Does the Answer Lie in the Leaves?

March 29, 2016March 29, 2016Leave a comment

Last night I watched the first episode of Outlander. Yes, I know, where have I been the past year? I’m not quite sure if I’m going to like the series or not, but I must admit there was one scene which caught my attention … Claire and the minister’s assistant sitting in the kitchen having tea and then reading the tea leaves left in Claire’s cup.

Tea leaf reading, or Tasseography (from the French tasse, for cup, and the Greek suffix graph, for writing), is the ancient art of predicting the future by reading images formed from the tea leaves left in the bottom of a teacup. The origins are a bit unclear. Was it the Chinese or was it Greek gypsies who saw the “future” in these images? What is clear is that you must be a bit of a mystic or clairvoyant to accurately interpret these images.

By the 17th century, tea leaf reading had traveled, along with tea, up through Europe into Great Britain. “Tossing the cup” as it was called in Victorian England had become a very popular parlor game, but in Scotland, it was taken a little more seriously. One of the oldest books on the subject, TEA-CUP READING AND FORTUNE TELLING BY TEA LEAVES, was written anonymously by a Highland Scotsman. From the book, “… (reading tea leaves) is one of the most common forms of divination practised by the peasants of Scotland and by village fortune-tellers in all parts of this country.” Perhaps this is one of the reasons why the tea-leaf reading scene was included in the tv series.

To read the tea leaves, you must first prepare a good pot of loose leaf tea. No, you cannot use teabags. You must use loose leaf tea and let it steep in the pot without infusers or tea balls. I love this passage from TEA-CUP READING … “China tea, the original tea imported into this country and still the best for all purposes. Indian tea and the cheaper mixtures contain so much dust and so many fragments of twigs and stems as often to be quite useless for the purposes of divination, as they will not combine to form pictures, or symbols clearly to be discerned.”

Before serving, stir the tea in the teapot and then pour a cup. You also must use a “proper” teacup with saucer – not a mug. The inside of the teacup must be white to see the leaves clearly and have sloping sides. The person who drinks the tea and wants to know the future is the “seeker”. The person who will read the leaves is, obviously, the “reader”. The seeker is asked by the reader to concentrate on what question she wants answered, or what she wants to know.

After the seeker has finished the tea and left the dregs behind, the reader takes the cup in her left hand, and turns it counter-clockwise three times, swirling the dregs, and then turns the cup over onto the saucer. After a moment or two, the reader picks up the cup to see what images have been made by the tea leaves left in the cup. The interpretation of these symbols is, of course, based upon the talent and divining abilities of the reader. He or she must be intuitive, focused and creative. Seeing images in the tea leaves takes quite an imagination.

The reader begins reading from the rim down. The rim signifies those events happening soonest, while the images closer to the bottom will be further in the future. The tea leaves which settle closer to the cup’s handle suggest home and family.

Anchor: a good sign, symbolizing prosperity.
Arrow: a disagreeable letter coming from the direction it points to.
Bird: a flying bird indicates good news; a resting bird symbolizes an end to a journey.
Boat: an upcoming journey or a removal of something from the seeker’s life.
Circles: money, gifts or presents are expected.
Clover: a very lucky sign; happiness and prosperity.
Cross: a sign of trouble and delay or even death.
Dog: a begging dog indicates someone will ask for a favor; a sad dog represents an injustice.
Heart: love and affection
Horse-shoe: a lucky journey or success in marriage and choosing a partner.
Human: people in a positive stance is a good sign; aggressive stance signifies evil.
Line: a straight, unbroken line means good progress; a broken line challenges the journey.
Numbers: must be looked at with other symbols; numbers could signify days of the week, time, or amounts.
Ring: at the top, means offer of marriage; at the bottom means long engagement; if broken means engagement broken off
Snake: spiteful enemies; bad luck; illness.
Square: being boxed in, limited or oppressed.
Sun, Moon, Stars: all signify happiness and success.
Turtle: a slow but profitable journey.

If you are interested in learning about tea-leaf reading, there are many books and websites on the subject. Tea-leaf reading teacups, with the symbols on the inside of the cup and on the saucers and an instruction booklet, are available for sale online and at book stores. Great fun if you want to have a tea leaf reading party at home.

