Maybe it’s the lack of options here or the pure fact that anything “American” is covered in BBQ sauce (why?) but, it’s enough to make any expat rethink their exodus from the land of massive potions and endless convenience. Luckily, my ire at the attempts at American “food” gave way to American “can-do-it-ness.” I was so sick of hearing myself complain (my wife probably more so) I went ahead and opened my own pop-up restaurant. You know, those trendy one-night specialty restaurants that seem to be all the rage? Well, I did that.
Now, I’m not a chef by trade - I am an Actor. Once upon a time, I was even on billboards in Times Square and the Sunset Strip! On my way up, I had some cool day jobs. I was a line chef in Chicago while interning at The Second City and I was a (m)anny in L.A. There, I had a credit card put aside for trips to Whole Foods. An initial effort to get kids off of chicken nuggets ended with me adding Osso Bucco to my repertoire. I kept cooking as my career took off and we had people over for all the L.A. holidays. You know, The Golden Globes, The Oscars, The Emmys, The Daytime Emmys... And from these parties, came a neighbour’s persistent pleading - “You HAVE to open your own restaurant”.
Apparently, I took the compliment as sacrosanct. I presented the idea to the owners of my favourite cafe, Corner Cup, here in Leeds. They said “yes!” before I could finish my pitch. They are a wonderful mother and daughter-in-law duo that made it all insanely easy for me. I put together a hip logo, plastered it on some hats and aprons and “State Side” was born. In a quaint northern cottage on possibly the worst hob in the UK - I set to work. My goal was simple, serve stuff I hadn’t seen done well in the UK.
The online expat groups are dominated by conversations about getting food right. A friend of mine missed the Waffle House so much she went to great lengths to recreate her scattered, smothered and covered hash browns. So, authenticity was key. My dad loves to cook too, and when he heard what I was up to, he wanted in. I needed him too - for supplies. He flew over with breads, sauces and the piece-de-resistance, tortillas. Not just any tortillas, but the ones from the only factory in Chicago with Mexican maize imported by Rick Bayless. I was doing this right.
First on the menu, from expats in Chicago: Italian Beef Sandwiches with homemade giardeniera. That’s If you’re from Chicago, you for sure have a favourite beef place and you know what giardeniera is. For the rest of you: A “beef” is not a fancy “sandwich,” it’s roast beef, sliced super-thin, dipped in piping hot fatty gravy juice that soaks a sandwich from crust to crust. It’s not a French dip - it’s way better. Giardeneira is a play on an Italian relish. It’s diced veggies and hot peppers in an oily brine. The heat, vinegar and crunch complements the warm beef perfectly. Dedicated beef fans are probably asking what about sweets? These are green peppers saute´ed to sweetness and added to the sandwich - I love them, but I didn’t have the real estate at the cafe´ to do them justice.
Next on the menu was Carnitas Street Tacos - sensing a theme? This expat dish was a staple in my twenty years in L.A. Also, they suck from every place I’ve tried them from in England. I tell anyone, if they want to judge a Mexican restaurant - start with their carnitas. Carnitas is marinated pork seared in lard and slow cooked for hours till it’s shredded and crisped on a skillet just before serving. I like it with a roasted tomatillo verde salsa. Tomatillos are hard to get in the UK and expensive, but I had to have them. I miss taco trucks the most from my home in America, even if it’s not “American” food. Similarly, when my wife was homesick in L.A. she needed “English” food a from the curry house in the valley that tasted like her favourite one in Bradford. I guess if some people call Chicken Tikka Masala the national dish of England, tacos could usurp the burger.
Lastly, I made a Shrimp E´touffee with Jalapeno Cornbread Muffins. A dish from mashed up from French expats and for this one, I put my hands up (great English expression). I have never been to the Big Easy. But, I have been blessed with southern friends who steered me in the right direction for Cajun cooking. Crayfish E´touffee (translated: mean smothered) is one of my all-time favourite foods. Crayfish are super abundant here in the spring but completely disappeared from the fish mongers after the summer, so I substituted shrimp. E´touffee is in the same family as gumbo, anchored with a roux and the “holy trinity,” then it’s smacked with Cajun spice and drizzled over rice. My pop flew in the Crystal hot sauce which crowned it perfectly. For the Jalapeno Cornbread Muffins, I went with the old standby Jiffy mix and added fresh corn and mild cheddar. The Brits had never tasted anything like it and was a perplexing bonus to the night.
It was a success for myself and the cafe. The food was a hit and we’ve booked another for December. Most importantly though, it ended up being one of my favourite moments I’ve had with my dad. The two of us standing on the line filling orders together and watching him put his skills as a surgeon to work slicing wafer-thin beef is the stuff of legends. Pretty simpatico that the expat food that was made to bring me closer to home - brought my home closer to me.
Derek Miller is an Actor, Writer and Director with 20 years in the entertainment industry. In search of a change of pace - he moved his wife, son and two LA street mutts from the Hollywood HILLS to the Yorkshire DALES. He is currently writing and pitching, doing voice-over for video games and commercials and performing and teaching live comedy.
