4/13/09

Anyone Want More Spotted Dick?




I like the Uncle John's Bathroom Reader series. I have the entire run of the annual ones (up to 21 now), and even a few of the more esoteric ones which are devoted to a single subject. They are fun to read and the articles have a range from 1 to 4 pages, ideally suited for use in the bathroom, so that's where I keep them.

Today, I was reading an article on the list of strange dishes served up by the British (at least strange to this American) along with the equally odd names they are given. Fair warning, if you have a queasy stomach some of these might churn it.

Spotted Dick: A dessert pudding, made with beef fat, flour and raisins or currants (the spots), rolled into a tube and boiled.

Bubble-and-Squeak: It's mashed potatoes and chopped cooked cabbage, mixed together and fried like pancakes. (Anything with cabbage in it is definitely something to make me run the other way.)

Toad-in-the-Hole: Fried sausages baked into a Yorkshire pudding.

Jellied Eels: It's pretty much what it sounds like. Eels cooked until the juices become like jelly. (And they say I'm weird because I like sardines...)

Cock-a-Leekie: Chicken soup with leeks and prunes. (Prunes???)

Stargazy Pie: A pie made with whole fishes, arranged in a circle with the tails in the center and the heads pointing out. (Mommy, that one is staring at me...)

I don't know about you, but I'm hungry...

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