[HPFGU-OTChatter] Re: Brit Food: Pancakes and flapjack

[Laura Ingalls Huntley]

>> montims:
>> Just to confuse matters, I was talking about American "biscuits", 
>> which look
>> identical, though bigger, to British scones, not what Brits call 
>> biscuits,
>> which are of course called cookies in America...
>> By the way, Geoff - do you put jam on the cream, or cream on the jam?
>
> Geoff:
> The usual way is to put the jam on first which leaves room for plenty 
> of cream.
> :-)
>
> Some of us - myself included - start off with margarine or butter at 
> the bottom....

Laura chimes in, uninvited:

This American bakes the scones/biscuits so that they pull apart in the 
middle, then loads each side with clotted cream and puts a dab of 
raspberry jam on top.  Until I discovered the pure ecstasy of clotted 
cream however, I would just use a bit of butter with the jam.

Honestly, though, I have never had real clotted cream, which is made in 
Devon or Cornwall by a particular method.  I make my own by heating a 
mixture of different weight creams in a double broiler for about a day 
and then leaving it in the fridge overnight.  It's delicious, though, 
and very versatile -- I use it in my tea, on fruitcake, with 
vegetables, on sandwiches, etc. etc. ^_~ (Yes, I am a bit mad.)

Speaking of food items that I learned of while in Scotland, can I just 
mention the abomination known as 'pickles'?  I can hardly believe this 
stuff has escaped the attention (and condemnation) of the world, while 
poor Vegemite has gotten such a bad press.  For those of you in the UK, 
in the US, 'pickles' are pickled cucumbers (such as a gherkin).  For 
those in the US, 'pickles' in the UK is a gelatinous, dark green 
condiment.  So far, no one has been able to explain to me what exactly 
is in it, although the consensus seems to be that it is, in fact, made 
from pickled vegetables of some sort.  In reality, however, I suspect 
it is actually a type of alien goo.

I once watched by boyfriend's flatmate make himself 12 egg and pickles 
sandwiches.  It was horrifying.

Laura