Post Punk Kitchen Forum

What cooking ingredients can you get in the US that you can't get here but would bring over?

I have colleagues coming over who have said, 'anything you need?' and I can't think...!

Agar Powder!!!

Aji amarillo (if you like Latin food/have Viva Vegan!)

I've been gone too long and can't think of anything other than perishable items.

You can pretty much get anything here if you try hard, but there are plenty of things which are more readily available in the US and cheaper. My wishlist would be:
- not-chick'n bullion cubes
- vegan marshmallows
- liquid smoke
- vital wheat gluten
- Larabars
- Tings
- peanut chews
- corn husks for making tamales
- vegan oreos
- goldfish crackers

Cliff bars - $8 for 12 in WFM earlier this month - cost over £1 for the small bars in the UK
Newman-O Peanut/Chocolate - Nothing like it in the UK. I can't get excited by Oreos.

Marshmallows are cheaper in the US, but it's possibly not worth the hassle of importing for the sake of one of two pounds.

Ooh, yes, meaty stock powder/bouillon cubes. You can get a beefy one as well, though I think chicken is used more widely in recipes. But I've found beefy stock powder makes seitan-/TVP-based veggie burgers taste more like "real" burgers (go figure).

ok requested easy carrying options. Not sure what immigration is like on actual food products like chillies and loose powder stuff (I got queried in Miami on coffee I bought in Colombia, but that might have been the shape of the packets and its origin!...)

So I asked for stock cubes - I requested the not beef ones as well (I immediately thought of french onion soup Rachell when I read that! )... liquid smoke and then Oreo's which was first on my list :)

Are Newmans O's all vegan? I looked at the web site and got confused as they have a dairy free version but I didn't see any non vegan ingredients on the others.

My Oz colleague asked as well if she could bring anything and I was stumped... not sure Oz is up there with the US on vegan products.

Sweet William chocolate from Oz. It's the same stuff that they make the white Dairy Free buttons from - but in whole bars for extra gluttony... er... I mean for extra convenience...

Swedish Fish! Sour Patch Kids! eta liquid smoke!

very excited about liquid smoke :) one of my US colleagues emailed me back to say she was very excited that I'm vegan as giving up meat was fine but she's having a hard time eliminating cheese and needs help and tips :D

Googled their web site. Am on it, for the convenience factor of course :)

Vegenaise! i don't know how well it travels without refrigeration, but it is truly the sandwich spread of the gods.

According to:

http://www.newmansownorganics.com/faq.php#Q_137

all Newman O products are vegan.

Look for falooda powder (sometimes labelled china grass powder) in Asian markets. Pretty common but never labelled agar.

NUTTER BUTTERS! So good. So yummy!

Gotta ask Her Majesty Gwyneth Paltrow how she transports it :)

I found these in Partridges a store on Kings Road a bit down from Sloan Square. They have a branch near Gloucester Road as well. Both sell US stuff, like twizzlers, Better Crocker cake mixes, other cookies etc. There is a store in Westfield but outside, across from the train station that sells some US candy, can't remember if Nutter Butters are there.

hahaha, yes! does that mean i have to buy her book?

Well my lovely colleagues bought me:

Vegemite - which doesn't list Vit 12 I notice though, which makes Sainsbugs yeast extract and Marmite superior (and I'm having a hard enough time dealing with cheese cravings, let alone jumping the gauntlet of ''fab product, oh it was bought out/is owned by the evil company etc" discussion!
4 bars of Sweet William white chocolate
Oreo's
Liquid smoke in Hickory and Mesquite flavor
No beef and no chicken stock cubes

Now the question is, what can I make with it all? :)

nice haul!

use the stock cubes to make different types of seitan. and test which liquid smoke you like better for tempeh bacon!
Oreos & white chocolate can be eaten by themselves (or together), but if you really want to make something with them, there are some nice recipes in VCTOTW and VCIYCJ.

Tempeh Bacon... oh wow, that sounds good. I am so buying some tempeh tomorrow :)
I've never made setiten... is it similar to wheat balls? I have a recipe for wheat balls from a veggie Thai book I borrowed, that just uses plain four but mentions the need for high gluten flour..

Not US specific, but at the weekend I found some lemon drop chilli sauce, dried chipoltes and Bajan Pepper Sauce. Its been a good haul week - my cupboards do indeed feel blessed :)