Christmas Time again!

We Wish You a Merry Christmas
We wish you a Merry Christmas; We wish you a Merry Christmas;
We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Good tidings we bring to you and your kin;
Good tidings for Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Oh, bring us a figgy pudding;
Oh, bring us a figgy pudding;
Oh, bring us a figgy pudding and a cup of good cheer: Refrain
We won't go until we get some;
We won't go until we get some;
We won't go until we get some, so bring some out here: Refrain
We wish you a Merry Christmas;
We wish you a Merry Christmas;
We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Do you remember this traditional Christmas carol?

I suppose everybody knows it. You all have listened to it very often. Perhaps you have even sung it every year. It is also possible that you are really fed up with it as you have listened and listened and listened to it every year.

But what perhaps you don't know is the connection between this Christmas Carol and the topic of this blog: "Food and Drink...".

Well, I consider it's time for you to get an idea:

The FIGGY PUDDING being considered as a typical British habit and as a new recipe for you to practice.

I must admit that it isn't my favourite British food. I haven't tasted it very often either. Although I'm interested in all aspects of British culture, I prefer our typical Spanish "polvorones" and "mazapanes". But, here you are. If you want to cook and taste it, try the following instructions and make any comment about its ingredients, the level of difficulty, if you consider it is tasty or any comparison with any other Christmas cake you like.

Go ahead, watch the video and follow the instructions carefully and share your information with all of us.

OTHER COOKERY WEBSITES:

http://homecooking.about.com/od/dessertrecipes/r/bldes108.htm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8w3kVpGjhA

http://thefoody.com/pudding/figgypudding.html

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-figgy-pudding.htm (including information for Diabetics and people on a diet)

the Great Irish Famine

Mine is a blog about food and drink, isn't it? Yes, of course. But dealing with the topic, it is also important to talk about the consequences that food and agricultural problems can (or could) have on population.

The first idea that comes to my mind about this topic is Ireland and potatoes. Why? If you have ever been to any city, town or village in Ireland, you'll discover that potatoes are basic when cooking anything: a steak or a fillet with a side-salad or vegetables and... fried potatoes and boiled potatoes, smashed potatoes and a grilled great potato, ... altogether.

If you think about it, the result is that when potato crops failed in older times, poor families had really "nothing" to eat. Then they decided to migrate to a new place where they thought there would be no problems: America. It happened between 1845 and 1952.

Bad crops were a frequent problem all over Europe. But the catastrophe was worse for Ireland as one third of Irish population was entirely dependent on potatoes for food.

The importance of the Great Irish Famine is so great that the famine became part of folk memory and it produced as a consequence nationalist movements. It is also recognized as the worst human disaster of 19th century, with 8,5 million people dead (al least one million in terrible conditions), one million people as refugees.

The Potato Blight is often considered as the greates wave of Irish immigration to America, when half a million had arrived in America to start a new life. Due to this fact, many families from Irish origin took Catholic religion (St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York) , Irish traditions (St. Patrick's) and well-known names to different aspects of American life (The Kennedys in politics are a good example). You will learn more about the Potato Famine in Ireland and the Irish immigration to America and how Americans accepted the immigrants in the Web and in other entries in my blog.

The importance of potatoes in the UK and Ireland

You cannot spend a single day in the United Kingdom or Ireland without realizing the importance of this product in all meals. It is a basic ingredient in their dishes and a side- in most of them. That is why there are so many recipes and websites about this topic which include all kinds of information about it: crops, different kinds of potatoes, recipes, nutritional information, official websides by the Government to support this industry or potato crops and so on.

If you haven't spent some time with a British or Irish family, this will sound quite strange; but my experience has made me learnt that this is true: a typical Irish dinner including fish or meat, peas, carrots, SMASHED POTATOES and BAKED POTATOES altogether, not as options. I must thank Marlene Moran, my Irish landlady while I was staying in Dublin for my "Spanish teachers of English" in 1992, who always cooked typical Irish dishes for her guests from all nationalities.

