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Cookery - UK versus N. America



 
 
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  #11  
Old November 25th 08, 08:23 PM posted to rec.crafts.textiles.needlework
MelissaD
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Posts: 122
Default Cookery - UK versus N. America

Dawne Peterson wrote:
"lucretia borgia" wrote
Bruce Fletcher wrote

Whilst struggling to interpret an American recipe I came across this
handy translation guide:
http://marycontrary.tripod.com/food/charts.html

I see they touch on the difference in flour, but there is really no
subbing. English cake recipes, things like the Victoria Sandwich are
evil made with NA flour. Measurements for Yorkies is different and
method is different. I never use English recipes that involve flour.


Some people suggest removing 2 tbsp/cup of flour when using NA all purpose
flour. Have you tried that? (not recommeding it, just saying I have been
told of it)
Dawne


I'm sure you are aware that there is a lot of variety in types of flours
as they are not all made from the same wheat crops. My FIL worked in
the baking - specifically flour - industry for 40+ years and he can take
a bite of something and tell you what kind of flour they used. It could
be that some recipes would work better with something like cake flour
rather than the general use "all purpose" flour.

MelissaD
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  #12  
Old November 25th 08, 08:42 PM posted to rec.crafts.textiles.needlework
Dianne Lewandowski
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Posts: 605
Default Cookery - UK versus N. America

MelissaD wrote:
Dawne Peterson wrote:
"lucretia borgia" wrote
Bruce Fletcher wrote

Whilst struggling to interpret an American recipe I came across this
handy translation guide:
http://marycontrary.tripod.com/food/charts.html
I see they touch on the difference in flour, but there is really no
subbing. English cake recipes, things like the Victoria Sandwich are
evil made with NA flour. Measurements for Yorkies is different and
method is different. I never use English recipes that involve flour.


Some people suggest removing 2 tbsp/cup of flour when using NA all
purpose flour. Have you tried that? (not recommeding it, just saying
I have been told of it)
Dawne

I'm sure you are aware that there is a lot of variety in types of flours
as they are not all made from the same wheat crops. My FIL worked in
the baking - specifically flour - industry for 40+ years and he can take
a bite of something and tell you what kind of flour they used. It could
be that some recipes would work better with something like cake flour
rather than the general use "all purpose" flour.

MelissaD


Unless a recipe calls for a specific type of flour (and many U.S.
recipes call for all-purpose flour) I use cake flour for baking cakes
and bread flour (or whole wheat, rye, whatever) for making bread. To
make bread with all-purpose flour is to have not-so-good bread and that
is the reason many people don't bother to bake bread.

Also, not all "all-purpose" flours are made equally. Check ingredients
to see where the flour comes from and what - if any - additives are in
it. For all-purpose flour, I always purchase the unbleached variety.

I would think it's more brand name than area of the country?

Dianne

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  #13  
Old November 25th 08, 08:49 PM posted to rec.crafts.textiles.needlework
Bruce Fletcher (remove dentures to reply)
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Posts: 415
Default Cookery - UK versus N. America

lucretia borgia wrote:
On Tue, 25 Nov 2008 02:56:08 GMT, Gillian Murray
opined:

I can't take it anymore what IS NA flour??????
North American flour, which is very different to the UK stuff, you can
even feel the difference if you sift it through your fingers.
I cooked a lot in England eons back, but don't recognize it. I cooked
when we were stationed in Scotland in the early 1970s, and still don't
remember it.

But, but Sheena... there are so many different forms of flour here in
the US. All-purpose flour, self-rising flour, bread flour, cake
flour..all jump to mind as white flours!

Gill


That is true, but none are equivalent to the UK flour - did you look
at the site Bruce offered ? The UK has basically Plain and
SelfRaising - remember that stuff ?


Maureen makes her own bread, it's a quick recipe with no heavy kneading
(thanks to the Kenwood Chef & a dough hook) and no lengthy "proving"; in
one baking session she will produce about ten loaves and a dozen small
rolls all of which are then frozen down and microwaved just before they
are served - almost like having fresh-baked bread on demand. The only
flour Maureen uses for bread-making is Allinson Strong White Bread flour
or Allinson Country Grain Bread Flour
http://www.allinsonflour.co.uk/products and Allinsons Easy Bake Yeast,
I believe that these are available almost anywhere in the world via
http://www.lifeslittleluxuries.co.uk
--
Bruce Fletcher
Stronsay, Orkney UK
"I went to a restaurant that serves 'breakfast at any time'. So I
ordered French Toast during the Renaissance." (Peter Kay)
  #14  
Old November 25th 08, 10:14 PM posted to rec.crafts.textiles.needlework
Olwyn Mary
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Posts: 459
Default Cookery - UK versus N. America

lucretia borgia wrote:
On Tue, 25 Nov 2008 11:59:59 -0600, Olwyn Mary
opined:


lucretia borgia wrote:

As it says there, NA is harder and things like Victoria Sandwich and
Sponges just were not light and fluffy as I always made them.
Yorkshires were a total disaster, well compared to what I made in the
UK. A Canadian friend gave me her measurements and techniques for
making them which was utterly different from the UK method.

