American cookery terms

patchwork_cat

415SanFran wrote: »

To be so subdued in most areas and so excessive in others (ie they number of children they have)

Please remember that in the USA they do not receive any kind of child benefit, tax credits, health care has to be paid for, they are not getting any form of housing from the council with help for the rent, and she is home schooling. So having a large well mannered family is not frowned upon the same way as it is over here, as one's children do not cost the tax payer anything for the most part.

I believe that to have 19 children is frowned upon in the US as well as here. To have that many children is not about them being well mannered or cost the state anything it is about overpopulation. The Duggars issue is much larger than the number of children that they have it is about the way they treat them, the life that the girls will live etc. If each child also had 19 children within 1 generation there will be 361 people!!! Excessive, I believe so!

There is a school of thought in the US that they are breeding there own cult! Look into QuiverFull.

JenniO

I've really resisted posting on this thread, being from America, though, feel the need to defend/explain the packets used instead of making them from scratch.

Yes, I cringe too when I see recipes calling for yellow cake mix, jello vanilla pudding mix, etc. especially when looking up american recipes to 're-create' over here.

But I believe the reason they do it is this: It is seen as a 'convenience' or a 'time saver' to achieving the same end result as if it had been cooked from scratch. This time saver allows more time with the family, enjoying some free time to themselves after a long day's work, etc.

I think they use these 'shortcuts' in cooking because they think it is so clever to use them then to waste time making from scratch. However, they don't seem to incorporate how much it costs to buy a yellow cake mix rather than mix flour and stuff together from their own cupboard. It's odd to me.

So there you have it. Must say that growing up in the 70's my parents did use more tins to make meals than I use myself. Maybe this was the yellow cake mix of the older generation?

Anyway, this was my two pence worth.

jcr16

patchwork_cat wrote: »

There is a school of thought in the US that they are breeding there own cult! Look into QuiverFull.

thing is what ever they do will be frown upon in someones eyes.

They live their own lives , don't impose on anyone, no one is forced to watch their programmes. they are all very happy. does it matter if they are breeding their own cult ? A cult where they all respect one another, have wholesome family fun, no sex before marriage,they work hard, polite, well mannered, they believe in god to help them through the day. is it really that bad, every one believes different things anyway.

ok 19 children is alot, but think how many familes don't have children. so it kinda equals itself out.

Swan_2

meritaten wrote: »

the barefoot contessa made icecream sandwiches with vanilla icecream between two jumbo sized choc chip cookies.
I did think butter fingers were similar to our dime bars!
I once got a book out of the library entitled 'American Home Cooking' and couldnt make any of the recipes in it as they ALL called for a package of this and a can of that. even where you could use fresh ingredients the book preferred canned or preserved! wasnt impressed! I think it has taken watching Food Network to realise that Americans do actually cook from scratch! but !!!!!! - does everything have to have a pound of butter in it? its only the nutritionist or Giada de Laurentis who have recipes which are actually good for you?

yes! definitely the most similar in flavour & they have that tender flaky butterscotch texture

I really want a Butterfinger now

jcr16

i love dimes , not had one is ages if not years. and i so want one now,lol.

BitterAndTwisted

lostinrates wrote: »

Oh, I'm missing lots of American things now thinking about it.

The things I like and can't find here I cajole friends in the US to send me via Care packages. Like Mrs Dash Southwest Chipotle seasoning and BACON SALT! Oh, and cinnamon TicTacs. Parcels sometimes go back the other way with things like Branston pickle, Marmite, Twiglets and some of the more "unusually flavoured" crisps.

I LURVE American supermarkets! I know it's probably just the novelty but they have something of the Alladin's Cave about them.

The most annoying thing is buying alcohol. I had no idea until recently that in some states you can't buy anything other beer in supermarkets. For anything else you have to go to a liquor store and show your ID to prove your age even when you're patently in your forties or older.

jcr16

BitterAndTwisted wrote: »

For anything else you have to go to a liquor store and show your ID to prove your age even when you're patently in your forties or older.

but maybe thats not a bad thing. maybe if that happened more in this country we woulnd't have so much underage drinking. might seem silly showing your id in your 40's but it keeps it simple, if you want alcohol you must show id.

meritaten

lets not derail the thread please. to get back to it - I have to say that 'The Food Network' which I watch on FreeSat has opened my eyes - there ARE cooks out there in America who cook from scratch - but even those featured cooks will use things which I think British chefs wouldnt. like breadcrumbs - how hard is it to make your own breadcrumbs?

and the amount of butter and cream they use!!! its only Ellie Krieger the nutritionist and Giada de Laurentis, who prefers oils, who limits it! the rest use it with gay abandon! hey, chuck a few sticks of butter in and then add a pint of heavy cream! oh and dont forget the tablespoon of salt! and while you are there then use six eggs for that cake!!!!!!!!!!!!! jeez - forget the macds! home cooking will kill you! and if you think I am exaggerating - I'm not! just watch the barefoot contessa!

bluetimone97

Just did a search on some recipes with biscuits (we have a few left in tins from xmas still) and I keep getting beef, chicken and more hot dinner recipes, so I assume our friends over the pond have "biscuits" that are not like ours.
Anyone know what they are?

iamana1ias

bluetimone97 wrote: »

Just did a search on some recipes with biscuits (we have a few left in tins from xmas still) and I keep getting beef, chicken and more hot dinner recipes, so I assume our friends over the pond have "biscuits" that are not like ours.
Anyone know what they are?

They're like scones. They have them with a (disgusting) white sauce called gravy.