The national cuisine of these islands has been something of a laughing stock throughout my lifetime. A reputation that I believe is wholly undeserved as a hisory of fine cuisine is evidenced, for instance, whenever I flick through the recipe books that I inherited from my granny and I'm presented with a collection of the most sumptuous gastonomic delights imaginable.
Perhaps it was only enjoyed by the moneyed classes or maybe WWII put the kibosh on any pretensions we had as being a nation of fine diners?
I certainly remember (as will anyone over the age of 40) that the school dinner menu (I use the word loosely as it implies choice - this was before the current cafeteria system. There was no choice. You had to eat what you were given) certainly still had a "post war austerity" feel to it with plenty of offal, root vegetables and suet puddings. All things that I've had a strong aversion to for the whole of my adult life thanks to the bad culinary standards and the poor quality of the ingredients associated with school dinners.
In fairness though, cooking en-masse is never going to produce a great end result and I'm often surprised when I pluck up the courage to try something in a restaurant that would have made me retch at school and I actually find it quite agreeable. Swede, amazingly, was one of these foodstuffs that I enjoyed in a restaurant in Edinbugh recently; it was nicely seasoned and mashed with butter - completely different to the vile lumpy stuff that they would serve with ice cream scoops. Similarly, kidneys; had them for breakfast not long ago. Again, a pleasant experience and I didn't have to be force fed this time.
One thing that may be a bridge too far for me is suet; just the smell of the roly-poly pudding emanating from the canteen used to make me feel sick. It's ok in Christmas pudding because you can't taste it but dumplings, or anything with a suet crust pastry have been off limits...
...until now because I want to try a Sussex Pond pudding. Basically it's a whole lemon in a ball of butter and sugar encased in a suet pastry - and when you cut into it, the most amazing looking yellow goo comes oozing out. Mmmmmmm.....shame about the suet though.
Any of you have any favourite traditional foods that may be considered a bit retro these days?
Perhaps it was only enjoyed by the moneyed classes or maybe WWII put the kibosh on any pretensions we had as being a nation of fine diners?
I certainly remember (as will anyone over the age of 40) that the school dinner menu (I use the word loosely as it implies choice - this was before the current cafeteria system. There was no choice. You had to eat what you were given) certainly still had a "post war austerity" feel to it with plenty of offal, root vegetables and suet puddings. All things that I've had a strong aversion to for the whole of my adult life thanks to the bad culinary standards and the poor quality of the ingredients associated with school dinners.
In fairness though, cooking en-masse is never going to produce a great end result and I'm often surprised when I pluck up the courage to try something in a restaurant that would have made me retch at school and I actually find it quite agreeable. Swede, amazingly, was one of these foodstuffs that I enjoyed in a restaurant in Edinbugh recently; it was nicely seasoned and mashed with butter - completely different to the vile lumpy stuff that they would serve with ice cream scoops. Similarly, kidneys; had them for breakfast not long ago. Again, a pleasant experience and I didn't have to be force fed this time.
One thing that may be a bridge too far for me is suet; just the smell of the roly-poly pudding emanating from the canteen used to make me feel sick. It's ok in Christmas pudding because you can't taste it but dumplings, or anything with a suet crust pastry have been off limits...
...until now because I want to try a Sussex Pond pudding. Basically it's a whole lemon in a ball of butter and sugar encased in a suet pastry - and when you cut into it, the most amazing looking yellow goo comes oozing out. Mmmmmmm.....shame about the suet though.
Any of you have any favourite traditional foods that may be considered a bit retro these days?
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