Your special foods

[paul m]

With most of the world seemingly eating burgers and drinking cola, it is nice to hear of people eating recipes from years gone by. One Newcastle chap has even persuaded the national snack chain Greggs to reinstate mushy peas stotties .....
Ham & pease pudding stotties back at Greggs - Chronicle News - News - ChronicleLive

Any interesting food in your part of the world?

[artdemole]

Just getting used to crunchy Speculoos spread on toast.Jar is getting very empty.

[paul m]

Originally Posted by artdemole

Just getting used to crunchy Speculoos spread on toast.Jar is getting very empty.

That's a new one on me! However, looking it up -http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speculaas - I remember something similar when I was a child.

Sheffield is only famous for one food item:
Hendersons Relish - The Spicy Yorkshire Sauce

although the Blades' theme song mentions another delicacy - the chip butty:

(The song is to the tune of Annie's Song by John Denver):

You fill up my senses
Like a gallon of Magnet
Like a packet of Woodbines
Like a good pinch of snuff
Like a night out in Sheffield
Like a greasy chip butty
Like Sheffield United
Come fill me again....
Na Na Na Naa Naa Naaaaa, ooo!

[paul m]

Did it succeed in getting rid of parasitic worms?
BBC News - Cannabis fed to ducks by French farmer for 'deworming'

[paul m]

Another protected species:
BBC News - Cumberland sausage wins protected status

[paul m]

Valencia seems to be the place to go if you like tomatoes: although it looks a bit messy: Official Rail Europe Blog, The Train of Thought, European train travel news and advice | Rail Europe - Destination ideas: Get messy in Valencia this summer

[Drosera]

Originally Posted by paul m

Valencia seems to be the place to go if you like tomatoes: although it looks a bit messy: Official Rail Europe Blog, The Train of Thought, European train travel news and advice | Rail Europe - Destination ideas: Get messy in Valencia this summer

What a waste of tomatoes!

[goosey]

Not "my" special food, but which is eaten in Dutch households.

The Dutch have plenty of national dishes not to mention a huge variety of cheese.
There seem to be a variation on a theme for "Stamppot" consisting of mashed veg (could be endive, leek sauerkraut, kale, spinach) mixed with mashed potatoe (boiled is different pans then added together and mashed. Sometimes bits of cubed fat or cubed fat with a bit of smoked ham are mixed through, otherwise it can be served with smoked sausage.

Of course then there is herring - whole, raw, covered with diced raw onion, head tilted back and mouth open, held by the tail and it goes down the back of the throat (I have never tried it - it could be delish but I am not willing to find out

Marzipan is another favourite here espcially for Sinterklaas festivities, seen in shops in fruit, potato form or as a large pig and you buy it sliced and even wrapped in flakey pastry. I expect there is a special meaning, but I don't know what it is.
Marzipan also runs through spiced bread with fruit for Easter.

Horrid licorice (drop) covered in salt , not how a Brit would think of licorice.

One thing I love though is Poffetjes, hot little discs made from pancake mix which puff up and are served with butter and icing sugar - yummy. Actually All the traditional Dutch foods I love tend to be sweet or biscuty .

[artdemole]

I am very fond of Cheddar Cheese.But, living not far from Cheddar then I should be.Do like Dutch Apple Pie of which my wife cooks a lot of.nothing wrong with Frankfurters either.Especially with French Fries.......

[paul m]

Anyone in New Zealand?
Apparently there's a shortage of Marmite
There's a three for two offer in Tesco at the moment so perhaps we should buy some up and send it as food relief?
How on earth do you get a Marmite shortage? The most expensive waste product in the world ....
Marmite shortage leaves New Zealanders spreading themselves thin | World news | guardian.co.uk

[chris butterworth]

I'm surprised no-ones mentioned Scouse ( although, maybe not ). Proper Scouse - Meat, Potatoes, water, salt and plenty of pepper. No Peas, no Carrots, no Swede, no Palmeto hearts ( the last one might be a bit of an exaggeration ) - and NO THICKENING ( thats what the spuds are for). It makes sense when you consider where it came from. The Vikings ( Viking dish to begin with ) didn't have anything else on the boats but meat and Potatoes ( and a bucket to collect water with ). Red Cabbage is allowed, bunged on top of course, to add that really important purple hue

Chris

[goosey]

Originally Posted by chris butterworth

The Vikings ( Viking dish to begin with ) didn't have anything else on the boats but meat and Potatoes ( and a bucket to collect water with ). :

Chris

Is that true? I always thought that the potato was a 16th century discovery from the new world. Fascinating if it is true because it has been suspected for a long time that the vikings reached North America hundreds of years before the Brits and French and this viking meal gives credence to that train of thought - interesting Chris!

