A Marriage Of Tastes

When Meghan Markle married her prince. it was not just a marriage of souls and hearts but a marriage of tastes. Yes, we have a lot in common with the Brits including some foods. Not much though. It should be interesting to see the new Duke and Duchess of Sussex adapt to each other's cuisines.

The one thing Harry and Meghan have in common cuisine wise is the big breakfast. We got the whole idea of eating meats with eggs along with griddle cakes or pancakes. Most countries around the world, especially on the Continent, start the day with just a roll and coffee.We have adapted some of that here, thanks to Starbucks, offering us versions of cafe au lait and cappuccino. Yet we still turn to the UK for our morning inspiration, with mounds of bacon, ham and sausage gracing a dish of eggs. Lunch is a mash up of American and British. The newest royal couple probably had the treat of McDonald's hamburgers and fries growing up but Meghan was also influenced by SoCal living . Her mother is a yoga instructor so there was probably a push for healthy food with an emphasis on fruits and vegetables. She probably continued this with fresh salads or smoothies for lunch.The English Sunday lunch would never work in a town where appearance is everything. Even an every day lunch consisting of fatty sausages in flaky pastry would be too rich  and caloric.This is not an arugula salad with a squeeze of lemon.

Will Meghan ever adopt to the lush English suppers? These are lavish meals, rich with roast beef and gravy soaked Yorkshire pudding. This last is a popover made with three eggs and the beef's drippings. There are veggies, usually the meal is called meat and two veg. These are typically carrots, Brussels sprouts and potatoes. The last is a staple and is cooked in a variety of ways..The most popular is chips, our French fries ,fried in fat. They're best served with fish, usually cod or plaice coated and fried in - what else - chip fat or lard. Do the English  eat California healthy at times? Yes, chicken but it is served but with mashed potatoes and gravy.Meat pies are another British  favorite. Pot pies, which is where ours come from,are usually filled with steak and kidneys, or fish. The last is popular in the romantic , sea surrounded county of Cornwall (of Poldark fame) Stargazey pie which would create shudders in the States is a pie of sardines, eggs and potatoes. Little fish heads, namely pilchards , stick out of the crust, gazing at the sky - hence the name. Will Meghan like it? Or ever taste it? Maybe , if she and Harry head off to Truro or Mousehole in Cornwall.

Meghan and Harry have married each other 's lifestyle's and eating habits too. Let's hope the California girl adds more fresh fruits and veggies to the prince's diet. It'll be a nice change up from traditional fare.

It's Coleridge's Birthday!

Today is Samuel Taylor Coleridge 's birthday, born in the romantic and dairy rich shire of Devon in Southwestern in England. What would he have eaten for his big day? Pasties, buttery and flaky pastries filled with beef, pork and possibly chicken. Maybe a slice of the fish intense Stargazey Pie , with the little heads of pilchards. It would have been washed down with a delicious cup of scrumpy - a strong, slightly carbonated cider made from the county's famed apples. He may have finished with a Dittisham plum tart smothered with clotted cream.

To him, a toast  - not with scrumpy but with a modern American treat - the German chocolate cupcake!

Oyster Pie : A British Classic Updated

November is the time of hearty dinners that stick to your ribs. Savory pies fit into that category and one interesting one involves oysters. It's a British staple, not unlike the famed stargazey pie of Cornwall.The dish is a nice alternative to  traditional meat pies yet still homey and filling.

David Tanis decided to try his hand at it and wrote about it in his A City Kitchen column in yesterday's New York Times Food section. His is a take on the classic English fish pie. This is an easy cook.It's basically repurposing left over fish as filling or briefly poaching fresh fish chunks in milk. This is the base for the pie's gravy that gives it a briny creaminess. British home cooks also use prawns and other shellfish.These can be seen as a little too posh for some home chefs. Oysters are a good choice. Mr. Tanis thought he could give it a Southern spin with moistening the shucked shellfish in milk or cream and the baked with a crust of crushed Saltine crumbs. Another influence was Yankee oyster stew.This is flavored with bacon and onions.He also thought of making an oyster chowder, still with spuds but with the addition of leeks.In the end, he made a pie with all these influences. It became richer with creme fraiche,,along with the leeks and bacon. Thyme was also thrown into the mix for a nice herbal taste.The recipe is simpler than what's on the Internet. Those recipes are laden with too many veggies and spices or made with prebaked pie shells which can get soggy ith the sauce while baking.

