Chirac in Food Fight Over British Cuisine

guido · Site Admin Joined: Oct 18, 2004 Posts: 390 Location: Italy

LONDON
French President Jacques Chirac's low opinion of British cuisine, which he reportedly dubbed the worst in Europe after Finland, has started a food fight with London and sparked the wrath of Britain's press.

London's newspapers, which regularly take offense at the French, lashed out at Chirac's jokes on the nation's cuisine, with the Guardian's food critic writing Tuesday that "a man full of bile is not fit to pronounce on food."

The French newspaper Liberation reported Monday that Chirac had made the insulting remarks about food in London during a conversation with German Chancellor
Gerhard Schroeder and Russian President
Vladimir Putin on Sunday.

"We can't trust people who have such bad food," Chirac was quoted as saying. He reportedly added that only Finland had worse food in Europe, and that mad cow disease was Britain's sole contribution to European agriculture.

Blair, who was in Singapore pressing London's bid for the 2012 Olympics, did not comment directly. But when asked Monday whether the G-8 summit starting Wednesday would be an anticlimax after the Olympic decision, he said:

"I won't say the G-8 summit would be an anticlimax to it because that would be undiplomatic and I know when I go there I will be in the presence of very diplomatic people," he said.

Schroeder said Tuesday he expected to get "a decent steak" at the summit, but otherwise steered away from comment.

Britain's newspapers, however, eagerly took the bait.

"Don't talk crepe, Jacques!" scorned The Sun.

"Chirac's bad taste jokes on Britain plunge relations into the freezer," said a sub-headline on the front of the Daily Mail.

"Take one unpopular president, a brace of struggling statesmen and a couple of global summits. Heat up a hoary national stereotype, leaven with wit, sit back and watch 'les rosbifs' (the British) simmer," The Guardian said in a front-page story.

The Daily Telegraph said Chirac's bad temper was understandable, after French voters overwhelmingly rejected a new constitution for the
European Union.

"After all, he has just been kicked in the teeth by his own people's resounding 'non' to his dreams of a European superstate," the Telegraph commented in an editorial.

"But this is no way to conduct high politics. How would Mr. Chirac feel if others descended to his level of argument, and called him a snob and a has-been, who pongs (stinks) of garlic?" the Telegraph said.

Schroeder grinned but was careful with his words when he was asked about Chirac's remarks.

"No word from me on these secret talks," the chancellor said.

"I'm no fan of salmon, and I hope I will get a decent steak — I'm sure I will get one," he said, when asked whether he was looking forward to the G-8 food.

"Beyond that, I don't know English — or Scottish — cuisine well enough that I could really talk as an expert."

The Sun said Chirac also could have damaged his country's Olympic bid by criticizing food from Finland in the same conversation.

Paris and London are among the contenders for the 2012
Olympic Games, to be decided on Wednesday. Although British and French
International Olympic Committee members are banned from voting, two Finnish IOC members will be voting, and the paper said their votes could be crucial.
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In vino veritas!

guido · Site Admin Joined: Oct 18, 2004 Posts: 390 Location: Italy

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Jacques Chirac's mouth must be watering. Finland and Britain, the French president's two gastronomic nightmares, have invited him to dine on their finest food.

Stung by Chirac's reported comments on British and Finnish cuisine, Finnish European lawmaker Alexander Stubb, married to a British woman, has asked him to dinner.

The French daily Liberation quoted Chirac as saying to German Chancellor
Gerhard Schroeder and Russian President
Vladimir Putin on Sunday that "you can't trust people who cook as badly as that," referring to the British, and "after Finland, it's the country with the worst food".

"Our Finnish-British family has ... paid close attention to your negative image of the cuisines of our native countries," Stubb wrote in an open letter to Chirac, promising "authentic Finnish and British ingredients in order to avoid disappointment".

Chirac can look forward to fish and chips if he visits Stubb's home in Belgium, but not any old fish and chips -- roe of vendace with Lapland potato chips await him.

If rack of baby lamb from Aland with nettle mash does not tempt him, Finnish berries marinated in Arctic brambleberry wine with beestings pudding surely will.

Stubb was thoughtful enough to allow Chirac to show off the glories of the French table if he takes up the offer.

"We hope that, as the president of an esteemed wine-producing country, you could provide the wines," he wrote.
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In vino veritas!

kerismummy · Posted: Fri Sep 22, 2006 3:13 pm Post subject:

i remember that, i think its really mean. but it all depends on what part of britain he was talking about. scotland is part of britain and has haggis and black pudding which i agree is horrid, irish have their stew which is ok, and wales have welsh rarebit which is nice but england have bangers and mash, toad in the hole, bubble and squeak, yorkshire pudding, fish and chips and such like which, ok arent that healthy (but then neither are french pastries) but they're yummy especially on a cold night.

Kate · Posted: Fri Sep 22, 2006 7:14 pm Post subject:

I think British food has gotten a bad rap. My sister traveled there when she was a travel agent and said the food was quite good, hearty and filling. Paula you should post some classic British recipes!
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Life's short...eat dessert first.

kerismummy · Posted: Mon Sep 25, 2006 8:32 am Post subject:

i will do, toad in the hole is my favorite. its weird that i know how to cook the things but i dont know what quantities of each ingredient go in a i am so useed to cooking things like yorkshire puddings that i just do it by sight now. will make sure i measure everything out so i can post some more recipes.

kerismummy · Posted: Mon Sep 25, 2006 12:52 pm Post subject:

iv posted you 4 classics, am going to check out my cook books at home tonight and let you know if i have any more. i will have to make them as well i think so that i can see cup sizes as everything i have is in pounds and ounces! i also descovered a fantastic variation for cornbread at the weekend that i will post tomorrow. i have it written down at home and forgot to bring it into work with me this morning.

Kate · Posted: Mon Sep 25, 2006 11:32 pm Post subject:

Thanks so much Paula! I have already edited and approved many of the recipes. I'm going to try some of these very soon!
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Life's short...eat dessert first.