The British 100...

I've been a helluva busy this week, and feeling a bit under the weather, so I'm a bit short on posts. Scratch that - I have loads of posts... but neither the time or energy to write them up properly! I hope to have a proper food post to you tomorrow or the next day - watch this space...

So in the meantime - just so you know I haven't forgotten you, here is the my British 100, as compiled by Helen of Food Stories...

And here's the rules...

1) Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.
2) Bold all the items you’ve eaten.
3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.
4) Link back to Food Stories, if you would be so kind.

1. Grey squirrel
2. Steak and kidney pie
3. Bubble and squeak
4. Spotted dick
5. Hot cross buns
6. Laver bread
7. Toad in the hole
8. Shepherds pie AND cottage pie
9. Scotch egg
10. Parkin
11. Welsh rarebit
12. Jellied eels
13. Stilton
14. Marmite
15. Ploughman’s lunch
16. Cucumber sandwiches
17. Coronation chicken
18. Gloucester old spot (but not a whole one ;)
19. Cornish pasty
20. Samphire
21. Mince pies
22. Winkles
23. Salad cream
24. Malt loaf
25. Haggis
26. Beans on toast
27. Cornish clotted cream tea
28. Pickled egg (bleurgh! But y'know, never say never ;)
29. Pork scratchings
30. Pork pie
31. Black pudding
32. Patum Peperium or Gentleman’s relish
33. Earl grey tea
34. Elvers - would love to try, even though they look well weird!!
35. HP Sauce - but of course! Especially with square sausage...
36. Potted shrimps
37. Stinking bishop - yum!
38. Elderflower cordial
39. Pea and ham soup
40. Aberdeen Angus Beef
41. Lemon posset - my granny used to make me this when I was ill!
42. Guinness
43. Cumberland sausage
44. Native oysters - I know - shocking, isn't it!
45. A ‘full English’ - and a full Scottish!
46. Cockles
47. Faggots
48. Eccles cake
49. Potted Cromer crab
50. Trifle
51. Stargazy pie
52. English mustard
53. Christmas pudding
54. Cullen skink - and a recipe will be coming soon!
55. Liver and bacon with onions
56. Wood pigeon
57. Branston pickle
58. Oxtail soup
59. Piccalilli
66. Roast beef and Yorkshire pudding (with gravy)
67. Pickled onions - I love drinking the pickled onion vinegar - does that make me weird?
68. Cock-a-leekie soup
69. Rabbit and Hare
70. Bread sauce
71. Cauliflower cheese
72. Crumpets
73. Rice pudding
74. Bread and butter pudding
75. Bakewell tart
76. Kendall mint cake
77. Summer pudding
78. Lancashire hot pot
79. Beef Wellington
80. Eton mess
81. Neeps and tatties
82. Pimms
83. Scampi
84. Mint sauce
85. English strawberries and cream
86. Isle of Wight garlic
87. Mutton
88. Deep fried whitebait with tartare sauce
89. Angels on horseback
90. Omelette Arnold Bennett - I really must make this sometime!
91. Devilled kidneys
92. Partridge and pheasant
93. Stew and dumplings
94. Arbroath smokies
95. Oyster loaves
96. Sloe gin
97. Damson jam
98. Soda bread
99. Quince jelly
100. Afternoon tea at the Ritz

Ok, so I got 78 out of 100 - better than my VGT score!

The VGT Omnivore’s Hundred

I've seen this list popping up all over the the place... so decided you could have this whilst I work on Scottish Scran 4. (Which implies I am in the middle of working on it not, which isn't entirely correct. Although at least I have now decided what I'm going to make for it!)

It's been a busy week!

Anyway Andrew over at Very Good Taste has put together a list of the foods he thinks every good omnivore should try at least once. The deal is, you go through it and highlight what you've tried, what you haven't, and what you never would!

I have 68% - which I am gutted about! I consider myself fairly adventurous - and am determine to improve my score. The only thing I wouldn't eat is fugu. I mean why bother? YOU MIGHT DIE!!!

Mind you - one of the things on my haven't tried list is PJ&J sandwich - and I've been meaning to rectify that for a while now. I know it was some time ago - but do you remember I wrote a post about saving the world by eating PB&J? Every time you choose to eat a plant-based sarnie instead of meat you do actually make a difference! Not that i'm likely to give up meat - but it has made me think more about the envirnmental impact of my food choices.

But anyway, back to the list!

Here’s what to do:

1) Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.
2) Bold all the items you’ve eaten.
3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.

