US ambassador to Britain gets roasting from chefs after banning lamb and potatoes

[T_i_B]

Source: UK Independent

Leading chefs have urged Matthew Barzun, the United States' ambassador to the United Kingdom, to broaden his mind - and palate - after he complained of having his fill of “lamb and potatoes” since arriving in London.

Barzun has proved a breath of fresh air since his posting was announced last year, hosting rock concerts at Winfield House, the ambassador’s Regent's Park residence, where fried catfish and corn dog canapés are served.

But stodgy catering at the relentless round of diplomatic dinners Mr Barzun is required to attend has tried the patience of the 43-year-old. Asked by Tatler to describe his ideal dinner party, the Harvard graduate replied undiplomatically: “I’ll tell you what I would not serve - lamb and potatoes. I must have had lamb and potatoes 180 times since I have been here. There are limits and I have reached them.

Rowley Leigh, proprietor chef of Le Cafe Anglais, the award-winning West London restaurant, suggested that “Americans don't really get lamb. They'd rather have beef or beef or possibly beef.”

Read more: http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/news/us-ambassador-to-britain-gets-roasting-from-chefs-after-banning-lamb-and-potatoes-9704719.html

[rpannier]

1. I don't like lamb

So I'm with the ambassador

[Scairp]

49. Me too

I loathe lamb. I ordered stew when I was in Ireland that contained lamb and potatoes. With a side of potatoes. It was too much for me.

[Warpy]

53. Me too. Also, lamb hates me

and goes through my GI system like a wildcat, backwards.

I've had it disguised well enough that I didn't know what it was, say on one of the reservations. Cook it with enough hot chili and the greasiness and weird taste are fully disguised. The next ten hours of misery were not.

I suppose I'd have to be a vegetarian in much of the world unless I stuck to coastal areas where there is still fish.

[PatSeg]

131. I like Lambs though

They are really cute.

Seriously though, I haven't had lamb since I was a kid and I never liked it. If I'd realized what I was eating, I would have liked it less. Same with veal!

[jmowreader]

2. Americans get lamb.

What they don't get is the infatuation with eating nothing else that some Brits have.

[T_i_B]

3. ???

I honestly don't know anybody over here who is infatuated with lamb to the point of eating nowt else. However, roast Lamb is rather delicious with proper mint sauce.

On another note, a UK website has come up with ideas for British food that may be more to the ambassadors tastes

http://www.thepoke.co.uk/2014/09/03/how-to-improve-classic-british-food/

[bvf]

5. LOL for the link! n/t.

[RKP5637]

26. Definitely!!! "... roast Lamb is rather delicious with proper mint sauce." n/t

[Aerows]

68. Amen! n/t

[Drahthaardogs]

129. Abbacchio is our Easter dinner.

It is amazing

[Monk06]

4. A US ambassador who prefers corn dog 'canapes' over roast lamb needs and ass kicking visit from

MPW and Gordon Ramsay.

[Aerows]

125. Anybody with a palate, really.

Rare roast lamb with mint sauce ... delicious!!

[Tarheel_Dem]

6. I'm with the Ambassador. Lamb, venison, goat....

[Warpy]

54. Leave room for Jamaican curried goat

Coworkers have brought it in to pot lucks at work and it's been pretty good.

[T_i_B]

58. Another vote for curried goat here!

Also very fond of venison indeed.

[Tarheel_Dem]

97. My palate isn't very complex. It's so embarrassing to be invited out only to pick over my food.

Many smells, textures, etc. are prohibitive for me, and it's the reason I don't accept many invitations, cuz you never want to offend the host.

[Warpy]

98. I'm not that picky, but I do have a lot of food allergies

that are a nuisance to cook around and eat around. I just threw the dinner parties myself and left the other people in my crowd of acquaintances do the boozers. It worked out really well.

[ColesCountyDem]

7. Properly prepared, lamb is delicious. n/t

[MFM008]

8. never

I have never had lamb, mutton, veal, bison. I did try deer once ..awful. I will stick to my beloved fowls.

[FlaGranny]

21. I've tried all of those.

They are all pretty good, except for the mutton and venison. Mutton can be tough and strong tasting and venison has that gamey flavor. Ostrich is strong and gamey and I don't like it either. Pheasant and game birds are gamey, but I understand you can soak out that gaminess.

