Coming to a theater near you: "There Will be Blood...Pudding," the riveting documentary chronicling the UK phenomenon known to most as the Full English Breakfast. Highlights include scrambled powdered eggs, bland white toast, and a compelling sequence *spoiler alert!* where a famished Daniel Day-Lewis slurps down a greasy sausage for 3 minutes, washing it down with a strong cuppa PG Tips while digesting section C of the London Times. Can you feel the culinary drama?
In all seriousness, English cuisine has never really enjoyed a stellar reputation in the food world. According to Wikipedia, the United Kingdom does not have a single "national dish," but fish and chips, the roast beef dinner, and, yes, the ubiquitous full English breakfast, all come to mind as stereotypically English food. During a recent 10 day tour of the UK with the band, I was pleased to see a general trend towards healthier foods, evidenced by the popularity of a relatively new national chain accessible at highway exits. This is a great development, and despite the high prices, I really enjoy access to fresh juices and hand-cut potato chips. Still, on the hunt for culinary satisfaction while not trying to lose all of my spending money, I found the boxed sandwiches to be disappointing. Essentially, the sandwiches consist of various combinations of cucumber, cream cheese, mayonnaise, and some meat or fish, all cold and packed several days prior. When we got to our destination town, I wanted something hot, comforting, and full of flavor.
Enter the Indian curry, and all its variation and splendor. Of course, curry seems to be a catch-all term for Indian cuisine, but I typically order some type of curry as a main dish along with a vegetable and naan. While there are many fine "curry houses" throughout England, some are better than others. Researching the internet or quizzing the locals worked for us, depending on the area. If you happen to visit Manchester, I would recommend the Curry Mile, a section of Wilmslow Road in the Rusholme area comprising of several blocks of South Asian restaurants, many open into the early morning for that post pub fix.
On our curry quest, the band (some of us more often than others--I ate 5 Indian meals in a week) consistently found an Indian restaurant in just about every town to be the best option for the money, and I'm happy to say that it delivered the spicy comfort that was so difficult to capture so far removed from the Mexican and Italian food we regularly enjoy. From intensely hot chicken and lamb vindaloos to a jalfrezi cooked without tomato sauce (sort of like a light green Thai curry--one of the highlights), from creamy spinach saag to stewed okra, we thoroughly enjoyed the wellspring of flavor. The single disappointment for me was the store-bought papadum (crisp lentil flour flatbread) and sub par chutneys offered as an appetizer at every stop.
How does it compare to Indian cuisine in the US? I found that most all of the main dishes in the UK were of high quality--much better than average, and one or two were on par with the best I've had in large US cities. So, if you find yourself in the UK, don't miss the curry!
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Road Food for the Touring Musician
"Buy local." "Eat organic." Sounds good to me, but these take a priority nosedive when you're hustling down the nation's highways in the cozy confines of a rented Econoline van with an exhausted but willing touring band. For 5 or so veritable hamsters running day after day on the rock-and-roll treadmill, survival is the primary objective--fueling up, staying healthy on little sleep, and, yes, seeking comfort far from home in anything that resembles your favorite comfort food...turkey gravy, anyone?
Consider the typical day:
8:30 am Wake up call. Complain to roommate about getting only 3 hours of sleep, while brushing my teeth.
9:00 Lobby call. Hastily pack my bags and grab an unripe banana and O.J. from concentrate at the complimentary lobby breakfast zone. Jump in the van to travel 7 or so hours to make the 4pm load in and soundcheck at the next club. Just before getting on the highway, we stop at an internationally recognized coffee chain and I get my daily 20oz brewed coffee, to go, of course.
**Disclaimer** to the green-minded, local coffee contingent who turn their noses up at you-know-where:
Our official stance is that we positively adore local coffee houses, and in fact seek them out whenever possible. But, please tell me where you get a consistently good cup of coffee on a highway exit (or a tasty breakfast sandwich on a whole wheat English muffin, soon to be discontinued along with all other hot food items--R.I.P)?
1:23 Quick lunch at another popular sandwich chain just off the highway. I order a hot turkey and cheese. What, no gravy on the menu?
1:38 Back in the van
4:03-7:15 Load in 2,000 lbs of gear, set it up, and make sure everything works and sounds good. Munch on an energy bar and drink 2 waters from the dressing room to regain my strength from sitting nearly a full workday in a van bench. Sometimes, I refer to the activity as "road yoga," but I'm not sure what pose.
7:45 Quick dinner of a Buffalo chicken sandwich provided by the club. Hmmm, would this be "local" if we were playing Buffalo, NY?
9pm Showtime. Ample bottled water and beer served--a big bonus if it's local...or pretty cold and imported from Belgium...
11:45-1:15 Load out.
2:13 am Arrive at hotel and fall asleep, only to do it all over again. And again.
As one can imagine, finding good eats while traveling on the road is a challenge. Case in point: we've driven around a town for well over an hour, after traveling all day, just to find Thai food in eastern Washington state. The result--an additional 5th day in a row of Mexican food. Sometimes, you've just got to be strong. It's a sacrifice we make for the music. BUT, when you're on the road for sometimes 6 weeks at a time, the search for a tasty meal becomes a irresistible quest--the one opportunity in the day to momentarily unwind and feel human. Despite the seemingly impossible odds, the desire for quality sustenance and rich, new culinary experiences keeps the search going.
Consider the typical day:
8:30 am Wake up call. Complain to roommate about getting only 3 hours of sleep, while brushing my teeth.
9:00 Lobby call. Hastily pack my bags and grab an unripe banana and O.J. from concentrate at the complimentary lobby breakfast zone. Jump in the van to travel 7 or so hours to make the 4pm load in and soundcheck at the next club. Just before getting on the highway, we stop at an internationally recognized coffee chain and I get my daily 20oz brewed coffee, to go, of course.
**Disclaimer** to the green-minded, local coffee contingent who turn their noses up at you-know-where:
Our official stance is that we positively adore local coffee houses, and in fact seek them out whenever possible. But, please tell me where you get a consistently good cup of coffee on a highway exit (or a tasty breakfast sandwich on a whole wheat English muffin, soon to be discontinued along with all other hot food items--R.I.P)?
1:23 Quick lunch at another popular sandwich chain just off the highway. I order a hot turkey and cheese. What, no gravy on the menu?
1:38 Back in the van
4:03-7:15 Load in 2,000 lbs of gear, set it up, and make sure everything works and sounds good. Munch on an energy bar and drink 2 waters from the dressing room to regain my strength from sitting nearly a full workday in a van bench. Sometimes, I refer to the activity as "road yoga," but I'm not sure what pose.
7:45 Quick dinner of a Buffalo chicken sandwich provided by the club. Hmmm, would this be "local" if we were playing Buffalo, NY?
9pm Showtime. Ample bottled water and beer served--a big bonus if it's local...or pretty cold and imported from Belgium...
11:45-1:15 Load out.
2:13 am Arrive at hotel and fall asleep, only to do it all over again. And again.
As one can imagine, finding good eats while traveling on the road is a challenge. Case in point: we've driven around a town for well over an hour, after traveling all day, just to find Thai food in eastern Washington state. The result--an additional 5th day in a row of Mexican food. Sometimes, you've just got to be strong. It's a sacrifice we make for the music. BUT, when you're on the road for sometimes 6 weeks at a time, the search for a tasty meal becomes a irresistible quest--the one opportunity in the day to momentarily unwind and feel human. Despite the seemingly impossible odds, the desire for quality sustenance and rich, new culinary experiences keeps the search going.
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