Kevin's Watch

I had a hot dog for lunch and one for dinner. Too hot to cook today.

peter wrote:

Menolly wrote:Is there a difference between tomato sauce = ketchup and tomato sauce = pasta/pizza sauce Down Under? I've known folks who do heat up ketchup as a pasta sauce, but it is definitely different from what I consider pasta sauce.

In the UK tomato sauce is the name used for what elsewhere would be called ketchup. To be honest, we don't really have a name for tomato sauce (in the pizza sauce sense) other than tomato puree (which in reality is a bit thicker than proper pizza sauce should be, but does double for it without problem). The term passata (the actual stuff that Italians use on their pizzas) is just now finding its way into our vocabulary, along with the product itself onto our shelves. As an aside, I don't find that tomato ketchup actually makes too bad a pizza anyway (particularly the cheaper supermarket brands that are a little less sweet than the Heinz variety), but I have a sweet tooth anyway and can possibly cope with a bit more sweetness in the final taste anyway.

We call pizza sauce passata which is very different from ketchup - which is seasoned and sweetened.

My favourite sauce IS heinz!! It’s a great brand maybe cuz I was raised with it - baked beans etc

I don’t put sauce on much other than chips - and sausage rolls

*nod*

Ketchup has to be Heinz for me as well, although I use the No Added Sugar variety nowadays (when I notice I need to grab the smaller bottle if only one is on the table).

Youd make a proud Brit Menolly and a Brit proud

Nah, we have a local brand that is better than Heinz. (Which interestingly enough will no longer be available here for some reason, not that I care.)

However, I will say that when in foreign climes, I use Heinz as the nearest substitute.

There's not much I put it on, but when I do, I use a lot.

--A

You can’t knock the heinz

Yes you can. It's not bad, it's just not really great either. There are plenty that are worse.

--A

I mean if we’re gonna talk sauces … we got some very nice hot sauces

Variations on a theme really, but the other day in the absence of any bacon in the house, I chanced upon a half used pack of thinly sliced chorizo sausage in the fridge and thought "the hell with it". Six slices on a plate for about fifteen seconds in the microwave, slapped on a sheet of crap white bread with a squirt of cheap tomato sauce and a lick of mustard - and a minute later I was in food heaven! The best no-bacon bacon sandwich I've ever eaten - and up amongst the best bacon sandwiches I've ever eaten!

Man, I love this lazy few seconds food stuff; got right, the lack of work involved in preparation actually enhances the gastronomic experience rather than detracting from it!

Slice some cheese onto bread, melt it in the microwave, and douse with HP sauce.

--A

HP sauce?

Yes - HP Sauce; it's a difficult one Sarge. It's a brown sauce, apparently called 'HP' after the Houses of Parliament where it was reputedly served in the restaurant. It has a strong, almost vinegary flavour that is by no means to everyone's taste. I can 'get it' - but only just (and I can eat just about anything). I can see it would work with melted cheese (and ten out of ten Av for coming up a possibly even lazier slapped up snack than mine) but tell me - can you microwave the bread? Doesn't something weird happen to it, like it goes to a stodge (or alternatively really hard - I can't decide which it would be) or something?

I think HP sauce is similar to A1 steak sauce, sarge. I know the bottle shape is similar, but having never tried HP sauce, it's a total guess on my part.

Thank you both. I like vinegar. Can we buy hp sauce in America?

sgt.null wrote:Thank you both. I like vinegar. Can we buy hp sauce in America?

I've seen it in grocery stores which have a section of British products in the "ethnic" aisle. I'm pretty sure it is at Safeway. If y'all have Safeway or Albertsons in Texas, check to see. I've heard good things about HEB stores, so they may have a British food section as well.

Thank you Menolly. I'll try to find it.

sgt.null wrote:Thank you Menolly. I'll try to find it.

https://www.heb.com/search/?q=hp+sauce

I found it! Going g to pick some up.

Awesome! What HP sauce is really for is bacon. Bacon (or bacon and egg) sandwich with HP sauce is the only way to go.

I suffered a major bereavement last year, when the licence to distribute in SA expired, and it was suddenly no longer available.

I made several attempts to replicate with varying levels of success (some closer, some not so close) but was thrilled the other day to find one retailer had secured a limited supply, while others are awaiting the appointment of a new distributor, so there is hope that a steady supply will be restored.

(And yes Peter, you can microwave the bread...whatever ill effects it might normally suffer are possibly mitigated by the cheese.)

(Oh, and I can't take credit...it was the invention of the younger brother of a friend of mine. We used to force him to make us food when congregating at said friends house after school. He went on to become a chef, so...win-win maybe? )

--A

I'm glad to hear HP Sauce may be making a return to SA, Av. My understanding is it truly is a staple around the world.

Not as glad as I am.

Interestingly, I noticed on the bottles I picked up that the retailer had affixed a label basically saying it was a grey import. (Not that I care. )

Also, when I bought them, I did so in the assumption that I had some actual bacon. Which it turned out I did not. So it was only this weekend that I once again enjoyed bacon rolls, with lettuce, tomato, mayonnaise, gherkins, blue cheese, and a dash of good old HP sauce.

--A