Cookery - UK versus N. America

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 went to a restaurant that serves 'breakfast at any time'. So I
ordered French Toast during the Renaissance." (Peter Kay)

"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
--
Thanks Bruce, this will be useful. But a further translation: North
American-pertaining to the continent of North America, which includes the
United States of American and Canada
American-pertaining to the United States of America.

Canadian cooks are bilingual--recipes usually appear in metric and imperial
measures. (I prefer to cook in metric, but keep "old" measures around for
old cookbooks plus American recipes)

I found it interesting to see how Canada bridges the linguistic gap, using
some American terms and some British terms (this might differ somewhat by
region). And sometimes we go off on our own--neither scallions nor spring
onions, but green onions.

Dawne

"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 went to a restaurant that serves 'breakfast at any time'. So I ordered
French Toast during the Renaissance." (Peter Kay)

Thanks Bruce, that answers a LOT of questions!!
Carolyn, UK

"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

lucretia borgia wrote:
On Mon, 24 Nov 2008 15:37:58 +0000, "Bruce Fletcher (remove dentures
to reply)" opined:


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.

I don't have any problem making up my English cake recipes with American
flour. They taste just as good as they always did. So, incidentally,
does my bread. We LOATHE most store-bought bread in this house, so I
make almost all my own.

Olwyn Mary in New Orleans.

lucretia borgia wrote:
On Mon, 24 Nov 2008 16:08:04 -0600, Olwyn Mary
opined:
I don't have any problem making up my English cake recipes with American
flour. They taste just as good as they always did. So, incidentally,
does my bread. We LOATHE most store-bought bread in this house, so I
make almost all my own.

Olwyn Mary in New Orleans.

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.
OK Sheena,


I can't take it anymore what IS NA flour??????

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.

DD does remember sword-dancing at the Cowal Games, though LOL.

G

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

Gillian Murray wrote:


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


I don't know about UK versus US, but I do know that Canadian flour is
usually milled from harder wheat (more gluten) than is US flour and some
recipes need to be adjusted.

Black and Decker bread makers suggest not using US all-purpose flour in
their machines, but specifically US bread flour. They also say that any
national brand of Canadian all-purpose flour can be used.

I do know that cake and pastry flour is usually 'softer', and I have a
recipe for pie crust pastry which requires 5 cups of all-purpose OR 5
1/2 cups of cake and pastry flour.

MargW

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 ?

self rising flour is available here and I have used it with great
success in recipies form anold english cook book that calls for self
rising flour in some of its recipies. But cakes are another question. I
read somewhere that the difference also with our NA flours is addatives
ruby

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