To All Those Critics of British Food...

[molly bloom]

Originally posted by Provost Harrison
What a load of pretentious bollocks! Do people honestly eat that sh*t or put it on display in their homes? I want food dammit, not that overpriced muck!

Another sign of their sheer pretention is that they describe everything in French. No disrespect to the French, but this is the ultimate sign of snootiness in our dining establishments...

Have you eaten there ?

Thought not.


As for describing food in French, it's similar to French having been the language of diplomacy in Europe for hundreds of years- put it down to the inluence of people like Brillat-Savarin and Careme- and the Normans (who are said to have introduced rabbit to the British Isles), the Plantagenets, the Angevin Empire, and the unquenchable British desire for novelty in foods.

Sweet pasta, for instance, was a feature of Tudor feasts.


In any case, not all restaurants do it, but saying 'saucisson' rather than 'sausage' seems to elevate an ingredient or meal in some people's eyes.

It's entirely pointless trying to get rid of the French influence on British cooking, or the Roman influence on European cooking, or the Indian influence on British cooking, or the Italian influence on French cooking- when the Medicis married into the French Royal family, they brought with them many Italian cooking novelties, part and parcel of modern French cuisine.

[Spiffor]

Originally posted by Drewcifer
The true path to greatness lies elsewhere... I prefer the French Laundry's approach: make classic food perfectly.

Both are interesting pathes.

I've got to eat innovative and classic cuisine (often in the same restaurants btw), and both can be great. To me, this menu strikes me as pretty imaginative, regardless whether it's made with wiz toys or not. That's why I'd be curious to taste it, especially if the cooking team is adept enough to make it taste great.

OTOH, I agree with your comment about needing a gimmick to be in these top lists. I guess that's the reason why La Tupina made it there, while plenty of others (betters IMO) haven't.

[Spiffor]

Originally posted by molly bloom
As for describing food in French, it's similar to French having been the language of diplomacy in Europe for hundreds of years- put it down to the inluence of people like Brillat-Savarin and Careme- and the Normans (who are said to have introduced rabbit to the British Isles), the Plantagenets, the Angevin Empire, and the unquenchable British desire for novelty in foods.

That may be true for plenty of pretentious things, but I think the French influence in gourmet food is much more recent than that. Widespread French gourmet food, AFAIK, is a relatively recent phenomenon (probably not older than 19th century) and it has been under the spotlight for less than a century. Notably, the getting-old generation of gourmet chefs are one of the main reason why French food's reputation abroad is to be "expansive"

[Provost Harrison]

Originally posted by molly bloom
In any case, not all restaurants do it, but saying 'saucisson' rather than 'sausage' seems to elevate an ingredient or meal in some people's eyes.

And that is my exact point! Some things do have French terms just by the fact they have been invented by the French. But sausage/saucis (saucisson has a more specific meaning, eg, a sliced sausage so be careful there) is a perfect example! There is no reason why it just cannot be called a sausage...

[molly bloom]

Originally posted by Spiffor

That may be true for plenty of pretentious things, but I think the French influence in gourmet food is much more recent than that. Widespread French gourmet food, AFAIK, is a relatively recent phenomenon (probably not older than 19th century) and it has been under the spotlight for less than a century. Notably, the getting-old generation of gourmet chefs are one of the main reason why French food's reputation abroad is to be "expansive"

Blame Louis XIV- the Sun King with his more centralized monarchy, the elaborate feasts, the court etiquette, set the tone for other European monarchies.


Oh, and the British & Irish have been eating snails for a long time; sea snails, anyway.

They're called whelks this side of the Channel.

[Provost Harrison]

All univalve molluscs could be classed as 'snails' though by that logic...

[molly bloom]

Originally posted by Provost Harrison


But sausage/saucis (saucisson has a more specific meaning, eg, a sliced sausage so be careful there...

Gee, P.H. , who started this food thread ? Next you'll be explaining to me what charcuterie is.

[Spiffor]

Originally posted by Provost Harrison
And that is my exact point! Some things do have French terms just by the fact they have been invented by the French. But sausage/saucis (saucisson has a more specific meaning, eg, a sliced sausage so be careful there) is a perfect example! There is no reason why it just cannot be called a sausage...

