For the Love of Bacon & Cheese.

Anyone up for bladder stuffed with all of the throw away innards?"

Well, I haven't been up for it either...

Nor that black pudding rubbish...just the thought of curdled blood on a spoon makes my head spin and knees weak. 

But enough about the foods everyone seems to ask about!

What can I say about the food in Scotland?  I was excited to try the local culinary delights for about two days, and then I was desperate for a kitchen of my own to cook in.  Don’t get me wrong, I love fish and chips and a good mutton pie, but one’s body needs foods of more color and nutritional content.  My love for French fries (yes, "chips" here, folks) is all but gone at this point.  I must say, though, the ketchup is delightfully sweet! ;)

Aside from eating out, the food quality and availability in the supermarkets and smaller food sellers here is quite acceptable.  Everything seems much fresher and natural (lots of "organics" at non-organic prices) than back in the states – my stomach seems very happy with everything I have consumed here thus far (except for an Indian food buffet in Edinburgh).  The prices are reasonable once you allow your mind to accept the fact that you are now on the pound system and can no longer convert prices into dollars if you want to keep your sanity.  A bonus to being on the great continent of Europe is that you can get a great bottle of French, Italian or Spanish wine for less than 5 pounds.  Delightful!

As I was advised by my well-travelled and wisened friends...the Indian food is to die for here.  It is a life saver when one's palette needs spices.  Again, the kitchen is well-stocked with a variety of (cheap) Indian food to easily prepare and there are many Indian food restaurants and "take-aways" nearby.  Chicken pakora is my favorite midnight snack when walking home from a music show or pub.

On to two most important manners....

Bacon.  It is truly part of the meaning of life here.  It is deliciously salty, savory and comes in a variety of types…for this, I give it a short paragraph of its own!  One serving my be more like cooked ham (thicker, softer, less fatty), while the next is reminiscent of the crispy morning bacon we fry up back at home.  Indeed, at least one variety has been on my breakfast plate nearly every morning since I arrived, and the fridge is never without a package tempting one to mix it with eggs, add to a hamburger, or simply eat alone out of pure enjoyment.  It’s cheap, too.   There is a wonderful little farmers' market in my neighborhood on the 2nd and 4th Saturdays of each month - its bacon possibilities are overwhelming :)  

Cheese!  My version of shopping in heaven would be not very different from what I encounter in the grocery stores here – shelves upon shelves of 100’s of types of cheese!  (Ok, perhaps a little exaggerated, but you get my point…)  I will never eat American cheddar again – if these Brits can do something right, it is making a well-aged white cheddar that makes WI or VT cheddar taste like calorie-wasted cardboard.  Again, it’s so cheap!  Then there’s Brie, Gouda, Manchego, Chevre…yes, at ridiculously low, imported-from-the-same-continent prices.  I scoff at your macaroni and cheese, America - this is mac'n'REAL cheese in the picture to your right!

Thank goodness I have to walk everywhere, and up many hills for that matter everyday, considering how much bacon and cheese my diet consists of J