Store Cupboard Staples

So no recipes yet. This is for a variety of reasons:

1. I have very little food in the house and have been working on my thesis so that, combined with the roadworks, mean I have been less than keen to drive to the supermarket.
2. The big pot that I make lots of stuff in - chilli, stews, and so on - has a leak. A leak. I couldn't figure out why there was chicken stock all over the hob earlier until I lifted up the pot and a drop of hot, slimy stock hit me in the eye. Annoying but unsurprising considering the pot is stamped 'made in Yugoslavia' which, according to Wikipedia, has officially not existed since 2003 and was on its way out much earlier... Anyway, a trip to the charity shop will be in order soon enough to see if I can find a satisfactory replacement.
3. I have no idea how I am going to photograph the food I make. I have absolutely no artistic bent whatsoever and can guarantee that most photos I take end up far too dark or blurry, or often both. I know I'm going to have to put photos on though - to show off what it is meant to look like as well as hopefully enticing others to have a go...but it will take me a while to get to grips with a fancy camera so we may have to grin and bear these dark blurs for some time.
4. I need to start eating more healthily. I seem to have spent the last 4 months thinking everyday is some sort of festival and eating accordingly. This does not necessarily bode well for a blog heavily focused on American cooking - although it would be wrong to say that everything in America is grease-fat-carb-laden. So I guess a particular challenge over the next few months will be trying to adapt recipes for a more healthy/calorie reducing objective.

Anyway, what do you need to have in your cupboard for American cooking? The last two years have been an adventure in seeing what supermarkets offer - or don't offer - as substitutes and staples for American food. Much of this stuff is really easy to get. Because this blog will focus a lot on Texan and Southern style cooking, the important thing is to have a good collection of spices. This doesn't mean every spice under the sun but there are a few essentials to really bring out that Southern flavour:

Paprika! I love paprika. I put it on everything - chilli, chicken, hummus  eggs... According to Delia, paprika should only be kept for a few months at most as it loses flavour. I can't say that I've ever noticed it myself (probably because paprika doesn't last long with me) but it's something to be aware of. Paprika is really not spicy - it has a slight 'bite' to it but there is no way it will set your mouth on fire, no matter how much you put in. As you look around, you'll see there are a few different types of paprika. The traditional one (I think) is Hungarian (see: goulash) but you can also get a Spanish version as well, which is often hotter. Sometimes a paprika will be labelled 'sweet' - that just does what it says on the tin, and can be used for any dish you want. A great one to try is smoked paprika - more than anything, it just has a deep, smoky (duh) taste and is great for stews - you can pretend you've been stirring it over an open fire on a cold prairie night (if that's what floats your boat).
Chilli. As in chilli powder, chilli peppers, chilli flakes.... There's a whole load of opinions about when you should use flakes as opposed to powder as opposed to fresh...but I'm not too bothered about it. Just get whatever's easy. If you really don't like heat, chilli flakes may be unwise as there's always the possibility you'll bite into a seed. If you don't use if often, there's not much point buying fresh or the ones that come ready minced in little jars. Unless you have a fantastic palate, I doubt you'd tell the difference between dried and fresh anyway. Just see what's on special at the supermarket.
Worcestershire sauce. This is VITAL. Despite it being such an English thing, it is very popular in Texas and goes into everything that has some sort of meat flavouring.
Tinned tomatoes. A lot of US and especially Tex-Mex cooking comes smothered in a yummy tomato based sauce. Buy lots of these.
Golden syrup. Sounds a bit random, I know but it can be used in lot of desserts - pecan pie and so on. Also useful as an alternative pancake topping (maple syrup is incredibly expensive, despite being delicious). Golden syrup is absolutely vital when you come across a recipe that calls for 'corn syrup'. This isn't something that really exists in the UK (or maybe it does and I'm just wilfully ignoring it) but in America, corn syrup is used to sweeten pretty much everything, due to their overproduction of corn, apparently. One of the few things the Texan will concede is better in England are soft drinks because they are flavoured with real sugar, as opposed to corn syrup. He enjoys that! Did I mention we have to start eating more healthily?
Bacon. Ok, you're not going to keep this in your store cupboard but, if you eat it, it's useful to always have some in the fridge. If you don't eat it, don't worry!
Red wine. I'm not even going to deign to explain why.
Sour cream. I love sour cream. In the middle of the night, I get up and eat it with a spoon. This may account for my current state of health.

That's probably about it, apart from things you should always have - e.g. eggs and flour. Reading over this, it's a pretty random store cupboard list - but I guess you could make something delicious just using those ingredients. Something meaty, spicy, sweet, creamy...yeah, I'm sure it would be great.

Recipes coming once I overcome my various obstacles!

Starting a blog...

Yes, I have joined the ranks of the bloggers. Unemployed since December, newly married and spending long days alone at home, I need something to do. Admittedly, I have a law degree to be completing but what is study without some serious procrastination?

So why American cooking? It all stems back to a heady summer in Berlin where I met a real gentleman - a man who stood up when you came into the room, and indulged my passion for eating cakes and watching 'Rock of Love with Brett Michaels'. A true Texan although, to my mother's disappointment, one who didn't wear a cowboy hat on his European travels. The summer ended; I went back to England and he to Texas. One long year later, he moved to the UK and joined me in a quaint old town, complete with a castle and a cathedral and a host of bizarre festivals celebrating Ye Olde Englande in all its glory. Over the last three years, he has slowly adjusted to the English way of life: the fact that you have to put your shopping in bags YOURSELF; that, despite spending huge amounts of money on the heating bill, buildings are never warmer than outside is; and that a 'short walk' is rarely under two miles. But a particular adjustment has been to the food here. Much has been positive - he loves Yorkshire puddings and thinks the tradition of Sunday roast is fantastic. He has even tried black pudding. Despite these little glimmers however, his soul has oft yearned for the mammoth breakfasts where maple syrup is an acceptable (and delicious!) topping for bacon and the mounds of sour cream and grated cheese that come with anything designated 'Tex-Mex' or, often, just 'food'. This was something I began to recognise once I visited the USA and now, four or five trips later which have taken in places including Texas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Utah, Virginia and California, I look forward more and more to the culinary delights on offer when we go back.

Pancakes, chicken fried steak (not involving any chicken whatsoever), enchiladas, pecan pie, peach cobbler, any meat that has been barbequed (the Texas way, not by going to Homebase and buying those disposable things which never light properly so you have to finish the sausages off in the oven anyway), mac and cheese (miles better than anything you were ever served for school dinners), margaritas, burgers, really weird stuff like cream gravy and 'biscuits' (i.e. scones but served with ham, not jam)...the list is endless. So it has become my mission to cook American in England as authentically and flavourfully as possible, ostensibly to make up for the fact I made him leave his family and friends five thousand miles away and move to a place where it is impossible to get breakfast out on a Sunday morning - but really, so I can indulge my own stomach!

I'll be posting up a variety of recipes that I have tried, normally inspired by American cookbooks or friends but adapted to take account of the vagaries of English measurements and supermarkets. I'd love any of your recommendations!