The VGT Omnivore’s Hundred

1. Venison
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros (though I don't know why!)
4. Steak tartare (Once...)
5. Crocodile
6. Black pudding
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp
9. Borscht (When I was working in Warsaw!)
10. Baba ghanoush (Love aubergine, not so sure about this)
11. Calamari (yum yum YUM!)
12. Pho
13. PB&J sandwich (Though I have been meaning to!!)
14. Aloo gobi
15. Hot dog from a street cart
16. Epoisses (would love to try!)
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes (I once got really ill on berry wine... :-S)
19. Steamed pork buns
20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
23. Foie gras
24. Rice and beans
25. Brawn or Head Cheese (Head cheese? HEAD CHEESE? Well, I suppose I'd try it...)
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper
27. Dulce de leche
28. Oysters
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda (mmmm - sounds fab!)
31. Wasabi peas
32. Clam Chowder in Soudough Bowl
33. Salted Lassi
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float
36. Cognac with a Fat Cigar
37. Clotted Cream Tea
38. Vodka Jelly/Jell-O
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail
41. Curried goat
42. Whole insects (I might try. Maybe.)
43. Phaal
44. Goat’s milk
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth $120 or more
46. Fugu (things that might kill me? Yeah, probably not...)
47. Chicken tikka masala (Us Scots invented it, dontcha know!)
48. Eel
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut
50. Sea urchin
51. Prickly pear (Just the juice!)
52. Umeboshi
53. Abalone
54. Paneer
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini
58. Beer above 8% ABV
59. Poutine
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores
62. Sweetbreads
63. kaolin (I have no idea what this is!)
64. Currywurst (tried this last year - yummy!)
65. Durian
66. Frogs’ legs (Only once, but I loved them!)
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake
68. Haggis (durrrrr... ;)
69. Fried plantain (but I'm allergic :( )
70. Chitterlings or andouillette
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini
73. Louche absinthe (yes, and just the memory makes me feel sick...)
74. Gjetost or brunost
75. Roadkill (Maybe, I suppose... but only if it was a deer or something - wouldn't scrape up a rabbit ;)
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. Snail
79. Lapsang Souchong
80. Bellini
81. Tom Yum
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky
84. 3 Michelin Star Tasting Menu (I wish!)
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare
87. Goulash
88. Flowers
89. Horse
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam
92. Soft shell crab (want, want, want)
93. Rose Harissa
94. Catfish
95. Mole Poblano
96. Bagel and Lox
97. Lobster Thermidor
98. Polenta
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake

The Simplest of Snacks and an Award!

Mmmmm... I am soooo loving the summer sun! Ok, so it isn't as warm as it was last week, but just seeing the sun when I open the curtains in the morning starts the day off in the right way.

The other thing that I am loving about the shifting seasons (yeah yeah, I know, me and every other Western food blogger!) is the changing available produce. As much as I love the soups and stews of winter, nothing beats real fresh summer fruit and veg.

I mentioned last week about the gorgeous British Vittoria Tomatoes that are currently available here. Well, here they star in their own right as a tasty, healthy snack. This isn't in any way a recipe - but, well, sometimes you just don't need one!

Vittoria Tomatoes with Maldon Sea Salt and Pepper

Lick the tomato and dip it one side into the maldon salt, then the other into the pepper (a 50:50 mix of Szechuan pepper and plain old black pepper, toasted and ground).

Place the tomato on your tongue, salted side down, and let it sit there for a second or two while the salt starts to melt in your mouth. (It shouldn't be too salty - don't use table salt!!!!!!) Bite into the tomato - sweet meets salty, a hint of heat from the pepper and a lot of juice...

Repeat as required.


Done!


And now to an award!

Many thanks to Icsa99 from Heaven is Chocolate, Cheese and Carbs for awarding me the Blogging with Purpose Award.


I have now been blogging almost 6 months, and I am enjoying it so much! Food blogging is forcing me to think even more about food. I can't remember the last time I resorted to a beans on toast dinner - each mealtime at home is an opportunity to try something new!

For this reason, to hear that my blog was part of the reason that someone else decided to come into this wonderful world is incredibly touching. Thank you Icsa99 - and also, thank you for introducing me to your blog - I look forward to more of your recipes!

Here are my picks! I've chosen three because that's the best number (it should have been five...)

1. Sher from What Did You Eat? This was the very first food blog I ever found - only about a year ago! Compared with how huge the food blogosphere is- I can't believe I didn't know about it. I will be recreating that recipe soon - watch this space!

2. Ruth from Once Upon a Feast. Her Presto Pasta Nights event was the first food event I ever took part in, with some Roast Garlic Ragu - still one of my favourite recipes!

3. Heather from Gild the Voodoolily... just to annoy her. Snarf snarf. Ok, it's really because she's got a great blog and great recipes... but this will annoy :P

My third meme - and a note on my week...