Bison is nearly identical to beef. Some people wouldn't know the difference if you didn't tell them. Lamb and veal are very light, sweet, and tender, but I don't think I'd like them boiled in a stew. That would totally destroy them.

Be adventurous.

Edit: You've never tasted chicken unless you've tried naturally raised chicken, the ones that run free and get to eat bugs and seeds (organic). Much more flavorful than supermarket chicken. You would hardly know they were the same bird. My uncle had an egg farm so I had a lot of chicken (and eggs) back in the 1940's. Those chickens got grain and all the bugs they could catch.

Second Edit: I've also tried wild boar. It's pretty good also, but I've only tried the chops. I'd like to try a tenderloin from wild boar.

NOW I'M HUNGRY!

[KamaAina]

59. I've always wondered why someone doesn't raise bugs

to feed to chickens. They reproduce like, well, bugs.

[kestrel91316]

85. Many homesteader-types do just that.

Black soldier flies, specifically.

http://www.themodernhomestead.us/article/Black+Soldier+Fly.html

[LeftInTX]

64. Our family treat was bbq lamb chops instead of steak

It was an Armenian thing.
1960s typical weekend meal served with baked potatoes etc.
We reverted to steak when we moved to a small town and couldn't find lamb.

[nomorenomore08]

112. I've had a reindeer-meat hot dog up in Alaska, and an elk burger here in the Bay. Both quite tasty.

Granted, I don't eat too much red meat anymore (maybe a few times a month). Mostly poultry.

[Aerows]

126. Deer braised correctly is heavenly

I've had it many times. Cooked in a crock pot it rocks. As for buffalo, it's fantastic, too, cooked correctly (best on a grill!)

[Android3.14]

9. There is a reason English cooking has a bad rap

Most of it is simply terrible. I like the occasional hot pot (baked stew), but the way English recipes treat proteins and vegetables is mostly abhorrent.

[Adrahil]

11. I don't agree.

I actually like English cooking, when it is done well. Steak and ale pie is simply incredible when dome well. And a well made Cornish pasty with HP sauce is amazing comfort food. Same thing for proper fish and chips, roast beef and Yorkshire pudding and stilton soup. Lots of really good food there, IMO, if you know where to look.

[PADemD]

24. HP sauce

Is that like ketchup?

Many Cornish immigrants settled in this area of PA. We ate Cornish pasties every Wednesday when the weather was cool enough for the very hot oven and the long cooking time.

[T_i_B]

45. It's got the same consistency as tomato kechup

It just tastes a lot more, well "Brown" really.

I must admit at this point that I prefer BBQ sauce.

[Aerows]

66. OMG

You just compared HP sauce to ketchup.

Sigh.

[PADemD]

73. I've never eaten HP sauce. Is it available in the USA?

[Aerows]

74. Yes

It's like A1, but a little more vinegary. Therefore NOTHING like ketchup.

[T_i_B]

75. Try places for British expats

Much like Yorkshire Tea, Tiptree Jam or Marmite, it's the sort of thing an English expat might hanker for.

[pennylane100]

81. Yes

I get it from Raleys, a california chain and I believe that Wegman's with locations around New England carry it. I must have it on my grilled chese on toast breakfast. My favorite sause is Daddy's sauce but I have not found it anywhere except the Campbell area in the south bay.

[PADemD]

83. Thanks

My son works across the street from a Wegman's. I'll ask him to pick up a bottle.

[Adrahil]

87. You also get it from Amazon

[Scairp]

50. I do

I just came from there. I did manage to get a rather lovely linguine and clams dish but otherwise it all potatoes all the time, and my father-in-law would only eat sausage and mash or fish and chips when we went out. At home too. Talk about monotony. And everything is just not tasty in general. I am not a huge fan of British food. I like steamed veggies and grilled fish and chicken with herbs and spices. That stuff is hard to get there unless you cook it yourself. Even then I found the grocery store produce not so great. Maybe in London it's different but out in the country people have really dull palates.

