jay
The thing many may not have considered is that a lot of these 'staples' were derrived during times of great hardship and/or the depression. Waste was unheard of - a mortal sin in fact. EVERYTHING was used (tripe, brawn, black pudding, haggis for example) and personally, while not actually enjoying or ever tried the dishes, you have to take your hat off to the cooks of yesteryear who were able to come up with a dish to utilise the ingredients at hand. Before and after the war - when tea/coffee were unavailable or rationed - Marmite was actually a drink... tsp in boiling water, according to my mum.
Bean Noodles BrothA light and easy broth which we have at home quite often, add variations by adding different ingredients to the basic ones. I would imagine it great in cold winter. Bean Noodle Broth...
ShipbuildingFrank Amen. May GOD continue to bless you and yours, dear Frank whom I love, in Jesus...
OK jay, here's another one for you to try - particularly in defence of bananas in whatever recipe:
Banoffee Pie This is the original Banoffee recipe as used by 'Hungry Monk' chef Lucy Baldwin, who devised the recipe.
12 oz uncooked shortcrust pastry (see below) 2 tins condensed milk 1 1/2 lbs firm bananas 3/4 pint double cream (whipping cream, whipped to stiff peaks does the job) 1/2 tsp powdered instant coffee 1 dessertspoon castor sugar a little fresh ground coffee
Preheat oven to 190 DegC or 375DegF. Lightly grease a 10"x 1.5" flan tin. Line the tin with thinly rolled pastry, prick base with fork and blind bake until crisp and allow to cool. Immerse canned of unopened cans of condensed milk in deep pan of boiling water, cover and boil for 3 hours. Insure pan does not boil dry or the cans will explode. Remove the cans from the water and allow to cool competely (before pouring the cold toffee mixture into the baked flan crust). Whip the cream with instant coffee and sugar until smooth. Spread the toffee over the base of the pastry. Peel and halves the bananas lengthways and lay them on the toffee base. Finally spoon or pipe the cream lightly over the bananas and sprinkle the freshly ground coffee on the cream. Serves 8-10.
Shortcrust Pastry 1 cup plain flour (no added bicarb soda for leavening) pinch salt 60g butter 2-3 Tablespoons ice cold water
NB: this is the standard Shortcrust Pastry, for a richer pastry I (always) substitute 1 whole egg lightly beaten and a little lemon juice for the water, and for a sweet shortcrust pastry add 1-2 Tbls castor sugar (refined (super fine granulateded) white sugar, not confectioners sugar). I sometimes like to add a little more butter making it much richer and more 'crumbly'.
Sift the flour and salt. Rub in the butter with tips of your fingers until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs. Add half the water (or if using egg, half egg) and mix the dry ingredients with a round bladed knife or spatula. If there is not sufficient moisture to bind all dry ingredients, push the moistened pastry to one side of the bowl and gradually add enough of the remaining water/egg to bind the remaining dry ingredients.* Form the mixture into a ball and turn onto a lightly floured board. Roll to size and shape required. Bake at 180DegC for approximately 15 minutes**
* the amount of moisture the flour absorbs will depend heavily on the weather - hot humid days require less moisture, while cold wintry days require more. ** cooking time will depend on your oven - whether gas/electric, standard/fan-forced. Check on the pastry after 10 minutes and if golden brown, it is done.
Still racking my brain trying to think of an inherently British main meal which doesn't use kidneys or mushy peas.....when I think of one, I'll post it
freely admits to liking if not loving, banana custard -- "Never trust a skinny cook!"
