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I do that, too. Use the "oatcrumbs" to make a crusting for fish then baking or frying it. It's a traditional way to do herring in Scotland. I can't get herring here, but I've used it successfully with other fish. Never had to deal with 10 lbs, though. Might work with whale!

Durian - an open and shut case.

5. Sossidges In the 1970s (and later) in Britain, one of the most popular television shows, broadcast on a weekend evening, was “That’s Life” hosted by one Esther Rantzen. It started out as a consumer protection show, challenging semi-legal or dishonest practices in stores etc., but soon changed into a general light entertainment show – and when I say “light”, I mean feather-light. The episode most people remember featured a talking dog named Prince, which was claimed to be able to say “sausages”! This went viral as we never said then, and to this day, British people of a certain age often pronounce “sausages” as the dog supposedly did. The fact that the dog’s owner was manipulating the mutt’s mouth and throat and very obviously using ventriloquism didn’t bother anyone! Prince was able to “say” a few other words, but, significantly, it was sausages that struck a chord with the British people, so important are they in British cuisine (as they are in many others). So, it is no surprise that the asinine YouTubers have to include sausages in their must-see list of what to eat in the UK. That sausages are included in the full breakfasts discussed above isn’t enough for them, because in their deluded minds sausages are what the British live on! We eat little else! There is no denying that we eat a lot of sausages, but what these people want to eat is that classic “Bangers and Mash”. So, off they all go like 19th century explorers to discover exactly the same places that every other of the breed has already found. What they don’t realise as they rhapsodise over their lunch is that most of them aren’t eating “bangers and mash”, at all! I lived in Moscow in the latter days of the Soviet Union, when food was very scarce and what was available was very poor quality. Cabbage and gristle stew was the mainstay, unless you were a top ranking communist or a pampered foreigner. I’ve mentioned this in detail here. Several years later, long after the USSR collapsed and food supplies were again available normally, a fashion arose among a certain segment of the Muscovite population. Restaurants opened specialising in cabbage and gristle and became briefly popular! This reminds me of the YouTubers seeking out war-time food which most people hated at the time. “Bangers” were made out of the sweepings of the abattoir floors mixed with cereal and water, causing them to explode when cooked, hence the name. Cheap and nasty. Apart from the fact that they would probably be illegal now, standards have risen and, although the British still love a sausage, they want something non-explosive. Supermarkets now all sell what they call “premium sausages”, or something similar, while their regular sausages are what the WWII housewife could only dream of.. And although there are many cafés and pubs offering “bangers and mash” on their menus, the sausages are a lot better than war-time bangers. In fact, it is actually more common now to see the dish described as “sausages and mash”. Any café selling real “bangers” wouldn’t last the week. So, what is the dish “bangers and mash? Simply, fried sausages served with mashed potato and an onion gravy. This is a simple, filling dish which is easy for the café or pub to prepare in large quantities. The sausages today will range from decently well made and seasoned to specialist artisan sausages. And not all sausages are served with mash. 25 years ago, I regularly ate lunch in this pub near London University, where I worked. In fact, I ate there the day before I left for China. Here is the menu from that day - it changed regularly. Also, in 2019, I ate this traditional London sausage from a street food stall. Delicious. For those wishing to taste real, traditional, regional sausages (and some newbies) made by real human beings here is a round up up some of the best types. Cumberland Probably the best known traditional sausage is the Cumberland sausage. This has been around for about 500 years and is noted for its special shape. Rather than being formed into links, it is usually one long sausage, coiled into a spiral. In 2011, the “Traditional Cumberland Sausage”, to give it its official name was awarded Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) status, meaning its specifications and area of production are legally protected.. Cumberland sausage consists of coarsely minced pork, seasoned with black pepper, nutmeg, cayenne, thyme and sage (we don’t use herbs and spices?). The meat content is a minimum 85%, often higher. But the word to look for is that “Traditional”. Some supermarkets do sell mass-produced Cumberland sausage without that word and meat content can fall as low as 45%. Without “Traditional”, there is no protection. Image by Andy / Andrew Fogg; licenced under CC BY 2.0 Lincolnshire Lincoln sausages are also made with coarsely chopped pork and breadcrumbs / rusk, but this time flavoured with sage, pepper and onion. Minimum meat content is 70% and natural casings are used. Sulphite is is usually added as a preservative (450 ppm maximum). Image by Chris Mear; licenced under CC BY 2.0 Oxford Oxford sausages date back to the 18th century. The John Nott’s sausages in the menu I show above are a type of Oxford sausage made from a recipe on page 488 of his book, “The Cook's and Confectioner's Dictionary: Or, the Accomplish'd Housewife's Companion” (link to digitised edition), published in 1723 (not 1720 as the menu claims). However, they were truly popularised by being included in Mrs Beeton’s “Book of Household Management” (link to downloadable version, recipe on page 837) published in 1861. John Nott's recipe for Oxford Sausages Unusually, the Oxford sausages are traditionally made from a 50:50 mixture of pork and veal and are highly spiced with pepper, cloves, mace, sage, and nutmeg and flavoured with lemon and herbs. In recent years, their has been a movement against veal by the animal rights mob, so some makers, though thankfully not all, are substituting lamb or going for 100% pork. Image by Kaihsu Tai; licenced under CC BY-SA 3.0 Newmarket Newmarket pork sausages are, surprisingly, from the horse-racing town of Newmarket in Suffolk, England. Their are two varieties, each made by a different Newmarket family. In 2012, the two were awarded joint PGI protection. Image by Allexbrn; licenced under CC BY-SA 3.0 Manchester Manchester sausages are made from pork, traditionally flavoured with white pepper, mace, cloves, ginger, sage, basil and nutmeg. Marylebone The Marylebone sausage is named for Marylebone, an area in north-central London. They are seasoned with mace, ginger and sage. Gloucester Traditionally, Gloucester sausages are made using pork from the rare-breed pig, Gloucester Old Spot and are flavoured with sage. In 2010, the Gloucestershire Old Spots Pig Breeders' Club was awarded Traditional Speciality Guaranteed status by the EU, meaning that pork labelled as Old Spot, must be the real deal. Lorne Sausage This might be stretching the definition of sausage a step too far for some, but in Scotland, we are proud of our beloved Lorne sausage (even if we rarely call it that). It is made with beef and spiced with black pepper, nutmeg and coriander seed. Unlike most sausages it is not cased in intestines, natural or synthetic, but pressed into a square shape and chilled. It is then cut into square slices. So, in most of Scotland, it is referred to as “square sausage”. Square sausage is usually used as part of a full-Scottish breakfast, but also (my favourite) often served sliced in a bread roll with ketchup or brown sauce. Its shape and size make it a perfect fit. There is a fascinating article here giving the history of the Lorne sausage and the origin of its name (plus a recipe). Public domain image Black Pudding Many countries have their versions of blood sausage and black pudding is the British one. Well, actually at least two. Scottish and English are slightly different. The name “black pudding” causes some confusion. It shouldn’t. The original meaning of “pudding” was Today, the word retains its original meaning mainly in Scotland and Northern England. Black pudding meaning a “kind of sausage made of blood and suet, sometimes with the addition of flour or meal” appeared in the early 16th century. Both are made with pig’s blood and oatmeal, but the English variety contains large lumps of fat. It is also spiced. Scottish black pudding does contain fat, but it is finely ground and seldom visible. English black pudding is spiced (see recipe below), whereas Scottish is not, leaving the natural flavours to dominate. Opinion varies as to which is the better, with participants in the discussion split mostly by region of birth. I prefer the Scottish version, not for any puerile nationalism or prejudice, but because it is clearly better! Stornoway black pudding, from the capital of the Outer Hebrides island of Lewis and Harris in Scotland’s far-west, has PGI status and is widely considered the best of the Scottish type. Image by me. There are many other British sausages. Pork and apple is a favourite and I regularly ate venison sausages from this man's farm shop. Most European sausages are also easily available in supermarkets. The best place for British sausages, however, remains good old traditional butchers'shops. Sadly, a dying breed. If you roll into a British café today, unless you are very unlucky, you are not going to be met by a plate of congealing fat and detonating pink slime. You are more likely to find something like this. Enjoy!