You'll find lots of websites (I'll show you some in the future) including recipes of all kinds, but basically is potatoes, potatoes and more potatoes every day.

Ir a: http://www.potato.org.uk/ supporting the British Potato Industry

Ir a: http://www.britishpotatoes.co.uk/ (supporting the B.P.I. and lots of recipes and information for children

Ir a: http://www.potatoesforcaterers.co.uk/ (B.P.I. and nutritional information)

Ir a: http://www.potatoesforschools.org.uk/ (for schools and teachers, to grow, to cook, ...)

Ir a: http://www.lovechips.co.uk/ (more original, about the Potato Week in February 2009)

Ir a: http://www.foodsafety.gov/ (an official website about alerts, consumer advise and education, ...)

Easter in Great Britain

When we think about something special at Easter in Spain, we usually think of Easter eggs (like the one in the photo to the right). Of course, there are "torrijas" all over the country. There are also lots of different cakes, sweeties and so on, according to the place where you spend your Easter holidays.


What about Great Britain and Ireland? What's the meaning of Easter for Britons? Remember they are not a Catholic, but an Anglican country. Even the name is from Anglo-Saxon origin, a goddess of fertility and springtime.


Easter in Britain and Ireland is similar throughout all four countries and, as in Spain, involves traditional cooking and baking with the highlight of the weekend of festivities involving copious amounts of chocolate eggs. Have you ever thought that Spaniards and Britons shared customs and traditions?


The two important cakes at Easter are the Simnel Cake and Hot Cross Buns. They were my first contact with Easter traditions in Britain during my first stay with my "British family" at Alice's. I must say that they were a Catholic family, a minority in London.


Hot Cross Buns are marked with a cross and were eaten by the Saxons to honor their goddess Eostre - it is thought the bun represented the moon and the cross the moon's quarters. To Christians, the cross symbolizes the crucifixion and traditionally eaten warm with butter on Good Friday (on the photo on the right).


The Simnel Cake signifies the end of Lent but as it was originally made on Mothering Sunday, I consider it deserves an entry apart.


Anything else important about Easter? Any other memories to share with you? Yes. It's nothing to do with food and drink, but all the same, you must know that British people share some traditions, as chocolate eggs and that they are not all so shy and reserved and you may think of them. "Easter Bonnet Parade" is a good example.

Ir a: http://www.visitbritain.co.uk/things-to-see-and-do/interests/food-drink/features/easter-food-traditions.aspx (about all kinds of traditions)

Ir a: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/ (news about 2009 Easter)

What can I cook on St. Patrick's Day?

From the very beginning of the day, this must be Irish. So let's start with an Irish Breakfast, hearty and simple as its people, which consists of tea and scones and a fine word or two from a poem by Yeats or the lyric prose of Joyce.




Ir a: http://www.csun.edu/~hceng029/yeats/collectedpoems.html
Ir a: http://www.poemhunter.com/william-butler-yeats/
Ir a: http://quotations.about.com/cs/poemlyrics/a/William_Butler.htm
Ir a: http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Butler_Yeats (biography)
Ir a: http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/literature/laureates/1923/yeats-bio.html (Official Nobelprize Website)
Ir a: http://www.online-literature.com/yeats/ (also for other authors)

Beef recipes for St. Patrick's Day

There are many options if you want to cook beef, but a simple and tasty one like this will make easier to enjoy the day.

That is why I've chosen this one. The ingredients are also really "Irish" (beef and Guinness) and this is another important reason. But of course, you can choose any other one you like, according to your tastes, time to cook and ability.

So go ahead!

