April 10, 2013

FOODS WITH RATHER UNUSUAL NAMES ...


Dear readers, this week *U* IS FOR BRITISH FOODS WITH *U*NUSUAL NAMES ...

But first of all, a brief – but important! - message:

Many thanks to all of you who bought my recently-published thriller, Retribution, following my piece about it here last week. Thanks, too, for helping Soul Stealer become one of the top 70 psychological thrillers in Amazon UK’s eBooks!  (All profits to charity – woohoo!). Not to mention all your lovely comments both here and on my website. (And yes, Lola would love a walk-on role in any upcoming movie – if you’re reading this, Mr Spielberg!)

And now back to those *U* nusual British foods ...
1.  Stargazey Pie (above) – Cornish dish of pilchards baked under a pastry crust, with fishheads poking through the crust as though gazing skywards! Originates legend-wise from village of Mousehole where fisherman Tom Bawcock once saved fellow villages from starvation through a record catch in stormy seas. The fish were baked poking out to prove there really were fish inside the pies.
2. Jam Roly Poly (below) – or “Dead Man’s Arm” - suet pudding rolled up Swiss roll-style
3. Bubble & Squeak – fried leftover vegetables usually from Sunday lunch
4. Singing Hinnies/ Welsh cakes
5. Angels on Horseback – oysters wrapped in bacon and grilled
6. Spotted Dick (renamed “Spotted Richard” in 2009 by Flintshire County Council!)
7. Welsh Rarebit/Rabbit (or: a luxury version of cheese on toast inter alia!)
8. Cullen Skink – thick soup composed of haddock, potatoes, onions – from Cullen, Scotland
9.Pease pudding – a favourite of the NE of England - a kind of savoury pâté or hummus made by parcelling up soaked yellow split peas in a muslin bag. This is then dropped into a simmering stockpot alongside a ham hock. After a couple of hours, it turns into a thick mush and takes on all the savoury hammy flavour of the cooking stock.
10.Toad in the Hole – sausages in Yorkshire pudding batter – so-called because sausages appear to be popping their heads from a hole. (No, nor me either!)
11.Love in Disguise – stuffed calf’s heart. Err?  
ANY FOODS WITH *U*NUSUAL NAMES WHERE YOU LIVE?
Do tell me! And do check out other posts  @ Jenny Matlock-Alphabe-Thursday, Monday Mellow Yellows,Macro Monday and Ruby Tuesday.
And, finally, thank you to all my dear readers who visited or commented.
Enjoy!
XOXO NORA & LOLA:)

32 comments:

Eden House News and views said...

I love these names I love most of the foods as well but thats another story er apart from the fishy one at the top fish eyes yuk

Anonymous said...

Congratulations! on your books ~ Wonderful post about unusual British foods ~ ^_^

EG CameraGirl said...

I LOVE Bubble and Squeak!

Anonymous said...

This really reminds me why I love being a vegetarian. :-)

Esther Joy said...

The fishy one didn't sound (or look) too good to me!

I guess polk salad greens would be the unusual food native to this area. (Usually served with fried potatoes, beans, and cornbread.)

Anonymous said...

Oh, dear, those fish heads got me. Ew. But I'd love to try some Pease Pudding some day!

Jim said...

Hi Nora ~~ I'll take an order of 'Toads in a Hole' if you please. I always pull for fish and chips myself.
..

Unknown said...

The only one of the ones you posted (wild names, by the way!) is Welsh rarebit, and I know it with a light colored cheese like Jack or Swiss and is very tasty!

Debra at HOMESPUN: http://www.thehomespun.com said...

I'll pass on that pie with the fish heads, ha ha! : )

Pride In Photos Beauty said...

I didn't recognize one dish☺ So unusual is right...you nailed this one on the head. great job♥

storybeader said...

"bubble and squeak" sounds like something that happens AFTER you eat! Great idea, though! {:-D

SarahBeth said...

If I were looking at a menu... I think my appetite would leave the building! The British definitely have a way with words! I would have to draw the line at the fish heads but Angels on Horseback sound pretty good!

Rocky Mountain Woman said...

My grandmother made Welsh cakes - she called them Welsh cookies.

My mother in law made something called "Merb Tique" and I have never been able to find it anywhere.

