Tracym

Aren't chippolatas the same taste as bangors, smaller?

Sorry, I'm a yank so have no clue.

But I have made homemade chippolatas, and both my fiance (Scottish) and I loved them.

We have a recipe thread in the lounge - I'll put it up there if you are interested.

I went to the an actual butcher, and got the ground pork. They had casings (lol icky lamb intestines, but that's authentic). I have a kitchenaid mixer, with both a meat grinder and sausage stuffer attachement, that worked brilliantly. I think (not remembering) I might have ground the meat up fine in the food processor also. You really need an assistant for the stuffing step - one person pushes the meat through, and the other manages the casing and actual stuffing.

I just made up a big batch, and froze them.

The kitchenaid is not cheap, but has been a great investment. Best mixer ever - plus if you hate our bread too, the dough hook is great for kneading bread if you want to bake your own. Check out the recipe thread for Ozzidoc's "famous" Russian Potato Bread.

Titchski

yes. Big Food, Big Pharma and the healthcare/insurance companies are the real axis of evil.

those sausages do sound good though!

joyceygreen

Oh sod lettuce - although you can get great lettuce here...no, it's just that Bangers are a very serious British matter indeed. I think you're probably lucky in Oz as I imagine you have quite a few 'Brit Butchers' there, like they have in mainland Spain for ex-pats.

bugman

i was quite happy to find the trader joes irish style sausages but it was less about finding what im used to and more about finding something that tasted good, the problem in the USA as many know is that the (what should be)simplest of foods are destroyed with the addition of all kind of crap resulting in salty, sweet, oily tasteless garbage. I recently had a BBQ and my wife grabbed what seemed to be angus burger patties, they were frozen, anyway upon reading the ingredients I was astounded to read about 20 of them including monosodium glutamate and all manner of chemicals, what the hell is wrong with 100% beef, we should have been more careful and grabbed the most expensive? ones to see if thay fared better. im always cautious when i make desserts for our neighbours, i wonder (for example) if rhubard crumble is going to be to tart for them, many people here use those awful jelly like pie fillings, you get a few pieces of rhubarb just swamped with ultra sweet gloopy jelly, awful. i honestly believe most americans have been duped big time with what constitutes decent food.

joyceygreen

Yes MSG is far more prolific here in foods. In London, it was mainly in processed Chinese foods. I always read the ingredients on the most simplest of foods. We are lucky enough round here to have lots of Farmer's Markets and a good range of fresh produce. I never buy food that has been too processed and I like to cook with fresh ingredients. Someone told me on this thread that 'Wholefoods' sell 'Irish Sausages' so I will try those too and the ones that you mentioned from Trader Joe's, but I still think that I may end up trying to make my own as Tracy suggested - she made Chipolatas. I'm going to give it a go.

lapin_windstar

Sorry if someone's already mentioned this, but you could also try some of the Irish shops in E/SE Philly next time you're in town.

jenniferpa

I cannot believe I have missed these sausages at Trader Joes AND Wholefoods. All I can think is that I normally go to both of these stores with my (vegetarian) daughter hence I'm not thinking about sausages. Also, Wholefoods is the only place locally where I can still find cream that doesn't have weird additives. May I say what a pleasure it is to find people with the same views (i.e. yuck) about sweet sausages and fruit pies that are like solid blocks of sugar (and don't get me started aboiut the texture - how do you make apples that gooey?)

Jennifer

runningbird

Hi
I don't know if Vons is just a SO Cal chain of supermarkets but i buy 'british bangers' there - that what they are called - union jack on the pack and everything!!!!
Now they are not the greatest like the good old butchers or even sainsburys taste the difference - but they are better than the american attempt at a sausage and are fairly meaty.

krishnax

This sausage talk makes me really hungry