I’ve been to many tea rooms which offer Tasseography, as well as Tarot card reading, Palmestry and other forms of seeing into the future … all of which I find absolutely fascinating. Whether I believe it or not certainly doesn’t take away from my enjoyment of, not only the tea, but the experience. For a fun afternoon, I recommend visiting a tea room where they have Tasseographers and enjoying a little divination from the leaves.

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References: Newfound Info, TEA CUP READING, The Daily Tea

Happy St. Paddy’s Day

March 15, 2016March 11, 2017Leave a comment

As did so many Irish immigrants after the potato famine in Ireland, in 1930 my Dad came through Ellis Island with his parents and younger brother. Growing up as the daughter of an Irish-born father, I can’t remember ever celebrating St. Patrick’s Day. Irish Soda Bread, corned beef and cabbage (we called it a “boiled dinner”) and Irish whiskey were served and enjoyed all year long. Wearin’ o’ the green? Never heard that phrase growing up. Shamrocks, leprechauns, pots of gold … where did all this come from?

St. Patrick’s Day was a religious day, the honoring of St. Patrick, who, we were told, drove the snakes out of Ireland*. As the patron saint of Ireland, Saint Patrick, was born in Britain (ruled then by the Romans) in the 5th century. As a teenager, he was kidnapped and brought to Ireland to be sold as a slave. Somehow he was able to escape and returned to his family, but through dreams he turned to religion and became a priest in Roman Catholicism. Years later he returned to Ireland and brought Christianity with him. St. Patrick is believed to have died on March 17th. Since the 9th or 10th century, people in Ireland have been observing this day as the Roman Catholic feast day of St. Patrick.

But when did the day of St. Patrick’s death become this huge world-wide celebration with parades, green beer and Leprechaun emojis?

After the potato famine decimated Ireland in 1845, more than one million poor Irish Catholics escaped to America to avoid starvation. America was, up until that time, primarily a Protestant middle-class society. When the Irish arrived, they were looked down upon because of their thick Irish brogues and for their radical religious beliefs. Work was not to be found. Signs “Irish Need Not Apply” were everywhere. Whether it was hatred or fear, the Irish were persecuted wherever they went. Being portrayed as drunks and violent abusers, the Irish had to fight racial prejudice and stereotypes. The road was difficult, but not impossible. Eventually most became laborers and then moved into the trades.

But they soon began to realize that their large numbers gave them a bit of political power. Settling in cities like Boston, New York, and Chicago, Irish immigrants started to organize and became politically connected, some eventually becoming politicians themselves. Known as “The Green Machine” these immigrants began to be an important swing vote for politicians. St. Patrick’s Day parades became organized by the Irish community in America as a show of strength, and became a “must attend” event for all political candidates (and still is).

Irish Famine Memorial–Boston MA

As my grandfather would say “the Irish are natural-born politicians”. Perhaps this endearing “gift of gab” as he would call it was a result of kissing the Blarney Stone. As Irish politician, John O’Connor Power, defined it : “Blarney is something more than mere flattery. It is flattery sweetened by humour and flavoured by wit.” And who has those traits more than the Irish.

So now we have St. Patrick’s Day celebrations all across America and around the world. Yes, even in London, England!

♣ The oldest celebration is in Savannah, Georgia, which is believed to have begun in 1813. St. Patrick’s Day is the city’s biggest event, bringing in hundreds of thousands of visitors over the three days. The Budweiser Clydesdales lead the parade and not only will Miss St. Patrick’s Day be crowned, Miss Teen St. Patrick’s Day will be crowned as well.
♣ In South America, Buenos Aires is actually home to the fifth-largest Irish community in the world. Dancing in the street with live music and dance performances featuring traditional Irish bans and Irish rock groups. No crowning of Miss Patrick’s Day here, they select the best “Leprechaun”.
♣ In Chicago, not only do they have a world-class parade and a crowning of the “Queen”, but they actually dye the Chicago River GREEN! This tradition has been going on since 1962 thanks to Mayor Daley’s friend and head of the Plumbers Union.
♣ In Toronto, they hope to have over one million people lining the parade route. The city has actually turned this event into a multi-cultural one, with over 32 countries represented.
♣ In Sydney, Australia, the Sydney Opera House as well as the rest of the city, turns green with special lighting effects. Spectacular!
♣ In Montserrat, British West Indies, St. Patrick’s Day is a public holiday. Celebrated over 10 days, this island has different
events scheduled for every day.
♣ Munich Germany, London England, New York City, and, of course, Boston, the celebrations for St. Patrick are worldwide!!

