Not on bread

[cosmolinguist]

My trip outside in the rain yesterday was lengthened because I wanted to go to the shop that I know sells things like Nutella.

I came home with a jar of that a couple weeks ago and Andrew made a horrible face (and noise, if I remember) at it. I was a bit surprised to hear this. "I know you like chocolate and hazelnut," I pointed out.

"Yeah, but not on bread," he said. That was his mantra for the rest of the day, as he saw me eating the stuff on toast.

That night, he told me he'd taken a spoonful of it. Proving, I suppose, that it's perfectly all right to eat it, just not on bread.

By the time I got up the next morning, he'd finished off the jar of Nutella.

Yesterday, I noticed that next to the Nutella were jars of other exotic spreads. Nothing approaching the regular peanut butter I really craved—it's not popular in Britain—but I was intrigued by the other things enough to almost forgive that oversight.

Next to the Nutella was a jar with Galaxy written on it in letters familiar from candy bars I've eaten here. Next to that was a jar with Snickers on it. Not just chocolate, like the Galaxy. No, here there was caramel and peanuts and peanut butter swirled in with chocolate. Snickers bars in a jar! Excellent.

I brought it home, and Andrew did his "Ugh! Not on bread!" thing again. But he chased the jar around with a spoon, threatening to steal my Snickers in a jar. I shrugged. I had, in fact, expected this. "I'm only messin'," he assured me. I shrugged again. He thought it was mine, but I thought it was ours. Besides, I know Andrew and chocolate. It wasn't long before spoon and jar were joyfully reunited.

He was left with a mere smudge of chocolate on his spoon and a grin on his face. "You don't even have to chew!" he exclaimed.

They're perfect for each other, really.

Comments

[angel-thane.livejournal.com]

A shop that sells nutella? You mean like Tescos or any other supermarket?

[cosmolinguist]

Yes, like that, but not so far away from my house.

(I don't think the one closest to here does, though. That's all I meant.)

[ihavemanyskills.livejournal.com]

I definitely take for granted that what I eat here in good ole NJ is found everywhere else.
Carola's father was telling us a story about peanutbutter on our most recent trip to Colorado. Papa grew up in Germany with 6 siblings. He told us of the first time he ever had PB. He said he was around 10 or 11, and had never even seen PB before let alone tasted it.
Said it was the best thing he'd ever eaten up to that point. Big ole smile on his face as he was telling the story. Told us it wasn't til he came to the states in his 20s that had his second taste of it.
I can't imagine going all those years with no PB. It's just not right!

[cosmolinguist]

I know! I love peanut butter. It is (or was, I guess) a staple of my diet. (It's something kids can make sandwiches with, and something college kids can afford. :-)) And it is possible to get it here, it's just not all that easy, as most people don't seem to like it, or know about it.

They're just as guilty as you or I of thinking that everyone has the same foods they do; you should've heard Andrew's siblings' reaction when I told them I hadn't had sausage rolls before I got here.

[hilker.livejournal.com]

Sausage rolls?

[cosmolinguist]

Exactly. :-)

Sausage rolls are just sausage wrapped in a sort of flaky pastry. They're very tasty (these English people know how to do sausages). They're also ubiquitous here, being easily attainable and fairly cheap.

[cosmolinguist]

Sausage rolls sound really good now. But it's too late, and I'm too poor. Hmph.

[hilker.livejournal.com]

I guess the closest American equivalent would be crescent dogs, (http://www.pillsbury.com/recipesearch/showRecipe.asp?recipeID=4632) then? Or maybe pigs in a blanket, although pancakes aren’t flaky.

[cosmolinguist]

Yeah, a crescent roll is about the sort of pastry I mean. Just the meat is better. :-) Even hot dogs are edible here, and I'd never say any such thing about their US counterparts.

Pancakes are a horror beyond belief to English people, anyway. They're "sweet" and thus shouldn't be eaten for breakfast, as sweet things at breakfast is apparently a crime against humanity.

[5-rings.livejournal.com]

China is spread-crazy, too. I halfway expect to encounter a Snickers spread/chili-paste combo someday. (Note that Chinese store shelves already have both.)

[doctorstewie.livejournal.com]

"You don't even have to chew!"
Heaven. I must find some. (happily, the choc bars are safe for me to eat, I wonder if this stuff is too...)