Food on Riviera

[Harters]

I've had bacon in Canada more than once. Both with peameal or without. I prefer without - so it's basically just the normal back bacon we have in the UK.

 

I've also had "Canadian bacon" once in the States - a round slice which looked processed like it might have come out of a tin. Once was enough.

[Oceangoer2]

5 minutes ago, Harters said:

I've had bacon in Canada more than once. Both with peameal or without. I prefer without - so it's basically just the normal back bacon we have in the UK.

 

I've also had "Canadian bacon" once in the States - a round slice which looked processed like it might have come out of a tin. Once was enough.

Most likely the "States" version, not "ours".

[Harters]

24 minutes ago, Oceangoer2 said:

Most likely the "States" version, not "ours".

Absolutely. Candians have no need to add "Canadian" to their own bacon description . In similar vein, in the UK, we do not "English muffins", just muffins. But we do have "American pancakes" to distinguish them from normal pancakes. 😀

[LHT28]

Just now, Harters said:

Absolutely. Candians have no need to add "Canadian" to their own bacon description . In similar vein, in the UK, we do not "English muffins", just muffins. But we do have "American pancakes" to distinguish them from normal pancakes. 😀

Here in Canada  a Muffin is not the  same as an English Muffin   so you need to be specific

Same for  chips they are not the same  

Chips in are in a bag & a snack

French fries are hot from the deep fryer

be specific  when you travel or be surprised 😉

 

[SSFrance69]

This is what I had at Polo Grill and it was fantastic! Not the surf and turf on the menu. This was called "Pancetta wrapped filet of veal with bay lobster tail Oscar style". The cut of meat was nice and tender. I also really enjoyed the escargot in chive sauce as an appetizer. 

Jaques was our favorite. Some of our favorite dishes there were the sea bass in puff pastry for two, lobster thermidore, Filet of beef Rossini, and for an appetizer the scallop and lobster gnocchi was exquisite. 

[Harters]

9 minutes ago, LHT28 said:

Here in Canada  a Muffin is not the  same as an English Muffin

Whereas, in the UK, we have two muffins -  the little cake and the bread roll. Context is everything. Similarly, we just have coriander - not coriander and cilantro - again context usually indicates whether it's the leaf or seed.

 

We have chips, crisps and French fries. Chips being what you have with fish. Fries being thin chips you have with a fast food burger. And crisps come in a bag, preferably cheese & onion flavour.

 

I play on a food forum, which has mainly American contributors. We once did what proved to be a very long thread detailing the different food words used in American & British English. I know we had Canadian contributors to the thread but, unfortunately, no Australians or New Zealanders or we'd have an even longer thread.

[jackdeb]

Harters maybe you could explain the differences for the meaning of

’Pudding’ 

[LHT28]

7 minutes ago, jackdeb said:

Harters maybe you could explain the differences for the meaning of

’Pudding’ 

Dessert 😉

[YourWorldWithBill]

On 3/29/2023 at 7:46 AM, ak1004 said:

Heaven is where the police are British, the cooks are French, the mechanics German, the lovers Italian and it's all organized by the Swiss.

 

Hell is where the chefs are British, the mechanics French, the lover's Swiss, the police German and it's all organized by the Italians.

Thanks for that!

 

[beardedshark]

Pease, steak and kidney or queen of? 😂

[Harters]

14 hours ago, jackdeb said:

maybe you could explain the differences for the meaning of

’Pudding’ 

Not easily and not with any certainty. But here goes.

 

It can be used in the same way that a Briton might alternatively use "dessert" or "sweet", as a course in a meal.

 

Or it can describe a particular dish and this is where it gets a bit tricky. There are savoury puddings or sweet puddings. For example, steak & kidney pudding is a favourite of mine. Basically, a suet pastry, enclosing a stew, then steamed. Or, a dessert such as Sussex Pond Pudding (another delicious favourite of mine). What's common to both of those is the use of suet in the pastry and that the cooking method is steaming. That may be the primary definition of "pudding", as opposed to a savoury pie, which uses normal pastry and is baked in the oven, or indeed other sweet dishes with which you end a meal. Or it may be to do with the fact a pudding (sweet or savoury) is usally enclosed by something - a container or a cloth - while it cooks. A version of steak and kidney pudding is very local to me - traditionally coming from one town in my metro area. That's "rag pudding". Still the same suet pastry but traditonally wrapped in cloth to steam, rather than in a pudding basin. Presumably a version from history for poorer people who might not have a pudding basin.

 

But there are exceptions,of course. There's always exceptions. Like Yorkshire Pudding which, originally was served at the beginning of a meal to fill you up, so you wouldnt want so much of the expensive meat - but now served alongside roast beef. Or rice pudding, which is really just sweetened and flavoured rice, simmered in milk.

