Foreign food

We ate very plain food at home and I couldn’t believe it when aged 13 my older sister took me out for lunch in the West End and I was able to order spaghetti bolognese.

When I was about 13 in the 70s I thought my friend was very exotic because at their house they had something called Vesta. I think they were a convenience food and they were a curry.

I loved Vesta especially the one where you friend the noodles to go on the top First taste of different food I had was when I started dating a West Indian lad then it was curried goat and cook ups this was early 60 s then I went to live in Malaysia and my taste buds were really awakened and I was loving all the tastes and smells and have never looked back

I am late 50’s born, my parents had pubs with restaurants, I cannot recall a time when we didn’t have foreign food.

Housecraftandcommunitystudies

When I was about 13 in the 70s I thought my friend was very exotic because at their house they had something called Vesta. I think they were a convenience food and they were a curry.

I lived in a village, my friend lived in a small town just behind Woolworth’s. As if that wasn’t exciting enough her Mum let us go out and choose Vesta curries for our tea. I thought it all so exciting.

My mother would not have "foreign food" in the house. She did not like it but she had never tasted any!

I loved the very cheap Chinese lunches around in the mid 60's. I have never enjoyed pizzas.

I worked with ladies from India and the Philippines mainly and their home made cooking was amazing.

I loved Vesta whatever was on offer. I married a Peruvian who was a sort of au pair for Robert Carrier. He taught me to cook. He introduced me to exotic foods such as aubergines and peppers back in the day. Then I married OH some 43 years ago. He’s an Arab. He loves cottage pie and I enjoy kibbeh in tomato soup with turnips etc.

Curries were a regular at home; my Dad spent time in India dyring the war and acquired the taste. I have tried very many cuisines and enjoy using 'foreign' ingredients. I find myself combining ingredients from many corners of the globe. (Not sure a globe can have corners!) Last night we finished off a shepherd's pie which contained harissa paste, crown prince squash and aduki beans. Tomorrow a bean stew using dried limes.

Vesta chow mein was my introduction to ‘foreign food’, and then the curry, but the day we left college, a group of us went into a Chinese restaurant in town to celebrate. We thought we were very brave! The food was a revelation. I was eighteen and living in London before a friend and I ate spag Bol in an Italian restaurant in Shepherds Market. We had no idea how to eat it, so we watched what other people were doing and ended up wearing most of it as I remember😁! But after that there was no holding us. Later, in the Far East we ate all manner of lovely things - satay, nasi goreng, mah mee, steamed crabs, Singapore steamboat, and a curry, the recipe for which I was given by an Indian gentleman who ran our local grocery store. I use it to this day.

Vesta prawn curry was my first ‘foreign’ meal I loved it it was my treat. Don’t think my parents tried foreign food.

I was born in Pakistan, my Dad was working there, so was introduced to curry from a young age, we returned to the UK when I was one and frequented one of the few Indian restaurants nearby.
My first Chinese meal out was a treat for passing the 11+, Mum was quite an experimental cook too.

We lived in Hong Kong in the early 1950s, and in those days, employed a cook who made all kinds of dishes, Chinese, obviously, but,as we were an army family, curry.

When we returned to the UK in 1955 my mother bought a pressure cooker and the recipe leaflet that came with it included recipes for goulasch and also risotto. I still use both recipes.

We were a family of hearty eaters, always ready to try new dishes. Although we did not eat out much. Even an army officers pay did not extend to taking a family of five out for a meal very often.

But I do remember returning to England from Malaya, staying in a hotel in Arundel for a weekend and seeing trout on the menu. This was about 1960. My father immediately ordered it saying he hadn't eaten trout since before the war, most of us ordered it as well, and it was a revelation and I haveloved freshwater trout ever since.

My mum was a good cook, and we always had ‘foreign’ food at home as a child, mainly of the Elizabeth David and other European recipes type. Moussaka was a regular favourite, as was goulash, and our Sunday chicken was never plain roast, which my nanna thought was very odd. As children we drew the line at mussels though.

My parents viewed foreign food with great suspicion even when on holiday abroad .
Once my mother was given a beautiful cookery book as a present .
I was thrilled as I looked at the wonderful dishes .
She asked the giver if they'd be offended if they would exchange the book for something for the garden !
I was about 15 when allowed out on my own .
I discovered the joy of eating real Indian food at my friend's house .
I asked for the recipes and couldn't stop talking about it .
Then I discovered Italian food and so it went on .
I'd baked from an early age and now I was very keen on cooking entire meals .
I have to say that my grandma did all the cooking in our house
and her plain English dishes were wonderful .
She was very pleased and complimentary when quiches began to appear with my enthusiasm .

BlueBell wasn’t mad on the “Chinese” vesta BUT I loved those crispy noodles that you put in the frying pan with a bit of oil and they pop up in seconds….but where can I buy them from now?🤔

Catherine Tate did some hilarious sketches with her screen husband. They were a really weird couple who hated anything “foreign” including food.

I love Catherine Tate.
Foreign food in my mum's house wasn't offered or cooked.

Not even a bolognese.

I presume mum never knew how to cook these things.

Granmarderby10

BlueBell wasn’t mad on the “Chinese” vesta BUT I loved those crispy noodles that you put in the frying pan with a bit of oil and they pop up in seconds….but where can I buy them from now?🤔

When I read this I remembered the Vesta crisp noodles too! I did a Google search and found this. I haven't tried it but it sounds interesting. www.chopchoprecipes.net/2021/12/what-kind-of-noodles-puff-up-in-oil.html

I'd really like to try a Vesta meal.
I feel I missed out.

Catherine Tate and husband on ruined Christmas meal

youtu.be/boeJUDnhVGM?feature=shared

Miss A , they are listed on amazon!
Will join you for a meal!

When as a student in the 60s I was marginally less skint than usual, I would occasionally treat myself to a Vesta Paella. 😋

My DM did make the odd curry and spag Bol in the early 60s, but they didn’t bear too much resemblance to what I’d make today!

I still remember my first encounter with a green pepper in the 50s.
My father, who worked in central London, close to markets for exotic fruit and veg, came home with a few items, inc. one of those, for me to take for the school Harvest Festival display.

What a weird thing! I thought, and such a funny smell!
I do still wonder sometimes whether anybody actually ever used it!

My very first curry was a Vesta one. And I loved it.

MissAdventure

I'd really like to try a Vesta meal.
I feel I missed out.

You can still buy them on Amazon, including the Chow Mein and various curries.