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"The Land That Thyme Forgot," by William Black is a food revivalist's account of his search for Britain's gastronomic achievements. In his own words.... "Because we've always assimilated foods from other cultures into our own cooking, we've somehow got this idea that British cuisine never really existed. But that's not the case at all. We have a lot more to be proud of than we realise." All of the reviewers agree that the book is entertaining even if you are not interested in the recipes. Black, food historian, traveled from Cornwall to the Shetlands, with many stops in between, gathering recipes and anecdotes for this celebration of British food. Reviewers also point out that the book is a goldmine for lovers of words (like me!) The obscure and often localized names of the dishes are enchanting. Great names, but not always great dishes. Some are worth reviving.... Brown Betty: layers of baked apples, spiced breadcrumbs and demerara sugar. Norfolk Biffins: sliced apple that is wind-dried, slowly baked, pressed and coated in sugar. Clapshot: from the Orkneys - mashed potatoes and parsnips. Bedfordshire Clanger: suet crust pasty with jam at one end and meat at the other. Cullen Skink: from Cullen in Morayshire - thick smoked haddock and potato soup. Fat Rascals: from Yorkshire - part scone and part rock cake, filled with raisins. Hindle Wakes: from Bolton - boiled fowl stuffed with prunes. Pan Haggerty: fried mixture of potatoes, onion and Lancashire cheese. Salamagundie: Lenten salad of eggs, anchovies, onions, chicken, grapes, almonds and raisins. Singing Hinnies: from the northeast - griddle cakes with raisins in them, and sometimes a coin hidden inside. Whim Wham: a version of trifle, including wine, cream, hazelnuts, angelica and sugar. But some are probably forgettable, and do not appeal to modern tastes..... Katt Pie: a Welsh dish of mutton, sugar and currants. Krappin: a kind of haggis made from fish liver and oatmeal stuffed into a muggie (fish stomach) and boiled. Lobscouse: a stew made with beef or mutton, imported by German sailors. It is from this dish that the word Scouser is derived. Elder: from northern England - made from pressed udder. Boiled Baby: suet pudding, boiled with nutmeg, raisins and cinnamon. You may also read about solomongundy, Sussex Pond pudding, flummery, Cowheel Stew, Gooseberry Fool, Mutton pie, frumenty, yellowman toffee, Scottish smokies, Bow-wow sauce, Parched peas and more.  The book may be purchased at most bookshops, or on the internet. ©2000-2005 DBE in Louisiana, Inc. All rights reserved. Questions/Comments? Contact the Webmaster Betty Calzada. |