Glad to see I'm not the one who dislikes the absurd use of foreign words only to make something sound more glitzy

[Spiffor]

Originally posted by Oerdin
Best Restaurant in the World: The French Laundry, CA, USA

WE'RE NUMBER ONE! WE'RE NUMBER ONE!

Ah yes, you Calis are a bit like the Brits, when they say "Our food is great! Have you ever been to our Indian restaurants?"

[molly bloom]

Originally posted by Spiffor

Glad to see I'm not the one who dislikes the absurd use of foreign words only to make something sound more glitzy

Well, in English we have 'pottage' as in Jacob, Esau, and selling one's birthright for 'a mess of pottage', or the nursery rhyme about 'pease pottage'.

In French you have 'potage'.

Title: A Pilgrim's Lentil Pottage
Categories:
Yield: 8 Servings

2 ts Olive oil
2 Cloves garlic; finely
.. chopped
1 md Onion; chopped
8 c Cold water
1 1/2 c Lentils; rinsed in cold
.. water and drained
3 tb Ketchup
1/8 ts Ground cloves
1 1/2 ts Salt
Black pepper

Soften vegetables in oil in soup pot. Add water,
lentils, ketchup, cloves and salt; bring to a
boil. Reduce to low, cover and cook until lentils
are tender, about 45 minutes, adding more water if
needed. Season. If desired, add vinegar, wine, or
lemon juice for flavor.

http://www.nwljds.org.uk/YR%20learn%20about%20a%20mess%20of%20potage

Soup of the day- or soupe de jour.

Me, I prefer to describe a menu in the language of the country where it's being served up- otherwise we'd see an awful lot of Londoners trying desperately to bone up on Amharic, Arabic, Cantonese and Hindi.

[molly bloom]

Originally posted by Spiffor


Ah yes, you Calis are a bit like the Brits, when they say "Our food is great! Have you ever been to our Indian restaurants?"

He missed the point- which was that was last year's winner. Time moves on, but not in California, apparently:

" 19 April 2005


After London was named the Gourmet Capital of the World in March this year by the Gourmet Magazine, Britain has once again triumphed in the international culinary stakes, with 14 British restaurants recognised amongst Restaurant Magazine’s list of the 50 Best Restaurants in the World.

Leading the British pack is Heston Blumenthal of The Fat Duck in Bray, beating two-time winner (2003 & 2004) Thomas Keller of The French Laundry, to claim the top spot with his self-taught and highly admired molecular gastronomy. Coming top of the tree means Blumenthal also scoops the Best in Europe Award.

13 other high acclaimed British chefs also shone on the world stage, with renowned characters such as Gordon Ramsay (5th place), Tom Aikens (8th place), and Fergus Henderson of St. John (10th place) taking the tally of British establishments in the top 10 to an unprecedented four.

“I am very pleased with the 2005 list as it shows just how far Britain has come in terms of culinary output and the range of experiences we offer”, said Ella Johnston, editor of Restaurant Magazine. “On a global scale it is interesting to see concepts like Masa (USA), WD50 (USA) & El Bulli (Spain) still continue to innovate and inspire both chefs and restaurateurs,” she added.

Held on 18 April, 2005 in London ."

[Provost Harrison]

Originally posted by molly bloom





Gee, P.H. , who started this food thread ? Next you'll be explaining to me what charcuterie is.

[molly bloom]

Originally posted by Provost Harrison

I'm sorry- I was just getting a bit testy because the caffeine from this morning's Turkish coffee was kicking in, and I haven't had lunch yet.

[Dinner]

I have eatten at Spago's which doesn't have a gimmick and just has great food with really cool atmosphere. Of course it's number 30 or 40 on that list so maybe that's why its so far down.

[Dinner]

Originally posted by Spiffor
Ah yes, you Calis are a bit like the Brits, when they say "Our food is great! Have you ever been to our Indian restaurants?"

There's great local food here too. Spago's is the original California Fusion restaurant and it's on the list. There are other's from California on the list but I'm not sure about the menu.