[nomorenomore08]

113. I love fish 'n chips drenched in malt vinegar. I'm almost drooling right now just thinking of it.

The rest of those I've never tried. I should look up some recipes.

[Aerows]

124. Fish and chips drenched heavily in malt vinegar

and sausage rolls with brown gravy and HP sauce to dunk them in.

[T_i_B]

12. The days of vegetables boiled to buggery are long gone.

Now if we want to talk about abhorrent food, let's talk about the shite that passes for American cheese.

[Android3.14]

15. Ahh, the arrogance of cheese

Sure, "English Cheese" (I've never seen any) is the reason English cooking is so awesome.

[T_i_B]

16. Never had Wensleydale or Stilton?

Blimey, you are missing out!

A current favourite is "Derbyshire Bouncing Bomb", which is Stilton rolled in Chilli flakes.

[Android3.14]

17. I've had many cheeses

Most of them made right here in the USA. Certainly the UK has some nice cheeses, as do our local producers, but that doesn't change the fact that most of the UK recipe standards are heavy in fats and starches, overcooked and are devoid of discerning flavor.

People swoon over fish and chips, but that's just the English version of a corny dog. Shepherd's pie? Cafeteria food.

Like I said, the occasional hot pot comes out nice, especially a Guinness hotpot or a Lancashire version, but the reputation of British food is largely justified.

Luckily, I hear there are a great many foreign restaurants from which to choose.

[LanternWaste]

25. That's a rather tired and unimaginative allegation...

"but the reputation of British food is largely justified..."

That's a rather tired and unimaginative allegation...

[Android3.14]

33. Tired and unimaginative

Like British food, perhaps?

[Scairp]

52. Just so

The only reason my husband doesn't eat meat and potatoes all the time is because he's been here for over 30 years, plus he lived in other parts of the world before that. Otherwise I'm telling you that my in laws eat boring food. And they serve boring food in the restaurants and pubs.

[T_i_B]

60. Rubbish!

Can think of a few pubs with fantastic food. Although "Man v Food" style gumph is very popular at the moment. So there's lots of pubs trying to be hip by selling pulled pork, doing challenge meals and so on.

There are 3 pubs localish to me I like for food. One is famous for it's versions of the chip nutty, another invented the baji butty and sells a lethal beef chilli.

[Android3.14]

71. Rubbish?

Kind of like English food. (Ba-dump-bump!)
I had to look these up, but french fries on bread (a chip nutty apparently) is not a homage to yummylicious eats. Maybe dorm food...

A baji butty is apparently the equivalent of an onion pizza with no cheese (bread, onions and tomato sauce). Or another source described it as something fried and then put on a buttered hunk of bread. Again, not something I'd really boast about, but I'd have to say that yes, these are prime examples of English food in all its imaginative glory.

And a chili (or chilli) might be Texan or originate from the Aztecs, but it is anything but English. Maybe if they took out the peppers until it was just overcooked beans and plain tomatoes, then it could be English cooking.

[IcyPeas]

84. that's a chip butty (not chip nutty)

and don't knock it till you've tried it.

also it's not "English" food, it's British food.

[Android3.14]

90. Tried it?

Are you kidding? Fries on bread is a kid's food experiment. I'll bet 90% of American kids have done this by the time they are six.

As far as whether it is English food or British food, I figure it is about the same difference between an English accent and a British accent.

But I'm going to stop posting to this thread. It was fun, but poking fun at England over their lousy cooking is like teasing armadillos for being hairless - it doesn't cure baldness and it annoys the 'dillo.

[Scairp]

86. Well

None of them are in the county of Wiltshire. Or West Midlands for that matter. Nor do my in-laws, you know, family by marriage, eat like that. I was there less than a month ago, so it's not as if it's been years and things have changed. I would say these pubs you mention are the exception rather than the rule.

[Spider Jerusalem]

103. Sounds like you've not travelled much, then

and probably have never been to the UK (or if you have, not for more than a few days). Rare roast beef with fresh horseradish and English mustard, or a rare leg of lamb with mint sauce, are decidedly not "devoid of discernable flavour" (I'm going to presume you meant to say "discernible", anyway). Certainly more flavourful than meatloaf or mac & cheese or any of a couple of dozen other American "recipe standards" I could name (that are probably equally heavy in fat and starch). Mote and beam, and all that.

