Sunday, February 19, 2006

No-brainer

In the past three days, I've logged approximately 25-30 hours writing a paper. Consequently, my brain is pretty much beyond revival...which is why it seems like a perfect time to think of British foods I'll genuinely miss when I leave (no, really, they do exist):

1. Hobnobs. The best freaking cookies in the world. Except they're biscuits. Cookie isn't really a word here.

2. Hovis Digestives. While the name is off-putting, to say the least, these little breadloaf-shaped gems are like graham crackers, but slightly less sweet and infinitely more satisfying. Alas, they only come in variety packs of crackers (something to do with the fact that they're categorized as digestive biscuits), so I'm forced to buy giant cracker boxes for five freaking Hovis' (Not sure what the plural is: Hovii?).

3. Earl Grey Tea. I can't even tell you how good it is here. I may have to have the local tea shop ship its own kind to the States, because everything else just seems inferior now.

4. Good Guinness. Apparently, it's even better in Ireland - but it's pretty nice here.

5. Fish and chips with malt vinegar. The one meal that consistently rises above expectations. Although I'm starting to weird out the neighborhood pub with my propensity for using half a bottle of malt vinegar per meal.

6. Sticky toffee pudding. 800,000 calories, 2462 grams of fat, and worth every seam-splitting lick of the spoon.

7. Brie and tomato sandwiches...although they get a little old after the newness wears off and you realize they're one of two or three, tops, vegetarian options in most sandwich places.

8. No, there's really no eight. Seven's all I can muster so far, but I have to admit it's seven more than I anticipated finding. I realize that technically two of them are not food, but Guinness definitely has more calories than a Hovis, and I'd probably subsist off Earl Grey if I could just find a way.

I'd post the number of foods I miss, but it would just make me cry. ;-)

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Okay, take the Guinness out of the equation and you've got my interest--especially on the Fish n Chip issue! (I think I've made my position on Guinness perfectly clear). You did peak my interest with an Irish Car Bomb--? What are the ingredients? Could I concoct one at home?

Anonymous said...

OH YES! the Earl Grey Tea is simply heavenly out there! a friend of mine brought me some just last month, and I simply can't wait till tea time every day (which is around 1am in my schedule...but still exists!).
So, it's not that bad out there in terms of food : ) the pudding sounds SO good. I was laughing at the description for 10min...I think you have obtained a peculiar sense of humor recently...a british one? can't tell.

hope you are taking a nice break from your 30hr/three day schedule of writing! enjoy the hobnobs, was it?

ecogrrl said...

Hey Kristy! If you don't like Guinness, alas, I'm afraid the Car Bomb won't work...it's 2/3 a pint of Guinness, and then you drop a shot of Bailey's and whiskey into it...the bomb part comes in because the whole thing explodes as soon as you drop the shot, so you have to chug pretty fast before it curdles. Mmmm, I make things sound so appetizing. :p It tastes nothing like Guinness, though. I know the guys at Dubliners in Fremont can make a mean one, so that might be worth a shot.

Serine!! Hey girl! :) So good to hear from you - how's life in NYC? Are you working nights right now, or are you just up that late for tea? ;) Anyway, the pudding: somehow, someway, we will get you out here and you'll try some.

Anonymous said...

ah, yes, your blog reminded me of the wonderful tea you gave me. hmmmmmm...

and digestives! my favorite are the caramel variety. but never fear. i think i actually saw some at berkeley bowl, my favorite grocery store in town. my british roommate also drinks plenty of PGTips and Tetley. i'll be your supplier, dearest Meg.

fatten up on scones and clotted cream. it'll help you get through the paper.

-berkeley girl

Anonymous said...

I must urge a modicum of caution with respect to the clotted cream and scones. Fatten up on the scones, but beware the indigestion that might accompany too much clotted cream :) Won't get much paper-writing done if you're stuck in bed moaning and clutching your stomach, I fear.

My newest paper-writing technique: avoidance being punished by heinous chores. Not writing or researching? Clean the bathroom. Stuck and too tired to continue? Fold laundry. Too many of these tedious chores and you'll either have an immaculately clean house and no paper, or you'll curse the lint trap on the dryer for eating yet another lone sock and get back to work. I must warn you, though: it doesn't always work, as Peter will tell you. My bathroom is always clean around paper time now!

Good Luck (and drink plenty of cider, too, for me - that's my personal favorite in terms of non-American foods!)

~ Your Stanford chum, currently hosting Berkeley-girl as she does some research at my school

ecogrrl said...

Hey Cali girls!

Thanks for the advice - alas, I've tried the cleaning versus papers routine, but all I've done is turn myself into a ridiculously meticulous housekeeper who can't work in clutter anymore (NOOOOOO!)

Luckily, although scones and cream are good, I'm hyper cheap right now and refuse to purchase anything I don't absolutely need. Yes, "need" is a relative term, but most of the time I can avoid needing scones as often as I want them (which is all the time every day)...more posts coming soon - a couple, at least. Enjoy the sun down there!