Although it rarely reached 40℃ in Scotland, 30℃ was possible in summer and the same thing happened. Every week, two pupils were designated "milk monitors". Although many of my classmates were happy to get out of class, I hated to be chosen for this task. We had to colect the stinking milk from where it was sitting in the sun behind the school canteen. We had to carry the crates and visit each classroom and dole out a bottle to each kid. The crates were heavy and cut your hands and the stink of rotten milk had me gagging the whole time. It marked me for life. I've never drunk milk since. I like cheese (even the smelly ones) and good yoghurt (usually home made), but that is my total dairy intake. I drink my coffee black.

Beef and Brussel Sprouts à la Chinoise. Beef marinated with garlic, ginger, chilies, Shaoxing wine, soy sauce and potato starch. Brussel sprouts (already quite small) were halved, blanched then drained and left to dry. Stir fried the sprouts for a couple of minutes then added the beef. Continued to stir fry until the beef was done, then added the marinade and a little oyster sauce. Served with rice.

I think that is true anywhere in the world. It has nothing specifically to do with Britain. Not all home cooks, wherever they are, are brilliant at what they do. Some aren't interested and cooking is just an unwelcome but necessary chore. Many people just see food as fuel. Members here mostly live to eat; most people do the opposite. Others are just incompetent or inexperienced. I have a good friend here in China who appreciates good food, but simply cannot cook it. My mother, who was French, was the same. I've had dull cooking in homes all over the world, including India.

