Umm, how about no? I know that in some parts of the world, frog legs are considered a delicacy but I am not THAT adventurous. Lucky for me (and people like me), toad in the hole has nothing to do with this particular animal.
In fact, it is a traditional dish prepared for breakfast in the UK. Toad in the hole is a very hearty breakfast dish comprised of sausages placed in Yorkshire pudding batter and served with gravy and eggs. Nothing to do with toads at all, right?
So how come the dish got to be called this peculiar name? As with many other monikers that we know of today, the origins of toad in the hole (the name) is not very concrete. The general consensus, however, is that the name came from the fact that the dish has an uncanny resemblance to a toad which is sticking its head out of a little hole. Though I am not quite sure that I see the resemblance, I do know that toad in the hole makes for good meal!
I have been trying to find a good and easy toad in the hole recipe to follow. There is no lack for recipes for this dish on the Internet, trust me. They are all over the place! However, I did find a rather authentic recipe over at Retro Food Recipes. This one is supposed to date back to the 1930s! If you are not in the UK, though, I don’t know if the particular brand of sausages will be available.
With the latest rage of celebrity chefs having their own TV shows and whatnot, it is not a surprise that one of the older generations of cooks has come out to play once again. Delia Smith is one of the greatest cooks in the UK. She has not really made it big in the US and other countries, unlike other celebrity chefs, but she is definitely a household name in the UK.
This time, though, she is making waves with her new book and TV show, How To Cheat At Cooking. The sad thing is that she doesn’t seem to be the old Delia Smith that her followers admired. The title of the book and show itself is catchy – but the way she presents her cooking leaves much to be desired. How so? Delia Smith has always been known for her great cooking and for the use of fresh, “real” ingredients. The new Delia Smith, however, is making use of everything instant! Tinned mince, frozen risotto, and a whole lot of processed food – that’s what she is working with right now.
As the people at the Guardian put it, the whole thing “has been received with much confusion by foodies across the land with her use of processed ingredients such as frozen risotto, tubs of Arrabiata sauce and ready made meringue nests. Wasn’t the whole point of cooking from scratch, to do just that?”
I have not tasted her new recipes but maybe some of you have. Care to share your thoughts on these new concoctions?
Hot Cross Buns and Easter
Comments (2) 
Posted on Mar 13, 2008 by Jodie in English Cuisine, English Culture, English Traditions
Shame on me – I never really associated this delectable baked goodie with Easter until I read Julie’s post about it in her blog, A Mingling of Tastes. She shares:
Even though I was Catholic growing up, I probably never would have eaten a hot cross bun if it weren’t for that cute little song , which I probably learned in pre-school or someplace like that. With such a catchy tune running through my head, I naturally wanted to eat a hot cross bun. Luckily, a bakery near our house made them during lent, and I remember liking the sweet little yeast rolls studded with bits of fruit and spices.
What we know as a hot cross bun became popular in Tudor England in the 1500s, but the pagan inhabitants of the British Isles probably made similar bread marked with a cross to honor Eostre, their goddess of light for whom Easter was named, according to the Oxford Companion to Food. This tradition of offering bread to the gods goes back to the Greeks and Romans and even further to the Egyptians who took a great leap toward modern civilization when they traded blood sacrifices for far less messy offerings of bread.
Today, hot cross buns aren’t really an offering, but a traditional holiday food eaten on Good Friday (also known as “the day of the cross”) and throughout Lent to remind us of Jesus’ cross.
Like her, I probably first heard of the buns from that nursery rhyme that every little kid knows. What I didn’t know was their pagan origins. Oh well, the buns are good. Why not try serving them come Good Friday? Julie shares a recipe in her blog as well.
Ever heard of this? If you’re not British then the chances are that you have not. Simnel cake is traditionally considered to be especially associated with Easter in Britain. Though not everyone has a Simnel cake for Easter anymore, they can still be seen in shops during this particular season.
Simnel cake is actually a rich fruity cake which has its roots in the old days when common people worked as servants for the rich and powerful. In those days, around the 17th century, maid servants usually lived in the house of their masters and were allowed Sundays off. On the 4th Sunday of the Lent, they were allowed to make a rich fruity cake (the Simnel cake) and take it to their mothers. The highlight of this cake was 11 marzipan balls which were represented the 11 apostles of Christ – note that one is missing, representing Judas Iscariot who betrayed Jesus.
