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Saturday, August 02, 2008

Love Actually Mr. Bean: Banoffee Pie, Flapjacks, Ginger Bears, Kendal Mint Cake, Twiglets, and Worcester Sauce and Prawn Cocktail Potato Crisps

When I first started blogging I just wrote.

I didn't reveal very much so my posts had little personality. I wasn't sure whether this was something I wanted to continue. I obviously didn't have any readers. I didn't tell anyone I knew about it at all.

I can't remember when or how the rest of my cousins found out. I think the questions started when the camera came out. Then came the mass email to all the cousins. Some are regular readers, a few comment, and of course, cousin Q started a food blog too. Some of my cousins' friends are lurkers; a few are lurkers who later found out the blog they've been reading was actually their friend's cousin. Did you follow those trains of thought? :P

As for my friends, I remember emailing some of them the link when I posted my recipe for Cha Gio (Vietnamese Egg Rolls) simply because some had asked for other recipes before. As far as I know, only one friend actually reads my blog on a regular basis, a few others read it sporadically.

So who am I writing to when I blog?

Sometimes I'm writing just for me. Casting a net and pulling in a few readers. Like real life, I tend to let others initiate contact. Somewhere between the comments about food, a conversation starts, and sometimes it evolves into friendship. Which is how Oanh of Halfway Between Ca Mau and Sai Gon came into my life.

I love you Oanh! Evidently, she loves me too. When I proposed a food swap, I wasn't expecting such bounty. You can read Oanh's post about what I sent to her in "The Joys of Blogging."

Sorry, you don't get to see what's written on the other side of the card. :P But wanna see what's under the plastic bubble wrap?


British and Oz Food 1


Chips. Or crisps as the Brits would say. What do Australians call potato chips? I was there and I can't even remember. And is that chocolate with bubbles I see?


British and Oz Food 2

It is! Along with the banoffee pies and Twiglets I had requested, she also sent chips/crisps (Odd British flavors that I like trying and her favorite root chips because the thought of prawn cocktail-flavored chips made her shudder); flapjacks (In America, flapjacks are another word for pancakes.); malt whisky coffee and hot chocolate; and Kendal Mint Cake. Of course, she added Australian real fruit-flavored gummy worms and ginger gummy bears. Yum! I love ginger.


British and Oz Food 3

Worcester sauce and prawn cocktail potato chips. Haha! Actually, I really liked both flavors. I've also tried Walkers chicken tikka masala chips too.


British and Oz Food 4

The Kendal Mint Cake looked and tasted like peppermint candy. It's popular with hikers and mountaineers because of its high energy content. According to the package, this particular brand was carried in the British Everest expedition of 1975.


British and Oz Food 5

And Twiglets. Anyone else remember that scene when Mr. Bean had company coming and an empty cupboard so he cut tree twigs and served them up as Twiglets?


British and Oz Food 6

"Sensual satisfaction?" Blech. I don't understand Oanh, nor Noodlepie's Twiglets love. Tasted like burnt wheat to me. But then, I don't like Marmite or Vegemite either.


British and Oz Food 7

Banoffee pies though. Toffee sauce, white chocolate, and banana ganache. That kind of love I can understand.


British and Oz Food 8

I know, I'm lame. The banoffee pie curiosity came about because of that scene in Love Actually where Keira Knightley showed up at her husband's best friend's house looking for his video of her wedding. I won't spoil it by telling you what happened if you haven't seen the movie. And if you haven't, why haven't you? It's one of my favorites.


British and Oz Food 9

Oanh had to add in some Australian food for me to try. The ginger gummy bears were awesome. Slight bite. The way I like my ginger candies.


British and Oz Food 10

Thanks again Oanh! You're the best!

*****
1 year ago today, the marble craze that swept 4th grade in I only bought the lychee drink for the marble inside.

12 comments:

  1. that looks so good. everything. but those walker remind me so much of the lay's bags. man i wish i had some goodies now...

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  2. I had, and still have, those same thoughts about my blog and about who the heck reads me. My brothers and my wife were the only ones I told about my blog for the longest time, and slowly more of my family started to find out about it. None of them read it of course, and maybe one or two of my friends check in every now and then. But the funnest part is getting to know complete strangers. I already know my family and friends;)

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  3. So much junk food and it's all bad for you so share ;-)

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  4. wow...it looks like xmas, is it xmas? i want xmas! :)

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  5. Banoffee Pies are popular here too. I so want to taste the malt whiskey coffee!!!

    Anyway, I still have those "jittery" thoughts about my blog. And I'm blogging for half a year already!

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  6. Hello!

    Thank *you* Ms Wandering for the suggestion and your bounty.

    My post will go up one of these days - it's still been a bit hectic in my world post holiday...

    Aussies call British crisps and American potato chips, chips. We call British chips and American french fries, "hot chips" (which I think is a perfectly correct description of them). So, I am regularly misunderstood in England when I ask for 'chips' at the pub, and just given bemused stares when I ask for 'hot chips' to go with my burger.

    I, too, love the ginger gummy bears, and they hail from my home state of Qld. Buderim's about an hour's drive from Brisbane and has a ginger factory! Bliss.

    And, um, oops oops oops. I sent you the *wrong* Kendal Mint Cake! I meant to send you the *dark chocolate* covered one, not the white chocolate.

    We'll just have to do another food swap to rectify my hideous oversight.

    :-D

    @ Soli - I've been blogging (albeit sporadically) since Dec '04 and I, too, still have jittery thoughts about my blog!

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  7. I've met some amazing people through blogging, it's been a wonderful virtual meeting place.
    My first banofee pie was in HK way back in the mid-90's, it was at a tiny bistro that served this honking large slice of caramel, banana and nutty crust. I fell in love. I wonder if the miniature version is a good substitute.
    My favorite bit in Love Actually is where Emma Thomson realizes her husband's a cad, and wipes her tears away pretending to be in the bathroom. Joni Mitchell sings in the background. Gad that movie was full of painful love moments!

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  8. What a fun package to receive! I'm often wishing there was a way to ship meals, but I think the closest I came was shipping Flighty some coconut pound cake - with packaged chocolates as a consolation prize should the pound cake die in transit.

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  9. Kirk,
    Indeed!

    Inland Empire,
    They were actually quite tasty, although I far preferred the Worcester chips.

    bluang3lbby,
    They do resemble Lay's a bit, but the variety of flavors are very different. Chicken tikka masala chips anyone? :)

    Marvin,
    Seems like all my cousins friends are reading the blog without my knowing it. Meeting new people has been one of the best parts of blogging I must admit.

    Bill,
    I did. I shared with my family. :)

    MCR,
    It sure felt like Xmas! :)

    Ning,
    Banoffee pies are popular in the Philippines. I wonder if it's the banana ganache that does it? Who knew?

    Oanh,
    I was quite happy with this Kendal mint cake! That whole chips/crisps debate just made my head spin. Hot chips? What? You Aussies have it backwards! Or upside down! ;)

    Mtan,
    This package was overly sweet. I don't have too much of a sweet tooth I'm afraid. That's one of my favorite scenes in Love Actually too! So many painful moments in that movie, but good ones too. That's why it's one of my favorites.

    Nikki,
    I wish postage didn't cost so much to go overseas! It'd be fun to do more swapping but postage just kills all the joy.

    ReplyDelete

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