Everyone knows I am a foodie. I blame it all my mother for being such a fantastic cook and always encouraging us to eat eat eat and eat some more. We were all four tall, lanky, bottomless pits, consuming now what I know is a remarkable amount of food! (unfortunately that has caught up with me slightly, but I still enjoy my food!)

Supper was the focal point of our day growing up. My dad worked long hours and every day like clockwork he pulled into the driveway at 6:50 pm. Simultaneously ice clinked in the glasses and we eagerly awaited him to walk through the door and have our meal. We languished at the table. No one was in a hurry. We talked and caught up on the day. That happened without fail every single night. If he had to work late, it set us into a tailspin of angst.  I digress, but tell the story to try to explain the roots and meaning of food ingrained into my being —it’s not just food.

British food gets a bad rap, and I don’t know why? It certainly is healthier than ours. I wish our government would catch up with Europe and ban preservatives and additives that we know are unhealthy/cancer causing. I’m going to rattle off a stream of consciousness of things that I love here that we simply do not have.

Pies. I mean meat pies. I do not mean that disgusting thing from our grocery store called a pot pie. I mean a meat pie chocked full of meat, wrapped in a homemade delicious crust. Bread that tastes like bread, not cake. Black and red currant jam. Bacon that comes in the form of back and streaky bacon and doesn’t leave a pan filled with grease. Eggs that aren’t refrigerated. Pre-made sandwiches made THAT day from fresh ingredients. A roast beef sandwich is made of …fresh roast beef! Not pressed parts that will remained edible (taking liberty with the word) for 2 months! Lettuce of all varieties. Good cheese. It’s called “mature” and is white, not yellow. Lovely cafes filled with home made soups, salads, sandwiches and jacket potatoes (with filling). Cafes with real cups, comfy places to sit and FLAT WHITES. Curries. If there’s one thing Bradford has it is a top notch curry. It’s not called Bradistan for nothing! All the spices and ingredients we have to pay a fortune for to make Asian food are found reasonably priced in every grocery store here.

Butchers. I may be most envious of butchers and what they call “farm stores” with fresh veggies and sometimes baked goods/prepared meals. This trip I ordered a box of meats from a butcher that I saw online. The butcher is located in Lincolnshire, but has a huge online store. This was a very smart move on my part as I have enjoyed delicious Cumberland sausages. Those are served with breakfast. Also Lincolnshire sausages, which are served with dinner— think sausage and mash. I ordered a couple of varieties of pork burgers, pork chops, burgers, stuffed chicken roasties, a chicken crown, Haslet, a couple of pies and something called chine. Google it. Never heard of it and that means I am absolutely trying it!  I have loved having a freezer full of good meats to choose from for the month. I do cook almost every night. The only thing I would miss here long-term is good Mexican food.

Since our outing in Ilkley I had quiet days Sunday and Monday. Katie and Flora joined me for burgers Monday evening and Tuesday I met Katie, Carol and Terry for a coffee and then a meal at a really good pub near me. I’ve been going to the rescue since Tuesday morning and will finish out the week doing so. We have a couple of exciting outings coming up this weekend to close out this amazing trip!