Want to know how make simnel cake? Try this recipe from Eat The Blog:
½ cup butter
1-cup sugar
2 eggs
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
½ teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon allspice
¼ cup brandy
1 ½ cups applesauce
1-pound raisins
1 cup diced glace cherries
1 cup diced candied peel
1 cup diced citron
2 cups chopped dates
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
Grease and flour a large springform pan (2 ½-3 quart)
Cream the butter and sugar together. Add eggs one at a time. Sift dry ingredients. Reserve three tablespoons for later. Mix the fruits well in another bowl. Stir the flour into the eggs/butter mixture alternating with brandy. Toss the fruit with the reserved flour and stir into mixture. Spoon into pan and just to be safe, place pan on a baking sheet. Bake about 1-½ hours, though mine took nearly two hours. Cool, remove from pan and cool completely on rack.
Make recipe for buttercream. Make the twelve balls first (with a few extra for mistakes) and set in freezer to be dipped. Roll out remaining buttercream and top cake. Finish dipping buttercream balls in white chocolate and set atop cake using eleven balls to represent the true Apostles (leave Judas off) and wrap in a bow if you like (hopefully you make nicer bows than I ).
Are you? Then I suggest going out of your comfort zone (I am assuming the cities) and foray out into the countryside. There is no doubt that you can find a lot of good food in the cities – many of which may come from other cultures due to the large number of immigrants. However, if you want a real taste of British cooking, you may want to try going outside of the city.
If you think about it, the same thing applies to many other countries. The cities become melting pots of a large number of different cultures. As a result, the cuisine is also affected. However, when you go out into the countryside, the traditions are kept more solidly and you get a true taste of that country’s cooking.
Perhaps one of the biggest surprises – pleasant at that – that you will stumble upon is the English breakfast. If you think that nothing can be heavier than your breakfast at home, then visit and English bed and breakfast and order their fare. You will be served hefty dishes of fried bread, fried eggs, fried bacon, and even fried tomatoes! It may not sound healthy but it sure does taste great! Of course, the traditional English breakfast tea will be part of the deal. You can always opt for coffee but I suggest that you do it as the English do – with a hot cup of tea mixed with milk and sugar. Oh, before I forget, be ready to ingest potatoes in one form or another – they’re part of the whole package.
Here is more of Miss Scribbler’s list on why she is proud to be British. Let’s see which of these we can relate to.
Tea-drinking. A Canadian once said to me that she thought it was a joke that all we drink during the day is tea. She thought it was hilarious just how much time we set aside during the day for tea and how much we ritualise it. I love tea, it is a very special time of day when you have your own special mug and a biscuit or a slice of cake at your desk at work. It does the job much better than alcohol.
I believe I do agree. Tea does give you a warm sensation that is hard to compete with. It is something that makes you feel, for some reason, that everything will turn out just fine. Oh, have I mentioned that tea is good for your health as well?
Chippy chips. With curry sauce, with mayonaise, with red or brown sauce, with chilli con carne or with cheese - you know the best chips you will EVER get at 3am anywhere in the world is the UK. Freedom Fries? Reclaimed potatoe bits? No thanks, Yanks.
Ha ha. I think she said it best already, don’t you think? To be honest, though, sometimes I do get a hankering for French (or Freedom, whichever you prefer) fries. Still, nothing beats the good old chips from the UK.
I ran across a very interesting and funny post about being a nationalistic Brit. I never really realized it but there just might be truth in what Miss Scribbler says in her blog – that “the UK is probably the very least patriotic country in Europe.” I am sure that many will disagree with this but her thoughts on being proud about being British should be shared with everyone, in my opinion. Here are some of her points:
Curry. You cannot deny that the best place to have a curry is in the UK. You know wherever you go they’ll have your old favourites; chicken dansak, lamb rogan-josh, prawn bhuna and chicken tikka masala top the list at any reputable curry shop.
Interestingly, these are dishes that have origins from other countries – and no doubt about that, the UK is an interesting melting pot of a lot of various cultures. So why not be proud of being able to have the best curry in the UK? Now I got myself a craving for some curry…
Being given affectionate names by people you have never met before such as bag-packers in the co-op chatting away to you calling you “duck” and “love” when you could be a drug-pusher fall all their sweet hearts know. It warms your cockles, admit it!
