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Post by 3lions on Oct 18, 2009 12:15:54 GMT 1
.....nah, I would actually rather have the money in my pocket to put food on the table ;D. Not sure how the UK really has better history, scenery and culture than France because all coutries have that, and its just a matter of taste.
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Post by crojoe on Oct 18, 2009 15:38:32 GMT 1
Taste or lack thereof in UK - Food is so bad. But, why do people flock 2 UK? Not weather, not food, but for the money and an ok life. Life might be tough, and plenty to grip about, but doing business, getting benefits, free medical, open mindedness to cultures, peoples and rights are much better then many other modern European countries. But, if its peace and quiet, sunshine, cheap beer and a taste of the Wild West, then Croatia's your place.
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Post by 3lions on Oct 18, 2009 16:23:52 GMT 1
It is a big myth that the food is bad in the UK. We have food from all over the world and some of our chefs are regarded as the best anywhere. Haven't you watched Masterchef? Don't anyone tell me that the food is better in Croatia.......................PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Post by crojoe on Oct 18, 2009 19:30:29 GMT 1
Ok, as an English person who can actually cook, and appreciates all the cash and carry's of exotic food available in UK, I agree that the UK has available a lot of variety, but on the ground most foods served up at your local is bland, and nothing like it's origins. Try a Tesco or ASDA chicken masala, then get an Indian to cook it for you. You'll experience the taste difference big time, if not the spiciness factor.
I wouldn't say Croatian food is that much better, as most stuff is covered in salt and paprika seasoning or covered in Olive oil, but on the international level, the UK food pallet is bland.
Yes, we have some great cooks, but what they make is pretty normal. Unfortunately, you can't pop into your local kebab store and order up an Oliver or Ramsey’s cooked meal. Only available on TV, or at their own expensive restaurants.
I miss being able to buy exotic foods and sauces or items to make a great Thai or Indian curry, peanut sauce for good Indonesian shish-kebab. Have heard the closest one is in Graz, so will have to check that out sometime.
Thankfully, besides the UK corner fish and chip, blended peas, or mash and bangers, we do have a large range of exotic restaurants, offering foods from many lands and nations.
Ok, enough about food, I'm off to my local Big Mac., oh, and please will someone open a Dunkin Donuts in Zagreb. TX!
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Post by 3lions on Nov 2, 2009 11:12:47 GMT 1
Not every take away in the UK is bad, this is another myth. I mean what options do you have in Croatia or even Italy? Pizza, pasta, coffee and Pizza, pasta, coffee, followed by fizzy lager.
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Post by pocketvenus on Nov 2, 2009 13:14:29 GMT 1
Food is SO much better in the UK, particularly if you're a vegetarian. We have food from all kinds of cultures easily available, and it is not all greasy and fatty like in Croatia. I recently attended a Eurovision weekend party in Rabac and the food was disgusting - I was given spaghetti with nothing on it and a plate of Diona frozen vegetables boiled:) At least the beer was free and the party itself excellent...
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Post by crojoe on Nov 2, 2009 13:36:45 GMT 1
you are quite right about food. UK has a lot more variety and choice. You can't even find an Asian food shop in Zagreb. Try barbaque food, its all covered with red pepper powder, so you have to make it yourself.
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Post by mambo on Nov 2, 2009 20:17:15 GMT 1
@3lions,
There are lots of take aways in Italy, but the big difference is that Italians love to go out for dinner and the variety in restaurants is enormous.
Am sorry to say, but the English kitchen is like the Dutch kitchen.............rubbish. In Holland we have gone so far that we start calling the chinese/indonesian kitchen Dutch !!!!
Of course there are decent restaurants in England, but this automatically means that you are in the higher price class. In Italy you can basically walk into any restaurant and find very good to extremely good quality for any price class. Another good part is that you will find different food all through Italy, every region, every city has its own food and kitchen and most important, the ingredients are absolute top quality.
In Croatia unfortunately you will find the same food throughout the whole country and only the expensive restaurants will offer a more international kitchen, but that is obvious not a Croatian kitchen.