For all the Irish everywhere, and those becoming Irish even if just for the day, I say . . .

May the Irish hills caress you.
May her lakes and rivers bless you.
May the luck of the Irish enfold you.
May the blessings of Saint Patrick behold you.

P.S. * And just in case you were wondering, there are no snakes in Ireland. Just saying!

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References: Chicago St. Patrick’s Day, Fodor’s, History, Wikepedia

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Whitby Lemon Buns

March 12, 2016March 10, 2017Leave a comment

To set the mood for our upcoming U.K. trip (and because it’s a cold, rainy night … and because I LOVE lemon anything …) I decided to make Whitby Lemon Buns. Lemons are so-o-o popular in British foods. From lemonade to candied lemon peel, every part of the lemon is used or preserved. In baking, lemon curd is made by the gallon and is used in pies, tarts, buns and to spread on everything from toast to scones.

Lemons and their cousin, limes, originated in southeast Asia and were brought back to the U.K. along with all the other exotic and interesting spices now so very popular, including, of course, “tea“. These citrus fruits were life saving for sailors and miners because they were known to prevent “scurvy”, a deadly disease which results from a deficiency in Vitamin C.

In the 1600’s, the East India Company published a handbook for use on its ships describing “scurvy” as a dietary deficiency and recommended a “cure” of “fresh food or, if not available, oranges, lemons, limes and tamarinds”. Scurvy was such a problem for the English Navy, it actually killed more sailors than the enemies did. By the 1700’s, the Navy decreed “a fixed amount of lemon juice should be issued daily to all sailors after their fifth or sixth week afloat“. Are you familiar with the term “limey“, well I think you now know where that nickname originated.

So now that we’ve learned why these small citrus fruits are so popular, I think it’s time to do some baking.

These “buns” or sweet rolls are believed to have originated in Whitby, a small seaside town on the east coast of England. To be authentic, these buns should have a lemon curd filling. I, on the other hand, decided to make my own candied lemon peel and added that instead. I must say these are absolutely perfect … not too sweet, a hint of lemony goodness and the added touch of candied peel gives it just a bit of lemony crunch. Let me know what you think.

WHITBY LEMON BUNS

3 cups unbleached flour
1/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons butter
1 egg, beaten
1 pkg. active dry yeast
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup warm water
1 tsp salt
zest and juice of 1 lemon (1/2 for dough – 1/2 for glaze)
1/4 cup dried fruit or candied lemon peel … OR
1/2 cup lemon curd*
confectioner’s sugar
lemon juice

In a large bowl mix together the flour, salt, sugar and lemon zest. In a small bowl warm the milk slightly (microwave is fine) and add the butter. Stir until melted.

Mix the yeast with the warm water and one tablespoon sugar, then let it stand until it gets all frothy. When this has happened, add this mixture to the dry ingredients. Then add the milk mixture, the beaten egg and juice of one lemon. Mix well. This should be a soft dough. Cover the bowl and let the dough rest for 15 minutes.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board. Knead in the dried fruits or candied lemon peel.

Place the dough into a lightly oiled bowl, turn the dough over and over to make sure the dough is oiled as well.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a damp towel and let the dough rise in a warm place for 1 to 2 hours or until doubled in size.

When the dough has doubled in size and is ready (it will hold a depressed fingerprint) tip it out onto your pastry board.

Roll the dough into a long roll and cut into 12 to 16 evenly sized pieces.

*If you are filling the rolls with lemon curd, roll each ball out flat with a rolling pin, place a small spoonful of lemon curd in the middle and then shape into a ball. Pull tightly and make sure the bottom is sealed.

If not using lemon curd, just roll each ball tightly and then place all the dough balls in a parchment lined baking tray. They should just touch each other.