Indeed, in many other countries, you do not even talk to people in certain ways unless you know them very well. Only in the UK can one appreciate pet names from people you barely know.
(to be continued)
Christmas as we know it today was not always like this. Over the centuries, Christmas has evolved in so many ways that we may not even recognise the way that the early British celebrated their Christmas. This is the first part of a mini-series on the 10 Ages of Christmas, starting from the Medieval times to the Post-War era.
Medieval Christmas
This was basically the time when Christmas was celebrated mixed with pagan festivities. Pre-Christian communities used to celebrate the winter solstice in order to make the dreary winter nights livelier. They had their own rites and rituals, which eventually became incorporated into the celebration of Christmas, which was of course, all about the birth of Christ. Some traditions that started in this period include evergreen wreaths, the Mistletoe, as well as the Yule log.
Elizabethan Christmas
Perhaps the best phrase to describe the Elizabethan Christmas would be “Eat, drink, and be merry.” The main highlight of the Christmas celebrations during this time was the feast or banquet that was offered on Christmas Day. Of course, not everyone was able to afford this so it actually became a status symbol for those who were. The important thing was to be able to hold a banquet that would impress the guests – and nothing was spared in doing so. The theme was grandiosity and expenditure.
Restoration Christmas
In contrast to the Elizabethan Christmas, the Christmas of the Restoration emphasised simplicity and austerity. Philip Stubbes (16th century) wrote:
“More mischief is that time committed than in all the year besides … What dicing and carding, what eating and drinking, what banqueting and feasting is then used … to the great dishonour of God and the impoverishing of the realm.”
Christmas Markets in Britain
Comment (0) Posted on Dec 10, 2007 by Jodie in English Cuisine, English Culture, English Places, English Traditions
With a history and culture as rich as it can be, there is no doubt that one can experience a myriad of festivities all throughout the country during the period of Christmas. As diverse as the activities are, one of the most popular is going around visiting various Christmas markets.
Year in and year out, visitors and locals alike look forward to Christmas markets all over the country. Here are some of the popular ones this year.
Bath Christmas Market
This has been a tradition in Bath since 2001. The town itself has a lot of other things to offer, especially the historic Abbey where the market is located. The traditional wooden stalls used as shops in the market add to the ambiance. More so, one can expect a lot of unique items.
Frankfurt Christmas Market
This is being held in Birmingham and is considered the largest Christmas market outside of Germany and Austria – definitely a unique experience!
Manchester Christmas Markets
Manchester is not to be outdone when it comes to markets this Christmas. It has more than one! There is a traditional German market, a European market, and an Arts and Crafts Market.
These are only a few of the on going Christmas markets in Britain today. More than the food, crafts, and other items on sale, visitors can enjoy the festive atmosphere with the entertainment being offered everywhere. This is a good time to feel the English culture at its festive best – wherever in England you may want to go.
There is no doubt about it – popular British culture has Nigella Lawson as one of its icons. This celebrity chef has been labeled a domestic goddess and any concoction she whips up in her kitchen is sure to be a hit – whether in the UK or other countries. Recently, BBC teamed up with her to come up with her Christmas Kitchen. Let’s take a peek into Nigella’s Christmas Kitchen. Here are some excerpts from her interview with BBC.
Who would be around your fantasy Christmas table?
Christmas is a time for family and friends, so however much I admire someone in history or now, I think I would feel far too intimidated to invite them in for Christmas. Without wanting to sound mawkish, I should like to have all of those in my family who are no longer with me. Oh, and maybe Mae West, just to keep us all entertained.What did you eat at Christmas as a child? What do you remember loving or hating?
I loved the sausages - who doesn’t? - and the bread sauce. I didn’t have a huge interest in anything else. I hated the Christmas pudding and I also wasn’t particularly enamoured of sprouts.
When do you start planning Christmas dinner in your household?
I don’t need to plan too much. I make pretty much the same thing year in, year out. I might change the stuffing slightly, but essentially it’s the same. I still write out what I’m doing when. There are so many distractions - shopping, wrapping, people dropping in, wine… I like to have a plotted timeline ready by about 23 December though; just so there are no surprises.
Maybe we can get some ideas from her…
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