[Android3.14]

108. The topic is British food

And yes, I actually meant discernable (an acceptable spelling of discernible TYVM).
Moving on...

[Spider Jerusalem]

110. Which you're not qualified to have an opinion on, apparently.

[Android3.14]

116. Why?

Why would you say that?

[Spider Jerusalem]

117. Not having had it, for a start

"I spent a few days/a week in London" doesn't really count, neither does "I don't really know much but what I've read sounds pretty disgusting". That makes you about as qualified to have any opinion on the subject as having heard of Shakespeare qualifies someone to have an opinion on Elizabethan and Jacobean theatre, quite honestly. (Which is to say, "not at all".)

[Android3.14]

118. You have me mistaken for someone else

I never said that.

[Spider Jerusalem]

119. It's pretty heavily implied

and you're pretty obviously ignorant of many things (including the fact that British food consists of more than fish and chips and shepherd's pie, or the fact that there isn't any such thing as a "British accent&quot .

[Android3.14]

120. Ah, I see

I thought perhaps you had mistaken me with someone else, but I see now that the issue is something neither of us have the expertise to solve.
Good day.

[Aerows]

67. Stilton

Yum x100

[karynnj]

39. Vermont's are quite good nt

[PDJane]

76. American cheeses tend to have too much salt.

That includes most Vermont cheese.

[karynnj]

94. Tastes vary and cheeses vary

I have not found most Vermont cheeses to be salty and I really do not like salt in most things. Vermont has many small artisan cheese makers that are really good. I have been fortunate enough to have traveled - and of course enjoyed the foods of many countries.

[Arugula Latte]

48. Gawd, those oil-based plastic-wrapped "singles" are awwwwwful!

I love cheese, but I can't eat those, nor Velveeta, nor the American version of "Swiss" cheese. Bleah!!!

[Warpy]

56. Anyone who requires that kind of convenience deserves what he gets

The slices might have started off tasting of cheese, but the heavy dusting with cornstarch to prevent the slices sticking together seems to suck all the flavor out of them.

Health food stores are the places to look for decent cheeses since newly minted ovo-lacto vegetarians rely heavily on cheese and eggs until they learn how to cook.

[T_i_B]

61. only health food stores?

There's something badly wrong if you can't get decent cheese at delicatessen's or charcuterie's.

[Warpy]

62. This is a very large country with many very small cities and tiny farming towns.

You can get good cheese in delicatessens in big cities. In small cities, your best bet is the local health food store.

There are no charcuteries in New Mexico, for instance, although we do have many fine carnicerias that sell crema and all types of queso in addition to their meats.

[Arugula Latte]

105. In my experience you can get excellent domestic and imported cheese in many, if not most

US supermarkets (along with the Kraft singles kind of crap -- which is usually sold in a different section of the supermarket). At least, I know that is true on the coasts and in major cities and their suburbs, although I'm not sure about smaller inland towns.

[karynnj]

95. I don't think I've had plastic wrapped singles since the 1960s - same goes with Velveeta

If that it was people are considering to be American cheeses, they are missing lots of real cheeses.

[Arugula Latte]

106. Definitely. I live in Oregon and the state produces some incredible goat cheese and bleu cheeses,

as well as cheddar, you name it. Those local cheeses are available in our supermarket (although they're much pricier than the "American" cheese-like food product).

[Retrograde]

41. It's changed a lot in the past 30 years

They had good food, especially at smaller markets - as long as nobody got it near a kitchen! I remember paper cones of mushy peas sold as snacks on Brighton Pier.

There are traditional dishes that can be very good, though, given decent ingredients. I'm fond of meat pies, the full-up English breakfast (although you can keep the beans), the cheeses, and the superb cask-conditioned ales. And the chicken tikka, of course. (Do they still do baltis? I haven't come across them for a while.)

[T_i_B]

46. Of course we still do Balti's!

On that note I must mention chicken balti pie. Like Bovril, it's something people only ever seem to consume at football matches.

[PDJane]

77. As for English breakfasts, they're fine....but you can keep the black pudding, thank you.

[T_i_B]

111. I had deep fried black pudding the other night actually!

Still not convinced about deep frying it, but there you go!

