Nigel Slater is a cookery writer I always enjoy reading and has lots of simple easy to do recipes that I also enjoy making (though I hasten to re-iterate my allegiance to St Delia of Smith who I am delighted to see is back on TV next year - move over Nigella) and he has just published in time for Christmas, naturellement, the most witty amusing book, Eating for England, the Delights and Eccentricities of the British at Table.
Those of you from over the pond who are reading this post will just have to gape and wonder at the wonderful weirdness of some of our habits. First off, Marmite. Yes that stuff that you either love or loathe, as being used in the latest TV advertising:
"Savoury tar for your toast. As shiny as lovingly polished army boot, saltier than a mouthful of seawater, stickier than treacle and somehow the work of the devil, nothing quite polarises opinion like a pot of Marmite......too much on your soldiers and they are almost inedible. Never has the less is more tag been more appropriate'
There is an entry for Soldiers too in case you were wondering:
"A thin slice of buttered toast to poke into the liquid yolk of your boiled egg.....so christened because it possesses a straight, upright manner, is crisp and uniform in appearance and will stand to attention even when it is up to its knees in yuk"
Treacle Tart - "The Americans hold the title for a love of shallow sticky tarts with their world famous pecan pie.....shoo fly pie with its black hearts of currants and molasses. Yet somehow we have managed to upstage everybody with an open pastry case full to the brim with syrup and breadcrumbs..... The cast of butter, sugar, flour, golden syrup and bread ensures that there is not a vestige of hope for this recipe in terms of nutrition. those irritating harridans on television who persist in telling us how to dress, think and of course eat would no doubt rather die than tuck into a slice of this golden, sugary pie. Which is why they are no fun. leave them to their mung beans. That way there will be more treacle tart left for us"
This book has had me giggling helplessly for the past hour. It has entries on After Eight Mints, Murraymints, Jaffa Cakes, the Ritual of the Kit Kat, Heinz Tomato Ketchup, Dairylea, Dripping ("always kept in a cup with a broken handle" YES), Fray Bentos Steak and Kidney Pie and a myriad other gems all of which have evoked waves of nostalgia for my childhood when I seemed to consume all these multi-coloured, sugar loaded, synthetic foods and knock back Kia Ora and Ribena, and somehow have managed to come through unscathed.
This is a definite stocking filler book which is why, of course, it is available now.....