 

I guess - and it is only a guess - that the difference between a "pudding" and a "dessert" lies in the historical influence of the French over high end British cuisine. Maybe a pudding is a long established  traditional food, while dessert is something more refined and influenced by the French, hence using  a French word.

 

What I can recommend is steak & kidney pudding, with chips and mushy peas, followed by a traditional dessert such as Spotted Dick, with custard . You'll probably need a siesta afterwards.

[jackdeb]

Harters, thank you for that, a few you left off the list are “ The Great Chieftain of the Puddin’ Race “ haggis, Christmas pudding and black

pudding that you have with your breakfast fry up. Only to add to the confusion.

[Harters]

1 hour ago, jackdeb said:

haggis, Christmas pudding and black

pudding

Actually makes me wonder if the common factor (generally speaking) might well be some sort of reference to it being enclosed as I guessed earlier. Christmas pudding would another dish steamed in a basin. And both haggis and black pudding have an edible outer casing. No doubt the answer is lost to the mysteries of time.

 

We should get back to discussing food on Riviera. My interest lies there as, if all goes well with our travel insurance and related medical issues, we'll be looking at a cruise on the ship in a couple of months.

[shepherd really]

2 hours ago, Harters said:

 And both haggis and black pudding have an edible outer casing. 

 

 

Curious, what is the point of an edible outer shell when the interior is inedible?

[Harters]

1 hour ago, shepherd really said:

Curious, what is the point of an edible outer shell when the interior is inedible

 I have no answer to that.

 

But it's a great question from someone coming from NC where livermush and grits are considered to be amongst the popular foods. 😀 And, yes, I have eaten them (in Blowing Rock). And, no I didnt enjoy the experience.

 

 

Edited April 3, 2023 by Harters

[shepherd really]

1 hour ago, Harters said:

 I have no answer to that.

 

But it's a great question from someone coming from NC where livermush and grits are considered to be amongst the popular foods. 😀 And, yes, I have eaten them (in Blowing Rock). And, no I didnt enjoy the experience.

 

 

But did you have them with mustard or jelly  🤢?  Honestly I'm a transplant from New York and they are both gross to me, although I will admit to enjoying Braunschweiger on more than one occasion and blood pudding 10 days ago.

Edited April 3, 2023 by shepherd really

[Harters]

Can't recall what was with them, Shep.  I like to try local foods when I'm travelling but its the grossness of the Blowing Rock experience that I recall. I also well remember some excellent BBQ at Woodlands there, so things are even Also had good meals in Asheville on both occasions we'ev spent time in the city,

 

But the grossness of the livermush and grits was nothing in comparision with Andouilette de Cambrai - which I bought from a supermarket in the small French town of the same name. Local food, eh? Smell was vile - like a blocked and overflowing toilet, if you get my meaning. And the taste was how I imagine the contents of the toilet woiuld taste.

[xinnia317]

On 3/29/2023 at 11:14 AM, artlee said:

Last night was Polo. I hate to say it but the food was not too good. I had a cobb salad with steak that had lots of gristle and was anything but a salad — literally had one piece of lettuce, lol. The waiter had said it was not traditional cobb but i didn’t think it would be this far away from that. I should have taken a picture. My wife had surf and turf with small portion of lobster and a small filet that she said was tough. This is disappointing. Tonight is Indian night and we are typically fans. Maybe I’ll be brave and try it. 

We didn’t love our meal at Polo either. The host is unfriendly but the servers were great. My shrimp cocktail was served with ketchup with almost no horseradish. I asked for horseradish and they brought over horseradish cream and just dumped a huge spoonful in it the ketchup - yuck. My surf and turf was, as you say, a skimpy portion and was not at all hot. They brought over cold clarified butter and dumped that on and also cold bernaise. I asked for it to be sent back and requested a hot meal. Nope on the second attempt. Host came over and asked what the problem was and I said it was not hot and he said ‘medium rare steak cannot be served hot’. My husband’s prime rib was hot and medium rare. Also the soupy truffle mashed potatoes were gross. However, the crème brûlée cheesecake was marvelous! But it didn’t make up for a very poor experience and rude hosts. 

[xinnia317]

On 4/2/2023 at 10:41 AM, SSFrance69 said:

This is what I had at Polo Grill and it was fantastic! Not the surf and turf on the menu. This was called "Pancetta wrapped filet of veal with bay lobster tail Oscar style". The cut of meat was nice and tender. I also really enjoyed the escargot in chive sauce as an appetizer. 

Jaques was our favorite. Some of our favorite dishes there were the sea bass in puff pastry for two, lobster thermidore, Filet of beef Rossini, and for an appetizer the scallop and lobster gnocchi was exquisite. 

Wow - I should have ordered that! Jacques was our favorite too. Has two lovely meals there. That gnocchi was amazing!! The best service too and Zana the host was wonderful.