British food

British food customs can seem, well, a bit wonky to the uninitiated. Just as "afternoon tea" refers to a ritualistic midday meal rather than the consumption of the actual beverage, an English full breakfast, as it's known, has its own set of guidelines. More hearty than dainty, full breakfast is comfort food at its finest and is generally reserved for weekends — perhaps after a night of indulgence — much like the American custom of brunch.

While the exact offerings may vary from establishment to establishment, we've broken the usual suspects down:

• Eggs: Generally fried or poached; either way, we'd argue that a runny yolk is imperative.
• Back bacon: Thick and fried til crisp-tender, it's often referred to simply as "bacon" but is in fact a different cut from what is customary stateside. Back bacon is leaner (similar to Canadian bacon), as it's cut from the back of a pig, rather than the fattier pork belly.

Keep reading for sausage, toast, and all that jazz.

I have no self-control or discipline when a plate of flaky, buttery Southern biscuits presents itself in front of me. It's a hereditary disease, passed on to me by my mother. The same can be said for British scones, which are a world of difference from American versions that tend to be dry, overly sweet, and covered in a murky glaze.

British scones, on the other hand, are quite like cousins to Southern biscuits. Unlike crispy, savory biscuits, scones tend to be crumbly, creamier, and a touch sweeter. While the scone has a delicate buttery flavor on its own, it's only appropriate to follow the British tradition of serving it with clotted cream, strawberry jam, and a cup of black tea.

After a long day of recipe developing, I sat down to enjoy a late afternoon cup of tea and scone. Now I understand why the British are so fond of tea breaks! My bergamot black tea was at once soothing and stimulating and complemented the crumbly scones in such a smooth and seamless way. I look forward to making this pick-me-up a daily routine, and you can start too by trying this British scone recipe.

I have loved Jamie Oliver since his days on The Naked Chef and have definitely picked up each one of his cookbook along the way! His latest, Meals in Minutes, is a new take on the cookbook: rather than being individual dishes, the recipes are full meals that, in his words, only take about 30 minutes to prepare with some practice.

Fall is arriving in San Francisco, so it was the perfect opportunity to try out one of his comforting meals of chicken pot pie, smashed carrots, French-style peas, and a seasonal fruit shortcake-like dessert. Rather than make use of prepared ingredients like pre-sliced mushrooms to save time, he calls on home cooks to use whole ingredients and pull out their food processors for quick prep. This amazing dinner took me about an hour (including the photos along the way), so it really was a delicious and doable weeknight meal. So see if you can beat my time for this fast feast when you keep reading for the recipe.

After satisfying my curiosity about the fine distinction between biscuits and scones, I decided I needed to heed my physical craving for them, too. And given my near-obsession with raspberries this month, what better way than to pull together a quick raspberry scone?

The best part of this recipe is the fact that it doesn't require a mixer of any kind; just a food processor — something I couldn't live without, anyway. In half an hour, these babies were in the oven, and 15 minutes later, they were in my mouth.

It's best to eat the batch within a day, so make these for a crowd. Or, you can follow in my gluttonous footsteps: I meant to sample one out of the oven, but wound up eating at least three. The recipe? It's right here.

There's been no greater way to celebrate the season's berry bounty than by dedicating each Summer month to a different berry — May for strawberries, June for cherries, July for blueberries, and now August for blackberries, which are currently at their peak.

I'm starting things off with a dessert that treasures blackberries at their freshest. I've got a weakness for whipped English desserts with funny names — and who can resist something called a fool? Don't skimp on the Calvados, as the boozy bitterness of the apple brandy adds a nice counterpoint to the otherwise sweet fruit dessert.
For the recipe — which only has four ingredients! — keep reading.

I love any food or drink with a good story behind it, from Singapore Slings to Kentucky Hot Browns. That's why I've been wanting to make the Eton Mess, a strawberry dessert recipe with hundreds of years of English custom behind it, practically forever.

This no-cook berry pudding was first created sometime in the 1800s at Eton College, one of Britain's most distinguished public schools. It's served with great fanfare every year at the school's June 4 celebration picnic, which is held on the playing fields following a cricket game against the students of neighboring Winchester College.

Although historians believe it was first served with bananas, strawberries became de rigueur over the years, as did the addition of crumbled meringue cookies. Think of it as an inside-out pavlova — creamy, crispy, fruity, and sticky. For the five-ingredient recipe, read more.