Cover again and let rise in a warm place for about 30 to 40 minutes, or until doubled in size again.

Preheat the oven to 400°. Brush the tops of the buns with beaten egg white and then bake for 12-15 mins or until the buns are golden and sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.

Make a simple glaze by mixing 1 cup confectioners sugar with the rest of the lemon juice. Let the buns cool for a few minutes and then drizzle the glaze over.

Put the kettle on and Enjoy!

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CANDIED LEMON PEEL

lemons
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons corn syrup or cane sugar syrup
water

Remove the peel from the lemon(s). Then with a spoon, remove as much of the pith as possible. Slice the peel into long, thin julienne strips. Place the lemon strips into a small saucepan and just cover with water. Bring to a boil.

Dump the boiling water out and replace with more water. Bring to a boil again. Repeat at least four times. This is the only way to remove the bitterness from the peel. Drain the peel on a paper towel.

In the small saucepan add 1/2 cup sugar and 2 tablespoons corn syrup or cane syrup. Bring to a boil, add the lemon peel and let it slowly boil until the peel is translucent. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the pan to prevent sugar crystals from forming.

With a slotted spoon, take the peel out and put onto a sheet of waxed paper to cool. This is extremely hot and shouldn’t be touched until it is completely cool. When cool, put the candied peel into your recipe, or put into a tightly covered jar. Should keep very well.

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References: Food in 18th Century England, Wikipedia,

Whoopie Pies?

February 26, 2016October 29, 2018Leave a comment

Yes, I know … they have nothing to do with Great Britain. Whoopie Pies are uniquely American, actually a New England creation. And, being from New England, I just had a craving for a Whoopie Pie (not sure why). What do you do when you want something and you just know that whatever you buy at the grocery store is not going to be as good as the ones you grew up with? Well, you get out the ingredients and make it yourself! Couldn’t be easier.

This recipe is ‘borrowed’ from Martha Stewart. Thank you, Martha. It is rich, chocolaty, cakey and delicious. I did not make a traditional marshmallow-fluff-type filling, but rather crunchy peanut butter. Just felt the need to do something different. Give this a try and let me know what you think.

WHOOPIE PIES with PEANUT BUTTER FILLING
Preheat the oven to 375°.
1-3/4 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened dark cocoa powder
1-1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt

4 tblsps. softened butter
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
1 cup buttermilk
1 tsp. vanilla

I always gather all the ingredients and tools before cooking anything (with a cuppa, of course). It just ensures that I have everything I need before starting. Preheat the oven to 375° and grease two large baking sheets (or mold sheets).

In a mixing bowl beat together butter, shortening and sugars until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes). While this is beating, in another bowl add the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk well to mix and lighten.

To the butter and sugar mixture, add the egg, beat until light and fluffy. Add half the flour mixture to this, blending well. Then add the milk and vanilla. Beat well. Add the remaining flour. Beat together, scraping down the sides of the bowl.

Using a rounded spoon or, as I like to use, an ice cream scoop, drop 24 equal rounds of dough onto a greased baking sheet. If you have a whoopie pie mold, that works beautifully.

Bake the cookies in the center of the oven for 12 to 14 minutes (turning the pans halfway through the cooking time). Do not overbake or they will be dry. Less is more!

When baked, let cookies cool for a few minutes and then transfer to a baking rack. While cooling, make the Peanut Butter Filling (or whatever filling you might like).

PEANUT BUTTER FILLING
3/4 cup natural peanut butter (smooth or crunchy)
1 stick softened butter
3/4 cup confectioners sugar
pinch salt (to taste)

Using an electric mixer beat the butter and peanut butter together til smooth. Add the sugar and continue beating until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.

Assemble the cookies by spreading (or piping) one tablespoon filling on the bottom of one cookie, then press the bottom of the same size cookie to it. You can certainly be fancy and pipe the filling onto the cookie bottoms (although I was too anxious to pipe this time, I’ve piped the filling ever since. It’s much neater and more professional looking).

Presto, you’ve made Whoopie Pies! Now all you need is a big glass of milk ….. or a big pot of tea!!

