American Food in London

This past week I went on a little adventure to Notting Hill to seek out a store that is dedicated to American groceries. The thing about living abroad is one can't always get the foods and groceries to which one may be accustomed in their native lands. Normally this doesn't trouble me too much and I do think that it is important to explore the local options. But my flatmates and I have decided we want to bake peanut butter cookies tomorrow and when it comes to cookies, my mother is the expert. I have obtained her recipe and tomorrow we are going to try to replicate the cookies I grew up enjoying.

One thing they don't have in British grocery stores is Crisco. Crisco is a vegetable shorting used in many American recipes but is not a common ingredient to be found here in the UK. With a little research, I was able to find a store here in London that imports American food products and they have vats of Crisco in all sizes.

The American Food Store is a magical place with all the familiar products if home. They have a vast selection of American breakfast cereals, candy, beverages and baking goods. I was even able to pick up a box of grits. That was the jackpot for this southern girl. The one thing American shoppers should consider before entering the store is the effect of nostalgia on their purchasing choices. I found myself gravitating to many things I didn't often buy in America simply because of the memories and familiarity attached to the product. I found my Crisco and did depart with a box of Fruity Pebbles and Hershey Kisses just because. Thank goodness I have flatmates who can help me consume the products of the motherland. However, I don't think I'll be able to convince them to eat grits. Unless one grew up in America's southern region, they usually don't appeal. But we'll see. Maybe they will surprise me.

I'll let you know how the cookies turn out.
This week, I plan to see some theatre so tune in next time for a review of the performance.

In the meantime, enjoy the summer! It's nearly gone!

Take care!
-m