Collector wrote:Maiandra wrote:So much better than the doughy ones you get out at the cheap diner places.
Or worse, tough, heavy pancakes.
I don't think I've encountered that as much. I guess that's what happens if they get dried out.
I barely ever eat pancakes aren't homemade. I'm less in favour of using purely white flour than many people, so maybe that's why anything that uses that exclusively tastes doughy to me.
gumby wrote:I know when it comes to drinks - I really don't dig American beers (with the exception of most micro-brews). Blech.
I think most countries have one or two beers that they're known for outside their country, but that most people from that country don't think are representative of their beer.
I can't stand Molson Canadian, but give me a Big Rock Traditional or Granville Island Winter Ale and I'm very happy. There are so many micro-breweries in both Canada and the US now that I don't think they really are the exception any more.
dotkel50 wrote:I hate Starbucks coffee, it tastes burnt.
Me too! I actually find that most coffee you get out taste a bit like that. They make it way too strong, then it sits around for a while. Yuck.
The best coffee I had out is at this place I stay when I'm on business trips. They have a real restaurant for breakfast and the coffee is amazing. Strong and flavourful, but not bitter or burnt tasting. *blissful smile*
AndreaDraco wrote:Starbucks were the only bar in sight... where they wouldn't have cleaned our wallet for a single cup of coffee. I distinctly remember one night, or morning actually (it was about 5:00 a.m.), when we wanted some coffee to help us stay awake and we only found a small café in the Voltaire arrondissment. 7.50 euros for two cups of coffee! I was speechless
Wow. I thought coffee shops here were expensive, but they're not
that bad.
As for "American Coffee" in Europe, my understanding is that they take espresso and mix it with hot water, then call it "Americano" or American Coffee. That isn't really representative of North American coffee, since the beans for regular (to me) coffee and espresso are processed differently. I've tried using espresso beans to make regular coffee and it tastes terrible.
I find that it's a combination of the method and the beans that make good coffee. As DPX said, if you get the pre-ground commercial brands, then it doesn't taste very good. As Collector said, a good drip coffee maker can make a good pot of coffee. I personally use a "French Press" because I don't like using plastic appliances when I'm dealing with hot water.
However, it's also about what you're used to. Regular coffee for you is obviously different than regular coffee for me. Coffee from countries further East is different than both. Even though I've tried Arabic coffee with cardamon and liked it, I certainly wouldn't want it every day. Likewise with espresso. It's just "not my cup of coffee".
As for Quebec, I haven't been there since 1987, when I was quite young, so I can't really say. The impression I got at the time is that they are more "European" than the rest of Canada. However, I notice that people from France are quick to say that people from Quebec are "not French".
The problem with North America is that we live in a convenience culture. In a lot of ways this is reflected in our commercial food. These are the kinds of things that foreigners hear about and they assume that's all there is. While I think the food industry in Canada and the US could stand a lot of improvement, we do actually have good food as well. Not everyone eats it, either because they don't know any different or because they can't be bothered, but it's there. I certainly don't eat most of the highly-processed junk available.
I blame the 50's and the atomic bomb for North American convenience food. People were so excited about science and the "world of tomorrow". Add that to bomb paranoia and little knowledge about nutrition and they created long-life foods. Or at least that's my theory.
"No one knows for sure, but I intend to find out! Reboot!"