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References: Martha Stewart

Bye, Bye, Downton Abbey

February 24, 2016February 24, 2016Leave a comment

I’m not the only one saddened to see this award-winning British TV series end. It’s been six years of pure joy and escapism. For the past six glorious years, we’ve been transported to the opulent ancestral home of aristocrats Robert, the Earl of Grantham, and his wife, Cora, Countess of Grantham and their daughters, Mary, Sybil and Edith.

Mary, the eldest daughter, elegant and graceful but headstrong, opinionated and daring to strike out on her own. Darling Sybil, the middle daughter who defies the family by falling madly for the politically-active chauffeur. Edith, the youngest daughter for whom love and affection are always an arms-length away.

We’ve experienced the joys and heartbreak of life during this time as we’ve watched the Grantham family and the household staff experience love, marriage, childbirth and death. We’ve stood hand-and-hand as they lost family members in the sinking of the Titanic in 1912 . . . faced the direct, hard-hitting impact of the war years on their home, their lives and their future . . . coped with the changing morals, dress and labor landscape of the Roaring 20’s . . . and struggled with the decline of finances, lifestyles and ever-changing political climate.

We’ve become part of the in–service family below the stairs as well, watching as the fiercely loyal Mr. Carson, butler to the Earl of Grantham, manages the house and staff with discipline, integrity, and on occasion, patience. His stern demeanor masks the soft, squishy teddy-bear interior that we all know exists. Firmly planted in the traditions of the past, Mr. Carson painfully and slowly must adapt to a new age.

His female foil and ultimate soul-mate is the pragmatic housekeeper, Mrs. Hughes. Respected, admired and feared by the female servants, Mrs. Hughes runs the household staff efficiently and compassionately. Just a jiggle of those intimidating house keys hanging around her waist and everyone pops to.

Mrs. Patmore is my absolute favorite character. She is the plump, protective, persnickety head cook who doesn’t let anyone get the last word. High-strung and quick tempered, her sharp wit, below the stairs, is as enjoyable as the Dowager Countess’s are above the stairs. And, of course, the Dowager Countess, matriarch of the family, mother of Robert and grandmother of Mary, Sybil and Edith, who is an absolute joy to watch. Proud, loyal and schooled in the old traditions, she never lets impropriety get in the way of her sharp tongue.

The cast has come and gone over the six years, but not to be forgotten are my favorites: Mrs. Crawley, Matthew’s mother, firmly planted in her middle-class mores and feminist attitudes. John Bates, the wounded soldier who fought side-by-side with Robert, Earl of Grantham, in the Boer Wars and who now works as his faithful and trusted valet. Anna Smith, the head housemaid and chambermaid to Mary who falls madly for Mr. Bates (who wouldn’t) and somehow survives so much pain and hardship. We’ve watched the scheming, manipulative Thomas Barrow advance from footman to butler, leaving no one in his wake. And, Daisy, such a sweet, naive soul who wants nothing more than to be heard and to be loved.

We’ve witnessed the installation of electricity, the telephone and the radio in the grand house. Below the stairs, we’ve seen the world of those “in service” shaken with the introduction of the typewriter, the sewing machine and the electric “whisk” or hand-mixer. We’ve seen the uneducated become learners and teachers . . . the acceptance of what was once unacceptable . . . and the role of women grow, mature and become equal.

We’ve had ‘tea’ everyday at 4:00 pm in the book-laden library
and dined in opulent, chandeliered dining rooms, served from the left by tuxedoed footmen. We’ve been driven in chauffeured touring cars and ridden side saddle on fox hunts over the northern dales. We’ve seen hemlines creep up and hair be cut off. We’ve donned our gloves for dinner and put on our “wellies” to slop the pigs.

For me, I’ve never been so captured and captivated by a TV program. Yes, of course, its a soap opera, but it’s been a glorious soap opera taking us into a lifestyle of opulence and luxury, rich in traditions and landscapes that doesn’t exist today. A life that some of us may have fantasized about, but knew we would never experience.

Thank you Downton Abbey for six “masterful” years!