[PDJane]

130. Blech.

[Owl]

92. I don't agree either. In the dozens of times I've been in England, the food has always been

enjoyable! I liken most dishes to comfort foods.

To each their own I guess.

[Enrique]

10. first the War of 1812 gaffe

now this. War is pretty much inevitable now.

[theHandpuppet]

13. Serve him some haggis

That will shut him up.

[T_i_B]

14. Haggis is brilliant!

Especially when sloshed with Henderson's Relish

http://www.hendersonsrelish.com/

[malthaussen]

19. It's also not allowed in the us.,.

... Scots (and Scot-wannabes) here who want authentic haggis have to get their sheep intestines from Canada, because they are classified as "offal" here and cannot legally be sold for human consumption.

-- Mal

[T_i_B]

22. Why the issue with offal?

If you are going to kill an animal for meat, it's wrong to waste perfectly good edible bits like liver and kidneys.

Also, my gauge of a good butcher is how they treat an order for hearts.

[malthaussen]

23. No idea, I_i_B.

We have some odd food laws in this country.

-- Mal

[Retrograde]

42. It's the lungs that are banned

I have no idea why. I agree with you on offal, though: if you're going to kill an animal for food, you should use as much of it as you can.

[PADemD]

27. Haggis Bowl Contest

With a long tradition, the Celtic Classic Haggis Eating Competition is a favorite among festival-goers. Competitors travel from as far away as Alaska for the honor of holding the title of “Celtic Classic Haggis Eating Champion."

http://www.celticfest.org/haggis_contest/

[GliderGuider]

28. And washed down with a dram of Glenfarclas 15...

Haggis and whisky - the food and drink of the gods.

[msanthrope]

29. It took 4 Newkie Browns for me to swallow haggis. nt

[GliderGuider]

31. Well, the problem in that case wasn't the haggis, but your choice of beverage.

Next time, try it with a pint of cask-conditioned Real Ale and see if you notice a difference.

If there is a "next time", of course!

[msanthrope]

32. One makes do with what is at hand, friend. nt

[Retrograde]

43. Reminded me of Cajun Dirty Rice

except in Scotland they used oats instead of rice, and sheep innards instead of chicken innards, but otherwise it was better than I expected it to be. The whisky sauce didn't hurt either.

[T_i_B]

44. I now want to eat Cajun Dirty Rice

[Aerows]

69. It rocks

Coming from a Southern Louisiana native

While you are there, ask for fried boudin balls . Yummy and addictive

http://southernfood.about.com/od/sausagerecipes1/r/r81224j.htm

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/boudin-sausage-balls-recipe.html

[tanyev]

18. "They'd rather have beef or beef or possibly beef.”

Last edited Wed Sep 3, 2014, 09:18 AM - Edit history (1)

LOL. I just love British humor.

[PDJane]

78. And semi-raw beef at that.

[malthaussen]

20. Damme, whatever happened to the Roast Beef of Old England? n/t

[whistler162]

100. It went mad!

[SheilaT]

30. Lamb is a meat I just cannot abide.

I'd have a tough time if I had a job where I had to eat out as the ambassador does and I kept on being served something that I simply cannot swallow. So I sympathize.

[Warpy]

55. Giving the server a subtle wave away

prevents the noxious item from being deposited on one's plate. If it's service a la Russe, it might be noticed but only a complete clod would remark upon it. If it's service a la Francais, there is usually enough on one's plate that lamb's absence isn't noticed and one can eat around it.

Needless to say, I prefer hole in the wall, family restaurant chow to fine dining. I have the soul of a cabbage and I'm perfectly happy to let wealthy gourmands tuck into offal while I cry happy tears over chicken stuffed sopapillas with green chile, a regional favorite.

However, this is how one gets around food allergies and abhorrences around people who have enough ill gotten goods to pretend they're still living in the Edwardian era.

[SheilaT]

70. Oh, please. No more green chile.

Or red chile.

Sometimes I'm surprised I haven't been politely escorted to the border and asked not to return to New Mexico again.

