Archive for April, 2009

Who’s having chicken tonight?

Wednesday, April 22nd, 2009

You’re much more likely to be having chicken tonight than you would have been 60 years ago.

Way back when chicken was something of a luxury. In fact, all poultry was eaten much less frequently than today. That’s why Christmas is traditionally a time for a bird (be it a goose or turkey): it was for special occasions. Nowadays, of course we eat a lot of chicken in curries, chicken burgers and all sorts of other dishes. Many people favour it because it’s quite a low fat meat.

According to the British Nutrition Foundation, Brits in 1950 bought 10g of poultry per person each week. By 1960 we were buying 50g and by 2000, it had increased again to 253g. Intensive farming has made chicken much more affordable over the years and chicken looks set to remain a staple rather than a luxury.

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Marguerite Patten: I’m not a Celebrity Chef…

Friday, April 17th, 2009

“…I’m a Home Economist.”

Marguerite Patten speaks. She’s in her nineties but she’s lost none of her energy. It’s interesting how many of Jamie Oliver’s views about home cooking and teaching children about food have been Patten’s clarion calls since the second world war.

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Could you cope on Wartime Rations?

Saturday, April 11th, 2009

It was surely grim at times. Food rationing was introduced during the Second World War and it makes you wonder:: could you do it too? In these hard economic times, lots of people are feeling the need to cut back. But heavens, we’re so lucky not be limited to WW2 rations.

What’s most striking? The meat ration is minute… maybe two chops a week. Sausages were not rationed but very hard to come by. And you only get one egg a week. Although that was sometimes limited to one egg every two weeks. It’s not a lot to get by on. No wonder people in the countryside felt better off than those in the city.
Food rations

- 1 shilling 2 pennyworth (approximately 1 lb 3 oz (540 g)) of meat (offal and sausages were  rationedfrom 1942-1944.)
- 4 oz (113 g) bacon or ham
- 3 imp pt (1.7 l) milk per week or 1 packet of milk powder per month
- 2 oz (57 g) butter
- 2 oz (57 g) margarine
- 2 oz (57 g) fat or lard
- 4 oz (113 g) loose tea (teabags were not used widely in the UK)
- 1 egg per week or 1 packet (makes 12 “eggs”) of egg powder per month (vegetarians were allowed two eggs)
- 2 oz (57 g) jam
- 3 oz (85 g) sugar
- 1 oz (28 g) cheese (vegetarians were allowed an extra 3 oz (85 g) cheese ration, as they gave up their meat ration)
- 3 oz (85 g) sweets
-16 “points” per month for tinned and dried food.

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What was on the G20 Menu?

Friday, April 3rd, 2009

One of the striking aspects of the G20 summit that was held in London was the importance of food to international diplomacy. President Obama joined the Prime Minister for breakfast, Sarah Brown and Michelle Obama made tea and served cakes to patients in hospital and all the leaders sat down to a ‘working dinner’ at No 10 Downing Street. It shouldn’t be surprising that sitting down for a meal is a great way of building a rapport and strong working relationship.

It was well publicised that Jamie Oliver was the chef at the Downing Street dinner but what was served up? The MyDish roving reporter has been sleuthing the interwebs and has the answer. there’s full detail here, but in brief:

Starter: Baked Scottish Salmon with Seashore Vegetables, Broad Beans, Herb Garden Salad, Mayonnaise and Wild Garlic-scented Irish Soda bread (Vegetarian option is Childwickbury Goat’s Cheese with Roast Shallots, Seashore Vegetables, Herb Green Salad and Wild Garlic-scented Irish Soda Bread.)

Main course: Slow-Roasted Shoulder of Welsh Lamb, very first of the season Jersey Royals, first of the season Asparagus and Wild St George Mushrooms. Mint Sauce and Gravy. (Vegetarian option is Lovage & Potato Dumplings with first of the season Asparagus and Wild St George Mushrooms.)

Dessert: Hot Bakewell Tart with Homemade Custard

Looks yummy doesn’t it? A really lovely British menu. There’s no word what the guests had to say about it. Or what was drunk. Does ‘working dinner’ mean ‘no booze’?

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What are spare ribs?

Friday, April 3rd, 2009

It’s always struck me as a rather strange turn of phrase: spare ribs. There’s no such thing surely? There’s nothing spare about them!

I have wondered if it was related to the Bible and the book of Genesis where Eve is effectively ‘grown’ from one of Adam’s ribs. But apparently that’s a red herring. (And where does ‘red herring’ come from now I think of it?) I thought it might refer to a lower, small ribs that aren’t particularly vital and no it’s nothing to do with that either.

It’s just one those quirks of the evolution of language. It comes from the Middle Low German language (which you’ll remember so keenly from school!) when it was customary to cook pig ribs around the fire on a spit or ‘sper’. These ribs cooked on a spit were called ‘rippspeer’ or ‘ribbesper’.

In the 16th century, when the term entered English, ‘ribbesper’ became ‘sparrib’. And over time, as happens often enough, it became ‘spare rib’ for reasons unknown. So, when your nibbling on your BBQ spare ribs this week, don’t forget to amaze your friends with your new found knowledge!

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