Best posh/fancy foods?

[AMessageToYouRuby]

Got a ‘foodie’ relative staying from US so went to Fortnums and the foodhalls of Knightsbridge at the weekend. Some things (£8 radicchio!) are an absolute rip off but got me thinking, what are the best fancy foods?

My choices so far but feel free to disagree:

Torres Truffle Crisps
Nocellara Olives
Laurent Perrier everything
M&S chocolate Biscuits almost definitely non-U but have to be included off the strength of their own merits

Before the pitchforks appear; I know, COL, and mn ‘naice’ snobbery, and I like Netto 7p beans on white sliced with plastic cheese as much as or probably even more than most people and it is a perfectly good dinner anyone should be grateful for. However, some things really are just worth the indulgence.

While you’re in Orford buying the Pump Street Bakery Eccles cakes get some of their almond croissants too. They’re divine.

Fucking huge fish prawns, butterflied and drenched in heavily garlicked butter. Hands only and mop up the divine juice with anything else edible.

Hmm I'd say foodies aren't so bothered by fancy items as fresh, good quality foods. Pasta made with guanciale, heritage tomatoes, great croissants, proper olive oil, wild caught salmon, juicy dates etc.

Maybe that's just me though.

I don't think good quality and 'fancy' are mutually exclusive.

If they're American, give them a really nice cheese board. Riverford do a great selection of small farm organic cheeses - it's my christmas gift to myself every year

There are no words for the horror of american cheese.

Many years ago, my (now) ex and I were in Manhattan for his 30th birthday and I treated him to dinner at Robert de Niro's restaurant in Tribeca. Ex hated desserts (but loved cheese) so I arranged for them to bring out a cheeseboard as a surprise for him. It had a little birthday calendar and everything. We couldn't believe our eyes when one of the cheeses on this beautiful board was slices (cut into triangles mind you!) of American cheese. 😂😫

Birthday candle, not calendar! Damn you autocorrect. 😡

@MillWood85

I agree that cheeses found in a grocery store like Walmart are not very good. However, there are plenty of very good cheeses found in the US that are made here and found in more local stores but you have to know where to look.

The largest national grocery chain, Kroger, has a very large selection of US-made specialty cheeses of very high quality through their Murray delicatessen. In fact, if you find a grocery store with an actual deli, you'll find artisanal cheeses made locally. I grew up in west Texas and our cheeses were from local farms that specialized in sheep and goats cheese because of its very close proximity to the Mexican border where those are particularly common. I live in the Texan gulf coast now and there are plenty of artisanal cheeses made by local dairy farmers. In fact, a cheese shop near me boasts 150 cheeses from farmers in a 250 mile radius.

My point is that we do have "proper" cheese just don't think that what's sold in Walmart is all we have.

I absolutely love crab - dressed crab, potted crab, crab claws. Yum. And lobster. And gigantic prawns, barbecued.

Have you ever seen a Riverford farm recipe book?
“Go out and direct the staff to hand harvest your organic beetroot/carrots/kale fresh from your fields, then roast them simply in the best quality olive oil and salt money can buy.” x 240 pages.
That’s it, no actual recipes, but they’re not incorrect .

Anyone remember Posh Nosh with Arabella Weir?

Blatantly place marking as this all sounds delicious

I've just watched a tv programme, A Cotswold Farm Shop about Gloucestershire Services, on the M5, I think. I like the look of Jonathan Crump's cheeses made from milk from his herd of rare breed Gloucester cattle. Single Gloucester and Double Gloucester. I'm going to hunt some down.

Agree delicious but actually very Scottish (made in Lanark, Scottish borders)

Candied jalapeños have arrived! Tomorrow I'll be adding them to my air fryer bagel/egg/cheese combo. I already know it will be amazing!

Compton Basset Stilton is pretty marvellous.

And New English Tea’s Earl Grey is lovely.