Empty fridge syndrome

[Richard n Ann]

OK, just poking my nose in here ....... this thread is a wind up....right?

Otherwise why even bother to go abroad!

I will agree. Benidorm is for those who don’t like to travel away from the UK but as for France....... life is for living!

Why don’t you just stay in the UK and eat nice ‘safe’ and ‘proper’ food?

Because the weather is shit ?

 

[Potty]

There will probably be limitations on what fresh food you can take there or bring back. Before EU we were limited as to what we could take abroad and more especially what we could bring back.

Not sure whether it was illegal or not, but my suitcase for our 1969 Majorcan honeymoon contained vacuum packed bacon, Heinz tomato soup and chocolate digestive biscuits for British friends who lived there.

 

[Claire Ambler]

I think a bit of both, always have enough fresh in case you ‘just can’t be bothered to eat out’
certain things are essential. Marmite, HP sauce, Tea Bags, it depends on what you can’t do without.

 

[berni109]

Camdoon correctly it is Lee and Perrins Worcestershire sauce.
Various cheap alternatives such as Tesco call it Worcester sauce.
Brands and trademarks but nothing tastes quite like the original which incidentally was formulated by mistake.

 

[138go]

Mrs Bags doesn’t want to take much food , if any, to France bit would rather buy en route and me pay for food out .

I’m either being tight (which is a distinct possibility ) or she’s being lazy and doesn’t want to cook (which is also a distinct possibility ) so the question is

do you go locked n loaded ? Or graze as you travel ?

Don’t you share the finances and chores? ?. It’s surely a holiday? Why shouldn’t Mrs B have a break from cooking! Lazy? Tsk!

We always go fully stocked! France is expensive these days and we get sick of shopping too often.

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[Scotch mist]

I’ve alway thought I would go to France with a empty fridge & a full wallet but as Vickysponge says France is getting expensive for food , so we Now take the essentials & then buy local fresh cuisine

 

[Puddleduck]

We clear the house fridge of all the stuff in there and also take enough emergency rations for 2 or 3 days just on case I can't get special diet stuff where we end up. Usually the emergency stuff comes home with us although we have been grateful we had it with us a time or two.

I like to look in shops I am not familiar with in case they have something different I can eat without ill effects!

 

[Offagain]

We just take the contents of our home fridge with us to start with then we buy local wherever we are. Often daily.
However, this time I also brought lots of the ginger beer I like with us as I became addicted to it during dry January!

 

[denisejoe]

We just take the contents of our home fridge with us to start with then we buy local wherever we are. Often daily.
However, this time I also brought lots of the ginger beer I like with us as I became addicted to it during dry January!

I'm planning on taking my diet ginger beer with me when we go to France in March as pretty certain I can't get it in France. It's what I drink with rum!

Denise

 

[Wildbill]

tea bags Yorkshire tea the rest we just get as wee need we do have groserys in the van but when they have gone it's local for us most days
bill

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[Offagain]

I'm planning on taking my diet ginger beer with me when we go to France in March as pretty certain I can't get it in France. It's what I drink with rum!

Denise

Tesco own brand no sugar, yummy scrummy.

 

[jennyp19]

Just smiffy you have obviously not tried Andouillette then!
[/QUOTE] ?

 

[denisejoe]

Tesco own brand no sugar, yummy scrummy.

no old Jamaica light

 

[Offagain]

no old Jamaica light

We don't get anything that fancy in west Pembrokeshire ?

 

[TPMM]

We class coleslaw as essential!! The french variety is nothing like as nice as ours so I always buy two tubs of English Coleslaw to take away and they last us several weeks (we are very relaxed about "best before" dates!) Fresh milk is rarely found in Lidls or Aldis or local little grocery shops but I've always found it (eventually!) in the big supermarkets (Intermarche, E Le Clerc, Carrefour). They'll only have a dozen or so bottles, generally smaller than ours and the cap colours are different from ours so check before you grab one. They only do full fat and semi skimmed. The shelf life is usually good so I buy a couple when I see them. We are veggie so take a few packs of quorn sausages that have good shelf life in the fridge. As others have said we always have a couple of meals in tinned form in case of emergency. Also useful are a couple of packs of bread that you cook yourself (you can buy also these in France) just in case the boulangerie isn't open on a Sunday!

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[chaser]

We have found tinned potatoes an excellent standby if we run out of stuff, always got a couple by, but not necessarily take them with us as they are in all euro supermarkets.

 

[bigtwin]

We have been influenced so much over the years in adopting so many food styles from Europe & world wide, i.e Chicken Tikka Marsala has now overtaken Roast Beef & Yorkshire Puds, as our favourite (we are often told), and lovely they are too.

It may surprise you (but it ought not to) that chicken tikka Masala is a British Dish and not an Indian dish. I cant ever imagine Indians eating that slop.

I’ll give it a go.... I’ve eaten worse sounding dishes. I am half German so that says a lot...?

You’ll have to report back on here how you get on. ?

A bit like haggis then ??

Good god no; haggis (even in its worst possible incarnation) is edible.

Ian

 

[rick brind]

We bought a LHD MH as we spend 80% of our touring on the continent. The main reason being we enjoy experiencing different cultures, foods and shopping so take only a few basics for the first night. Enjoy the discovery it's what foreign travel is all about.

 

[TinaLes]

Yes, you are totally correct bigtwin Chicken Tikka Marsala & Balti were created for the UK "tastes"
Sad that when we went to Goa a few years, we couldn't help overhearing a few "Northerners" being delighted in saying on their departure from the Hotel...."Right then, lets get home for a proper Curry"

I cant remember the last Take Away curry we had, but not only was it expensive, but it didn't taste very sophisticated, no depth of flavour, and very tight on the meat portions.