Well, as one old person, I can recommend a 30 cm (just short of 12 inch) cast iron wok. These seem to be the smallest on offer here. And smaller woks work just fine! They have the benefit of being lighter. I still use 34 cm woks, but as the years go past, it's becoming more difficult to life and toss the things.

No. I'm not qualified. It's over 40 years since I lived in France and over 20 since I last visited. I have mentioned that I have eaten some awful food in France, though. However, the best is excellent and ruinously expensive, while cheaper, more simple places can sometimes surprise. In good or bad ways!

I just came across this. The most common size for a domestic wok here is 35 cm - just under 14 inches. And they are commonly used to cook multiple dishes at one meal, for a lot more than two people. The way to go. The vast majority of woks used in China on a daily basis are carbon steel. I wouldn't buy anything else.

Ham amd cheese sandwiches are certainly a thing in Britain - very common. They come cold (untoasted) and hot (toasted or fried), in which case they are called "ham and cheese toasties". In fact, ham and cheese sandwiches are common all over Europe. Think croque monsieur in France, toast in Italy etc. I made one (untoasted) yesterday, here in China.

That is a variant on the Shanghai Greens I posted. A Cantonese variant. They are the same plant as I posted - Brassica rapa subsp. chinensis. Never referred to as Baby Bok Choy, here, as I said. Chinese vegetables are a minefield when it comes to names.

If you mean the first image, then yes it's sometimes known as Shanghai Bok Choy but more commonly Shanghai Qing meaning Shanghai Greens. Yet I see it called Baby Bok Choy all the time on the interwebs and magazines etc. The second vegetable I showed is what is called Baby Bok Choy here. There are several brassicas with white stems and crinkly leaves, soo I'm not sure which one you mean. I mentioned this in more detail in the Chinese Vegetables Illustrated topic from a while back.

This was delivered to my door about 15 minutes ago. Durian! Just over 2 kg worth. A friend decided to send it to me! The apartment is smelling of durian - not a bad thing in my book, but there are nay-sayers!

...and another Sichuan flavour spotted today 麻辣小龙虾味 (má là xiǎo lóng xiā wèi) - Hot and numbing crayfish flavour, hot and numbing meaning the Sichuan staple of chilli peppers and Sichuan peppercorns. I didn't buy them.

Oyster balls in fish stock with garlic, ginger, chilli and Shanghai greens (which you probably call baby bok choy, but no one in China does. Baby bok choy in China is something else!) 上海青 ( shàng hǎi qīng) - Shanghai Greens 小白菜 (xiǎo bái cài) - Baby Bok Choy

...spill tomato puree https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/jun/02/english-road-left-looking-like-a-horror-film-after-tomato-puree-spillage

Interesting. I most commonly see it dried here. It isn't great. I did bring back a bunch of fresh, young krachai from Cambodia a few years back. That was wonderful

Some people like durian! (Also, posting in the food funnies topic).

I've seen Beijing Duck flavour here, too. Never been tempted.

Nothing to forgive. I do occasionally wake up eager to respond to an eG post that I only dreamed someone had made. While totally forgetting others which are real!

I did use them in one meal which I posted in the Dinner topic on Sunday. In fact, you saw my post and "liked" it! The remainder (about 2/3rd of them), I vacuum packed and bunged in the fridge. I will use them again in the next day or two. In fact, you saw my post and "liked" it!

Yes, even long before my moving to China, I regularly counted my blessings for not inheriting that gene or whatever it was. Ha! I haven't thought of Weetabix in decades. I do remember my father taking a dry Weetabix and buttering it like a slice of toast and eating it. But he was a very strange man in many ways! I read they now do an organic version. The world was waiting for that!

I too, have no real recollection of weekday breakfasts in my schooldays - or even later. There must have been something, though. On annual holidays (vacations) my parents would treat us to a Kellog's selection pack of individually boxed servings - this was a major treat. Sunday breakfast though was special for me, too. All sat around the table with bacon and egg, for sure. Black pudding definitely. Fruit pudding, too. I don't remember beans or tomatoes. I never ate a mushroom until I was in my 20s. My mother's twin sister had a life-threatenting allergy to mushrooms. Once, in their 70s, my mother and her twin were flying from the UK to Australia after their elder sister died there and one of the meals served on board the flight contained mushrooms, despite the crew having been told of the allergy. My aunt took one bite, spat it out and went into anaphylactic shock. The plane had to make an emergency landing in Korea* to rush her to hospital. It was touch and go as to whether she would survive. She finally recovered and made it to Australia. The airline compensated her generously without argument. This is why we were never served mushrooms at home. Despite the twins being identical, my mother was not allergic and actually quite liked mushrooms the few times she ate them, but she preferred to avoid them and certainly not feed them to us in case we had inherited any strange allergies. We haven't shown signs of any food allergies, although my sister is similarly allergic to bee stings! All my siblings and their kids are mushroom-OK. * Fortunately, South Korea.