Irish Beef Stew Recipe

Ingredients
1/4 cup olive oil
1 1/4 pounds well-marbled chuck beef stew meat, cut into 1-inch pieces (NOT extra-lean)
6 large garlic cloves, minced
6 cups beef stock or canned beef broth
I cup of Guinness beer
1 cup of fine red wine
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
3 pounds russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch pieces (about 7 cups)
1 large onion, chopped
2 cups 1/2-inch pieces peeled carrots
Salt and Pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
(It's up to you the possibility of changing the quantities of the spices or not to use some of them if you don't like them; but remember the flavour will change)

Method
1 Heat olive oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add beef and sauté until brown on all sides, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and sauté 1 minute. Add beef stock, Guinness, red wine, tomato paste, sugar, thyme, Worcestershire sauce and bay leaves. Stir to combine. Bring mixture to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, then cover and simmer 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

2 While the meat and stock is simmering, melt butter in another large pot over medium heat. Add potatoes, onion and carrots. Sauté vegetables until golden, about 20 minutes. Set aside until the beef stew in step one has simmered for one hour.

3 Add vegetables to beef stew. Simmer uncovered until vegetables and beef are very tender, about 40 minutes. Discard bay leaves. Tilt pan and spoon off fat. Transfer stew to serving bowl. Sprinkle with parsley and serve. (Can be prepared up to 2 days ahead. Salt and pepper to taste. Cool slightly. Refrigerate uncovered until cold, then cover and refrigerate. Bring to simmer before serving.)
Serves 4 to 6.



I consider this is a recipe very similar to some Spanish stews (beef, lamb,...) and it is easier to begin with a similar taste. Is there anything similar in your country?

Ir a http://www.recipezaar.com/recipes/st-patricks-day
Ir a: http://http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/database/irishbeefstew_73826.shtml (bbc)
Ir a: http://http://blogchef.net/irish-beef-stew-recipe/ (good photos, free recipes, interesting comments)

Spotted Dick

"Spotted Dick" or "Spotted Dog. A curious name for a dish!

And here you are, ready to cook. Or perhaps, ready to explain a group of students "Food and Drink Vocabulary", or the difference between "countable and uncountable nouns" or "how to measure uncountable nouns", ... Or ready to prepare a cultural day.

In any case, you can read recipes or write your favourite dish recipe. Or better, your students can talk about one recipe they like or even prepare if you have got time and a suitable place.

If you try with a British recipe, this may surprising because of the name. What is a "Spotted Dick" or a "Spotted Dog" as it is also called?






Ingredients:

285g (10oz) Self-Raising Flour 150g (5oz) Shredded Suet 150ml (¼ pint) Milk 110-160g (4-6oz) Currants or Raisins 85g (3oz) Castor Sugar 1 Lemon, zest only, finely grated Pinch Salt


How to cook it:


Mix all of the dry ingredients, including the grated lemon zest, together thoroughly Add enough milk to produce a soft dough. Turn out onto a floured surface. Roll out the mixture to produce a roll approximately 15cm (6 in) long and 5cm (2 in) in diameter. Prepare either a tea towel lightly dusted with flour, or sheet of kitchen foil or a double thickness of greaseproof paper, brushed with melted butter. Wrap loosely but securely, leaving enough space for it to rise. Tie or seal the ends. Place in the steamer and cover tightly. Steam for 1½ to 2 hours. Serve cut into thck slices with hot custard. Other possibilities are cream, hot chocolate, ... but try your own one.

Ir a: http://www.grouprecipes.com/20861/spotted-dick-recipe.html


Ir a: http://www.videojug.com/film/how-to-make-spotted-dick


Ir a: http://www.shamrockfoods.ie/Recipes/Spotted-Dick-48.aspx



If you need more details to get a proper "Spotted Dick", follow the instructions shown in this marvellous video, including basic printed vocabulary.


Ir a:http://www.videojug.com/film/how-to-make-spotted-dick

To help student with their own recipes, the following links may be useful.


