Just another Thursday?

I've always liked Thursday.  It's almost Friday and it used to be "ladies night" at a few bars I frequented in my younger days which holds good memories of $1 vodkas and very bad dancing. 

However, tomorrow is Thursday and I know I'm going to hate this one.  As you are probably aware, tomorrow is also Thanksgiving in America - a Thursday like no other - where Americans gather with their families, eat too much food, maybe watch football (if you're into that kind of thing) and remind themselves or eachother how thankful they are for even the littlest things... like your uncle throwing manners aside and tossing a roll in your general direction becuase its so much easier than passing the bread basket all the way down the table, your mother secretly counting how many glasses of wine you're drinking, or simply sitting across the table from your father.

I know the best thing to do would be to share the tradition of Thanksgiving with my British husband and friends (since I suppose they are my family here), and we are having a meal on Saturday with traditional Thanksgiving dishes, but trying to replicate only reminds me how impossible it is to replicate.

I hate you, Thanksgiving, for making me want to hug my real family and for reminding me that a Thanksgiving meal will happen just as it always has, only without me.

I hate you, Thanksgiving, for calling attention to the fact my father will have dinner by himself this day because I went off and left him.  The image of him eating yams alone is haunting me like your happy-turkey-togetherness could not possibly understand.

I hate you, Thanksgiving, for ruining Thanksgiving, and Thursday.

Summer Solstice (and something much better)

Today is the Summer Solstice - the longest day of the year, the day the Earth's and the moon's axial tilt is most inclined towards the sun, and the day a select group of people (druids/pagans/whatever they wish to be called) gather to watch the sunrise at Stonehenge.  

Here's some photos of this year's celebration, but truthfully, I really couldn't care less about the Solstice or Stonehenge, I just needed an excuse to tell you about this place that is much much cooler...

Carhenge
Photo: Wikipedia

Behold Carhenge! A Stonehenge "replica" in Alliance, Nebraska built using 38 vintage American cars  painted grey and errected in exactly the same positions as Stonehenge's stones.  Oh and unlike Stonehenge, its absolutely free to visit.

Totally Awesome.

The "Perfect" Country

I've returned from the Homeland full of Taco Bell, happily looking at my bank statement reflecting the fabulous exchange rate, imagining how "perfect" a country would be if we meshed the US (or Colorado in particular) and England....

 
The perfect country would have wide roads and high speed limits and gas stations would have the little flippy latchy things that can hold the gas nozzel handle down to save my hand muscles the pain of filling up an empty tank.

After I had a full tank (oh, and everyone would call it gas) I would drive on the left side of the car on the right side of the road to a Target with a large parking lot which would be next to a pub which is next to another pub and a Toby Carvery that sold roast dinners complete with Yorkshire pudding and cheesey creamy dippy appetizers served by overly friendly waitstaff who almost have you convinced that they give a crap about your dinner. 

Don't feel like driving?  No problem - the perfect country would have a fantastic rail network that would take you to all the charming villages, up to the mountains with surprising snow and on nights out that would end in Denny's breakfasts. 

If we got sick, we'd have easy access to Nyquil and Codine, or if we couldnt fix ourselves, we'd be treated by friendly doctors who wouldn't charge us a dime and make us feel like we were worth more than five minutes of their time.  

We'd enjoy over 20 days of vacation without guilt and spend sunny Bank Holidays and Federal Holidays drinking Pimms Slurpees along side ploughman's lunches and Monster Munch in beer gardens that always had table service. 

:sigh:

Oh yes. It would be perfect. 

PS. Red is US and Blue is England.  Clever, eh? 

In Defense of the American Superhero

A while ago, I made a list of things that annoy me about British people and now, at the risk of being a bit offensive, I'd like to add to that list.

6. They personally piggyback on any British person's international success

Case in point... I am sure you have heard by now that Superman is the latest American superhero to be played by a British actor in a major motion picture. ....Wait, what's that, my non UK readers?  You havent heard about this?  Have you been living under a rock??...  No, you simply have been living anywhere other than in the UK where this has been a major headline on every radio programme, TV station, newspaper and news website I have heard or seen today. 

And why?  Who cares?  

