Springtime in England is scenic and picturesque as the days become longer and the start of beautiful flowers opening in bloom. With spring and summer approaching, I look forward to a few simple indulgences such as a nice cup of early morning coffee with a scrumptious muffin, a book or magazine and definitely a bit of American comfort food.
Being an American transplanted into the British world, I am quickly learning that food and life here can be quite an adventure. I do admit that living abroad is fantastic and even so, there are times when I find myself longing for familiar situations and of course memorable foods that were a part of normal everyday American life.
I am sure that we all have our “what we miss most” lists of the things, activities, places, and people from America. I miss my family, driving on wide roads, glasses full of ice, all day Sunday shopping, mixed water taps and of course American comfort food. I am sure that all of us Americans remember our most-loved comforting foods, those particular delicacies that trigger thoughts and signify spring break times or summer vacation events.
American mixes and cooking shortcuts have always been my back up when cooking but these are not at times as easy to locate here. I am finding with a bit of ingenuity that simple substitutes are easily reproduced in order to refresh memories and satisfy the palette.
It was a total shock when I discovered that my English kitchen fan-assisted oven setting of 200 degree Celsius was quite different and definitely not the same 200 degrees Fahrenheit, as I was familiar to in America. Because of these differences, I began writing myself cooking notes for future reference and techniques when preparing my American recipes.
Having a few of my immediate notes at hand in the kitchen makes baking much simpler for me. My collected details take some of the guesswork out of calculating those recipes from Fahrenheit settings to my British Celsius fan-assisted oven settings. My notes include what works, as well as information to myself regarding the oven temperatures that did not really bake as productively as I expected.
I found that baking sponge cakes, muffins, and most bread recipes requiring an oven setting of 325 degrees Fahrenheit will bake nicely in a fan-assisted oven set at 160 Celsius; shorten the cooking time by approximately 10 minutes.
American recipe for a denser cake or muffin batter (i.e. blueberry muffins, fruitcake, breads or cakes with nuts, cakes heavier than a sponge type) which required a setting of 375 degrees Fahrenheit can be baked in a fan-assisted oven at 190 degrees Celsius, also less cooking time than the initial recipe suggest. I find that the less cooking time “rule of thumb” for me is generally 10 minutes less than most instructions indicate for most of my American recipes as they were initially intended to be cooked in a Fahrenheit oven.
A simple basic table offering a quick solution: 90°C (200°F), 150–160°C (300–325°F), 180– 190°C (350–375°F), 200–230°C (400–450°F).
I have collected a list of shortcuts that work nicely for substituting some familiar American products. My list was created by trial, perseverance and determination in most instances.
British biscuits work fine for most cookie crumb crusts. One of my favourite American simple deserts specifically requires a Graham cracker crumb crust, which I have easily been able to replicate by substituting the British biscuit (cookie) Digestives. They have a similar texture when crumbled, are comparable in flavour to the graham cracker taste, and work well forming a delicious crust.
As a reminder of home, occasionally I would like the Sunday roast to include a bit of American style stuffing. My usual state side shortcut for stove top stuffing mixture is obviously not available in the shops here so I found that it was quite easy to copy.
The copy, cheating version that I find works best;
- 2 c breadcrumbs (dried toast works)
- 2 T poultry seasoning
- 2 crumbled chicken cubes (bullion cubes)
- 2-4 T butter.
Mix dry ingredients in a bowl, add 1 c boiling water to this mixture, cover and set aside for approximately 5 minutes. Uncover and fluff with a fork and it is ready. If you prefer the mixture can also be baked or prepared by microwave. Extras can also be added to ingredients such as chopped celery, onion and parsley, all sautéed in a bit of butter. These will add a bit more flavour to the stuffing mixture, depending on your own personal taste.
Thankfully, we now have online shopping offering anything from around the world that we desire. The exception to that simple buying solution is the time when you can not wait for the parcel to be delivered and then substitutes are useful. A few of my favourite American recipes call for cornmeal, which I found is not available in any of my local shops so I found an alternative.
Cornmeal substitutes: Polenta serves this purpose, and you may want to experiment with this a bit on your own. Bramata is the most common form of polenta and it seemed to be very versatile. This type of polenta is traditionally a rustic stone-milled corn flour making it moderately coarse and similar to American corn meal. Polenta can be used for a crusty breading, baking cornbread or used as a replacement for grits, since Polenta can be cooked to a creamy consistency. This is definitely the best of both worlds here so I will continue finding ways to combine a touch of Britain into my American food favourites.
Oh, but how lucky I am to be in the United Kingdom with all of its history and traditions. This is definitely the best of both worlds here so I will continue finding ways to combine a touch of Britain into my American food favourites.
I think that “trial and effort” are wonderfully ambitious endeavours. Remember that there are some situations in cooking when you do not have such the luxury for experimental time, so be prepared with your own back up plan. I sincerely hope that you have found a few of my private cooking tips helpful and useful for your own use. My challenge to you is to find your favourite American recipe and make it amazingly British American....
Article by Julie Nobles Woodcock