UK/US Translation Thread

[pocossin]

People sure are particular about how they like their eggs.

Eggs with green onions (scallions) are a traditional spring food here, perhaps because of the many Welsh immigrants of three hundred years ago. I mix four eggs, one chopped green onion, a sprinkle of jalapeno pepper powder (my substitute for salt), and cook in olive oil on a low heat. Delicious!

 

[blue_angel]

Trojina

For some reason this gave me a good morning laugh "I assume sunny side up means the yellow round side up... but where else would it be anyway?" :roll: not at your expense of course, my favorite family members are often smart asses. And this is sort of how this came across to me. Although I'm betting it wasn't your intention and still I enjoyed it very much


You have it right, over easy is flipped, easy, maintaining the unbroken yolk, and taken off of the stove before cooking to a firm consistency. Over medium is cooked the same, just a little longer. Sunny side up is the same but not flipped and not poached. Too runny for my taste. I can not handle the white being runny at all.

Sneakers or tennis shoes, are leather, fully covering, comfortable, and supportive. Made for running, walking, sports. They lace up in the center, not with lace but rope like string. That make a bow. Commonly white but often different colors and styles.

Pumps were popular in the 80s, leather usually, different colors, black was the common color. They fully cove heel, bottom, and toes. However they have an oval opening at the top, and a pointy heel ranging from an inch to 4 inches high. I think 3 was average.

Converse is a brand of a type of sneaker, made more for style than comfort or support, usually strong cloth rather than leather.

Both are generally below the ankles unless they are "hightops" and both give complete coverage, lace from just above the toes to just below the ankle usually in a criss cross manner and then tied into a bow. Som lace and tie differently according to their taste and style.

 

[blue_angel]

As far as eggs, I like many different eggs, omelettes, scrambled, over medium, hard boiled, poached even if I am having eggs Benedict, just can't stand the white to run even the slightest. Pocossin, that sounds yummy and healthy.

 

[blue_angel]

Trojina,

When I think of biscuits here, they are like soft, sometimes crumbly, fresh baked bread, they rise, are soft in the middle, a little harder on the outside or flaky. Round in shape, similar to french bread, without the hard outer crust. The inside is usually soft. A lot of times people add garlic, herbs, butter to the dough, or even cheese.

For breakfast people will make gravy out of bacon or sausage. Usually white gravy, meaning they add flour and milk, some pepper. The gravy is thicker than most brown gravies. Often people will make eggs, bacon, and cut the biscuit in half pouring the gravy over them. Its a very savory taste. If made with sausage, the gravy is a little more salty and spicy. If the gravy is made with bacon it has a sweeter, more subtle taste, with a
hint of salt.

I prefer the bacon. Not at all healthy for you... but good to the taste, and if you grew up eating it, soothing to the soul. My grandfather would say, "baby my biscuits and gravy are so good, that if I put this plate of them on top of your head, your tongue will slap your brain out the way to get to them" I was way too young to appreciate the joke or what on earth he was even saying. Silly man.

 

[Trojina]

I don't like the sound of it, gravy on those scone things, it sounds horrible. I'm sure it can't be or no one would eat but I can't imagine how meaty gravy can taste good on scone type things.

 

[moss elk]

I don't like the sound of it, gravy on those scone things, it sounds horrible. I'm sure it can't be or no one would eat but I can't imagine how meaty gravy can taste good on scone type things.

Hehe,
American biscuits are savory not sweet.
So they are a different beastie altogether.

And they are best with a peppery white gravy:

Heat a large frying pan (medium high heat)
Add 1/4 cup oil (Corn or vegetable)
When the oil is hot, Add 1/4 cup white flour, salt and generous amounts of black pepper.
*stir gently constantly*
until it turns light brown in color. (Takes less than a minute)
then add a cup of milk.
*stir gently constantly*
Turn the heat down just slightly (medium or medium low)
Add another cup of milk.
*stir gently constantly* maybe five minutes.
It will thicken up. Then it is done.

Half or break up the biscuits on a plate.
smother them in gravy and eat. (Scrambled eggs are a good match)
Take a nap.

 

[Trojina]

I know they are savoury not sweet...but to have gravy on them still sounds yuk . Scones are not always sweet but I wouldn't put gravy on them. The way you describe making them makes them sound not like biscuits at all, as you don't bake them, they sound more like pancakes. I mean biscuits would have to be baked in an oven.

I think what you call biscuits are a totally different animal to a scone. I suspect you are speaking about some type of pancake....though who would want gravy on a pancake.

I have to give up or ask for pictures as I have no idea of what you speak of.