The Brits (or atleast the British media) care.  They care anytime something like this happens, and they act as if it's a victory for the whole country.  Colin Firth (continually refered to as British actor, Colin Firth) winning the Best Actor Golden Globe was top news, delivered with undertones of patriotism and national triumph, but did anyone care which film won Best Picture?  Of course not, because it wasn't British (even though there was one Britsh actor in it).   I dont blame British people for not caring about meaningless American entertainment award shows, but either care or dont care. Why the cherry picking?  Do they actually think it reflects positively on Britian for a British actor who has left traditional "British" arts such as the theatre for the bright lights of Hollywood to win a silly award?

When Natalie Portman won her award, did the American media continually refer to her as "American Natalie" and wave the stars and stripes behind her?  

And back to Superman  - Telegraph journalist Andrew Lowry took this "big news" even futher saying that Henry Cavill (the next Superman) and Andrew Garfield (the next Spiderman), both born in 1983 are young but somehow don't "feel" young - whatever that means - and goes so far to say that Jesse Eisenberg (who he seems to think is the only young American actor around) is "a fine actor, but not a man you’d expect to hit the gym to get some bullet-repelling abs, or swing around on the elaborate rigs needed to simulate Spiderman’s powers, or to wield the authority needed to take all Gotham’s troubles on his shoulders," and continued to ask "what does it say about young American men that the avatars of their iconic heroes need be imported in from the UK?"

And he's not done yet... His article concludes: "Nerd culture has taken root across the Atlantic far deeper than over here, and while fumbling, awkward boy-men are ideal for The Social Network and Scott Pilgrim, when it comes to men of steel, casting agents seem to be forced to cast their net wider, to somewhere where dorkery is not seen as an aspiration for a young man."

So, let me get the straight (and try to act surprised by this predictable response)... a member of the British media has taken the casting of a British born actor in the role of an American superhero to imply that all young American men are "dorks"?  

Nice one, mate, but the truth is that superheros are supposed to be "the boy next door". That's part of their appeal. Lois Lane didnt know that  Clark Kent was superman becuase all she saw was that "dork" in glasses and that whatever-her-name-Kirstin-Dunst-character didnt know Peter Parker was Spiderman cause he was that "dork" that lived with his Grandma.  So, if a well-known American actor like Zac Effron or (my personal mini-crush) Chase Crawford was cast as a superhero, this image of a relatable, everyday, normal young man would be harder to get across.  Very few people will look at Henry Cavill and say "oh yeah, that was that guy from the Tudors".  No one will recognize him without his period costume and, so with a good American accent, he can easily be your (very!) handsome boy next door turned flying superhero.  His British-ness will not even feature and is a non-issue.

You got me? 

Oh, and by the way, there will always only be one real Superman.

American Actor, Christopher Reeve

What a Tease!

I read a headline in a newspaper today that claimed the lovely, unbeatable, perfect-partner-for-a-grilled-cheese-sandwich Campbell's Tomato Soup was coming back to the UK after an apparent two-year absence. I began to salivate and dream of steaming lunches on cold snowy days... and then was smacked into reality...

The truth is that Campbell's-branded Tomato Soup will soon be available in UK grocery stores in a what the article described as "in a dessicated can-free form".  One can only assume this means either a sachet full of power pretending to be the ingredients of tomato soup or a cup-o-soup which will produce a watery red-ish liquid in a red Campbell's-branded plastic tub not at all worthy of my grilled cheese sandwich.

What a disappointment.

Seriously, Campbell's, if you can't do it right, don't do it at all.  Please try again.

British Stuff Review: Christmas Pudding

My kind of pudding!

I had my first Christmas in England before I officially moved here, when new things even if the were gross were still cool because they were "foreign".   I had a traditional Christmas dinner (lunch) with my soon-to-be husband and his parents which was concluded with a dessert called Christmas pudding.

Now, I knew that pudding is not what I think pudding should be (think Bill Cosby Jello Pudding), but was surprised by what was served to me.

