You just reminded of years ago when a bloke in Glasgow asked if I wanted to go to the football with him and I said no because I was going to the opera and he called me elitist. So I asked the price of his football ticket and it was double the price of my opera ticket. πββοΈ
How do we know what we know about what people ate in the past? Sources!
medievalfoodwithjennie.substack.com/p/the-import...
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It's Shrove Tuesday so here's two different types of pancakes from Mrs Frazer's 1804 book "The Practice of Cookery, Pastry and Confectionary". 'Batter Pancakes' with sugar, cinnamon and ginger, and 'Rose-coloured Pancakes' with beetroot, sugar, cream and brandy. Happy Pancake Day!
I loved it, although I couldn't manage to finish all the yorkshire puddingy bit. Feeling slightly miffed that apparently everybody else in Scotland has always known about this. Will be having words with my mum next time I see her. π
@neilbuttery.bsky.social blogged about Toad-in-the-Hole and I thought ah but that's English, we never ate that growing up in Scotland. Then, Him Indoors tells me he really likes it. 27 years and this is first I've heard about it. So I followed Neil's recipe and made it for our tea. How did I do?
Thanks to online Geordies for pointing out this isn't, in fact, a stottie. Need to go back and lodge a complaint with the cafe for false advertising! π€£
Purely in the interests of cultural food research, of course. When in Newcastle, this is is a "breakfast stottie". I'm out here doing all the important work so you don't have to.
Homemade haggis for Burns Night. Fair fa' your honest, sonsie face, indeed.
They do have recipes for trifle, but no Tipsy Laird. So perhaps it's just a more modern Scottish take on an English trifle, who knows? Either way, it's going to taste amazing.
If you Google 'Tipsy Laird', you'll get dozens of recipes telling you that this is a traditional Scottish dessert, but if you look for a source, an actual old recipe, you might draw a bit of a blank...It's not mentioned by F. Marian McNeill, Meg Dods, Mrs Frazer or Mrs MacIver. /2
Tipsy Laird for our Burns Night dinner tomorrow. Essentially a Scottish trifle, with sponge cake at the bottom with orange juice and whisky, then a layer of raspberries, then custard, then whipped cream, topped with raspberries and toasted flaked almonds. No jelly in the Scottish version. /1
What makes haggis haggis and how do you describe haggis without making it sound awful? π€£
Have you listened to the first of my podcast specials about Burns Night?
This episode looks into the history of haggis & the first Burns Nights with the fantastic @medievalfoodjennie.bsky.social
The BritishFood History Podcast is available on all podcast apps: podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/h...
A few people have mentioned Seville orange marmalade over the last week, then I was in Cranstons Cumbrian Food Hall this morning on my way back to Scotland and they had seville oranges, lemons, sugar and jars all in the one display so I figured the universe was telling me to make marmalade.
It's here! I'm on the British Food History Podcast talking to @neilbuttery.bsky.social about the history of haggis and Burns Night! Listen at this link, or wherever you get your podcasts.
britishfoodhistory.com
Just me talking about Burns Night on the British Food History Podcast! Interesting fact - the first ever Burns Supper was organised by an ancestor of mine. You'll have to listen to find out more!
It's his birthday today and he got three loaf cakes instead of a birthday cake because my baking style is "rustic" and not fancy. Banana, carrot and rum with orange icing, red wine and chocolate. That last one is for me, not gonna lie.
I didnt get any photos of the event, but this is lovely room in the South Beach Hotel.
Gave a talk on Scottish Food History to Troon Probus Club today. It's a lunch club for retired men and 2 people warned me not to worry if anybody fell asleep, because my talk was after lunch and it does happen. I'm delighted to report they all stayed awake and they all laughed in the right places! π
Happy Cheese Week to all who celebrate!
Irn Bru ham coming out the oven. Simmered in Irn Bru and apple juice with allspice, pepper, bay leaves, coriander seeds, cloves, then some of that liquid was reduced with marmalade, honey, mustard, brown sugar, the ham was basted and baked. It's now in the fridge for tomorrow's Xmas Eve spread.
It's Christmas, Glasgow style. Taking inspiration from recipes on the Scottish Scran website and @rovinghaggis, I'm doing an Irn Bru ham this year. With the lovely 1901 Irn Bru too, so I've got high hopes. Watch this space!
In the Special Collections reading room of the National Library of Scotland. This afternoon, I'm off to Register House for more research. Having a lovely day. π
Razors pain you;
Rivers are damp;
Acids stain you;
And drugs cause cramp.
Guns arenβt lawful;
Nooses give;
Gas smells awful;
You might as well live.
Throwback to the time I thought it'd be funny to put eyes on Martin's food. Grumpy sandwich did not find it funny.
It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas! Everybody knows the order to decorate your tree goes lights, tentacles, baubles. (Baubles still to come!)
I have two more to send you and one vague idea in the pipeline!
Today, I found out that my nearly-90-year old dad still has his postwar clothing ration book, my granny's wartime National Identity card and his Suez Crisis petrol rationing book from 1956, when he was a dashing young RAF air gunner racing all round Lincolnshire in his convertible Hillman Minx.
You wait ages and then two come along at once! π My article on the history of haggis and the tradition of Burns Night has been published in the international food history journal Petits Propos Culinaires! π
