English Dishes

So here's a little view of some of the dishes we had whilst across the Atlantic:

Pheasant Casserole- My Grandmother-in-law's specialty she used to even pluck the pheasants that her husband shot, but I think now she has done away with that particular aspect. This still is a frighteningly labor intensive job. After roasting the pheasants she removes every single bit of meat from the bones then cooks them in a casserole of gravy, vegetables and wine. this is one the ways in which she puts her Aga to use- part of a kitchen I would never want for myself, but those who have grown up with them seem to love them.

Broad Bean and Leek Risotto- This was a great dish my wife came up with whilst abroad. She looked through about 9 different risotto recipes before throwing them all out and starting on her own. Beginning with a base of minced celery, carrots, onions and garlic she worked in the rice, wine and vegetable stock, finishing with broad beans and leeks grown in her mother's garden. (the beans had been frozen, leeks were fresh), a generous portion of fresh herbs (parsley, chives, and others) and of course some Parmesan. It was very good.

Burritos! Well we couldn't come from San Diego and not cook Mexican at least once. It is a refreshing difference for us in England for Mexican food to be considered such a treat! people are crazy about ti and view it as such a special occasion dinner. Mexican restaurants are always very nice- not like the hole in the walls we have over here. They aren't quite ready with the spice yet though!

Chicken Tikka Massala- Well this is England's Mexican I guess, whilst Indian Restaurants in San Diego are all very nice, more often than not you find a cheap take-out place in the UK. Indian is one of my favorite cuisines, so we had to spend one night cooking some up. In addition to the always favored Chicken tikka Massala my wife invented a fragrant fennel seed vegetable curry, we cooked up some sag aloo with fresh spinach from the garden and my brother in law conjured up some fresh homemade garlic naan. a truly awesome meal!