The FastDay Forum

@Tracieknits,

Thanks! We usually make chili with Hard Times Texas chili mix, which is so good, OH mail ordered a case of it. We use black beans and whatever veggies we have on hand. Unfortunately, as it is the only dinner OH cooks anymore, I'm pretty tired of it. Lately he makes some for himself days I'm fasting.

I love homemade black bean soup, so much so that I am better off not making it as I gobble the whole batch. (So many foods fall into that category, alas. One reason I don't cook much anymore.) I put sherry in it.

[Tracieknits]

I like many kinds of chili I make a wide variety so we don't get bored. I also love veggie chili, or white chicken chili

oh I bet that's good in black bean soup!

..Have you checked out any of Hungry Girl's recipes?...

her blog also has loads of suggestions on what to order when eating out and what to buy in supermarket.

I love American food and can spend hours in supermarkets browsing all the packets of convenience foods (fresh veggies etc as well as processed foods I mean) sauces and pickles, drinks of all kinds, the list goes on and on, there is a much wider variety than in the UK and it fascinates me. I think it must make it hard to control eating though, I always want to try it all! Great marketing! Those Hungry Girl recipes look great and I like the look of the packets of broccoli cole slaw. Easy enough to shred in a processor I would think so I might have a go at that. Do you just use the stalks, not the heads? I usually throw the stalks away so it would be good to use them up. I recently had grated Jicama in a salad. I didn't even know what it was but was feeling adventurous. I loved it. It looks like celeriac found in the UK but has a completely different taste. I have never heard of it before so am sure it is unavailable in the UK.

If there's anything in a UK recipe that you're not sure of and need some help just ask on this thread and I'm sure someone will be able to come up with something. Likewise, I sometimes have trouble with American recipes and ingredient substitutes. There was a UK speak thread a while ago, it was great fun and @wendyjane in particular joined in wholeheartedly with the banter. I had forgotten all about it

@Wendy Darling,

Jicama is delicious marinated in one of those marinades made with lime juice and chili pepper.

I just bought the broccoli slaw today and haven't tried it. It's definitely the stems, so we'll see.

There is great variation from region to region as to what is in the stores. Many of my favorite products, like Teddy's natural peanut butter weren't available in Florida. Texas had much better ice cream than New England, and, oddly, better Italian salami, though there are much better Italian restaurants in the northeast than the South. There is a Zone of Eatable Pizza that extends through the NE. Outside of it, only the horror that is Pizza Hut and its imitators. My friend who moved to Kansas to teach tells me it is impossible to get the raw ingredients for most of what she likes to cook, there. But she lost about 75 lbs her first year there because of the dreadful food. The ability to find almost anything on our shelves and restaurants is why its such a struggle to keep from gaining.

Oh dear, having trouble posting. Just wrote a lovely long reply to you Peebles and lost it. Will try again tomorrow. Too tired now

@peebles I have found a lot of inspiration from the following blog which lists the calories in each serving: http://www.focusonflavour.com/category/recipe/

@Swan51,

Though the photos make the food look delicious, many of them are made with ingredients we don't have here, which is the problem with most of the UK sites. And the measurements aren't the ones we use either. I have a food scale, so I can get past that. But we don't have things like Cantal, Rocket, caster sugar, golden sugar, cornflour, oatcakes, coriander leaves, broad beans, or, except for a week or so in June, rhubarb.

That's why I need more ideas made with the products we have easily available.

Fast day is a great day for fish and a steamed veg. Quicky meal, can of tuna combined with chopped apple, onion, lettuce, dill, vinegar and a smotch of mayo then stuff into a tomato. Lentil soups are also good. Droz had a good recipe for ground turkey and cabbage soup with caraway seeds which was very yummy. Basically, if you can afford fish has most protein and least calories.

@peebles Hello neighbor I am from Massachusetts as well. Rocket is arugala found in any store. Caster sugar is granulated sugar, golden maybe turbinardo? Spanish aisle or brown sugar, cornflour is cornstarch, coriander leave is cilantro, oatcake a type of cracker, and broad beans are broad beans.

Though the photos make the food look delicious, many of them are made with ingredients we don't have here, which is the problem with most of the UK sites. And the measurements aren't the ones we use either. I have a food scale, so I can get past that. But we don't have things like Cantal, Rocket, caster sugar, golden sugar, cornflour, oatcakes, coriander leaves, broad beans, or, except for a week or so in June, rhubarb.

That's why I need more ideas made with the products we have easily available.

Gotcha covered:

Meaurement conversion chart: http://startcooking.com/measurement-and ... ion-charts

Cantal = hard cheddar (cheese department)
Rocket = Arugula
caster sugar = http://frugalliving.about.com/od/makeyo ... _Sugar.htm
golden sugar = ? (some sites substitute caster sugar, or light brown sugar)
cornflour = corn meal
coriander = cilantro

rhubarb = yum! (especially when mixed with strawberriess in a pie, or cooked down into a jam)

Close enough?

Now....who's cooking?

Yep Peebles, they were easy, even I knew them why don't you post some recipes that you think you'd like and we will make the conversions for you

A baker speaking up here; I have a lot of US cake decorating/baker friends so here is my two pence:

Turbinado sugar - nearest is Demerara.

Caster sugar is finer than granulated, but you can just whizz granulated in a food processor or blender.

Golden sugar can be icing, caster or granulated grade and is pale, unrefined sugar. It adds a tiny edge of caramel/toffee to some recipes (especially noticeable in meringues) but for most it is interchangeable with white sugar. I generally use it for most baking as I prefer unrefined sugars.

I was in the states last week and really wanted a trip around the supermarket just to browse. It just didn't happen due to one thing and another. Shopping for a basic meal without incorporating a lot of additives was tricksome though, so I can imagine the challenges you all face.

Thanks!

It looks like caster sugar is what they sell here as "superfine" sugar. I use it for merengues.

Superfine is correct, I couldn't think of the word just now. Happy baking