Thats why I, after many years of getting the correct ingredients/recipes I cook my own, in fact I was boiling up the 12 onion, garlic, ginger & spices to make the next batch last night "Curry Base Gravy" . From that along with loads of other fresh spices I can make most "proper Indian Curries! Trouble is I am normally short of one specific ingredient, and they dont store that long either.
If anyone wants some links to great Indian recipes from all regions, let me know, its easy once you get organised.
There used to be a curry recipe thread on here, must try and find it.
LES

 

[bigtwin]

Yes, you are totally correct bigtwin Chicken Tikka Marsala & Balti were created for the UK "tastes"
Sad that when we went to Goa a few years, we couldn't help overhearing a few "Northerners" being delighted in saying on their departure from the Hotel...."Right then, lets get home for a proper Curry"
LES

Sad isn‘t it.

Ian

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[2657]

Spam'n beans........staples of civilised life ........tea bags of course, pretty much,everything else can be sourced, possibly a little pricier but buy local most stuff.

 

[Goden]

I always find it Unbelievable that "UK Style Bacon" Smoked or unsmoked, is not popular & readily available all over the world!
Its not difficult to produce, and apart from veggies, vegans,or people with dietary restrictions, I cannot imagine many people that wouldn't instantly love it, and adopt it, as we have, as being an essential item on their regular shopping list.
Smoked meats/sausages from France, Germany, Italy are great, especially with some lovely,accompanied with, but too many to mention cheeses, BUT, there is no substitute for a Bacon roll or sandwich in the morning IMHO.
We have been influenced so much over the years in adopting so many food styles from Europe & world wide, i.e Chicken Tikka Marsala has now overtaken Roast Beef & Yorkshire Puds, as our favourite (we are often told), and lovely they are too.

Maybe I should go over to the French Markets, set up stall, offering hot Bacon Rolls/Sandwiches, with or without brown or red sauce and try and educate them? ot would I get lynched
LES

Uk style bacon? Surely you mean Danish style bacon....?

 

[Ingwe]

Agree with the above, so walkers crisps, bovril, bacon, decent British cheese, Tuna, baked beans and tinned tomato ?

Edit: The captain's fish fingers, nearly forgot ?

And you did forget the Ginger Nuts!

 

[Nanniemate]

Yes, you are totally correct bigtwin Chicken Tikka Marsala & Balti were created for the UK "tastes"
Sad that when we went to Goa a few years, we couldn't help overhearing a few "Northerners" being delighted in saying on their departure from the Hotel...."Right then, lets get home for a proper Curry"

I cant remember the last Take Away curry we had, but not only was it expensive, but it didn't taste very sophisticated, no depth of flavour, and very tight on the meat portions.

Thats why I, after many years of getting the correct ingredients/recipes I cook my own, in fact I was boiling up the 12 onion, garlic, ginger & spices to make the next batch last night "Curry Base Gravy" . From that along with loads of other fresh spices I can make most "proper Indian Curries! Trouble is I am normally short of one specific ingredient, and they dont store that long either.
If anyone wants some links to great Indian recipes from all regions, let me know, its easy once you get organised.
There used to be a curry recipe thread on here, must try and find it.
LES

I got excited then Les , read the 3 words highlighted and thought you were offering to cook it for us.....?‍?

 

[denisejoe]

Yes, you are totally correct bigtwin Chicken Tikka Marsala & Balti were created for the UK "tastes"
Sad that when we went to Goa a few years, we couldn't help overhearing a few "Northerners" being delighted in saying on their departure from the Hotel...."Right then, lets get home for a proper Curry"

I cant remember the last Take Away curry we had, but not only was it expensive, but it didn't taste very sophisticated, no depth of flavour, and very tight on the meat portions.

Thats why I, after many years of getting the correct ingredients/recipes I cook my own, in fact I was boiling up the 12 onion, garlic, ginger & spices to make the next batch last night "Curry Base Gravy" . From that along with loads of other fresh spices I can make most "proper Indian Curries! Trouble is I am normally short of one specific ingredient, and they dont store that long either.
If anyone wants some links to great Indian recipes from all regions, let me know, its easy once you get organised.
There used to be a curry recipe thread on here, must try and find it.
LES

I make my own curry powder by mixing various spices but not sure how authentic it is. Would appreciate a real curry base curry recipe and a link to some Indian recipes. Thanks.

Denise

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[JonHG]

Lock and Load just in case get caught out but don't miss out on the local cuisine (or wine!) Can't beat a local fresh steak hache on the barbie with a glass or two of the local red!

Old enough to know better, young enough not to care.

 

[chaser]

Uk style bacon? Surely you mean Danish style bacon....?

No, UK bacon was right, cooks with no water and no shrinkage, Danish bacon is no comparison, just wish you could all taste our local butchers home dry cured completely different product, they in fact do a better than Danish in France, go to the meat stall on any market and ask for poitrine fumee , better than any Danish.
If any of you happen to be in uttoxeter go to the main car park in the centre of town and go in the first shop off it and ask for some bacon that Charlie has, you will be totally amazed at what you get.

 

[Goden]

Wow. I find English bacon watery compared to good Danish. But I guess you get good and bad everywhere. My real point was that many parts of Europe enjoy bacon, it's really not an exclusively English thing.

 

[Markas]

Agree with the above, so walkers crisps, bovril, bacon, decent British cheese, Tuna, baked beans and tinned tomato ?

Edit: The captain's fish fingers, nearly forgot ?

Tinned tomatoes and tuna are readily available in France!

 

[spitfire]

Tinned tomatoes and tuna are readily available in France!

And fish fingers lol

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