American Readers(and others too)

[Lyta_Underhill]

Why is it that I always read the threads about food on the one day a week I abstain from all solid food? I'm sure there's a simple psychological explanation...

I will not withhold my location, as I've told it before--Southern Middle Tennessee, heart of the high fat biscuits and gravy region of the US. All my husband's relatives are fond of hillbilly methods of cookery, which inevitably involve extremely high levels of fat and grease. Strangely enough, most of them are about average weight (at least in the local area) and in some cases, they are underweight! However, they have an insidious scheme of pushing food on unsuspecting (and ever-hungry!) hobbits like me! Luckily, I find pictures of biscuits and gravy like those linked by Lalwendë above rather repulsive in themselves, i.e., the visual component. It is the smell and the taste that sing their Siren song to be repented at leisure about 3 hours later... therefore, I have learned to top the traditional Southern biscuit with about 1/4 the amount of gravy seen in those pictures in order to avoid the well-known consequences!

As for scones, I can understand perfectly why they would be dry, since it is an irresistible invitation to dipping them in the accompanying beverage. My favorite dipping delicacy, however, is lightly almond flavored chocolate chip biscotti, homemade by me! These are dry and crunchy until dunked, and indeed, might break teeth if they are not properly consumed! I guess this accords with Rimbaud's Tea and a Biscuit in the "biscuit" category--I love that site's delightful "Taxonomy" that nowhere mentions "scones," but has rather precise definitions based on Venn Diagrams and other "set theory" type devices. Teehee! In itself it sounds like a conversation over tea!

Well, must dash and tend to business in the interval between Elevensies and Lunch (not to say I'll actually be eating anything!).

Cheers!
Lyta (fasting hobbit)

P.S.

Even more confusingly, to an Australian, a pikelet would signify what most Brits would call a Scotch Pancake - which is nothing like a real pancake as these are quite small and spongy in texture.

I think these are also known as "cheap diner pancakes" in the US, served in places where the help is overworked and underpaid and they don't have time to make batter, but instead slap frozen cakes into a microwave...bleah!

[Feanor of the Peredhil]

What is apple butter though? It sounds nice, almost like Lemon Cheese.

Although I've never heard of Lemon Cheese... Apple butter is very nice. I rather think that hobbits would like it (and perhaps even they did like it, since it is a very natural and yummy (and simple) concoction). Now apple butter is not to be confused with Vegemite, which in some instances, it looks like. I assure you that Vegemite does not have the sweet apple-cinnamon taste of apple butter. You know... with hobbits' fondness for ale, perhaps they had Vegemite in the Shire. Can you only imagine?

Fea

[Lyta_Underhill]

Lemon Cheese? Is that like lemon curd? Or is it really cheese? I can't imagine comparing apple butter and vegemite, though! Worse, accidentally substituting vegemite for apple butter on some poor unsuspecting fool's biscuit! I can imagine that there are some hobbits who worship the taste of vegemite, just as there are those who adore Limburger cheese...yes, I can imagine a few hobbits meeting after hours and furtively discussing the merits of Green Hills vegemite over Frogmorton vegemite, or some such thing. Perhaps it is a taste that goes with beer, which I also don't care for much. Not much of a hobbit, am I?

Cheers!
Lyta

P.S. Fea, I think that vegemite looks a little greyer than apple butter, having had occasion to compare them at first hand, but that could be visual editorializing!

[Lalwendë]

I think it was the colour of the gravy in those pictures that got to me, it was unnatural, gravy ought to be brown. And the only allowed 'extras' ought to be a bit of onion or some mushrooms. But if it tastes good then I'd be willing to try it...

Lemon cheese is almost like Lemon Curd , but it's thicker and more sugary, and you almost always have to get home made stuff. It's really good as the filling in a big sponge cake. I like the look of apple butter though. When you say 'apple cider' in the US I've been led to believe you mean non-alcoholic apple juice as opposed to the full strength, intoxicating, madness-inducing cider we drink here? I'm glad that Hobbits tend to stick to ale, as excessive cider drinking leads to strange behaviour.

Vegemite is like the bunny rabbit slippers in comparison to Marmite , which is more like a pair of 18 hole Doc Martens in the taste stakes. I think Hobbits would definitely opt for Marmite, especially when serving up tea and toast for a load of dwarves. Though these foreign Bucklanders with their fancy talk and fancy ways might go for Vegemite. I hear they even bring a few jars with them when they come backpacking around The Shire.

[Celebuial]

I didn't even know that Americans didn't mean the same thing when they talked about biscuits!!! I think that Tolkien was talking more on the side of fruit cake and more healthy savoury stuff though, kinda more like bread I s'pose. I acn see Hobbits munching on sponge cakes though, it would account for their size. All this talk of food is making me hungry... Apple butter, hmmm. Interesting idea. I might give it a try. I hate lemmon curd (I don't think I'll give lemmon cheese a try), and Marmite, and crumpets for that matter. Scotch pancakes on the other hand: Mmmmm!!!! *gorges on a whole pack of pancakes before coming back*

I think your idea of 'tater tots' sounds like hash browns. I thought that hash browns were just called hash browns in the US though...

I don't know anyone that eats rabbit stew either, but I didn't have a problem understanding connies and taters as my Granddad used to torture me with recollections of his mum cooking just such a stew for him. Yuck!

*sighs* I'm not feeling so hungry now.

[Feanor of the Peredhil]

I thought that hash browns were just called hash browns in the US though...

Hashbrowns would be if one took a tater and smooshed it all up and remove the seasoning. They, however, are also good with ketchup. What do you think hobbits would have thought of ketchup?

Fea (who's still trying to get her hands on Vegemite)

[Morai]

I think your idea of 'tater tots' sounds like hash browns. I thought that hash browns were just called hash browns in the US though

As Fea said, their different. Hash browns, of course, are basically shredded potatos that are fried and eaten with breakfast (usually with sasuage, bacon and/or eggs.) Tater tots are smaller, round and more like resturant french fries except, I still don't know how to put it into words.

What do you think hobbits would have thought of ketchup?

They would have found it very strange, especially since Ketchup comes in bottles instead of jars or bowls. The taste, would most likely be foreign, because I don't think hobbits had tomatos, but I could be wrong....

[Elennar Starfire]

As for taters... I have issues with taters. I always picture Sam cooking up the tater tots that my school's cafeteria likes to serve with cheeseburgers.

Ah, Napoleon Dynamite...
"Get your own dang tots!"

What? We have biscuits here in Utah. They are like a roll. You eat them with soup, or with jam and butter. You can dip them in gravy too.

Except I think rolls tend to be fluffier than biscuits, in general.

I think your idea of 'tater tots' sounds like hash browns. I thought that hash browns were just called hash browns in the US though...

Tater tots are sort of like hash browns, but the potato is shredded into smaller bits and rolled up in little balls before frying. Nasty, greasy things.

[Feanor of the Peredhil]

Rolls tend to be made with yeast, so they rise and are fluffy. Biscuits aren't. At least... that's my experience.

I think the most hilarious thing about this thread is that I can vividly imagine a dozen or so hobbits from different parts of the Shire sitting over a cuppa and eating baked products with arguably different names.

Baggins: Ah, what an excellent biscuit.
Brandybuck: That's no biscuit, that's a crumpet.
Boffin: Not where I come from it's not! Our crumpets ain't nothin' like yer scones.
Baggins: That's no scone, it's a biscuit!.
Boffin: Well, I call it scone.

*Grin*

Fea