Note, when I was at my aunts last month in the UK I did roast beef and
yorkies and reverted to making them and allowing to stand for a couple
of hours, with great results. But not here ! Fruit cakes etc. don't
matter, it's cakes that have to rise.


Perhaps should should be more clear in your terms, and not lump all
flours together. When I moved to Montreal as a brand new bride, others
who had made the trip before me warned me to use at least 50% cake flour
in my baking. Reason? Canadian wheat is a harder wheat, excellent for
things like semolina, but not for light, tender baking.

In Ohio, I was able to use less cake flour,(that stuff is expensive!!)
because Great Lakes area wheat seemed to be softer than Canadian. After
I moved to the Deep South - Florida and then here to New Orleans, I
found that southern wheat is much softer, thus so is the flour, and it
was necessary to buy special bread flour to make bread, as the southern
flour just does not have enough gluten in it. I don't know why your
Yorkshire puddings were such a disaster, the only times I have had
problems were purely my fault rather than that of the ingredients.

It is simply a question of adjusting to your circumstances, rather than
moaning about what you had before.

Olwyn Mary in New Orleans



Excuse me - exactly where was I moaning about what I had before ??????
I have moved around the world and managed wherever I went
linguistically and house wise.

The Yorkshire Puddings were a disaster because I needed totally
different measurements and to make them and cook them immediately, not
'rest' the mixture for a couple of hours.

Then again, maybe I was more particular about them than yourself. I
hate flat, doughy Yorkshires and always took pride that my cakes were
light and tender.


Your earlier posts sounded very like a moan to me - complaining about
North American flour as though it were all the same. I met a lot of
people like you when we lived in Canada - always complaining that the
beef and the beer tasted different. My view has always been - if it is
so much better over there, go home!!
And yes, I am very particular about my baking, which is why I took the
trouble to understand the properties of the different kinds of flour
available.

Olwyn Mary in New Orleans
  #15  
Old November 25th 08, 11:01 PM posted to rec.crafts.textiles.needlework
Olwyn.Mary
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Posts: 174
Default Cookery - UK versus N. America

lucretia borgia wrote:


I am not sure why I should go home having happily lived in Canada for
41 years and been fiercely pro-Canadian. I sure am glad you kept
going though and did not burden Canada with your presence.

What a patronising person you are !


You don't sound very happy to me - you even selected a "poisonous" name
for yourself.

FYI, I have moved around a lot following my husband's career. He chose
to move, I chose to go with him and make a happy home wherever he went,
rather than be like some of my former friends who insisted that their
husbands had to find a job locally so they would not have to move.

Olwyn Mary in New Orleans
  #16  
Old November 25th 08, 11:09 PM posted to rec.crafts.textiles.needlework
Lucille[_3_]
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Posts: 1,234
Default Cookery - UK versus N. America


"Olwyn.Mary" wrote in message
...
lucretia borgia wrote:


I am not sure why I should go home having happily lived in Canada for
41 years and been fiercely pro-Canadian. I sure am glad you kept
going though and did not burden Canada with your presence. What a
patronising person you are !


You don't sound very happy to me - you even selected a "poisonous" name
for yourself.

FYI, I have moved around a lot following my husband's career. He chose to
move, I chose to go with him and make a happy home wherever he went,
rather than be like some of my former friends who insisted that their
husbands had to find a job locally so they would not have to move.

Olwyn Mary in New Orleans



I think I need to up my reading comprehension. You two don't seem to be
speaking the same language. I saw no moaning or unhappiness.

L


  #17  
Old November 26th 08, 12:03 AM posted to rec.crafts.textiles.needlework
Olwyn.Mary
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Posts: 174
Default Cookery - UK versus N. America

lucretia borgia wrote:


I certainly feel I would like to poison you !


(snip)


I am wondering how you arrived at that judgement of me - must be
because you judge others by yourself, because your picture could not
be further from the truth. So please don't judge me by your friends !


When I was growing up in England,and the newspaper had had a lengthy
correspondence on one subject, the editor used to post a notice "This
correspondence is now closed".

I will not respond further.