[PDJane]

79. The only lamb I've ever had was at Pangea in Toronto,

and it was absolutely delightful.....no mint sauce, but delightful all the same. I am informed, however, if it isn't cooked properly, it's tough as shoe leather. Doesn't sound particularly appetizing to me.

[Nac Mac Feegle]

34. From the article, I gather he's been there just about a year and had it 180 times.

That's just about every other day. Something like that could REALLY turn one off of a particular food item. No matter how well prepared, constant repetition could get a bit off-putting. Admittedly, Americans tend to be somewhat 'unappreciative' of the non-standard bits of food animals that are not often used other than to be ground up for hot dogs. Cultures that have to "use everything but the squeal of a pig" (get the maximum usage out of all the bits of an animal that is butchered), tend to be able to do wonderful things with 'neglected' pieces of an animal.

However, there's an old joke:

Heaven is a place where the police are British, the mechanics are German and the cooks are French.
Hell is where the police are German, the mechanics are French, and the cooks are British.

[Lenomsky]

36. LOL never heard that one but like :)

[T_i_B]

40. Heaven is a place where the police are British?

Read up on the Rotherham child abuse scandal and then see if you can type that with a straight face.

Went onto the BBC news page for South Yorkshire today and it was dominated by various misdeeds of South Yorkshire Police.

[malthaussen]

104. But why would there be police in Heaven?

Or mechanics, if it comes to that. Cooks, certainly, it couldn't be Heaven without cooks.

-- Mal

[cemaphonic]

109. Yeah, it's funny how he is getting lectures about an unadventurous palate,

when they're serving him lamb all the time (and suggesting beef as an alternative). I love lamb, but that would drive me crazy too. And I'm guessing that a Harvard-educated guy that is serving the dishes in the article is probably something of a foodie to boot.

[Amonester]

35. Bring him home and serve him food stamps.

[riderinthestorm]

37. Had the best chicken tikka masala of my life in London

I make roast beef and Yorkshire pudding every Christmas.

And Bacon wrapped toads are smashing! Will give you a heart attack but they are tasty.

http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2011/02/bacon-wrapped-toads-in-a-leek-filled-hole-eggs-sausage-recipe.html?ref=search

There is some excellent British food there...really... (And yes, I know the Irish are culinarily challenged too)

[Brother Buzz]

38. Serve him Lobster Thermidor aux crevettes with a mornay sauce served in a Provencale manner....

with shallots and aubergines garnished with truffle Paté, brandy and with a fried egg on top and spam.

[Arugula Latte]

47. Eww. Even way back when I used to eat red meat I despised lamb.

It had a horrible, sick taste to it -- like death and grease got married on your plate. Awful stuff.

[Shrike47]

51. I want the recipe for the good mint sauce.

[T_i_B]

101. Great question

It's much better to make your own mint sauce then go for that awful jellied rubbish you get in the supermarkets

http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/realmintsauce_67706
http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/6141/classic+english+mint+sauce

[LibertyLover]

57. I love lamb

My ancestry on both my mom's and dad's sides is Irish. I was brought up eating lamb and potatoes. My husband and daughter on the other hand can't stand it. The only time I get lamb anymore is if the cafeteria at work is having it, usually in Indian food which is ok, but just not a good roast of lamb, or if we eat out, the once every 5 years that we do. Gods, I miss good roast lamb.

[LeftInTX]

63. Maybe he should be served spotted dick

(I know nothing about British food, but somehow found this on the internet)

[Aerows]

65. What's wrong with lamb?

I think it is delicious. Properly made lamb is better than beef. Especially if it is done rare.

[Retrograde]

88. Lamb has a distinctive taste

unlike most American beef, and it gets stronger the older the animal was. I've had very mild lamb as well as lamb that was halfway to mutton. I like to marinate lamb in lemon juice and rosemary before cooking, which seems to offset some of the fatiness. I think that's the other objection - young lamb is rather fatty, but that can be trimmed off fairly easily.

If you like rare lamb, try making kibbe, a Middle Eastern combination of minced raw lamb and various herbs and spices. The leftovers make great meatballs.

[Aerows]

89. I like the flavor of lamb

Maybe it's just me ?

