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Happy Hour: Samuel Smith Strawberry Ale

YumSugar — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 14:00:32 -0700

While selecting in-season strawberries at Whole Foods the other day, an unfamiliar brewski, Samuel Smith Strawberry Ale, caught my eye. Since I was surrounded by the delicate aroma of ripe berries, I couldn't resist picking up a bottle.

I was curious about the unfamiliar label, and couldn't wait to give Samuel Smith's signature strawberry beer a taste. Brewed in Stamford, England, this certified organic ale, which is made with fresh strawberry juice, only became available stateside this year. The ale has a floral, jammy bouquet that brought me right back to sniffing strawberries at the market and notes of caramel and malt to finish. It was so refreshing that I drained the hefty-sized bottle, then proceeded to trek out and pick up a fresh one.

At $5.99 for 550 ml, this seasonal sip has become my favorite nightcap so far this Summer. Have you ever tried strawberry beer?

Heinz Ketchup Goes Gourmet

YumSugar — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 06:01:33 -0700

Ketchup is ketchup right? Tomatoes, sugar some spices. It's a condiment, not a gourmet sauce, right? Wrong! Maybe it's just because the British seemed more refined than the rest of us, but the Daily Mail is reporting that they're about to receive a gourmet Heinz ketchup.

The new "premium" ketchup has taken the chefs at Heinz over a year to perfect and it will cost three times as much as regular ketchup. According to Heinz it is meant to appeal to folks "who want a more sophisticated table sauce to match their palate."

There's no news on whether or not the US leg of Heinz is planning on releasing a similar product, but if they did, would you buy it?

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No, Not Strawberries, Strasberries

YumSugar — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 06:00:23 -0700

Do you prefer strawberries or raspberries? If you can't decide then let me introduce you to strasberries, the fruit that falls somewhere between strawberries and raspberries. The fruit was "born" in the early 1900s, but disappeared from markets until Dutch farmers rediscovered them several years ago. Originally a type of wild strawberry, the strasberries have become a big hit in Europe due to their "unique, aromatic flavour." If you're interested in trying them, you'll have to head across the pond to London. Waitrose - a British supermarket chain - is selling the fruit in 17 of their London outlets; a 4oz basket will retail for £4 (about $8).

I don't know about you guys, but I can't wait until someone imports these to the US. I want to make a strasberry shortcake!

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Are Traditional British Foods Becoming Extinct?

YumSugar — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 16:15:51 -0700

Seems like the Brits have a lot to worry about food-wise. First their curry industry ran into a crisis, and now it seems that their actual traditional dishes are becoming extinct. Experts believe that dishes like toad in the hole, spotted dick, steak and kidney pie, and jam roly-poly could disappear from dining tables by 2021.

A new survey conducted by Tesco - a huge British grocery store chain - discovered that only 6 percent of 18-40 year olds had cooked a Beef Wellington compared to 15 percent of 41-55 year olds.

The research claims that the traditional dishes are being prepared less frequently and that folks are opting for foreign cuisine, like spaghetti bolognese and curry instead. They believe that this will lead to the eventual wipe out of traditional dishes. Personally, I don't think this is true. We don't eat chicken piccata, or duck a l'orange very often, but those dishes have survived for centuries, and while not served in most homes, they're hardly "extinct."

So what do you think? Do you believe these dishes could become extinct?

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Britain's Curry Crisis

YumSugar — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 16:25:15 -0800

It seems that the US is not the only country dealing with immigration issues. In England, the government uses a point-based system to determine migration by non-EU citizens. While this may be a good move for security reasons, it is actually bad for food reasons. You see, over the last several decades, many believe that curry has become England's "true national dish". However, thanks to the immigration restrictions, many of Britain's curry houses are suffering from a staff shortage. Restauranteur Ahmed Koysor said:

It's been really difficult to recruit locally. We have tried hiring eastern European staff but they have been mostly useless. No skills, no understanding of what we do. And besides, they need to speak the language of the kitchen if we are going to be good at what we do.

There are no confirmed figures, but the Bangladesh Caterers' Association states that there are 27,500 vacancies in Bangladeshi-owned restaurants and that immigration officials have said that no more Bangladeshi nationals will be allowed in. If this continues, many restaurants may be forced to close.