It was basically a berry shortcake and was wonderful!

Susan Anderson said...

This is one of your best posts ever! I've always wondered what Bubble and Squeak was. And Spotted Dick, too.

=)

Pondside said...

I was surprised at how many of those dishes I know - and the number that formed my childhood diet. I had toad-in-the-hole in Yorkshire in September and it was yummy!
In Nova Scotia we like our Blueberry Grunt.

Splendid Little Stars said...

Lola--a movie star!

What weird food and great names! Stargazey Pie is a bit scary!

sharing!

Ralph said...

Unusual is an understated way to describe these gastronomic um-treats. Well, my visual faves here are the Hinnies, Rarebit (looking like the ultimate grilled cheese) and the Cullen Sink. The others are a bit esoteric for my way simpler US palate - including the live and very raw veal hearts standing in the pasture...nice layout of exotic eats!

Eden said...

Yummy.. Love to try that "toad in a hole"..hehehe

aspiritofsimplicity said...

the British do have very unusual names for food! Not to many of those look very appealing to me though. And, being that I cannot eat gluten even the things that did look good are off my diet.

Valerie said...

Congratulations on your latest book - pity Mr Spielberg is "otherwise engaged"! Some of the dishes you've described bring back happy memories of early family meal times (I'm from the UK originally but emigrated to Australia with my family when I was 3 and my Mother cooked several of these meals). Your Lola is a sweetie and, in the puppy shot, resembles my girl Jessie (now 2+) - a Shih-Tzu/Lhasa Apso. Thanks for sharing and visiting my blog. Happy days Nora!

Susan said...

Now I know. I read a lot of British mysteries and am so glad to know what they are eating when they mention Squeak and Bubble or Spotted Dick.

Perhaps with a name change some of these dishes would be good.

Rajesh said...

Wonderful and yummy food.

Karen said...

I like bubble and squeak and toad in the hole, but Stargazey Pie gives me the shivers!!

Barbara Rosenzweig said...

Amazing foods!1 Most I've never heard of!

Thanks for stopping by to enjoy my paintings!

Draffin Bears said...

Dear Nora and Lola,

Congratulations on the new book, you must be thrilled to have it all finished. Really hope that your get the call from Mr Spielberg.
As for all the food, I will have to say no to the Stargazey pie and the stuffed calf's heart.

Happy week
hugs
Carolyn

Liz said...

Some of the names are really funny but after scrolling through the pics, I am hungry. :)

My entries:
Liz (mcn)
Liz (mot)

Jenny said...

I had an English boyfriend for a few years a longgggg time ago.

So many of these foods brought back fond memories.

His Mom was an unbelievable cook!

Thanks for linking.

A+

Annesphamily said...

Wow! Such interesting names of dishes and I have heard of a few of them You always polish your words here and make us interested in returning time and time again. Thanks!

Stewart M said...

"Pie Floater" - I think this is an Adelaide special - but basically its a meat pie floating in thick pea soup - much thiner the peas pudding! As yet I have not been tempted!

Cheers - Stewart M - Melbourne.

PS: If you want to explore another literary landscape try Alderley Edge in Cheshire. SM

Stewart M said...

The "home location" idea is a good guess - but I'm from Somerset! Actually from near Midsomer Norton which everybody seems to think is linked to a certain TV show!!

Cheers - SM - Oz

Erika said...

It's not a regional name strictly speaking, but dog chuck is the family name for savoury mince. Very startling for first time visitors :)

Rupert Croft-Cooke devotes a whole chapter to strangely named dishes in his English Cooking. Brose, Fraze, Brewis, Kentish Gurnet pudding, Covach, Solomon Gundy, Skewets, Chitterlings, Faggots, Cousin Jim, Jarrett, Dunelm, Collops, Bucks Bacon Badger, Kingdom of Fife, Somerset Rook Pie, Bog Star...

I love Colcannon (make it with kale) and flummery used to be a dessertstaple (although not made traditionally).

Best scruffles to Lola!

Lovable Derek said...

I was always a fan of Toad in the Hole, and Bubble and Squeak – not so keen on Spotted Dick though.
I also shared my life with a Bichon Frise for many years, not that that has anything to do with this post of course – but please don't tell Lola.