Im slightly worried the UK is losing its traditional cusine style

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aquarius1984

aquarius1984

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What do you guys think?

Are we being to soft on our children?

Yesterday I really fancied making a good old steak and ale pie of which I partly cooked the actual filling, but sadly at tea time I didnt feel well so I went to bed. Today feeling much better I decided to turn it into a steak ale and kidney pie.

Can I find a scrap of kidney anywhere? Butchers dont stock it routinely, supermarkets dont full stop and im very worried.
You only have to look at the few packets of Liver displayed im most supermarkets compared to the many facings of Minced Beef and Chicken fillets.
Why is nobody buying such cuts of meat?
What happened to the days where mums would cook Liver and bacon, Mashed potatoes and boiled savoy cabbage mmmmmmm????
I was brought up on such dishes and im a healthy, well built 22 year old with a real passion for food.

How many under 20 year olds have eaten

Faggots ("Savoury Ducks" up Stoke on Trent way) mash and peas?
Finny Haddock poached in milk and butter?

Lets bring such re-pasts and show how proud we are .

I think we are going wrong with not tactfully forcing children to try different foods, and just because it smells funny does not mean it does not taste nice.
Let the words, 'your not leaving this table until you eat half of it" be heard across the land!

Nick
 
it's there, but you have to look for it

The last few times I was in the UK for longer than a few weeks, I was able to locate grocers who had what I wanted...but I had to look for it.
Part of the problem is the reaction of UK consumers to the government's endless lies about food safety. Back when even Bavaria was worried about Mad Cow disease, I remember spending a summer in Devon listening to the government 'assure' me there was no problem...a few weeks later ten thousands of farmers were seeing their stock cremated.
Part of the problem is that both partners have to work just to make ends meet. Let's face it; after a hard day of work, which woman has the energy to come home and cook a traditional meal? (Yes, dear politically correct UK members, you can now flame away - I said 'woman' not 'man or woman' - none of my male Scottish or Irish relatives lift a finger at home to help their hard working wives do the housework).
Finally, lots of 'traditional' food was 'poor folks' food - and many people want nothing to do with it for that reason.
Now off of me soap box, have to put the green beans to soak in soda water and fire up the grill for my man's steak.
 
but why should I have to look deeply for it?

I want to walk into the butchers and buy 1/2lb kidney without being told I have to order it for a week next thursday.

Then I walk into Tesco and see 38 different types of pasta shapes as standard.
Im getting sick of it hehehehe.
The pasta is a treat not the Liver and Onion casserole LOL

Nick
 
Nick - I have to say that liver and kidneys gross me out... tried them before and yuk yuk yuk. The thought of eating organs which has processed some animals peepee just grosses me out.

I don't really think we are losing our heritage - food has always been diverse it's just nowadays that a lot more people are in touch. Plus, everyone still have Sunday roasts etc, and I don't see those going away quickly so I don't think we are really losing our culture.

Pete, if you read the bandwidth thread you'll find it was a false alarm...

Jon
 
I think it's because people in the UK have a lot more choices these days.

When I was there, years ago, (in a pretty low-income neighborhood) I remember complaining to my friend, aren't there any other ingredients here except fish, batter, and newspaper??

LOL

But now everything is different. Supermarkets now carry every imaginable type of frozen cuisine, fast food beckons from every corner, and families don't eat together as often, which makes a proper dinner seem like a waste of time to many.

It's the same way here, of course, but we're more accustomed to it, because it's been that way for longer here.

I'm in the city, and it's different when you go further out into the country, but one of the reasons I've never learned how to cook well is not just that I'm lazy...I never really HAD to, once I reached a certain level financially.

By the way, your dinner looks tasty.
 
Oh Nick, your way too young but it was only back in the 60's and early 70's that supermarkets barely existed in the UK and the variety of items available was dreadful compared to the US and Canada. Even our stores are not at all what they were back then. Massive selection of foreign imported stuff but "ready to eat" and "heat and eat" is the direction all the chains are going because people can't be bothered anymore to actually cook anything or even rip a lettuce apart to make a salad.. that all has to be done for them. And this is just the beginning
 
Neil,

Sadly our local Asda does not sell it, that was my first port of call. possibly yours does because Wales has less wimps LOL.

