Let's Talk About Food

The other night I talked with my mom on the phone because she was getting so nervous as she hadn't heard from me for a few days on account of the Wales trip. She wanted to "hear my voice." During this brief conversation she asked me if I've been eating. Firstly, anyone who knows me ought to know that I will be eating. I don't like being hungry and headachey, so I eat. The question is, WHAT have I been eating?

There are a few options in London for how to eat. They range from bank-breaking to penny-skimping. Let me outline where I fit in that stretch. I live in what is called the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, perhaps the most expensive in the city. Rich people live here. And likewise the stores in the area want the rich people's money so their prices are high. So what does one do? Does one eat out at all? Only eat in?

Eating out options so far have proven scary. I see 5 GBP for a sandwich and I shrink away from the window menu. $10 for A sandwich is not in my price range. I have yet to go to a pub for a dinner, but it'll happen soon. I need to hook up with Margaret for a dinner. But I did go to the Tate Modern cafe where I had a salmon chunk which had some sort of tasty topping on it, some sodabread pieces, "dill pickles" - which were more like crosses between cucumbers and pickles because they weren't actual pickles yet - and then a batch of chips with tap water. It was about 9 GBP or so! There are other restaurants where one can really spend some money. The really nice restaurant we went to in Cardiff for Italian food was about 14 GBP per meal.

And I have to say, always paying mind to exactly what the exchange rate for a meal is and turning down places to eat on account of the pricey menus is rather irritating because if something was only $5 for a sandwich, it's not so bad, but the darn exchange rate just blasts it all to hell. Oh well. It's why I have taken up making my own food.

Thus, let me explain my grocery store options: Waitrose, the very large and plentiful and super-clean grocery store where a can of tuna is about 1.85 GBP and everything else is likewise higher priced by about 60-90 pence. But they have selection. Then, there is the Sainsbury's near IES Center in Bloomsbury. They have a little bit of a selection, but the place is CRAMMED with people at all times and the one experience I had there was aggravating. Plus, dragging your grocery bags back with you on the Tube is a serious hassle. Which brings me to the Tesco Express stores. These are like 7-Elevens except they price their items cheaply and also have all the essentials, right down to packages of meat and such. The one drawback is the selection can be a bit small and the cashiers are always shocked if you buy more than four items. Nevertheless, it's been my chosen place to shop because I'm living cheaply and it pays off to buy a loaf of bread that is only 59 pence.

Now let me tell you what I'm actually buying from Tesco. First off, ALL of us have discovered our love for sandwiches. Though, I cannot recommend the prawn and mayo ready-made sandwich from a Spar store because, again, that did something to my stomach on Sunday. But as for sandwiches we make ourselves, I have my ham, cheese, and mayo in the fridge and that has lasted me. I'll continue with that until the mayo is gone. At which time I'll take up with peanut butter and jelly because A) that stuff is gonna last me, and B) I heard that's what half our group has been living on for dinner and I suddenly really want peanut butter and jelly sandwiches; I haven't had one in maybe, six years. So that's the story with sandwiches. Every day, lunch is a sandwich. But here's the kicker: they're great! They don't start tasting bland or boring because the cheese here - my God - the cheese here is so good that it makes the sandwich.

As for breakfast I've had a bit of a selection. I have Nutri-Grain Bars in my room for those mornings when I'm in a hurry. I bought some bagels and cream cheese because they seemed quick, filling, and delicious. I also plan to pick up some cereal soon because the milk here is also to die for. I had a craving for some milk last week - I know, when does that happen? - and I picked up a cheap 2-pint carton of milk and it was really good with dinner.

And speaking of dinner, let me tell you about tortelloni! Tesco sells these packages of tortelloni that are heatable in a microwave and are good for two dinners. Ricotta and spinach, four-cheese, and tomato and basil. I must say, I have five of these in the fridge right now. And I had a ravioli-style one Sunday night. They're very simple to make and they taste great. On the other hand, I don't want to be living on starchy foods for my entire stay, so I also have a TON of canned goods in my cupboard including plenty of beans and vegetables. I have a bag of frozen peas I should dig into soon, actually. And one cannot forget, rice and beans and cottage cheese: my favorite mixture. Took me forever to find cottage cheese though. And the portions aren't very large, so that may be a special thing. But I still have rice and beans! And now hummus and pita as well! That was my late-night snack last night.

Also, interesting note: English people eat their proper dinner around 8 pm here, and they have a 4 pm sort of light snack meal, such as a little sandwich or some cheese and crackers. Something to tide them over. It's actually quite helpful to adapt to this system as we all have, especially because it curbs late-night eating. Well, save for last night. I just lost track of time and never eat anything until around 10:30. But I digress. Point being, eating dinner around 8 pm gets rid of irritating midnight food raids. And also you don't feel the need to eat SUCH a big dinner as you might if you consider a 6 pm dinner to be the last big time to eat. And it keeps you more energized for the night, too.

Lastly, I'd like to talk about pastries. The UK is like the Land of the Pastry. Hay-on-Wye had my little blackcurrant pie; Tesco Expresses have little baked good selections like chocolate muffins and doughnuts and danishes; and nearly every cafe around has some kind of baked good to tempt you with. And then there is the Hummingbird Bakery near the South Kensington Tube station. Let me tell you, they have cupcake selections and cake selections and all you want to do is spend 1.85 GBP every day to get one. But I have resisted. So much so that I haven't eaten one yet. I plan to not eat a cupcake from there until 7th week, at which time I'll feel the program will be nearly over and it will be okay to indulge. As for now, I look with longing. And also, I just don't want my waistline increasing. Because if you eat the right delicious things here ... it will!