Christmas Pudding

My now mother-in-law brought out a round topped dense cake-ish thing, poured brandy on the top and lit it on fire!  Fun enough, but what was this thing?  Recipes vary greatly by family, but most Christmas puddings are made up of flour, breadcrumbs, nuts, mixed dried fruit, treacle or brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, orange and lemon zest, apple and sometimes suet (animal fat).  You mix all that together in a bowl and if you want to be very traditional, you are supposed to let all the family members stir it and make a wish. To cook, you need to steam the pudding - grease a glass bowl with butter  and pack the mixture inside this bowl and cover the bowl with parchment paper.  Then boil a large pot of water and set the glass bowl inside the water making sure the water does not get into the bowl (apparently this is called a ban-marie?).  Set on simmer for about four hours, then tip the bowl upside down on a plate and you have a Christmas pudding (usually served with either  brandy butter or brandy sauce poured over the top).

People in England have been enjoying Christmas pudding since the middle ages and the recipe has evolved through the years, growing in popularity in the 1800's when Queen Victoria and Prince Albert spoke of their love of the dish.

Do be careful when eating a Christmas pudding as you may find some purposely placed inedible items inside your portion. It is traditional to stir silver coins (for wealth), tiny wishbones (for good luck), a silver thimble (for thrift), a ring (for marriage), or an anchor (for safe harbor) into the mixture, and whoever gets the the "lucky" serving, would be able to keep the charm and the good wishes that go along with it.  When silver coins were not as readily available, this tradition lapsed because people feared putting alloy coins in their pudding. Today small token coins and other objects are made just for this use.

Yes I hear you:  "Interesting enough, but get to the point -  what does it taste like?"  Now that I am living in England, the novelty of this uniquely British food has well and truly worn off and I am no longer afraid of offending my mother-in-law by admitting that I absolutely hate Christmas pudding.  It tastes kind of like warm, soggy fruitcake and will never again pass my lips!

British Stuffs Rating: 0/5 Paddington Bears!

Mexican(?) Food in England

If there is one common denominator among most American ex-pats in the UK, it's that so many of us miss Mexican food.  From Taco Bell to our local favourites, we miss it all.   There is continual whining on ex-pat websites that you cannot get comparable Mexican food in any part of the UK, and unfortunately, my experience has been no different.

First there was Hardy's Tex-Mex in a small village in Surrey called Bagshot .  An affordable, non-pretentious restaurant with statues wearing sombreros sitting on the roof - I had high hopes.  I thought I'd struck gold when chips and salsa were offered to me upon seating.  On the menu: nachos, quesadillas, fajitas, chimichangas  and even enchiladas!!    I had some nachos and a Corona and was satisfied, but it wasn't anywhere near what I am used to ( think The Armadillo... drooool).

I was sure it had to get better than that and was introduced to Mestizo in West London - a pretentious restaurant and tequila bar in London with a salsa club downstairs.  When the waitress offered to help with the extensive menu (which included chile rellenos!) in her thick Mexican-ish accent, I was sure it had to be good.  Sadly, my rellenos were nothing like what I expected.  I do not have the culinary expertise to explain the "problem", but  flavours and even how it was plated were just all wrong.   I want a chile relleno (crispy, please) covered in cheese with some green chile poured over it next to a helping of refried beans and mexican rice.  Is this too much to ask?

I then started hearing rumblings about a place in Covent Garden called Wahaca. They call their cuisine Mexican Market Eating.  Their menu was a bit confusing and actually did require some explanation from our waiter (no Mexican accent here).  Basically, I was urged to order 3 or 4 small dishes (little quesadillas, taquitos, mini tostadas, etc) and I immediately knew it wasn't going to be the Armadillo combo plate I craved. It was good, but not what I think of when I think of Mexican food.

Just last week, I heard of a brand new place near Charing Cross called Lupita.  Their website claims they are the "first truly authentic Mexican restaurant in London".  Hallelujah!!  I sat down at a table with four different salsas and thought "bring on the smothered burritos and cheese enchiladas!"    But, yes, you know where this is going: no platters, no green chile, no joy for me.

Lupita was very much like Wahaca which also claims to be traditional Mexican, and leads me to wonder if what I think is "authentic" Mexican food is not Mexican at all.  I have been to Mexico (only Cancun, which I realize hardly counts) but it seems like I actually had to come to England to learn what Mexican food actually is and that what I really want is Americanized Mexican food.  No wonder you can't get that in England.

Lesson learned.