Ir a: http://wazniak.mimuw.edu.pl/index.php?title=Lesson_3_-_Vocabulary_-_FOOD_AND_DRINK_-_Page1 with easy multiple choice activities


Ir a: http://www.saberingles.com.ar/lists/drinks.html for basic vocabulary and listening to learn how to pronounce


Ir a: http://www.englishclub.com/english-for-work/food-drink.htm for more especialized vocabulary.



And if you are more interested in the curious name, Spotted Dick", you can read interesting websites and surveys with different possibilities. All the same, when dealing with recipes, flavours are more important than background information or ethimology, aren't they?

British traditional breakfast

What is the traditional English breakfast?

The traditional English breakfast consists of eggs, bacon, sausages, fried bread, baked beans and mushrooms. Even though not many people will eat this for breakfast today, it is always served in hotels and guest houses around Britain.

The traditional English breakfast is called the 'Full English' and sometimes referred to as 'The Full English Fry-up'. But depending on where it is served, it is called bacon and eggs, a fry, a fry up, The Great British breakfast, a full English breakfast, a full Irish breakfast, a full Scottish breakfast, a full Welsh breakfast or an Ulster fry. The complement of the breakfast varies depending on the location and which of these descriptions is used.

But Full English Breakfast has seen its last dawn, market researchers have announced.
Fry-up, as it was affectionately known to those who found calorific comfort in its fried bacon, sausage, mushroom, eggs and tomato - could not survive in the modern world.
According to Datamonitor, notoriously unhealthy Fry-up was killed by a flurry of activity. Britons are increasingly busy in the mornings and Full English was just too "time consuming to prepare".

There are even lots of news of different kinds of newspapers, broadcasters or magazines on science and health which include different articles about the health problems caused by too much fat and so on.

But what would be a visit to London or any other British place without tasting, at least for once in a lifetime, a Fry-up? Do it! Then compare ingredients, quantities, flavours, recipes, ... and decide if you like it or not.

Ir a: http://http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/customs/questions/food/meals.htm

Ir a: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Full_breakfast

The secrets of TEA

Where does it come? How to prepare it? How did it arrive in the UK? Spend a little time to get enough information to learn its qualities and advantages, how to prepare a cup of tea in a proper way and... Relax yourself with a nice typical British cup of tea (with milk, of course)!

Tea existence of tea dates back to 5000 years and is considered to be one of the most preferred beverages all over the world even today. Whether it is consumed hot or cold, tea is considered to be the second most consumed beverage, after water.

Tea with its rich history is still regarded as a high quality and refreshing beverage, inspite of the fact that a lot of new, innovative hot and cold beverages have now flooded the department stores, groceries etc. The delicious taste, soothing aroma, health benefits and often calming effect may be the reason for people taking a liking for this beverage all over the world.

Researches have found out through their various studies, that consumption of tea varieties and tea extracts have given relief to many an ailing. This feature of tea has attracted many researchers, medical professionals, scientists and even health conscious people, who are all seeking wellness from natural products, to suggest and acknowledge that consumption of tea has a lot of health benefits.

With these high recommendations and potentiality for improvement of health, there is a huge demand for tea arising all over the world. . To cater to the rising demands, tea manufacturers all over the world have started producing tea in various varieties, forms, flavors and specialty tea products, to give the consumer greater choices of tea and its products. Due to the increase in production, tea lovers these days are getting to taste new and more alternatives of tea.

All the varieties of teas available originate from the same evergreen plant, the Camellia Sinensis. But around three thousand varieties of the bushes of these plants are grown in the mountain ranges all over the world. The different varieties in harvesting and processing procedures done on the dried tea leaves and buds, resulted in developing various varieties of tea. Many of the world’s best teas are grown in large plantations, also referred as tea estates or gardens. The Camellia sinensis plant, although has a high growth, is normally cut to under three feet in size for harvesting tea. Regular pruning of these plants results in thick growth and makes plucking of the tea leaves easier and more efficient. The major varieties of tea are the black tea, oolong tea, green tea and white tea.

