British and American food

Austrians have always prided themselves in their ability to make delicious food, but I could not resist the delightful temptations Britain and the US have to offer. Please bear in mind that I do not know the true origins of the foods, but that I simply first had them in these two countries and I therefore connect to them.

When I went to England for the first time, my host mom made my friend and me a traditional Full English breakfast one Sunday morning. While some components, like the admittedly weird, canned tomatoes were not my thing at all, some parts have stuck with me, even 6 years after first having them. My favorite go-to from a fry-up are definitely the baked beans. I actually liked them even the first time I tried them and proceeded to immediately ask my host mom for the brand. I was very happy when I found out that the same kind was and still is available in Austria. I usually eat them with fried bacon, scrambled eggs and toast for lunch.

Another food item that I've started loving since trying it near Dartmoor, England are scones. After returning I hadn't had them for years, not until I started getting into baking and decided to try making some myself. They are now an item I make when I am in the mood for baking and crave something sweet that I can have for breakfast and I eat them the "traditional way" - with jam and butter.

Moving on to the food I have incorporated in my life after visiting the US, I can honestly say that cupcakes are the one thing that stand out the most. I went to Oregon via the Rotary Club and stayed with a very nice Asian-American family. They generally only made healthy food, which for America might seem surprising for some people. Anyway, we had a girls day and decided to make red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese frosting since I hadn't had any cupcakes before. Ours weren't red, but rather a blue-purpleish color and they were still so very delectable. I took the recipe home with me and still make them a lot.

The last thing I'm going to mention are grilled cheese sandwiches. I am aware that they kind of are like Austrian toast, but they are not completely the same thing. I don't make them as often as I'd like, but I still eat them sometimes, especially after finally managing to make them perfect, in my opinion.