I seem to be the only Brit on this thread....there are others about presumably,,,I mean I'm not confident enough in my views or knowledge to represent the nation

I am laughing at the thought of myself being a representative of the UK

 

[moss elk]

Sorry, the recipe i included was just for the gravy.

(I have not learned how to make the biscuits from scratch)
yes, biscuits are baked., and fluffy/bready on the inside and flakey on the outside.

Anyone here know how to make biscuits?

 

[pocossin]

I have to give up or ask for pictures as I have no idea of what you speak of.

http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=biscuits and gravy&FORM=BILH1
-- pictures of biscuits and gravy

 

[moss elk]

Buttermilk biscuits.

Biscuits and gravy

 

[poised]

Biscuits with Gravy. Oh my!!!

I can't believe where this thread has gone, and just when I'm deciding what to have for a late brekkie.

My dad was from the Midwest, a small town near the Kansas/Missouri border, where gravy on biscuits was eaten frequently and with delight. Buttermilk biscuits preferred, no sugar or herbs or cinnamon or other flavoring added.

The recipe Moss Elk posted here looks about right, except instead of cooking in olive oil, my dad made gravy in a pan after bacon was cooked, leaving some grease and crunchy flavor bits. Oh my!!

When I first visited my sister when she moved to Texas, she and her Texan husband picked me up at the airport and took me immediately to the best Biscuits'n'Gravy place in Dallas. A super treat for me. AS I recall, we could choose chicken gravy or bacon gravy or pork chop gravy…whatever.

I don't think you could sell "biscuits'n'gravy" in New York or San Francisco,or even in Chicago, where I grew up, but many people from the heartland consider it "home cooking" and love it.

BTW, I have never enjoyed scones, which seem dry to me. I tried to make them, friends tried, but we never got the hang of it.

 

[poised]

Thanks for the biscuits'n'gravy pictures. Delightful. Also thanks for reminding me about scrambled eggs with green onions. On my way to the kitchen now to make some.

 

[blue_angel]

I don't think its like a scone. Not what I know of any scone. Think bread roll but softer and flaky or crumbly. Or English muffin even but puffier, softer, and again a little flaky and soft.

Moss Elk, if you use the oil from the Bacon fat tastes. Amazing, depending on your taste or the oil from breakfast sausage depending on your taste. Either in my opinion is much better than vegetable or corn oil.

Biscuits, 2 cups flour, 1/4 tsp baking soda, 3/4 tsp salt, 2 tbsp butter, 2 tbsp crisco, 1 cup buttermilk. Need, press, cute round circles out. Bake at 450 15 minutes or until brown on top. You can also add 1/4 cup shredded cheese of your choice to this mixture and or 3/4 tsp garlic
powder, basil, or rosemary.


I make my gravy almost the same as Moss Elk with the exception of using bacon grease/fat with little bits of bacon pieces, instead of vegetable oil, and delicious. Tongue slaps the brain out of the way to get to the plate.

 

[blue_angel]

Guess I crossed posts with you Poised, sorry about that. That's kind of neat though lol. Talk about being on the same wave length with the bacon white gravy and buttermilk bicuits.

 

[Trojina]

The pictures of the 'biscuits' posted so far look exactly like scones.

With gravy on they look ghastly.

Truly ghastly.

I'm glad I live here not there

 

[blue_angel]

you certainly don't have to eat biscuits & gravy to live in the US many people don't. You'll never know though til you try lol. Suit yourself. Not like scones. Bread roll, English muffins. Cross between the two.

 

[poised]

Hey, blue angel, thanks for reminding me about SAUSAGE gravy. Soul food, it is. I'm digging really deep here; it's been decades since I last had biscuits'n'gravy or gravy on anything, for that matter. An almost vegetarian food saint, I now eat nothing but boring food. If it weren't for the nearby Asian market with its interesting, flavorful veggies (plus ginger, garlic, spices), I'd forget to eat at all.

Thanks for the easy biscuit recipe. What would happen without the crisco? I will use butter now and then but not crisco.

 

[moss elk]

Moss Elk, if you use the oil from the Bacon fat tastes. Amazing, depending on your taste or the oil from breakfast sausage depending on your taste.

Yes, i offered the vegetarian version.
Bacon grease is traditional.

 

[poised]

French toast? Belgian waffles?

Trojina, have we discussed "French Toast" yet? Do Brits make French toast? Do the French? I don't recall eating it anywhere in Europe or the UK.

And then, there are Belgian waffles. I did enjoy those in Belgium, but they are different from "regular" waffles in the US.

British Toast? British Waffles?