Olwyn Mary in New Orleans
  #18  
Old November 27th 08, 02:31 AM posted to rec.crafts.textiles.needlework
Olwyn Mary
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 459
Default Cookery - UK versus N. America


"Bruce Fletcher (remove dentures to reply)"
wrote in message



Whilst struggling to interpret an American recipe I came across this
handy translation guide:
http://marycontrary.tripod.com/food/charts.html
--
Bruce Fletcher
Stronsay, Orkney UK


I did happen to notice, on further study of the tables, that it does not
mention the main difference between U.K. "icing sugar" and North
American "confectioners sugar".

Icing sugar is pure sugar, very finely ground. Confectioners sugar has
a small amount of cornstarch added, supposedly to avoid lumping. This
means that it will not make real royal icing,(the kind which sets like
concrete). Nowadays, if I want real royal icing I can go to my local
import shop and buy icing sugar. In past years, I had to take regular
sugar and grind it really finely, a small amount at a time, in my
blender. Mind you, my dh says he prefers the American kind, it makes it
easier to cut the Christmas cake (yes, Gillian, I still make one, old
family recipe, complete with marzipan, royal icing, piped flowers on
top, the whole bit).

Olwyn Mary in New Orleans
  #19  
Old November 27th 08, 04:13 AM posted to rec.crafts.textiles.needlework
Gillian Murray
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Posts: 795
Default OT Christmas cake tale of woe Cookery - UK versus N. America

Olwyn Mary wrote:

"Bruce Fletcher (remove dentures to reply)"
wrote in message



Whilst struggling to interpret an American recipe I came across this
handy translation guide:
http://marycontrary.tripod.com/food/charts.html
--
Bruce Fletcher
Stronsay, Orkney UK


I did happen to notice, on further study of the tables, that it does not
mention the main difference between U.K. "icing sugar" and North
American "confectioners sugar".

Icing sugar is pure sugar, very finely ground. Confectioners sugar has
a small amount of cornstarch added, supposedly to avoid lumping. This
means that it will not make real royal icing,(the kind which sets like
concrete). Nowadays, if I want real royal icing I can go to my local
import shop and buy icing sugar. In past years, I had to take regular
sugar and grind it really finely, a small amount at a time, in my
blender. Mind you, my dh says he prefers the American kind, it makes it
easier to cut the Christmas cake (yes, Gillian, I still make one, old
family recipe, complete with marzipan, royal icing, piped flowers on
top, the whole bit).

Olwyn Mary in New Orleans


Olwyn Mary

want to hear of the last Christmas cake I made?? Disaster all the way.

Jim and I were together, unmarried, but SOs. WE lived in Maryland. We
were invited to Miami for the Christmas holiday to be with the old MIL
and the rest of the tribe. I thought I would make a real English
Christmas cake. I made it in November, marinated it faithfully; I had
all the ingredients to make marzipan and icing ( I don't like it hard,
so always added a smudge of glycerin..my Mum's trick.).

Well we arrived in Miami; it was about 85 degrees, hot as hell...and we
were in the RV in the front yard. Her house had no A/C...just open windows.

At the right time I made the marzipan, and slathered the stuff on the
cake. I then made the icing, and put that on the cake. In my family we
had Father Christmas and Trees on the cake; I had bought some, and
decorated with that. It really looked good, and my Mum would be proud of me.

I took it into the old lady's kitchen, and it sat there for a few hours
until they were ready to eat it. (No-one EVER was in time for a meal in
that place),,maybe why I hate Miami.

By the time we were ready for the cake, I took the inverted tin off the
plate.....you guessed it, the whole damn stuff had slid off the cake and
was puddled around the cake.

That is the last Christmas cake I ever made!! About 23 years ago.

Gillian
  #20  
Old November 27th 08, 05:10 AM posted to rec.crafts.textiles.needlework
Ruby
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Posts: 114
Default Cookery - UK versus N. America

Olwyn Mary wrote:

"Bruce Fletcher (remove dentures to reply)"
wrote in message



Whilst struggling to interpret an American recipe I came across this
handy translation guide:
http://marycontrary.tripod.com/food/charts.html
--
Bruce Fletcher
Stronsay, Orkney UK


I did happen to notice, on further study of the tables, that it does not
mention the main difference between U.K. "icing sugar" and North
American "confectioners sugar".

Icing sugar is pure sugar, very finely ground. Confectioners sugar has
a small amount of cornstarch added, supposedly to avoid lumping. This
means that it will not make real royal icing,(the kind which sets like
concrete). Nowadays, if I want real royal icing I can go to my local
import shop and buy icing sugar. In past years, I had to take regular
sugar and grind it really finely, a small amount at a time, in my
blender. Mind you, my dh says he prefers the American kind, it makes it
easier to cut the Christmas cake (yes, Gillian, I still make one, old
family recipe, complete with marzipan, royal icing, piped flowers on
top, the whole bit).

Olwyn Mary in New Orleans

here in Canada we can buy super fine sugar. works great
ruby
 




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