22/12/2011

Lions and Rhino's and biscuits, oh my!

There are a lot of convenience foods and fast food delicacies that a body just can't get here in Pretoria.  I expected this.  I was prepared this time.  I knew that my cravings were going to have to be tweaked a little when I couldn't find a krispy kreme, or a red lobster on the continent.
As another holiday approaches, I am again faced with the challenge to recreate those foods that I take for granted.  Those must have holiday delicacies, like Pillsbury cinnamon rolls.  I know many people make these things from scratch all the time.  Well, that's one of those items that I've always thought was just fine, no sense messing with something that isn't broken.  Why go to the extra work when you can pop open a can of pre-made rolls?  They taste just fine, and are simple.  Guess what? They've never heard of such things here.
I'm feeling a sense of deja vu, same as the UK.  Two years of no Arby's, no twinkies, no cheddar bay biscuits.  Oh my!
I learned while in the UK that if I wanted cheddar bay biscuits I would have to learn how to make them myself.  Not an impossible mission, just not as easy as you might think.
The hunt for that reverse engineered recipe led me to the "top secret recipe website".  Evidently they also have a book.  Again, who knew?
Sure enough, they had a recipe for the biscuits.  But hold it, they asked for bisquick baking mix.  Well, of course wouldn't you know, they'd never heard of it in the UK.  So search again for a recipe to make Bisquick.  Check.  and I successfully recreated the beauty that is the CBB.
As a side note, I'm attempting to make them again here in SA, and what has been the hardest ingredient to locate? Solid vegetable shortening.  Seriously.  I found it today at my favorite SPAR. (This is the store that carries all the American branded products I mentioned before.  Wanna make Nestle Toll House Cookies?  You need the semi sweet chips.  This is the place to find those.)  We WILL have the cheddar biscuits, oh yes we will.  We may not have turkey or ham, but we will have biscuits.

No comments: