No, I didn't get a hankering for apple pie. Just this: Cornbread. In yesterday's email inbox:
| Order Number: | 88 |
| Date Ordered: | Wednesday 13 April, 2011 |
| Qty | Description | Item # | Unit Price | Tax | Item Total |
| 1 | 24/8.5 oz. Packages "JIFFY" Corn Muffin Mix | 220 | $10.00 | $0.00 | $10.00 |
|
| Sub-Total: | $10.00 |
| Per Item (Tiered) (Shipping (via UPS)): | $15.00 |
| Total: | $25.00 |
|
Yes, I paid $15 in shipping for $10 worth of cornbread mix! I have looked in about five different stores for cornmeal, including a health food store which stocked a bunch of different flours. Almond flour, spelt flour, rice flour...but no cornmeal. It was a complete bust. I even looked at the grocery department of amazon.co.uk, but they wanted to charge me 41 pounds to ship three boxes of cornbread mix! What the...?
Obviously, cornmeal is not an English pantry staple. Hence, cornbread is the perfect thing to bring to a party we've been invited to on Saturday night. The party is being hosted by a co-worker of Mike's and, since it's such an international crowd at the office, everyone is supposed to bring a dish from their home country. I hope my corn muffin mix gets here in time.
What is typically "American" food? So much of what we cook in the U.S. is a take-off of other countries' dishes; it's true that we've made them our own—Chicago-style pizza, Tex-Mex, etc. But Mike and I are stumped. We were trying to figure out last night what American food is, and all we could come up with was: chili, fried chicken, Southern-style biscuits, backyard BBQ fare, and corn bread.
What would you bring to the party? You know, in case my corn muffin mix doesn't get here in time!
4 comments:
Well, how about pimiento cheese, devilled eggs, hush puppies, blue corn chips, Texas caviar (pickled black eyed peas), coleslaw, waldorf salad, cobb salad, clam chowder, corn chowder, US Senate bean soup, Maryland she-crab soup, sub sandwiches, cheeseburgers, hot dogs, shrimp and grits, Texas BBQ (beef brisket), buffalo burgers, baked sweet potatoes, wild rice, fried green tomatoes, collards, key lime pie, boston cream pie, blueberry cobbler, pecan pie, funnel cake, shoofly pie, watermelon, cranberry muffins, scuppernoog, Coors beer, Anchor Steam Beer, etc.
You better go rattle some of those recently arrived pots and pans, girl!
I have not had cornbead in the 3.5 years that I've been here and I really REALLY miss it. I would totally pay $25 for some! Yum! I think that is the perfect thing to bring to your party. I think there are some websites here that sell American foods if you ever get desperate (one is AmericanSoda.co.uk)
We've had a similar party at my church and there are quite a few Americans who attended. One person brought homemade mac'n cheese. Someone else brought all of the fixings for banana splits. We brought a potato salad and some yummy chocolate peanut butter bars (anything with peanut butter and chocolate combo is totally American! Yum, I'm getting hungry!)
Aren't pancakes all American? Granted, we typically have them for 1st or 2nd breakfast, but. :) I would say southern American dishes would be more rare since many northern American dishes are derived or very similar to English dishes. I would say anything with (sweet) BBQ sauce on it would be a good item. BBQ chicken with corn and spinach is the first thing I think of for an all American meal.
BTW Kris - We're really enjoying your blog as well being hopeful expats on that side of the pond soon.
Drat. Double drat! Just got this email:
"Thank you for visiting our ONLINE STORE and for your interest in our "JIFFY" mixes. At this time we do not ship orders outside the CONTINENTAL US via the online store - see "Shipping & Returns" under Information. However, you can place such an order by calling our Consumer Relations Department direct at 1-800-727-2460. We will credit your account for $25.00. Sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused."
Sigh. Well, I won't be getting my corn muffin mix in time for tonight's party. Thankfully, I can still order over the phone! :-)
Meanwhile, I have some great suggestions from Mom, Jer, and Kris. Thanks guys! I'll let you know what I end up making and bringing....stay tuned. :-)
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