Re: How homesick are you?
 

[QUOTE=

I haven't been to the store in Long Grove, but I was told they have nice sausages.

So take a trip out into the country (after rain and must season stops) :)[/QUOTE]

LOL, yes , sausages, some of the italian polish types here are OK BUT i generally find the sausage here has a weird taste, maybe from the preservatives BHA????? one telling thing ive noticed here is that 'fresh' products have a long shelf life, i guess much of it is irradiated???? eg raw salsa from trader joes seems to have a shelf life of weeks (i need to verify that) but if that was fresh and raw theres no way it would last that long normally and no mention of preservative in the ingredients.

i tend to cook from scratch as im really not impressed with many products here, i tried some of the deli meats and how bloody awful are they, they are either super sweet or have a very artificial flavour or both and watery to boot. Nope, im sorry but Americans have got used to over processed poor quality foods. anyway thats for another thread im sure.

Re: How homesick are you?
 

Josephs clotted cream is imported from a European vendor. They don't remember exactly where it's made, but it is not made in the U.S. - I would guess the UK.

Re: How homesick are you?
 

There is a whole recipe thread in the lounge. I like to cook from scratch too. I make my own chippolatas, but haven't tried other kinds yet.

Re: How homesick are you?
 

milk amazes me. It can sit for weeks in the fridge and its not steri!!!

Get fresh cuts of meat - 2 or 3 days max in europe, here its 2 weeks. What the hell is in the food?????

Re: How homesick are you?
 

chemicals .... by the ton ....

Re: How homesick are you?
 

i wouldnt even try to make sausages! I think the great thing about UK stores that people dont appreciate is that there might be less product lines but theres more disparity, in the US for eg theres about 20 types of factory farmed fatty bacon wheres in the UK youd get the choice of factory farmed streaky through to organic dry cured eye bacon and a few types inbetween and thats standard, if i want organic dry cure bacon here I have to go to a speciality store. there 20 types of deli meat but basically watery variations of factory farmed ham or turkey, in the Uk youd have ham, roast pork, dry cured, nice moist beef.

Anyway im not complaining anymore as I dont want to be like those expats in australia who say 'the shops arent as good so i want to move back' but I do think its justifiable when the simplest of foods just arent very good. Actually NZ was more like the UK, you could get decent bacon and sausages out there and yet the bloggers on this site complain about those products, they want to try American stuff!! anyway as i said i cook from scratch so im not to fussed.

Re: How homesick are you?
 

i think its irradiated?????

Re: How homesick are you?
 

im not sure thats entirely true, beef last for ages although maybe the meat here is so fresh (ie its not had time to mature) taht it seems to last longer.

Although i did have pork chops in the fridge, i left them a few days and though 'damn , they'll be a bit smelly by now' I looked at the date and there was 2 weeks left!!!!!! WHAT!! must be irradiated in that case.

Re: How homesick are you?
 

Oh I didn't really think you were complaining that much - it's natural to want to get the things you're used to, and like. I don't know where you are, but I have found some small butchers (some butcher their own beef) and make sausages (not necessarily UK style), and they have some more variety.

Re: How homesick are you?
 

for some great food inspiration I just watched that US aimed foodie show 'new scandinavian cookery' , it really makes you pang for simple fresh tasty foods, i like the presenter, his (American) english is super fluent and he has a rather dry north european sense of humour, no cans of campbells mushroom soup in any of his recipes, just what is it with cans of soup in recipes here?????? yuck.

Re: How homesick are you?
 

It's easy. It's fast. Hardly anyone likes to really cook anymore.

Re: How homesick are you?
 

its less the fact that i want things im used to but i want GOOD things period. there is decent stuff here its just harder to find. Actually I noticed a butcher nearby in wheaton (the place with all the churches!!) i might try there for some kidney (for eg) and ask about the preservatives, hopefully they might do preservative free. Its a shame the foodies are seen as snobs but thats so unfair, peopel have been eating 'foodie' food forever, its only in the last decades that weve been conned by convenience

Re: How homesick are you?
 

I done the soup recipe thing last night!!! It was bloody disgusting won't be doing it again :frown:
It was a US friend that suggested it and I thought what the hell 'when in Rome'.
But it was pants and I told her so!

Re: How homesick are you?
 

yup, its pop tarts and lucky charms all the way!!

Re: How homesick are you?
 

ive been to neighbour gatherings and to be honest some of the older ones do cook from scratch and its real good stuff like ham and beans but often its the can of soup/can of green beans in a casserole dish with breadcrumbs and american cheese on top, holy moses, that stuff is nasty. OK im not sure its any worse than McCain mini pizza but i wouldnt force those on my neighbours.

while im at it, im always amused by birthday cakes, out comes the giant store bought ULTRA sweet tasteless sponge with luminous blue and pink inch high 'frosting' , those things are awful, truly awful.