The Ashes

Not tell you how to cook a brat but try this next time. Cook it on the grill first. Not too hot a temp because you do not want it to split. After it has started to cook through a little and you have nice grill marks, then boil it in the beer.
I have found this is the most delicious way to prepare brats. A good brat is also necessary and the brats from Louie's are the best.
Louie Jr. is a great guy and the Sausage stuffer there is a good friend.

Mashed potatoes and Sausages were an occasional thing in my family. Probably because my grandmother was Canadian.

Seems to be a strong German influence. Nothing wrong with that but it's not exactly what I had in mind. Bizzarre. I was probably fed this about once a week as a kid.

I don't know about the Yanks, but I'm only from across the little pond and I'd never had bangers and mash until I went to London for a year. I didn't even know what it was, I just saw it on the menu in a breakfast place, a friend said it was typical food and thought "Wow, some English food, great altogether!", since all I'd eaten till then was Indian, Chinese stuff or generic stuff. I was a bit surprised when I saw it was just sausages and potatoes, but sure it was delicious, so grand enough in my book.

No way!!You'll find many pseudo-Irish pubs selling bangers and mash (with nominally Irish sausages) as a supposedly authentic Irish dish.Edited by Straggler, : No reason given.

Oh, undoubtedly. Germany influences almost all aspects of American food culture. Almost all of our "traditional" deserts and baked goods - pies (apple pie, especially), doughnuts, cookies - were either developed or perfected by the "Pennsylvania Dutch", a group of German immigrants who settled Pennsylvania and other areas of the East Coast in the 18th and 19th centuries. Of course, in Minnesota and Wisconsin, where my wife and I are from, there's as much a German influence as a Swedish and Norwegian one. Yeah, and I've had bangers and mash a number of times over there, too. Like I say it's just not a natural pairing for most Americans. I mean I'm sure there's some Americans who do, perhaps of recent English extraction, but frankly my experience is that English food culture is so boring and god-awful that it just gets overwritten by anything even slightly more interesting.

"English food culture" in the sense you seem to mean is almost non-existent as far as I can see. Aside from Sunday roasts and the odd bit of pub grub (which also includes most of the following anyway) most Brits seem to live on a diet of world cuisine. Chinese, Italian, Thai, Vietnamese, Mexican and Indian are staples. Spanish tapas and French dining for fancier occasions. German markets are increasingly popular. Polish delis are an increasing feature of London high streets.Within minutes of where I work you can find Lebanese, Greek, Cambodian, Korean, Argentinian and Brazilian as well as most of the above in addition to all sorts of independent Sandwich and fast food joints.Frankly the fact that typically English food is so shit has, in my opinion, made Britain (well.. London at least) one of the great food melting pots of the world.I love it.

Yeah, I've noticed that. I think it's an example of what I'm talking about; English food culture getting overwritten by anything even slightly more interesting or flavorful. Good on you! I mean, don't get me wrong; I've had great food in England. It's just that none of it was English. Although you guys do serve up a pretty bitchin' piece of fried cod. Huge, too. Wish I could get that here. (Your fries, er chips, suffer the same problem we have here in the US - you can get a good burger, and you can get good fries, but you can't get both in the same place.)

With this conversation in mind I asked my (seemingly-never-sleeping) 5 year old son what his favorite English food was. Answer: "Chinese ribs".Nuff said.

That's funny! Although most "Irish pubs" I've seen abroad (in Spain, Britain, the States, e.t.c) are basically English pubs that come with Guinness and some grammatically incorrect Gaelic. To be honest though that model is more fun, as most of our actual food (e.g seilmide cladaigh) doesn't really suit a pub since it's an acquired taste, i.e. disgusting.That said I did find a few places that did actual English food, although as you mentioned, you fellas don't seem to eat it anymore. It's extremely sweet stuff I have to say, bread soaked in sugar was one example, or ham with sugar, e.t.c. This was always outside London up in the Northern country side, beautiful place I must say.
Although in Cornwall they seem to still have traditional food. (Although they kept telling me they're not English, so maybe that doesn't count.)

When I think of traditional English foods I can't get the image of the Gooodies belting each other with black pudding.

Hello sports fans. Yes it's that time again. England Vs Australia in the only sport that matters. Ashes cricket.I'm a bit late on the uptake this time as England are already 1 match up in the series. Today is the second day of the Lords test here in heatwave London town and the England bowlers are ploughing through the Aussie batting line-up like a knife through butter. The Aussie captain has just fallen to England star all-rounder Stuart Broad. Wickets are tumbling, the sun is shining and beer-o-clock is only an hour or two away.More when I feel the need to share with those that don't really care.....

I'm 2 pints to the good, the sun is shining, and Australia are 96-7 at tea. Happy days :-)

Good for you!! I'm at work. But it's free-beer-Friday in less than an hour and I've got an earphone with the commentary going on as I type. Feeling very Friday-afternoon and not very productive........

Got to try to keep a clean sheet till stumps now - totally demoralise them :-)