Is it Fair to Say English Fare is just Fish and Chips?

Many people when they think of English fare, they think of Fish and Chips,Shephards Pie,Sausage and Mash,mushy peas or overcooked vegetables. It doesn't sound very tantalizing, does it? Most people deem English fare to be lacking in taste and blase.I must say that English food is not bad food. I have to demystify this presumption for the rest of the planet and Americans. Since there are so many different cultures in London,there has been a long standing trend of English chefs to combine the spices and flavors of other cultures in thieir cuisine. There are the likes of famous chefs, like Gordon Ramsey and Jamie Oliver.They have combined traditional English food and made it more global and ethnic.Hence, a burgeoning fusion revolution has emerged.There has been many immigrants from India,China, Jamaica, Caribbean, Italy, Spain in London, and surely their influence has migrated into the food.But apart from that, I find English Food I find quite pleasant,and especially comforting on cold winter nights. Some dishes I enjoy are Chicken Roast, Coronation Chicken,Lancashire Hot Pot, Bubble and Squeak,Prawn Sandwiches with Watercress Soup, and so on and so forth. So, don't you dare think the English don't know how to cook, because they DO !!

I personally love Jamie Oliver. Apparently, he's now doing a food revolution, Campain in the US. I don't really care much of Gordon Ramsey and his F******G Show, where every other word is F***K This, and F***K that! I really don't think all that F*******G language is appropriate in this day and age, and it's a bad influence on society and children.I think it's stupid, and is waste of intelligence. I will talk about this later in another blog, but for now, I would like to say that Fish and Chips are a big staple and has been English fast food, since the times of the Romans. Actuallly, the first FISH and CHIPS restaurant dates about 1853.

FISH and CHIPS are wrapped in newspaper

Everywhere you go in London, what you get for food is CHIPS, CHIPS, CHIPS, and more CHIPS!!!There are around 8,500 fish and chip shops in the UK, with fish and chips probably being Britains most long-standing popular fast food. FISH and CHIPS shops are to be found in just about every part of the UK.The way the English eat their CHIPS, fries, or pomme frites is very hot and with vinegar and salt.

It would be fair to say, what you get in England for food is FISH and CHIPS, and then something else. The way the English do CHIPS is with FISH. But I can't say the same for other cultures.The way they do their CHIPS is quite different. Still, the English love their CHIPS,and apparently so does EVERYBODY else that immigrated there.When you go to a Middle Eastern Lebanese Falafe fast food place, you can order a Falafel and CHIPS. When you go to get Chinese Take out, you can get Egg Rolls, Fried Rice and CHIPS. When you go to an Italian Restaurant, and you maybe just want a pasta or a pizza, you can get Pizza and CHIPS, and then of course, a coke.

Frankly, that's a lot of greasy food, no wonder I gained weight. Oh, don't forget to down the CHIPS with a pint of Guinness. A little oil every now and then is great for your hair, nails and skin and scientist say does wonders for the arteries and has great healing properties.

Not all FISH and CHIPS are this greasy, so if the chef hands you this ask him to cook it again for you. Cheers !

10 Best Fish and Chips Restaurants in the UK
Ten Best Fish and Chip for London
A Recips on How to Make CHIPS


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History of the Pubs in London

The History of the Pubs

The arrival of the Romans and the establishment of a sound road network in the U.K. contributed to an increase in travel, and a demand for the establishment of simple ale houses where a traveler could stop and find shelter whilst quenching their thirst.The pub as we know it has its origins in the abbey breweries and monasteries, which emerged shortly after the Norman conquest of Britain in 1066. The Normans, upon conquering Britain set about building a huge network of places of worship throughout the land. Not long afterwards, many monasteries and abbeys began to brew their own beer, for sale to pilgrims. This led to the later development of ale houses, where travellers and locals could sit in for a drink or two. Temporary living accommodation was often sought by the travellers close to the ale houses, which led to the development of inns. Inns have, in turn, by and large developed again into simple drinking houses (though rarely attached to an abbey or monastery) called 'public houses' or 'Pubs' for short, often themed for novelty value, and central to entertainment and community life.