I haven't cooked for a whole week. Apart from breakfast, and ramen noodles - and I don't think that counts... I've missed two deadline for events I wanted to participate in - and am even going to struggle to make a dish for Presto Pasta Night (although I am determined to get into the kitchen tonight...)

This hasn't been an easy week for me - Boyfriend and I have split up - it's such a horrible time... I think that is all I can say about that.

I wanted a blog entry - but had no dishes to discuss, so I decided to take this chance to do the meme I was tagged for last week by Val from More Than Burnt Toast. I only recently came across Val's blog (isn't it amazing the variety of blogs you can find, just by clicking through from one to the next!) and I'm very glad I did. She has an amazing variety of recipes - from pasta to moussaka, falafel to pikelets! And she loves cookery course - just like me!

What were you doing 10 years ago?1998?

I was in my 2nd year at university in Glasgow, studying English Literature and Social And Economic History I was looking after my then boyfriend, who was pretty sick. I was also preparing for the World Cup - it was the last time Scotland qualified. I don't even like football that much - but the atmosphere was amazing. We didn't survive the first round though...

What were you doing 1 year ago?

I was in the middle of negotiating to a new position with my company (which I am now in!) Still living in the same place. From looking back at my calendar, it looks like I was going to lots of parties too!

Five snacks you enjoy

Argh, this is a tough one - I love savoury snacks!!! I'm not a huge fan of chocolate - I like it well enough, but a whole bar is often too much for me...

1. salty, buttery popcorn... drool....
2. I don't know if these count as snacks, but I love sushi, tapas, Indian snacks (like these pakora), dolmades and other such finger food!
   
3. Dried mango slices
4. triscuits - though I can't get them in the UK... :( (and any other crunchy, salty snack - i.e. pretzels, baked bagel bites...)
5. Swizzels double lollies (apparently my mum used to be addicted to these when she was pregnant with me!)

Five things you would do if you were a millionaire

Oh, I love this game! (Though a multi-millionaire I hope!)

1. Quit my job and pay off my mortgage! (And/Or buy a house with a huge kitchen and garden!)
   
2. Help the people I love: pay off the mortgages of my parents and sister - and take us a on huge family holiday; sort my best friends out to make they're lives more comfortable - or to help them achieve their dreams.
3. Travel the world - trying all the food I could manage, attending any classes I came across, and learning lots of new things!
4. Throw a huge, lavish party for all my friends :)
5. Retrain in a career that I truly want to do (Almost definitely in the food industry)
   

Five bad habits

1. Blogging when I should be doing other things - or spending too much of the day deciding what I'm going to cook that night!
2. I'm rubbish at keeping in touch with old friends - I'm seem to get caught up in the moment - and all of a sudden weeks have gone by without contact :(
3. Messiness - my whole house is a state - it drives me mad, because I actually hate living like that... but can't seem to keep myself organised.
4. Pressing the snooze button on my alarm clock! I end up snoozing for 45 minutes - and it isn't even proper sleep!!
5. Putting off things that I don't want to do (i.e. getting up - or tidying the house!)
   

Five things you like doing

Cooking! Blogging about Cooking! Reading about cooking! You get the idea?
Ok then - other things ;)

1. Seeing my girlfriends - drinking wine, and having silly conversations. And they are always there when I need them :)
2. Shopping - especially for shoes!
3. Clubbing
4. Relaxing in my house with some rubbish on the TV, surfing the net, or reading!
5. Eating!
   

Five things you would never wear again

I would usually never say never.. but I would definitely never wear an Eightiesque shell suit again!

Five favorite toys

1. My mobile phone - it has a cute camera for taking silly pics when I don't want to use my 'proper' camera!
2. My camera
3. My pasta machine - I haven't used it that much - but I find pasta making is such a relaxing thing to do :)
4. My laptop
5. My GHD straighteners!

Here are the rules:

• Select five people to tag.
• Next, send them an e-mail or let them know by commenting on their blog that they have been tagged.
• They are then encouraged to select 5 different bloggers and to tag them.

And now who to tag??

I think I'll start with Bryce at Chilefire - who always hits the spot with his fiery recipes!
Secondly Holler from Tinned Tomatoes - a vegetarian blogger from my home country :D
And finally Chew on That - the first blog I ever subscribed to!

I promise my next post will be a recipe :)

Me and Food, Food and Meme!

Yay, another meme! Is it sad that I get really excited when I get tagged by someone who's blog I love?!? Today, I was tagged by Deborah from What's in My Kitchen to tell you 7 facts about me and food! (If you haven't already, go check out her blog - she has a great writing style, and amazing recipes!)

