Your ViewsKeep your e-mails pouring in, it's good to know that there are lots of you out there with views and opinions. To help you work out what is what, are now little icons to help you see biscuit related themes. And now you can see at a glance which are the most contested subjects via this graph (requires Flash 6.0 plugin). Please keep your mails coming in to nicey@nicecupofteaandasitdown.com | If you like, you can use this search thingy to find stuff that matches with any of the icons you pick, or use the fantastic free text search, Yay! | Your e-Mails |
Elke Riederich |
Hello Nicey & Wifey,
only a couple of days ago I got your book with a comment like: Something sweet and funny.
Well, having read it within a few hours I had to reply: This is some really serious stuff. I don’t think it’s funny :-).
I run a tiny little Fudgery & British Shop in Bavaria (somewhere between Munich and Salzburg)
www.wasserburg.de . So, do not fear to pay a visit to the continent sometime. There’s always a good supply of Digestives, Hob Nobs (shame it’s only the plain ones now), homemade shortbread, homemade biscuits and scones etc. You can enjoy a nice cup of tea as well (I’m working on the sit down at the moment, which will be 2 chairs/small table and the window showcase has to go….but what the heck) Will drop a line once a Nicecupofteaandasitdown (for 2) is provided at the Fudge Mahal.
Mit freundlichen Grüßen
Elke Riederich
Fudge Mahal |
Nicey replies: Hi Elke,
Hoorah for your lovely shop. I love your 360 degree panorama on your site. Also I have to congratulate you on your British shelves, PG Tips, Ambrosia Custard and Rice Pud, McVities Digestives, Sarsons Vinegar, Cream Crackers, Horlicks, Rose's Marmalade, Nairns Oatcakes but I see you've drawn the line at Marmite.
If we ever find ourselves in Bavaria or fall out of the back of the Tirol sometimes we'll pop in for a cuppa. |
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Fuzzy |
Hi there Nicey and Wifey!
I'm a British ex-pat in Sweden and I was gobsmacked to find out they have no concept of custard over here!
The closest thing they have is "Vaniljsås" which is a creamy vanilla-flavoured sauce served *thin* and *cold*, it's nice but a poor custard substitute!
I've had some Birds powder shipped over here on a few occasions but unfortunately the milk over here is less pasteurised than in the UK - so custard made with the local milk tastes 'funny'.
The only way I got close to making 'real custard' was to boil the milk up, then cool it down quickly (sticking the pan outside in the snow works well for that) and then heat it up again and proceed as normal.
I've actually resorted to making custard with eggs instead - the old-fashioned way - as I couldn't cope without custard!
I've been educating Swedes as to what custard is - they have no notion of 'a trifle' here since they don't have thick custard - it's scary! An entire country going trifle-free!
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Nick Q |
Dear Nicey
Apparently classically trained French chefs refuse to acknowledge the existence of custard, and when pressed, tend to fall back on using the euphemism “crème anglais”. Maybe this is what Queenie calls it.
I once saw custard defined in a gastronomical dictionary as “a malevolent conspiracy of the hen, the cow and the cook”.
Off to Romania next week to check out the tea and biscuits topology – do you have any recommendations for that part of the world?
Keep up the good work!
Nick Q |
Nicey replies: Nick,
We are largely clueless about Romania, so consider yourself on a bold journey of discovery. We had some Russian biscuits last year which were not ever so massed produced and sold loose in little plastic trays. They were the sort of thing that needed to eaten very fresh sort of like a semi sweet Viennese finger. Perhaps you'll find something like that? |
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