DBE in Louisiana - Cooking Talk

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COOKING TALK . . .

MINCE PIE TART PANS

Quite by chance last week, while I was in Houston, I found a British store with mince pie tart pans. I am always receiving e-mails from readers who are looking for them. So, just in time for Christmas ....

You can find these at British Isles, a British gift shop at 2366 Rice Blvd., Houston, Texas 77005. They have a website at www.BritishIslesOnline.com, but the tart pans are not listed online. If you would like to buy one, you can call the owner, Guy Streatfeild at 713-522-6868. It is called a "12 cup bun sheet" and sells for $7.25.

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If you remember, John asked about Scottish meat pies. I received suggestions from several readers, but the only site that actually carries Scottish Meat Pies is cameronsbritishfoods.com. Go to the Frozen Foods section, and the item "Meat Pies" is described as "Scottish style meat pies made with lean beef and pastry. Fully cooked just heat and serve."

Another reader has since e-mailed to tell us about www.StewartsofKearny.com. Click on "British foods" across the top of the page, and then click on "Homemade Goods" and you will find Meat Pies $24.00 per dozen.

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Beatrice has written a couple of times about Eccles Cakes. She writes: "I was born and bred in Eccles, across the way from the original Eccles cake shop. There is no candied fruit peel in Eccles cakes, and there is no nutmeg or any other spices used either. Eccles cakes contain only currants."

Catherine writes: "Real traditional Scottish stovies do not have carrots, bacon or beef stock."

In answer to these comments, I should stress that many of the recipes we feature have dozens of different versions. I'll bet if you asked a dozen people to make a trifle, you would end up with a dozen different trifles! So we try to present an acceptable version of the dish, which may have some small differences from an authentic traditional version.

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In the salmon quiche recipe, we used the term "bake blind." This is a British term for baking a pasty shell before it is filled. The pastry is usually pricked all over with a fork, to prevent it from rising and bubbling up. Sometimes it is lined with foil, and then filled with dried beans to weight it down. These should be removed a few minutes before the end of baking, so the pastry will brown evenly.