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Post by 3lions on Nov 3, 2009 8:46:48 GMT 1
Nuts!........I am not here to argue that British food is better than Italian or Croatian. My reference to Italian cooking was that it over relies on pasta, pizza and pasta and pizza. During the summer I had lots of different students stay in my house from all over Europe and the most limited and most difficult to cook for were the Italians. They wouldn't try anything else other than pizza and pasta. This they seemed to gobble up with enormous relish. In fact observing Italian families in a park led me to believe that shouts of "pizza", "pizza" is some kind of national role call for the young. What I am here to dismiss is that because a certain segment of British people only eat egg and chips, that it means all British food is rubbish. In fact us Brits are the worse for inflating this myth and promoting self ridicule. I know nothing of Dutch food except for the fact that the cheese is very nice and I like Hieneken.
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Post by Ribaric on Nov 3, 2009 9:41:06 GMT 1
I took some HR friends to a bland looking carvery in an equally bland London suburb. They loved it, they asked why we don't make a bit song and dance about such good grub. I don't know the answer, I could live quite happily going to my local carvery to make sure I get a good tasty square meal every day.
For those here who've not been to a carvery, it's much like a Swedish bufet but MUCH bigger and has various fresh cooked meat and pies on offer. You just take what you want in the proportions you want - then go eat.
Luvvly!
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Post by Madgolfer on Nov 3, 2009 11:37:19 GMT 1
Perhaps the lack of choice in Cro is down to the peoples lack of interest to experiment. I am very lucky in that Mrs MG is a rather fine cook and when we have Cro friends over for dinner or BBQs she always offers a varied choice of foods with various "tastes" catered for. From hot and spicy Indian dishes, to full blown Chinese meals or a good old English Sunday lunch, based on the amount they eat, Croatians seem to love all of it. Lamb with mint sauce seems to raise a few eyebrows though!
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Post by crojoe on Nov 3, 2009 12:32:04 GMT 1
madgolfer... this is what’s interesting... the number of Croatian friends we have had by the house the enjoy my wife’s cooking of none Croatian foods is amazing and they react really well to it, asking for recipe, where to buy the spices and so forth. My wife enjoys cooking Indian and Thai, as well as other dishes. Of course I get all the ingrediance for her on my by yearly trips to UK, from any number of Asian Cash and Carry shops. My barbeques include marinating in peanut sauce and Soya sauce, or beer, wines and so forth. I stay away from Paprika as much as possible. I guess its just another one of these things that they need to enlarge their pallet of foods, try new stuff and be willing to break out of the mould of conformity. I remember watching that daily show on the 5 people who cook for each other (sorry, forgot name of program) and they once had this Pilipino lady on. She cooked a great meal, but the reaction from the Croatians wasn’t very enthusiastic. One said wasn’t salty enough, another that there where no potato's. HA! (Note: don't worry; I don't watch the program on a regular basis).
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Post by Madgolfer on Nov 4, 2009 11:46:10 GMT 1
And yet when "other" types or restaurant open, with anything other than standard Croatian offerings, they seem to do very little business and a few have closed down quite quickly. The other "oddity" is perhaps the British habit of frying fish in batter, which is not liked by many Croatians I hear. Especially when you cover it in vinegar and lashings of salt. When you write it like that, it does sound rather odd Like covering perfectly good lamb in mint and vinegar...... Perhaps our British cooking habits are rather strange after all.
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Post by Madgolfer on Nov 4, 2009 11:54:46 GMT 1
Last year a good Croatian friend of ours was on the "Dinner for Five" cooking program and actually went on to win.
While his, and all of the other contestants, cooking was pretty much run of the mill stuff, his presentation probably won it for him in the end.
He is an EXCELLENT chef, but chose to offer a standard, everyday meal on the program, just presented slightly better, rather than try something different which he was more than able to cook.
Maybe Mrs MG, Mr or Mrs Crojoe and others should contact RTL and suggest an "Ex-Pats" competition! ;D
Mrs MG will kill me if I do it Crojoe, so over to you.... ;D
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Post by crojoe on Nov 4, 2009 12:50:44 GMT 1
good idea madgolfer... I'll get on it right away. My entry will be baked beans on toast, with a smidgen of ketchup on the side, downed with tea topped of with milk and for desert some spotted dick.
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