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Some Interesting Pubs:

The George Inn

The George Inn, just off Borough High Street, survived the Great Fire of London, 1666 (as it was just south of the River Thames), only to be burnt to the ground in a large scale, lesser-known fire, just one year later. It was rebuilt, and continued to serve pilgrims and tradesmen on this bus route from Northern to Southern England. The architecture is still pure 17th Century, and in the courtyard you can almost touch the atmosphere, where travellers used to drink olde-English ale, their horses and carts tied up alongside them.

The Interior of the George Inn


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For more gruesome drinks,The Ten Bellsin Spitalfields, is known to have been frequented by at least one of Jack the Rippers victims, whilst up the road in 'The Blind Beggar' the Krays carried out their most famous murder.

The Ten Bells in Spitafields. In the 1800's, the time of Jack The Ripper.

The Interior of Ten Bells

If you have a passion for the arts try 'The French House' in Soho, London where gangsters, sex workers and artists such as Francis Bacon rubbed shoulders in the 1950's and '60's.

Hauntings

Theory has it that pubs attract ghosts of the dead, for much the same reason that they attract many of the living; they go there to find a shoulder to cry on! So next time you are in a pub and feel a ghostly chill, don't fear, just lend an ear!

The Mermaid Inn in Rye, East Sussex is said to be the most haunted pub in England, with a history of duelling ghouls in the main bar, and several other sceptres that haunt the inn bedrooms. The inn serves excellent food, and has a genuine fire in the bar.

Pub hauntings are synonymous with old pubs. Perhaps try a ghost-pub crawl
with the London Walks people around your local area for a change: chase off your beer tasting evening with a different kind of spirit! Ha ha! London Walks has a different pub walk practically every night, I strongly recommend them.

Some Interesting Pub Sites

http://www.fancyapint.com/
http://knowledgeoflondon.com/pubs.html

More Tales and Adventures in Sabrina's London Diaries

Cemeteries in London

One of the many things, of the many things,that I loved about London is the parks. Some of these parks, residential or otherwise have gravestones. I have to admit it's a bit eerie and Goth, and I kind of like it(that's what happens when a mind is raised on Gothic Literature like The Bronte's Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre, which I've read 4 times and loved every page of it and plan to read it again in my old age).I wanted to wait until Halloween to post this blog, but a bit of spookiness in the middle of Spring never did anyone any harm. Besides,looking at graves reminds us of our mortality, and a dose of that every now and then,without being moribund and Gothic-like, is in my humble opinion,a sign of good mental health.

To me,the fact there are gravestones in parks is what makes London so charming and of course, so intereseting. Everywhere you go,everywhere you walk,just as soon as you walk out of your flat door,and sometimes, when you least expect it,you have history staring at you in the face: mews, old alleyways, parks, pubs, cemeteries, city streets, canals,underground tunnels, Churches, palaces, museums, secret buildings, the underground, and all sorts of tantalizing and delectable gems of London's ancient past waiting to be discovered.The fact that Londonium is such an old city,(dating back to the Romans)it has an ABUNDANCE of graves, it can't help it. In the twenty first century,most of the cemeteries are so overcrowded that they have to put them alongside the kids play area(which is fine by me, if the kids don't mind,why should I).The interesting juxtaposition of the old gravestones, alongside the newer swing sets, I find most poetic and thought provoking.

These are some photos I took right next to the SGI( Soka Gakkai International)Buddhist Center in Russel Square. This little residential park was located just next door, so after a meeting or a meditation, I would go to the park for a minute to gingerly contemplate the seasons,drink my tea and have a chat with the locals and bribe them into taking their photo for this blog that you are reading.