[dembotoz]

72. how to score points with the locals

[northoftheborder]

80. I love roast lamb with mint sauce!!!

And I live in beef country. Lamb is very expensive here, so seldom buy it. Mature mutton, on the other hand, is terrible, tough, and the fat tastes terrible. But real lamb is a delicacy.

[Historic NY]

82. Thankfully it wasn't fu-king mutton...

the other grey meat. British Army mess's serve it morning noon and night.

[T_i_B]

99. Mutton isn't that common these days

And a top ranking ambassador is more likely to get the best salt marsh lamb to be honest.

Mutton isn't too well regarded by many people. Although maybe slow cooked mutton could make a comeback someday.

[Owl]

91. Poor baby

[boguspotus]

93. My wife and I ate on the cheap when we went to London a few years ago:

I thought the food at the grocery stores was great. Marks and Spencer had 2 cold roast chicken legs for 2 pounds, cheese and onion sandwiches for 1 pound apiece - delicious! Great breads, sandwich spreads and pretty good prices on alcohol. We thought the quality of the food from the deli, the fruit and nice prepackaged salads were way better than your regular supermarket stuffs here in the US. Even at Tescos we found great hummus (caramelized onion, which you don't see here), whole wheat pita bread, good local fruit, vegetables that were really high quality. And their Jamaican chicken quarters from the hot deli just hit the spot. I did fish and chips, local curry and meat pies and they were all top notch. So, does all the UK food suck when you get out of London? I would not think so. I think this US ambassador is a whiner. We also ate at a Medicinal Arboretum garden (can't remember the name off hand), but they had so much good fresh food. I had a goat cheese tart with greens - fresh and delicious. My wife is gluten free and had a sampling of a number of fresh green and bean salads. Sorry, people don't know what they are talking about here - we had great cheap food in London.

[kentauros]

96. Now imagine the REAL uproar

if he'd said he was vegetarian, or "worse", a vegan

[gordianot]

102. My Grandmother did lamb and potatoes she was a great cook but yuck lamb and potatoes.

It seems the local small town butcher shop had a flock of sheep and mutton was cheep. By the age of 8 when we moved to another town I have not touched mutton since or really during that time. Good for the Ambassador do not like something hold your ground in your embassy after all it is American soil.

[shanti]

107. How about some curry goat?

Yum! That's pretty easy to find in London. I don't find goat much different than lamb.

[nomorenomore08]

114. I think goat has to be cooked a little longer, but otherwise, yeah.

I had some excellent "birria" with frijoles and seasoned rice at a Mexican restaurant in L.A. a few years back.

[shanti]

121. most every culture eats goat

they're small, can be kept in a backyard. it's a little strong, but nothing that cannot be handled with a lot of spices and plenty of garlic, all in the preparation.

i've lived in CA nearly all of my life, but have never had birria at a mexican restaurant. or lengue, for that matter, lol.

[nomorenomore08]

122. I haven't been brave to enough to try lengua or sesos (brains) either. Maybe someday.

[Retrograde]

123. Lengua is like a very, very tender cut of beef

It's just muscle meat, after all. Salvadoran restaurants often have a lengua in cream dish that is a good introduction to tongue. After that, you'll be ready for Peruvian anticuchos, marinated hearts.

Sesos are almost pure cholesterol: tasty if prepared right, but too rich for my tastes.

[nomorenomore08]

115. I know a great recipe for lamb stew with Guinness. We make it regularly during the colder months.

But even that, I'd probably get sick of if I had to eat it constantly.

[Aerows]

128. As anyone would anything

I think the complaints come from those that dislike anything that isn't a bird. Heck, some of them won't touch seafood, either. Boggles my mind. Many creatures that creep, crawl, fly, swim and stampede are EXCELLENT if prepared correctly.

Except bugs. Sorry, I draw the line at bugs. Everything else is fair game. As adventurous as I am, I'm not quite certain how hungry I would have to get before eating a bug dish.

[Aerows]

127. What about goat?

It has a different, tougher character, but it is highly flavourful. I guess I'm just adventurous to delight in different things. Fried alligator tail nuggets were a staple at many a New Orleans bar, so I suppose very little shocks me. Served with a tiger horseradish sauce, they were quite delicious (no, not tiger, just called that because they had a pink cayenne character with horseradish)