Chez mr.le Marquis du Galipot.: no pork but no good food either - Kosher can be be...

Chez mr.le Marquis du Galipot.: no pork but no good food either - Kosher can be be...:  This little guy is happy about it all,  but after this lunch, I'm NOT! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kosher_foods     The problem is tha...

America again...!

This is really the final part of "American basics", and is difficult to write, because I can't figure it out! If you would like to read the past articles, they are mainly here:
http://marquisdugalipot.blogspot.com/ and future "adventures" will be published there.
We are due to return to Europe mid July, when things will become normal - hopefully...!
***********
Apart from Beer, no alcohols are sold in Supermarkets (at least not in this part), but I have noticed that, in general, the neighbouring shop to a Supermarket is often the famous "liquor shop"!which is strange!
I often have the feeling that I'm supposed to be guilty when I enter these places, but I don't! The brown paper bags you carry when  you come out are also made or that purpose, I think. Everywhere else it's plastic! I can't imagine what kind of packaging is used when you come out of a sex shop, but one thing is sure - everybody knows where you've been with your paper bag under you arm...!
Well - I don't feel guilty, I just feel diddled when I can't get reasonable/good wine with my meal in reasonable/good restaurants at reasonable/good prices.....everywhere!
A meal without wine, for most French residents is like oversalted.........inedible!
I appreciate and have experienced it myself, years ago, that there is a thing called "the Bible Belt" and in those states, it is problematic.
In modern day America, look at these facts: No booze - in the blues, man........!
 Can you imagine any of those fêtes you go out to a Restaurant for in Europe, like Mother's day and - no wine, or very little on the menu?

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American things (continued)

Where I left off was just the beginning.
I found a nice looking place on the road,

 but then I realised it was actually

a McDonalds....! Different - yes, and we'll probably go to eat there sometime, but it is a McDo.......!

So - let's carry on with our American menu - next thing on the list is:

FROMAGE

As Gen. de Gaulle so aptly remarked, how is it possible to govern a country which has more than 3,000 different cheeses?

Well, he wouldn't have had the same problem in the States! 

They are almost all either blocks which can be cut into chunks or into slices which go on the slices of inedible bread, already mentioned.....! On the other hand, it seems that efforts are being made to do things  better

 in the same way as for the wines but it is difficult to change the habits of a large nation ......... takes time, and when many (in Europe) "normal" cheeses are suddenly classed as luxury items, with luxury tax (as in the case of "Roquefort" , from the district of l'Aveyron, Larzac in France) then Americans, or fewer French buy it......!

Roquefort (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 Well - thar's the end - next time around, something good - DESSERT - You know they have things called cheesecake, and they are good, aren't they Ellen?

   but then, they ARE European in origin! Sorry!!!!! 

I'll look at ice cream, and then the famous difficulties with liquor/wine/beer stores then I should be so advanced as to print out my boarding pass for GOING HOME!...........................

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America - basics....!

  BREAD:
Although th USA is known principally as a meat consuming society, even meat requires bread, ie a bun for the hamburger or hot dog.
In France and in Germany, bread - of all types, are treated as part of a staple diat, in France the prices are actually regulated by official laws, as are the weights, so imagine my surprise (and horror) when I saw the prices in the USA of simple bread - bread that is "squishy" - has little or no taste, is generally pre-sliced and can be kept for months!
Maybe this comes from the British influence, where you can squeeze/press the bread to get 3 or 4 "loaves" into the freezer. Elastic or plastic stuff - generally inedible! Toasted or grilled it can be used and although there are many types - Italian, French, and other, they are not serious contenders for the real articles.

MEAT:  Everything, or almost everything, is available. Mainly, meat is of the "fast cookable style" - even at home. Whilst the home baked/cooked/grilled is better in general than the the National chain stores, it is also more expensive. Certain meats are impossible to find in certain areas, others very  difficult to find.
I found that veal was difficult to find, very expensive and when findable, then in escalope/chop form, the same held good for lamb, and strangely enough for Turkey, apart from the 4 July when turkey was about all you could find!
Those cuts for stews were rare to find, and liver (or "guts" as they call them) I never found! Minced meats were available, for the famous "meatloaf" or for the sauce Bolognese known in certain parts as "gravy"........
Unfortunately I never found one of these in the USA!

A butcher shop specializing in horse meat in Pezenas (languedoc, France) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

VEGETABLES:


  In general, all normal, and some strange vegetables, are available, but tend to be cooked/prepared only at home. The prices, fresh or frozen, are comparable to European prices, with certain exceptions - notably potatoes (strangely, again a staple diat food in Europe) sold in Europe in minimum 1kg (circa 2lbs) packs, in the USA I saw them in pre-packed of 4 potatoes.......!

FISH:

Apart from a lot of shellfish, my largest disappointment! As a lover of fish, I didn't like the selection - the taste - the fact that most things were filleted, and the state of freshness. On the other hand, live lobsters and such like, are much more available than in Europe, even if they are much smaller!
Salmon tends to be "Atlantic" salmon, which - as every Scotsman knows, has nothing to do with real salmon, it's just farming in the water! The price is actually higher than the price for the same article in Europe! 


There are many other items and remarks I would like to make, but I'll be coming back to the subjects later - just one thing - Imagine, in this part of New York, there is NO fish and chips - "Long John Silver's" - there are 12 in NY but nowhere near here, and this is called, after all "Long Island" - what better place for Robinson Crusoe.......?
I hope to do an article on the wine/beer/alcohol subject in the USA. Most confusing and makes me pleased to live permanently on the Old Continent....!

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Chez mr.le Marquis du Galipot.: What's left on my list......? Not a lot.......!

Chez mr.le Marquis du Galipot.: What's left on my list......? Not a lot.......!: Lachs on rye....! just a deli - lachs on rye........? Jewish deli _- corned beef but in Manhatten......!

in the "dependancy".......

I'm scared.........!

Memorial Day/Weekend



Mr le Marquis finds himself in one of the older dependancies, the US of A, and I don't think this li'l guy is going  to forget this memorial day!
Although I was told that the homes are decorated with flags, that most people "light up the fire", go to Memorial Services (I wouldn't see that anyway) or otherwise engage themselves, I have seen nothing of all that!


Which is a great shame, since a fire or barbecue would be most welcome in this freezing cold wind, and it's supposed to be the start of summer as well!

I find myself in the female hands, not a good thing, and - as I understand, I am due to choose, chew, swallow and regurgitate something called pancakes......not crêpes - no - pancakes!

Scary............

 even "scarier"...............!