Nine years ago my husband surprised our family when he announced, “We’re all going to London, England!” Several years earlier, while Mike was in college, the opportunity arose for Mike to study abroad with some of his engineering class from Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Mike’s project was to be completed in London, England. Mike enjoyed his two months in the beautiful country of England. As you can imagine, the phone calls were quite expensive, so Mike and I wrote letters to each other weekly. When he could, Mike would call me from a red telephone booth he called a “telephone box”.
Mike had always dreamed of taking our family to England. And now we were on our way! During our first day in London, my husband took our family to Piccadilly Circus. It was there that we enjoyed our first taste of England — which was of course fish ‘n chips! After dinner we walked around a bit and my husband surprised us again by taking us to a ” very special place”. When we turned the corner Mike discovered that a business had been built in the same location of the telephone box he used to call me from. I thought this act was one of the most sweetest, thoughtful, loving and romantic things my hubby had ever done for me… Is this a sweet man or what?
The flavors of England
While in England we traveled all over. I was of course inspired by so many of the cultures who now call England home and returned the United States to experiment with flavors we had enjoyed during our wonderful time there. Some of the recipes we created after our trip home were: Shepherd’s Pie with Onion Gravy, Mushy Peas, buttery croissants, Eton Mess, lots of delicious Indian food, and scones…lots and lots of scones of course! Here is a Portuguese version of fish and chips handed down to me from my grandmother.
Cuisine enjoyed around the world
In the second half of my new cookbook You Never Cook Alone: Stirring Memories, Feeding Souls & Building Legacies, our family shares with you many of our favorite recipes that have transported us to many counties — no passport necessary! Be sure to purchase your copy today so your taste buds can begin traveling around the world!
Here are just a few of our family’s other favorite international recipes you can enjoy throughout the Olympic games:
Poland: Golabki, Polish Stuffed Cabbage
Sweden: Crepes with a Canolli Filling and Chocoalte Wine Sauce
Anywhere in the Mediterranean: Baked Fish Mediterranean Style
Portugal: Sour Soup or Caldo Azedo
Saudi Arabia: Al-Motubug, Stuffed Pastry Go women athletes — congratulation!
Let the games begin!
From our hearts to yours,
Elise and family
Hello, I’m Elise Johnson and I’m so glad you found your way here! From my own experience, cooking and eating together as a family nurtures and strengthens family relationships quicker and stronger than any other way. Join me as I continue my grandmother’s legacy of
inter-generational cooking by inspiring families and friends to make memories in the kitchen. 