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Downloadable Downton Abbey list of characters, PBS, Masterpiece

Treacle Pudding

February 10, 2016February 10, 2016Leave a comment

Hubby wanted “treacle pudding”. I know it’s available in some international markets sold under the U.K. brand of Heinz in tin cans, but I don’t want to open a can. I want to make Treacle Pudding. What I was not sure about was what exactly is “treacle”? I looked in the grocery stores and couldn’t find it. I asked family and friends. They’ve never heard of it. I checked all my cookbooks and there was no recipe either using it, or for it. Even hubby wasn’t sure what it was or where you bought it. How am I going to make this classic English dessert if I don’t have any treacle? Time to go online and do a little research. Here’s what I learned . . .

When sugar cane is harvested, it is crushed to squeeze out the juice. That juice is then boiled down (very similar to making maple syrup). Depending upon how many times, and for how long the juice is boiled, will produce the depth of color and flavor of the syrup. The syrup can range from a light golden color and flavor, to a medium amber color with deeper flavor to a very dark, thick syrup with almost sweet bitter flavor. The first boiling produces golden syrup or light treacle, similar to honey in color. The second boiling produces treacle, which we call molasses. The third boiling produces ‘dark treacle’ which we call blackstrap molasses.

Lyle’s Golden Syrup

“Golden Syrup” is produced by the Abram Lyle & Sons company and sold everywhere in the U.K. In the U.S., however, it did take a bit of hunting, but I found it. I also found out it is available through Amazon, but, honestly, who wants to wait for a UPS delivery before making dessert.

Now to find a ‘good’ recipe for Treacle Pudding. After looking through all my English, Scottish, Irish and Welsh cookbooks, I found ONE recipe. Thank you Paul Hollywood! But why, if this dessert is so popular can’t I find more than one recipe? It seems this dessert isn’t as popular as hubby had thought. More research has shown that it’s a regional favorite, only popular in northern England and Scotland. Okay, back to the “world wide web”.

Recipes appear to be either the very same, copied from website to website, or completely hard-to-understand. What exactly is a 900ml pudding basin? And do I really want to use suet? Or a splash of brandy? No, I don’t think so. This is suppose to be a nostalgic, humble steamed pudding made from flour, eggs, butter and this sweetener they call “treacle”.

My first attempt was a simple recipe from the BBC FOOD website, very similar to Paul Hollywood‘s. Quite basic. Nothing I couldn’t handle. Throw everything in a bowl, mix and steam for 1-1/2 hours. But when I unmolded it, the whole pudding fell into a big, soggy heap. Undercooked and cloyingly sweet. Back to the “world wide web”.

My second attempt was just a little more complicated, beat the butter and sugar til fluffy and add eggs one at a time. The ingredients were just about the same. Steamed for 1-1/2 hours, and when I unmolded it, it looked fabulous. But, it was very dry and not very sweet at all. Okay, let’s try once more.

Here’s the one we liked . . .

TREACLE PUDDING
Serves 4 to 6
4 tablespoons golden syrup (light treacle)
1 stick butter, softened (plus more for greasing)
1-1/2 cups all purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon molasses (treacle)
3 large eggs, room temperature
grated lemon peel

First get a very large pot with tightly fitting cover. Put a saucer, ramekin or something in the bottom of the pot so that the bowl you are going to steam your pudding in doesn’t sit directly on the bottom of the pot. Fill the pot halfway with water and bring to a boil.

While the water comes to temperature generously grease a large bowl, 4 cups or more, in which your pudding will cook.

Pour the Golden Syrup into the bottom of the bowl. Mix together the dry ingredients. In a mixing bowl beat the softened butter with the sugars and molasses (treacle) til light and fluffy. Add the eggs and beat well. Add the dry ingredients and grated lemon peel and blend til well combined.

The batter should be like thick pancake batter. If it’s too thick, add a bit of milk to loosen. Pour the batter into the bowl. Take a piece of aluminum foil and wrap it tightly around the bowl. This needs to be sealed tight so that the moisture doesn’t get in when boiling.

Place the bowl into the pot, setting on top of the saucer or ramekin. I used a steamer basket, which worked beautifully. Make sure the water comes up to the middle of your pudding bowl. Cover the pot and steam for about 1-1/2 hours. The water should be a soft boil. If the water isn’t hot enough, the pudding won’t cook. Check the water level every now and then. You don’t want the water to boil away.

