Abstract:
The following is a collection of recipes as learned or experienced while studying abroad in London, England during the fall semester of 2001, my senior year at Ball State University.The trip was an amazing experience, and because of London's central location, I was easily able to travel throughout Great Britain and, at some points, to the European continent. Most of the recipes collected here are from the island of Great Britain, as that is where I spent the majority of my time. By train it was simple and inexpensive to travel throughout Scotland, Wales, and England to see so many of the sights these countries have to offer.During Fall Break, a ten-day relief from classes, I flew to the continent. I spent a couple days in the Netherlands before traveling by train to Spain. Recipes from these countries are included as well.Each section of the book includes a short description that introduces the reader to that particular country. The description includes basic information about the country, information about cooking and meal preparation, as well as a few fun facts about various aspects of the country. Some of this information is general information, but the writer can never assume the background education of the reader, so these pages of description ensure that each reader will have some background information about the country at hand.The first task in creating this book, after making the trip to Europe, was to collect the recipes. To do this, I was constantly examining the food we ate or purchased in each country we visited. I would copy menus from recipes to find popular or reoccurring food items or ingredients. At times I would ask new friends we made while traveling about their thoughts on foods native to the different countries. From this type of research I was able to discern some focal recipes from each country.Much of the actual ingredients and preparation instructions were adapted from books about food in the different countries. I would purchase such books in each country we visited. Other recipes are explained as interpreted by myself and those who traveled with me. We would frequently examine a food item to determine its ingredients. I could then add this to my knowledge about food preparation and made an educated assumption as to the ingredients and steps involved in reproducing the recipe. This would, of course, be followed by one or more reproductions and taste tests to make the closest possible match to the food we had originally tasted.Many recipes needed measurement conversions or ingredient substitutions. I worked with my advisor, and frequently my calculator, to make the correct suggestions in these cases. Ensuring the correct measurements and ingredients were suggested also involved reproduction and taste tests.