For home chefs attempting the dish remember to get shucked oysters. These can be bought by the pint at your local fishmonger's or grocery store. Mr. Tannis suggests three t four oysters per person so figure twelve to fifteen to suit a family or small dinner party.Home chefs can shuck the oysters or have ti done at the store. Also, fresh oysters can be kept a week in the fridge however their fresh taste elevates the pie. It is a dish of all sorts of flavors, from  farm to  sea..It's  heavily dairy with creme fraiche and heavy cream  being the basis of the sauce. Leeks contribute  a sweet flavor that is a nice for the shellfish' brininess  Along with the thyme, Mr. Tanis add a dash of cayenne pepper along with whole grain French mustard. The crust is a combination of crispy and hearty. The first layer is mounds of buttery mashed Yukon Golds.smoothed over the oyster mixture. Now for the crunch, taken from those Southern oyster dishes, , He sprinkles bread crumbd and Parmesan over the mash , along with dots of butter. Parsley is the finishing touch , sprinkled on for color. it bakes for forty minutes in a hot 375 degree Farenheit oven. Serve it with a green salad for a perfect dinner.

An oyster pie is a nice hearty meal ,perfect for a chill November night. It's a blend of creaminess and brininess, mixing farm and sea perfectly. Make one and enjoy the marriage of tastes and textures.

Summer Theme Parties

It is summer and the time for all sorts of parties.To make them more memorable think theme . Nothing is more entertaining and fun than a party with a set theme You don't have to go all out as with Sean Combs and his all white Hamptons party but you can have something similar on a smaller scale.

Ever since the arrival of Downton Abbey, teas have become almost de rigueur  for theme parties. These are still fun and the food can be a nice change from sloppy barbecues. Think watercress and chicken salad  sandwiches along with jam and butter ones too.Scones dripping with clotted cream are a must.as well A variety of teas can be served from  the fruity Lady Grey to soothing chamomile or mint, Wimbledon will be starting soon and you can serve their signature dishes, strawberries and cream washed down with champagne. Another Masterpiece classic Poldark has been retooled and revamped for a new generation. Winston Graham's classic romance adventure takes place in Cornwall, where rum was smuggled  freely and drunk freely. Have a Sunday night watching party (it's on PBS  stations at nine on that day) with what else rum and  Cornish pasties. If you're in the New York City area you can buy this last  from the famed Myers of Keswick on Hudson Street. If not it's a simple recipe  of  pastry filled with any kind of chopped meat, usually beef mixed with  potatoes. . You can also make a stargazey pie, a seafood variation of shepherd's pie, toppedwith pilchards staring up at the sky, hence the name,. Have a dessert of blackberries and clotted cream. Both are as Cornish as the  region's broad accent and tin mines.

Of course you can look to America for  theme ideas. Have a Saturday night hoedown, complete with  barbecue, Coca Cola cake and a variety of mayo based salads. Guests can also bring their own favorite picnic dishes  for a down home pot luck get together. New England clambakes are another great way of celebrating.It's  not only clams but also lobster and clams along with mussels steamed on rockweed or seaweed.  True clambakes also have sausages and corn on the cob. Other sides are potatoes, carrots and onions. Remember to include a coffee pot full of melted butter for the seafood  and veggies. A similar shindig is the Wisconsin fish boil. This is a tad more laborious than a clambake but it's essentially any white fish cooked with onions and  potatoes in  heavily salted water. The fish oil floats to the top where it's set aflame similar to crepes Suzette. Melted butter is dribbled on the fish and veggies afterward. It is usually served with cole slaw followed by cherry or blueberry pie.If this is too much then think  drive in  movie. Invite friends over to see a classic or celebrate a birthday with a favorite flick.  Have dogs and burgers along with butter drenched popcorn and malteds (you can make this last a bit naughty by adding a shot of vodka, or bourbon). Have boxes of Juniors Mints Red Vines and Good N Plenty for dessert.

It's summer! Celebrate with parties, full of good fun and good food! Try an English tea or a New England clambake  - whatever you want  for a warm weather get together!