Black tea commonly referred as red tea in China, Japan and India, is the most popular among the varieties of teas that is easily available al over the world. Black tea has deep red color and comes in wide range of flavors and tastes from flowery and fruity to spicy and nutty. The process of deriving black tea is a tedious one. After picking the leaves, they are exposed to air for about 10 to 24 hours, by spreading it out to let the water in it to evaporate. The leaves exposed to sunlight curls and begin to dry. After complete drying of the leaves, they are rolled into balls and then cooled. When this process is taking place, the leaves creates a chemical change wherein the juices of the leaves emerge and the leaves start to darken. After this oxidation process, the leaves are finally heated to stop the process of oxidation and seal the flavor and aroma in them.

Ir a: http://teaonesite.com/

Are you a beginner learning English? This is a simple explanation to make a cup of tea.

Flashcards and children

If you are dealing with children, you can begin in the simplest possible way. Why don't you use lovely colourful flashcards.Printable worksheets are also really valuable. Card games and bingo games may be fantastic!

They can be used as great posters on the walls; they can be used to be handed out; you can also play in the classroom if you make small copies of them.

Lots of websites offer lots of material, ideas, forums, etc. that the teacher can introduce step by step. Remember a high level of knowledge of vocabulary will be required to cope with the four skills successfully.

It's up to you the way you use them, but remember that children are usually really grateful when they enjoy the activities and sharing materials with other ESL Teachers will be better for us and for our pupils.

How good is your level of English? I friendly typical British gentleman will explain how to make a lovely cup of tea, but your level must be, at least, intermediate.

British Food and Drink are tasty, too!

What do you think when you are told about British cookery? Yes, I know. A huge fatty breakfast too early in the morning; a mere lettuce sandwich which makes you look so miserable; a not-very-desirable dinner too early in the evening; and tea, tea, tea.

But that's not all. As usual, preconceptions are not good. British cookery may be tasty, amazing, surprising, delicious and...rich and varied. The blog you are reading at the moment is designed to make you change your mind and discover historical receipts, lovely flavours, ingredients you'll love, famous cooks who will open their kitchens to show their secrets and so on.

I also intend that, after considering British cookery from a different point of view, the reader can reconsider other aspects of the British way of life, Britons personality, their behaviour, their politeness, their British humour. I'm sure there are also preconceptions in relation to these topics that may be changed if we analize them in detail as we intend to do now about British "fish & chips".

Along the pages, you'll get it, or I hope so, together with information about useful linkers to increase your knowledge of English culture through food and drink.

So, go ahead and good appetite!

Note: Some useful WEBSITES are www.jamieoliver.com, www.jamieskitchen.net, www.greatbritishkitchen.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=128&Itemid=55, www.learnenglish.de/culture/foodculture.htm, pages.eidosnet.co.uk/cookbook/history.html, www.history.uk.com/recipes/index.phpr a:

An expert and his perfect cup of brewed tea

We can learn how to make a cup of tea using basic vocabulary and instructions for our elementary or pre-intermediate students. The intermediate can use a more elaborated video, including more complex explanations and more specific vocabulary. The upper intermediate students dare to follow the instructions of an expert.



And what can you do if you are fond of cooking? First, of course, you should know the previous steps. Secondly, get precise information from an expert on tea leaves and brewing tea. If you follow his instructions, you'll feel as the Queen in Buckingham Palace when drinking it.

Boston Tea Party

What was the Boston Tea Party?
On Monday morning, the 29th of November, 1773, a handbill was posted all over Boston, containing the following words: "Friends! Brethren! Countrymen!--That worst of plagues, the detested tea, shipped for this port by the East India Company, is now arrived in the harbor.

But what was this for? Just for tea? Unbelievable! Or not?

Tea is not only a very well-known British habit. Tea is not only a usual drink in many parts of the world. Tea has unleashed important historical moments. Here is one of the most famous and, perhaps, the one whose consequences were of vital importance.