[chris butterworth]

Originally Posted by goosey

Is that true? I always thought that the potato was a 16th century discovery from the new world. Fascinating if it is true because it has been suspected for a long time that the vikings reached North America hundreds of years before the Brits and French and this viking meal gives credence to that train of thought - interesting Chris!

I think it was probably made with some kind of European starchy root to start with but, like Coca-Cola and McDonalds potato's have taken over the world . Spuds, BTW are from the mountainous area around Peru so there was little chance of the Vikings getting their boats up there ( Although, having said that, Kiev was founded by them, and that's a looong way from the sea ).

Chris

[chris butterworth]

Originally Posted by goosey

Is that true? I always thought that the potato was a 16th century discovery from the new world. Fascinating if it is true because it has been suspected for a long time that the vikings reached North America hundreds of years before the Brits and French and this viking meal gives credence to that train of thought - interesting Chris!

Forgot to mention this. Scouse, or more correctly, Lob Scouse is a corruption of the Old Norse Labskaus. You can also have Blind Scouse, although I think the days of that are long gone. It was usually eaten at the end of the week, when the money had run out. Exactly the same as normal Scouse, but without the meat.

Chris

[paul m]

You can recognise a person from the food they eat.
A few weeks back was strolling through a French market with a huge range of cheeses, pickles, olives, sausages &c .... when a clear Geordie voice shouted out: "And get a stotty for tea, Mam!"

[paul m]

Another series of fascinating foodplant facts from my insurer!
How brazil nuts are produced...

http://blog.insureandgo.com/food-and...surprising-way

[Drosera]

Originally Posted by paul m

Greggs to reinstate mushy peas stotties .....

Mushy peas - mmmmmm - wonderful!

[Drosera]

Sweden is often associated with herring, either the "pickled" type - that is - in some kind of sauce -
Pickled herring - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
or as the fermented form - that is as
Surströmming - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This is really an experience!

[goosey]

Originally Posted by Drosera

or as the fermented form - that is as
Surströmming - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This is really an experience!

I saw this on a Jamie Oliver programme when he was visiting and cooking in Stockholm it looks absolutely horrid!
BTW, it was August when he was there and looked wonderful and colourful and clean - and he even said he wouldn't mind bringing his kids up there!

[Drosera]

Originally Posted by goosey

I saw this on a Jamie Oliver programme when he was visiting and cooking in Stockholm it looks absolutely horrid!
BTW, it was August when he was there and looked wonderful and colourful and clean - and he even said he wouldn't mind bringing his kids up there!

I have tried it twice - took some to UK in 1998. August is the surströmming Premiere - when last years fish are eaten after being fermented since the year before and canned about a month before they are eaten, The fish continue to ferment so the can looks as though it is about to explode. The cans are best opened in a bucket of water because of the pressure. Also outside because of the smell which will linger indoors for several days. I have some left when I tried it and put it on my bird table. Even the voracious seaguls wouldn't touch it for 4 or 5 days

[Drosera]

Originally Posted by goosey

I saw this on a Jamie Oliver programme when he was visiting and cooking in Stockholm it looks absolutely horrid!
BTW, it was August when he was there and looked wonderful and colourful and clean - and he even said he wouldn't mind bringing his kids up there!

I am sure it looked beautiful, probably the "High Coast", rising by 1cm per year since the last ice age. Sweden, being such a long country north/south has many different terrains and variation in bedrock, flora and fauna as we have big seasonal swings.
http://www.highcoast.net/english/eng.html
Worth a visit!

[Dude1111]

I miss alot of good food from the past!!! (Its mostly all garbage now that doesnt taste very good! )

[paul m]

This is apparently International Year of Quinoa.
International Year of Quinoa 2013

I've not used it much - found it rather fiddly to prepare and not very tasty ... must give it another try ....
... or maybe grow some. Is it the same as the amaranth that people used to grow on my allotment?
Amaranth - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[paul m]

Apparently British people are catching the Belgian food style:
Mayonnaise defeats ketchup in battle of the condiments | Metro News
It will never replace Henderson's Relish in South Yorkshire!

[paul m]

... and other interesting Spring foods and traditions.
5 Easter traditions from around the world | The InsureandGo UK Blog
Must admit that I'd never heard of bilbies before this.