Im condidering going to the local abatoir and bulk buying some rare cuts I think. I love pork chops with the kidney attached and they are like gold dust.

Hows Oliver these days anyway Neil? been ages since I spoke to ya, and I remember you saying hed been to the vets.

N
 
British food is the best in the world, even tho i live in australia i still try and eat as much traditional british food as i can, Shepards Pie on sundays, Roast beef with yorkshire puddings etc etc. The only time we break tradition is at christmas where we have a BBQ on the beach or next to the pool in the sun, plenty of steak and sausages and beer.
That steak, ale and kidney pie looks awesome, hope you have some ale leftover for the chef :)
Talk to you on msn later nick
Matt
 
Finny Haddock if thats the way you spell it is just smoked haddock, when its poached in milk and butter its amazing. Dip some crusty bread into the cooking liquor and your away. Toggle il take a picture of myself (the cooker) when im looking my best, want me fully clothed or nekked? Either way il be sure to have all burners lit for ya!
 
Although I have yet to visit the UK,

that is not going to stop me from running off at the mouth (fingers?)

I read a LOT of cookbooks. Partly for fun, partly for real world ideas, partly because Ma taught Home Economics/Family and Consumer Studies/Domestic Science for many years, and in the last few years of her career, I was her researcher.There's a lot to be learned from food, and what people really eat (as opposed to what they say they eat)....history, easy science, mathematics, economics, social mobility.......

I've even cooked professionally. University food service, and then later as a private caterer. I've posted a few recipes that I think show off some of my abilities..

British cooking can be among the best in the world. However, it can be the worst in the world, too.

One of the glories of British (UK) cooking is the home baking. Some of the best things come out of British ovens. I am particularly fond of jam tarts, scones, crumpets....I hope it isn't lost to the lure of packet mixes and the freezer case.(The most recent Pillsbury Bake-Off didn't even HAVE a category for scratch baking!)

Another glory is the fish and seafood. You're lucky, being an island.

Need I mention the former glory of British and Scottish beef?Unfortunately BSE--"Mad Cow Disease" changed that. {I could say something about a former PM being a mad cow, but there might be Tories about.}

The 20th Century was very hard on Britain. Yes, there were the true luxuries of the Edwardian table, but middle and lower class Britons did not eat particularly well.

Then, there was the 1914-1918 war.

Then the Great Depression of 1929-1939.

Then the Second Global Unpleasantness.

If the economics are considered, and they should be, it took YEARS for the UK to recover from the war, and food rationing continued in the UK well until the LATE 1950s. I believe that sugar was the last to come off ration, around 1957.

Now, you have the potential for a wonderful combined food life in the UK....Mrs. Beeton, Mrs. Leyel, Marguerite Patton (who, last I knew, was still alive,) The Grigsons...mother Jane,(no longer alive, but her "Good Things" is essential!) daughter Sophie....

Even though some hold them in disdain,
The Two Fat Ladies cooked a lot of British food. I loved Jennifer Paterson, even though some of my life more closely resembles Clarissa Dickson-Wright's.

Then there's Jamie...whom I don't particularly love, and Nigel Slater, whom I do.

A current cookbook passion is Claudia Roden, who emigrated to England as a young woman.

And the other immigrant cuisines...you have the best Indian food (a subtle, exciting cuisine) ---maybe better than in India itself...and Pakistani, and of course, the big Asian 3..China, Japan, and Thai......

And then, there's Nigella Lawson Diamond Saatchi. (If any woman had a chance, she would).

So many great restaurants in the UK, and not just in London, but yes, Marco Pierre White is in London, as is River Cafe.....

Not to mention one of my all time (yes!) favourite food glossies, BBC GoodFood.

So, you were saying?

Lawrence/Maytagbear
 
and Togs, I somehow thought the Faggots might stir some interest after id posted my thread. Il dig a recipe out for ya. They are a kind of meatball. Very tasty indeed. Nick
 

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