Terry & Mason’s Great Food Trip
The BBC show, Terry & Mason’s Great Food Trip, stars radio and television broadcaster Sir Terry Wogan and cabbie Mason McQueen who drive around in Mason’s cab to different areas of of Great Britain and see historical sites and learn about famous dishes from the past and present. Their trip is partially inspired by British Bouquet: An Epicurean Tour of Britain by Samuel V. Chamberlain, who took a similar journey in 1963 as the country was rebuilding from the war. Both funny and informative, I enjoyed sampling several episodes, which can be enjoyed in any order. The journey starts in the seaside town of Weymouth where legend has it the Black Death first came to the UK; Terry instead catches an assortment of succulent seafood including crabs and oysters. A visit to York includes sampling local beers and exploring a recreation Viking Village complete with a celebratory feast. Oxford we learn is famous not only for its colleges, but also marmalade and a lesser known, yet still tasty sausage that has a unique taste of lemon. In Bath they explore the Roman Bath’s of course, but also sample locally prepared coffee whose grounds are recycled to grow oyster mushrooms. When in the Chester episode they eat baked potatoes with unusual toppings in another underground roman bath turned into a seating area that dated back 1,800 years, it really put in perspective how far back the country’s history goes and how much it has changed over the years.
State Plate
Jumping across the Ocean from York’s historic chocolates to New York’s cheesecake, State Plate’s three seasons takes a look at the signature dishes of the United States. The show stars restaurateur and musician (he won the 5th Season of American Idol), Taylor Hicks, who each episode creates the ultimate plate of food, which represents that state’s unique cuisine. Of course I couldn’t resist checking out the New Jersey episode in Season 2 that included Italian hot dogs, pork roll, disco fries, and salt water taffy and another about nearby Pennsylvania home of cheesesteaks and Amish delicacies like chow chow and shoofly pie, which I sampled on a recent visit. Probably my favorite US cuisine and food culture though is Louisiana’s Cajun cuisine including po’boys, beignets, jambalaya, and etouffee. The episode about Massachusetts had me feeling nostalgic for my grad school days with Boston Baked Beans and their creamy version of clam chowder (which I prefer to New York’s tomato based style). It was also exciting to learn about places I’ve never been such as Nebraska, with the tasty sounding but caloric bomb appetizer, the cheese Frenchie a deep fried grilled cheese sandwich loosely based on one of my favorite French comfort classics, the Croque Monsieur, or West Virginia’s Pepperoni Rolls, which originated as lunch for coal mining Italian Immigrants. The show will definitely give you some tasty ideas for your next road trip.
Written by:
Aimee Harris
Information and Digital Services Manager
Hoboken Public Library Blog 