it's because they're British and they possess a certain civility there. Like American competitions, the backgrounds are varied. There are no professional bakers here. This season,  Season 5 is just starting here (it's the middle of season 6 in the UK). There is Beca, a Welsh military wife who loves both singing and baking, Ali, from Birmingham is the only baker in his family  and loves to create tarts while Rob is a space satellite designers who has a thing for foraging mushrooms The bakers are as young as 18 such as Ruby and , older more experienced home bakers such as Deborah and Howard. There are ten bakers per season and the final three compete for the title of Britain's best baker. PBS will air the second show tomorrow.The best moment , came from Josh , a baker eliminated  in the very first show. He accidently subbed in salt for sugar in  the technical challenge of angel  food cake. Seeing Mr. Hollywood choke on it was priceless. Sad to say it was one of the reasons josh was voted off.

The Great British Bake Off is a sweet treat on a Sunday night. Watch it for the drama but also  for the great rcipes. It''s a fun and educating race to be the best bakers  the United Kingdom has to offer..