So what do you guys think of this? With curry being England's "national dish," do you think there should be some more wiggle room?

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Happy Hour: Pink Port

YumSugar — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 15:29:31 -0800

British retail giant Marks & Spencer has just launched a pink port intended to appeal to women. The wine, which is unimaginatively called Pink Port, is lighter in hue than regular port because it takes a small amount of color from the grape skins. They've decided to test this product out because many folks associate port as a man's drink - much like they wrongly assume whiskey and bourbon are for men only.

I'll admit, I'm drawn to things by their packaging, so I'm sure this would have grabbed my interest. However, unfortunately, according to Guy Woodward, editor of Decanter magazine, the wine's not worth it. He believes it was more like vodka cranberry than port and said:

I suspect they're trying to jump on the rosé bandwagon, but it tastes worryingly close to the alcopop market.

It's a bummer to hear that port marketed towards women is inferior to regular port. Do they think we won't notice if it's bad? What do you guys think? Do you think we even need our own port?

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Gordon Ramsay to Open His Own Culinary School

YumSugar — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 10:11:31 -0800

If several hit television shows, a video game, Michelin star restaurants, and cookbooks weren't enough, Gordon Ramsay is planning to launch a UK chef academy. He's doing so in order to fight what he sees as poor standards of UK catering colleges. If the folks on Kitchen Nightmares (UK) are any indication of the standards, then maybe Gordon's onto something. At the recent opening of his new restaurant in Prague, Ramsay said:

I’m fed up not just with the [National Vocational Qualifications] standards, but at what’s coming out of our catering schools. I want to set up my own modern day apprentice scheme, where students will experience everything from a most amazing pub, to a one, two, or three Michelin starred establishment."

At a time when many folks are questioning whether or not culinary schools are a waste of time, do you think it makes sense for Gordon to open his own?

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Would Mandatory Cooking Classes Help Childhood Obesity?

YumSugar — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 01:32:31 -0800

In an effort to tackle childhood obesity, secondary school students in the United Kingdom will be given practical cookery lessons. That's right, they're going back to the days of home-ec. They're hoping that basic cooking skills will encourage teenagers to cook their own meals and stop their dependency on processed foods.

The full plan is expected to be announced today by Schools Secretary Ed Balls. There's worry that there will be a shortage of teachers and equipment, but if all goes accordingly, schools that currently offer food technology classes (85 percent of all schools) will have to teach basic cookery skills. The other 15 percent will have to follow suit by 2011.

What do you think? Do you think that mandatory cooking classes will actually help childhood obesity? Would you want a similar program put into place in America?

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Do You Love Fast Food Too Much to Give It Up?

YumSugar — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 10:08:17 -0800

Move over fast-food loving Americans, Britain has topped the list of countries who love fast food. In a joint study with the BBC, polling body Synovate determined that 45 percent of Britons agreed with the statement, "I love fast food too much to give it up." This is one percent higher than Americans and eight percent higher than Canadians. Granted, one percent is not that much, and I'm sure the poll has a small margin for error, but still it's interesting to see that we're not the only ones who love fast food.

So how about you, what do you think of the statement? Do you love fast food that much?

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Would You Eat a 12-Bird Roast?

YumSugar — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 10:13:13 -0800

If you think a turducken is an impressive display of protein, then you haven't seen anything yet. British farmer Anne Petch has created a massive 50 -lb. creation containing 12 different birds - 1. Turkey, 2. Goose, 3. Barbary duck, 4. Guinea fowl, 5. Mallard, 6. Poussin, 7. Quail, 8. Partridge, 9. Pigeon squab, 10. Pheasant, 11. Chicken, 12. Aylesbury duck - each one stuffed inside the next.

Dubbed the True Love Roast because it contains a different bird for each of the 12 days of Christmas, the roast costs around $1300 and serves 125 people. It also takes over 8 hours to cook completely and 4 hours to assemble. The whole thing is definitely extravagant, but I would absolutely have to partake in a bite or three. How about you, would you eat this roast?

Oh and if you think 12 birds isn't enough, Petch is hoping that they'll do a 21-bird roast next year.

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