Food for thought

My purpose in coming to England has become clear. At first, I could not tell why I was drawn to this country, but the more time I stay here, the more I understand. I am sure you are confused; let me explain!

There are a few things I am not good at, and I happily admit it. I have difficultly hiding my emotions, I am terrible at upper level math, and I can’t tolerate the people who put themselves down and search for compliments. On the other hand, I do have some skills that I am proud of: I am good at building lasting relationships- I’ve had the same core group of friends for over a decade- and I excel at laughing so hard I get tears in my eyes. However, one of my greatest skills? Something the Brits fail miserably at: eating.

Food, glorious food. I miss thee. I love to eat. I like almost everything, from raw veggies with spinach dip to greasy pizza and French fries, and anything in between. Fish and steak, pasta, casseroles, chicken… my all time favorite, cheeseburgers. All good. All eaten. I have a sweet tooth and I love desserts, specifically cookies. I like cupcakes and cheesecakes and brownies too.

I came to college with my own, personal, egg poaching pan and a waffle iron, courtesy of my grandparents. I was raised to recognize good food! Oh, the British, how they break my heart. If it’s not soggy and bland, it’s salty and hard. Think college dining hall food in America, but minus the flavor and texture. I do not like cereal, yet I eat it at least twice a day in the dining hall, because there is no other option.

Good food can be found, but it is tricky and expensive. There are a few places that sell American food, but even that can be a failure. How, one wonders, do you change the flavor and texture of a Twix bar to burnt and wet. Or, what about chips: have you ever sat there and said “Mmm I wish I had a bag of Beef Wellington chips right now!” No? Me neither, yet apparently the Brits do because that said chips are sold on every corner convenience store. Baffled does not begin to describe how I feel, having tried the chips and been unable to choke them down.

What do I miss the most? Skim milk, over here the only thing comparable is semi-skimmed milk. which I believe is like 2%. I miss baby carrots and celery. I have yet to find a place I can purchase these two things. I miss meat, because chicken or lamb gets boring after a while; double-stuff Oreos, and M&Ms.

The things I do love: the care packages full of oatmeal and hot chocolate. Annie’s Organic Instant Mac and Cheese. The fact that there is a Starbucks on every corner, and while drinks are different a little milk and sugar and you can’t tell. Croissants from the bakery down the street, and the grocery store where they sell large chicken simosas (a meat filled pastry) for 3 pounds. I won’t waste away while I am here, but oh what I would give for some stir-fried veggies and steak over rice.

This weekend I am going to Paris, and I hear the food there is marvelous. Granted, after the past few weeks it won’t take much to impress me, but I am very excited for Parisian meals.