Do you have sourdough bread in UK? WE think of it as a San Francisco phenom, but perhaps it's on the menu in the UK by another name. I like using it for French toast, if I may say so without causing an international scuffle. "Fusion" food.

 

[Trojina]

oh probably Brits eat French toast, out of a packet ?...I don't really know what it is. I have the feeling it's cold toast left to go hard ?

As I say I can't speak for all Brits, I mean some are more sophisticated, richer than me and eat funny food (yes hard to imagine I know )...actually the top meal for Brits is apparently Indian takeaway, Chinese takeaway....anything takeaway. Eating out similar, most popular Indian, Chinese, Mexican, Italian etc etc

Dunno what Belgian waffles are.

yes I see sourdough bread in the shops.

 

[pocossin]

the top meal for Brits is apparently Indian takeaway, Chinese takeaway....anything takeaway.

takeaway = carryout

 

[poised]

French toast in the US is a slice of white or whole wheat or even sourdough bread soaked in eggs until soft, then cooked in a pan, preferably in butter, until browned on the outside, still soft within. Served with butter and syrup, as pancakes are.

Belgian waffles I've had are thick waffles piled with whipped cream, berries, whatever you want. In Belgium, you see people walking down the street eating them at all times of day. Yummy. Here in the US, waffles are not so grand or highly decorated -- not thick enough to withstand walking around with them. Syrup is usually enough, over butter melting into the little holes.

"Takeaway" is "to go" here. It's pretty bad, usually junky fried chicken in a bucket or Macdonald's "drive-through" junk, Mexican too -- "Taco Bell" comes to mind. I NEVER eat that stuff. We do have Chinese restaurants that will fix dinners "to go." Wish we had more Indian restaurants. My idea of wonderful food, I can cook a variation fairly well.

 

[blue_angel]

Well... its been a couple years at least since I've eaten biscuits and gravy. I use mostly just olive oil. No butter, no Crisco, I have not mastered a healthy biscuit. When I do you'll be the first to know. I have a sensitivity to bread. I try to eat organic, cook at home, and its a rare day I eat out. I do remember how fun it was to get Chinese take out though. Eating with chop sticks, ala carte. And the little fortune cookies. We have some sushi restaurants here, a Moroccan restaurant, and then Greek, Italian, Mexican, Korean, Hawaiian. Along with the American chain restaurants and fast food. I heard San Francisco is the place to eat and explore.

 

[blue_angel]

I too eat mostly vegetarian, although I do eat meat occasionally, grass fed. If I eat out, turns my stomach now. Don't usually feel well.

 

[Trojina]

what the heck is 'Crisco' ? I'll google. I think I don't know some of these things not just because I'm English but because I'm out of touch. Crisco ?????

 

[Trojina]

Crisco is 'shortening'. What's that ? I should know that. Even googling Crisco didn't make much sense...some kind of fat ?

Oh dear perhaps I better move on from food

 

[blue_angel]

Crisco is just the brand name for the only shortening I am aware of lol. Shortening is basically a processed fat or butter used for baking specifically. You couldn't eat it. It doesn't taste good. Its white. Do you know what lard is. Its basically a more processed version of lard .It's not natural. So cant be good for you. Leave it to the Americans to make your food as unhealthy, fatty, and easy to make as possible lol. Tastes good and the texture is nice in the end, but seriously bad for your health.

 

[Liselle]

Trojina, would you put gravy on mashed potatoes? Biscuits and mashed potatoes have absolutely nothing in common, but the idea of putting gravy on something else (that's starchy) is sort of similar. Maybe you just don't eat gravy much at all over there? I don't have it often - on Thanksgiving Day with the turkey dinner, and sometimes with beef roasts (although I don't always make the gravy with it).

Gravy on biscuits really is the least common way I eat biscuits. Mostly I eat them with just butter, or if it's breakfast time, with butter and jam, or butter and honey. A lot of the time I like them just plain. They're good all by themselves.

And we certainly don't eat biscuits 24 hours a day . Reading this thread people will get the idea that Americans eat nothing but biscuits. I make them once every couple months, maybe. But they are yummy!

 

[Trojina]

I think plenty of people like gravy. I don't, unless it's onion gravy. I don't like gravy on mashed potatoes. Yuk. But that's just a personal taste, I find meaty gravy revolting as am not really much of a meat eater anyway. I guess I would have to sample one of these biscuit things to understand....though I don't think I would like it.

 

[Trojina]

Anyway to me biscuits come in a packet, are sweet hard things and are good for dunking in tea or coffee.

You can make them but most people buy them in packets, if they eat them that is.