The Boston Tea Party was an act of direct action protest by the American colonists against the British Government in which they destroyed many crates of tea belonging to the British East India Company and dumped it into the Boston Harbor. The incident, which took place on December 16, 1773, was a major catalyst of the American Revolution and remains an iconic event of American history.

These are the mere facts explained in the simplest possible way but, as we can learn from other 'moments' in history, economy, power, politics and so on are also behind them.

As Europeans developed a taste for tea in the 17th century, rival companies were formed to import the product from the East Indies. When tea became popular in the British colonies in North America, Parliament sought to eliminate foreign competition by passing an act in 1721 that required colonists to import their tea only from Great Britain and the East India Company. Because Parliament heavily taxed this tea and charged the East India company tariffs, both Britons and British Americans found that it was much cheaper to buy smuggled tea, which usually came from Dutch sources—tea imported into Holland was not taxed by the Dutch government. The biggest market for smuggled tea was England, but illicit tea was also smuggled into the colonies to a lesser extent.

Tensions between Great Britain and the American colonies arose in the 1760s when Parliament sought, for the first time, to directly tax the colonies for the purpose of raising revenue. Colonists argued that, according to the British Constitution, British subjects could be taxed only by their own representatives; because the colonies were not represented in Parliament, they could not be taxed by that body. Colonists organized economic boycotts against the Stamp Act of 1765 and the Townshend Acts of 1767. By 1773, the British East India Company was in financial distress due in part to the colonial boycotts.

As we all can guess, the British Government decided to act and passed the Tea Act, which allowed the East India Company to sell tea to the colonies directly and without "payment of any customs or duties whatsoever" in Britain, instead paying the much lower American duty. This tax break allowed the East India Company to sell tea for half the old price and cheaper than the price of tea in England, enabling them to undercut the prices offered by the colonial merchants and smugglers granting them a virtual monopoly.[citation needed]

I can continue explaining the facts but it's impossible to describe all the problems, the background, the revolts and riots and the consequences of the Boston Tea Party in 1773. So, dear reader, if you are interested, consult the many linkers associated along the text or the websites at the bottom.

Ir a www.bostonteapartyship.com/, www.historyplace.com/unitedstates/revolution/teaparty.htm, www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/teaparty.htm, www.boston-tea-party.org/

P.S.: Isn't this a blog about 'Food and Drink in the Untied Kingdom? Why then a text about The Boston Tea Party? Remember that Boston was one of the main cities of the British colonies in what is, nowadays the United States of America. It was also the origin of a war that ended up not much later with the Independence of U.S.A. Then, The Boston Tea Party is an important part of British history.

British Food and Drink

Traditional Food

What is typical British food? ( Food)
What is ‘bangers and mash’ or ‘black pudding’?
What is ‘spotted Dick’?
What is a Ploughman's Lunch ?
Puddings / Desserts
What food do you eat for pudding?(desserts)
What cakes and biscuits do you eat?
Meals
When do you eat your meals ? (Meal Times)
What is the difference between supper, dinner and tea?
What are your meals called?
What would you eat for a typical English breakfast?
Afternoon Tea and High Tea
What do you eat and drink during Afternoon Tea ?
What does High Tea consist of?
What is the difference between a High Tea and an Afternoon Tea?
Drinks
What do you drink in the UK? (Tea)
What is the national drink of England?
Cheeses
What cheeses do you eat in the UK?
Pies
What pies do you eat in Britain and what are pies?
Eating Etiquette
What are the rules for Eating in the UK? (Manners)
National Foods
What are the traditional foods of Wales and Scotland?
What is the National Food of England ? (National Food)
What Take-Away (Take Out) food do you have?
What is Fish and Chips? (Fish and Chips)
Foods and Festivals
What special foods do you eat during your festivals?
Foods discovered in England
What food was "invented" or discovered in England?(History)

Ir a http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/customs/questions/food/
Ir a www.jamieoliver.com/recipes