In this post, we enjoy a slice of a traditional British favourite, albeit one that might make modern health food fanatics faint. Give a cheer for lardy cake! Lardy cake is an enriched yeasted cake, made by taking bread dough…
Ever Heard of Fidget Pie?
Fidget pie… following in the tradition of so many British dishes with creative names that make you wonder how they came about. Yet this traditional Shropshire favourite was, until recently, not really a favourite at all. Few had heard of…
Spotted Dick: What It Is And How To Make It
One of the most famous of the traditional British puds, a bowl of spotted dick with custard is proper comfort food. A tasty combination of suet dough, currants or other dried fruit, and lemon juice, it’s not too sweet but…
Seasonal Specialities: The Mince Pie
In just a few weeks, children around the country will no doubt be following the age-old tradition of putting out a treat for Father Christmas before they go to bed. And many of them will probably be leaving a glass…
Butterfly Cakes
Anyone who grew up in the UK in the 1970s or 80s no doubt remembers butterfly cakes. They always seemed so fancy and eating them was a careful procedure involving removing each wing and eating them separately. So we suggest…
British Tomato Fortnight
It is time to celebrate what to me is one of the ultimate signs of summer – the fresh homegrown tomato. It is British Tomato Fortnight, because these wonderful gems deserve more than a week of attention! Let’s kick things…
Simnel Cake: For Mums or Easter?
Simnel cake – a fruitcake with distinctive marzipan decoration. Most places I see it mentioned talk of it as an Easter cake, but I was sure I remembered learning about it for Mother’s Day in school. So which is it?…
Sir Walter Raleigh’s Cordials
Ask most people about Sir Walter Raleigh and they will know him as a soldier, explorer of the New World, and possible lover of Queen Elizabeth I. He introduced tobacco to England, and some say he also introduced the potato…
Devilled Beef Kidneys
Offal provokes strong love it or hate it reactions among most people. Some are haunted by pieces of chewy liver for school dinner or the smell of their grandmother boiling tripe. Meanwhile, others relish the thought of a rich steak…
Cawl – A Warming Welsh Stew for St. David’s Day
Just in time for St. David’s Day, we bring you the wonderfully warming dish known as cawl. The first use of cawl as a dish dates back to the 14th century. Historians believe that the word derives from the Latin…