Food glorious Food!

To truly discover a country, I feel you must eat the food. In Italy, eat pasta, pizza and above all Canolis! In Britain have a roast, haggis and maybe welsh rarebit! But what do you eat in a country that is the original melting-pot society? Would have to be their take on the original foods. Germany may have invented the frankfurter, but it belongs with fried onion, relish, ketchup and mustard snuggled up in a long bun. Or why have a boring deep pan pizza when you can have a stuffed crust! Or cheddar when you could have Velveeta! Ok so my logic is not always true (though I do prefer Velveeta!) but the fact remains that food makes a country as much as people or scenery. In America there is definitely something for every taste.

At Goodtimes burgers they pride themselves on their frozen custard! I haven’t been brave enough to try it yet, but one day when I am feeling adventurous (or crazy!) I shall and report back.

One treat I have found and am slowly becoming addicted to is Taco Bell. Its my guilty pleasure! Imagine someone taking the lowest quality meat available, ‘beef' or 'chicken', flavouring it to taste Mexican. Now imagine that that meat is coupled with the food of the Gods (guacamole), sour cream, salad and other mexican-esk items and all wrapped up in a tortilla or taco! Awesome, right? Then imagine this is being sold for next to nothing, and they will give you all the fizzy juice you can drink! Heaven!


Of course, man cannot live on Mexican alone, and when the burn gets too much, that’s when we turn to the other wonder of the west. Arbys. Here they serve sliced roast beef. On buns, on baguettes or in a pile on a plate. I was introduced to the French dip (which is simply amazing), to the alternative to a burger (roast beef instead of a patty) and to the joy of frozen cookies (not beef flavoured!).

When you are done eating these fatty foods and realisation dawns that inside your arteries could soon resemble a shag pile, the best thing to do is eat healthy. But how to make it so you can do this but not feel like you're eating rabbit food? Simple, we cheat! Not in the Scottish way of simply frying the salad, but by going to the wonder that is Jamba Juice. This experience can only be described by one word: AMAZING! Especially when its constantly over 90F/30C.  Imagine someone taking the most delicious of fruits and blending them together with fruit sorbet to make a thick, almost frozen goop. Cools you from the inside and tastes like....a fruit party in your mouth!



However, as we are all aware, no meal is complete without dessert! There is a reason the Italians simply call it "beautiful" and here in America they have taken it to heart. Here you can have a Chocolate taco filled with fruit and chocolate mouse (no picture as I couldn't wait to eat!), you can experience the true use of peanut butter in the wonder that is peanut butter ice-cream (I recommend blue bunnies peanut butter panic), and Sundaes that you could eat all week! Perfection in confection attained in phenomenon of Robin eggs (a cross between a malteaser and a mini egg, but the size of a quails egg!) and Turtles (caramel and pecan filled chocolate).

In short, life is good and the eating is better! Now which way to the gym.......?