Cemeteries in London Lyrics by Cold Play








More Tales and Adventures in Sabrina's London Diaries

More Tales and Adventures in Sabrina's London Diaries

My Initial Impressions of the Drinking Habits of The English

My Initial Impressions of "The Pubs"
When I first came to London I was appalled by the rampant drinking or what I perceived was gross alcoholism. I was in fact, "grossed out" weekend after weekend. I would find elegant coiffured and chicly dressed women puking in the tube stations or on the street from too much alcohol consumption. Not glamorous AT ALL! You see, where I come from the people that binge drink are the kids that just got their right to drink or College kids. In the USA, you just don't see a lot of binge drinking on the streets from grown up professionals like you do in London. So, it came as a big shock for me. One night, I found a woman wandering around the tube station so drunk, I thought I better help her or at least get her on the right tube. I ended up befriending her just so she would be safe. She looked like she could have tipped over and fallen on the tracks. I took her under the wing for the rest of the night. She was so drunk, she went to the ATM, withdrew 50 pounds and told me to hold on to it. We went to the local club I frequent in my neighborhood and danced salsa. At least she could dance off the liquor and I could get my groove on, especially when she WAS NOT BUMPING INTO ME on the dance floor. Later, we took a taxi from Bayswater to her house in North London just to make sure she got home alright and not at 6 in the morning. She insisted I spend the night. After taking a taxi to North London at 3 in the morning that was not a bad idea. I gave her 50 pounds back, crashed on her couch and in the morning we finally got a chance to get to know each other since she was sober. Well, I guess you could say we ended up becoming fast friends and you can find her own Facebook. She sells real estate in Spain and will probably help me buy my house there.


My next Impression
After about year and a half of living in London, I realize that social drinking and pubs are just part of the culture. In the end, there's a positive side to social drinking. It builds community and it's relaxing just to shoot the breeze and have a pint or two after a hard day’s work. Often at many pubs they have Game Night, Quiz Night or Karaoke night. Some pubs have large screen TV's so, of course, during football season,the pubs are filled with fans. It's practically a national obsession. In addition, there are the gastropubs, which offer traditional English fare and have become quite fashionable.

Gastropub, The Hillgate in Notting Hill

Pubs are quite popular on Sunday. Sunday is a big day in English culture. It's a great place to visit with family and friends. Often, you see a lot of children and Mothers with babies and their whole brood. Sunday Dinner is usually English Roast of Chicken or Beef served with potatoes and pudding. Many pubs serve this food regularly and especially on holidays like Christmas.

The Duke of Wellington near Portobello Road, Notting Hill

Two Cute Asian blokes at Sun in Splendor pub. There were supposed to help me with my myspace page. If you guys see this, you've been very naughty and need to contact me straight away.

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Pubs aren't my thing

There are more pubs in London per square inch than there are McDonalds in the USA.
According to wikepedia, there are 7,000 pubs in London alone. This is not taking into consideration The City of London or Greater London. In my old neighborhood in London, there was about 5 pubs within about 4 blocks from each other. There was virtually one on every corner. There was a pub just 1 block from where I lived. In the whole year and half that I was there I only went there once to meet a photographer for a business meeting. It is said that many English down pints and pints of Guinness in one sitting on an empty stomach. Their purpose is to "get pissed" not pissed off, but bloody drunk. Pubs aren't my thing. I could never get behind the pub mentality. I know I'll never be English, because all that power drinking and shooting the shit for no reason in mind,seems so boring and mindless. Do I sound like a snob? Well, that's just too bad. Oh, but give me a purpose and a purpose for drinking and now that's another story all together. Now, that's where the cock comes in. The Cock is a pub on Great Portland Street.

The Cock

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I grew to love "the pubs": Spanish night at The Cock
My last month in London I ended up going to a pub called The Cock (it's short for cockerel)on Tuesday nights for a Spanish Exchange. Every Tuesday night from about 8 pm onwards Londoners longing to be fluent in Spanish or improve their English stroll in. This gives everyone a chance to speak Spanish, or if you are from Spain, you can practice your English. Everyone gets to speak Spanish (Spanish from Spain is different from Latin American Spanish) or English. The beer is pretty cheap too, just £2.50 for a pint, not bad. It's a fun night, you get to meet new friends with a common interests and improve yourself too. We all go home feeling a bit more fluent in Spanish and beer. A bunch of wellversed tipsy English,European and me the American holding hands down Oxford Street and trying to find our way home.I am really going to miss this pub.

The Cock is located on Great Portland Street

In the end, I suppose pubs and a bit of social drinking are not so bad after all, and in every respect could be positively good for your health and well being!!

Me, Sabrina The Blogger at The Sun in Splendor pub near Portobello Road-Fancy a pint?

More on Pubs in the History of the Pubs in upcoming Sabrina's London Diaries

More Tales and Adventures in Sabrina's London Diaries