7 Things you didn't realise you needed to know about me and food

1. I'm allergic to bananas. This only developed about 6 years ago, but now the slightest hint of a banana in a smoothie can make me pretty sick. I'm thinking about trying to rehabilitate myself - because I love banoffee pie - but not quite sure that it's possible :(
2. I have a phobia of peas. They are small, green and evil. Bleurgh. And go pop when I bite into them.... Though I am attempting to get over this too!
3. I adore sushi - but I don't really know how to eat it... So I usually get it take away, then eat it privately... with my fingers... How embarrassing!
4. I think I may well be addicted to chillies. I always had a tendency towards hot food - but since I started seeing Boyfriend, I seem to eat something spicy pretty much every day. At least once!
5. Not so much about food - but I have a thing about the number three, and generally do things in multiples of 3. So, instead of adding 2 tablespoons of sugar to a dish, I'll add 3 two-thirds tablespoons. My alarm clock is set for 0727, and the volume on the car is a mark 9. And I just realised how crazy that sounds...
6. I have a dirty, secret liking for completely rubbish foodstuffs. Once a year or so, I'll get a Macdonalds when out shopping. I stock up on Kraft mac & cheese when I visit home (They don't sell it in England. Can't imagine why... ;) it's perfect hangover food!
7. Only two people who I know in real life, know that I write this blog - and neither read it!!
   

Right, now to tag some other peeps to try to keep this going!

• Sunita, at Sunita's World is an amazing cook. I adore her recipes and her photography is always spot on.
• A Forkful of Spaghetti - a fairly new blog, again, she has a fabulous writing style and makes beautiful food!
• Grace, from A Southern Grace, who I was recently lucky enough to be matched with for Taste and Create!
• And last, but definitely not least! Gay, from A Scientist in the Kitchen. Great food, insightful posts - and check out her new blogging event - To Market, To Market!
  

I hope you enjoyed the random trivia - now I need to get back to the serious business of planning what to cook for tonight's girlie night!

Defining Blego... and the world of memes!

Well! I was just perusing my Google Reader, when I saw the title My first meme: Define Blego from Gay at A scientist in the kitchen. My incredibly limited knowledge of memes had little to do with cookery - A scientist in the Kitchen indeed, I thought! So I read down the page, and was little wiser... then I saw my name. Hurrah... I thought, I've been tagged!! Then realised I had no idea what that meant!

So, after a little bit a google-digging, I found this article by Chris G, which told me all I needed to know!

So here it is - my first meme - and thanks to Gay for the tag!

The rules:
* The person tagged must copy the word and paste the definitions of the word contributed previously by the people who did the meme. Link backs would be nice, but not necessary.
* The person tagged must then add her own definition in this format ‘yourname.com’s definition’ and place your link. Being creative with the acronym is encouraged.
* Answer the following questions.
* Tag 5 other people to do the meme.

Definition
Blego (evilwoobie.com’s definition) - n. an acronym of “blog ego”, which pertains to a blogger’s sense of self in the blogosphere.

Blego (Darkside-Dreamland.com’s definition) - n. a protologism combining blog and ego. Used to define the ego of a blog or blogger. Like personal ego, blego may be good or bad.

Blego (benbarden.com’s definition) - n. a toy for children to build with but with a B in front.

Blego (ascientistinthekitchen.net’s definition) - Braised LEG Of pork

Blego (kittensinthekitchen’s definition) - Blethering Lassie's Excitable Gastronomic Other !

Questions

If you answer no to any of the questions, just skip the “if yes” part. Also, it’s easier to follow if your answers are beneath each question.

1. Do you know what your blog is really about, and you can write a one-sentence promotional material for it in a flash? If yes, write it here.

A chronicle following my adventures in the kitchen!

2. Do you join social networks to promote your blog? If yes, do you hope to find friends in these social networks and in the process get regular readers of your blog?

I have absolutely loved meeting food bloggers from across the world! I have enjoyed participating in Blog Events - its a great way of finding new blogs - and of publicising what I've done.

3. Do you or do you plan to join ranking sites that put your blog in competition with others for popularity? If yes, do you or do you plan to monitor your stats regularly?

This is something which I don't do at all just yet - though it is something I probably will look at in the future!

4. Do you tweak your blog often in accordance with the tips you get from blogging guides and gurus? If yes, list the bloggers you visit often to obtain these tips.

I haven't really changed my blog since I first created it - but I've only been writing for 5 weeks, so no doubt that will change soon!

5. Do you think of your next post even if you have just written a new one? If yes, list your inspirations for posting, and/or some routines that you go through before posting.

Yes, I often have a queue of posts - either on recipes I've made, but haven't written up, or recipes I have floating round in my head that I have yet to cook. My inspiration comes from everywhere - but I've noticed that since I started to read so many food blogs, there aren't enough meals in the day to try out everything I want to!

Now, I tag these friends:

JavaGirlKT
Once Upon A Feast
A Forkful of Spaghetti
What Did You Eat?
What's In My Kitchen?