After 1-1/2 hours your pudding should be done. Carefully remove the bowl and lift the foil. With a cake tester, puncture the the pudding to see if it is ready. If the tester comes out clean and dry, the pudding is ready.

Carefully run the tip of a knife around the top of the pudding, then place a plate on top of the bowl and invert. Pour a bit more Golden Syrup around the top of the pudding and serve warm. Traditionally this dessert is served with custard, but we like vanilla ice cream with ours.

Sticky, sweet and gooey, everyone will love this humble, old fashioned dessert.

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References: Lyle’s Golden Syrup, Wikipedia, BBC Food

The Willow Tea Room

January 31, 2016February 1, 2016Leave a comment

A “must” visit during our trip to Glasgow was the world-famous Willow Tea Room. I have to admit that I didn’t know much about the Willow then, just that I had to go. What I did know was this tearoom was designed by one of the most talented architects of the time, Charles Rennie Mackintosh, in 1903 in the futuristic “Arts and Crafts” style. What I didn’t know was the “back story” of how this tearoom, created by Kate Cranston and Charles Rennie Mackintosh, had become one of the most expensive and famous tearooms of Europe.

Born in 1849, Catherine, or Kate as she was known, was the daughter of George Cranston, a successful Glasgow baker. George bought the then very popular hotel, the Edinburgh and Glasgow Railway Chop House and Commercial Lodgings. He renamed the hotel the Royal Horse, which then became known as Cranston’s Hotel and Dining Room.

Glasgow at the turn of the century was riddled with problems … industries were closing, slums were prevalent, and overcrowding was a huge problem, followed by diseases like cholera and typhoid. Social centers were male dominated pubs serving coffee and ale, where politics was always the conversation of the day. Glasgow was also the center of the temperance movement and political tensions were high!

Stuart Cranston’s TEA Spoon

Kate’s older brother, Stuart, following in his father’s footsteps, was quite the visionary and saw through all these problems. One of his visions was how “tea” (up until now only afforded by the upper classes) could be an alternative to alcohol, afforded by all. Stuart set out to and had become a successful importer of tea. When customers would come into his shop, he would put the kettle on and offer them a sample. From there he decided to create a place where both men and women together (which was unheard of at that time) could enjoy tea and perhaps light sandwiches in a simple, clean, safe, pub-free atmosphere. This concept was so successful, he opened two more.

Now enjoying great success, Stuart went on to buy one of the first covered shopping malls in Europe, Glasgow’s Argyll Arcade. Built in 1827, the Argyll Arcade housed many retailers and craft shops, but was beginning to be run down and in need of major repairs. Cranston was very focused in what he wanted in this row of shops, from uniformity of shop front designs and styles, to the quality of goods to be sold, as well as a very strict code of conduct for shop owners … which still applies today.

Kate, following in the entrepreneurial spirit of her family, opened the Crown Luncheon Room in the Argyll Arcade. Although Glasgow was ranked as one of the richest cities in Europe, it also suffered from some appalling social problems … poverty, crime and disease. Kate’s father and her brother had taught her well because Kate was a force to be dealt with … not only on quality of tea and food, but on service and cleanliness. With the success of this luncheonette, Kate then opened Miss Cranston’s Tearoom in 1878 where she continued to place great emphasis on the details, from the decor and design, to her strict code on cleanliness, quality of food and service.

Glasgow, in an effort to raise money for the city and showcase what Glasgow had to offer, opened The International Exhibition of 1888 at Kelvingrove Park (which attracted over 5 million visitors). Kate wanted to be able to offer exhibition goers a place where they could sit and enjoy a cuppa in a clean, safe and well organized atmosphere. She opened what is now a very popular concept, a “pop-up” tearoom. Like her brother, Kate was becoming quite successful.

Catherine “Kate” Cranston

Kate was a bit eccentric at times, always defying social conventions. She dressed in Victorian crinolines, similar to what her mother might have worn, long after they had gone out of fashion. She’d also be seen around town dressed in a grey suit and bowler hat. However she dressed, she was a very astute business woman and although Kate married John Cochrane in 1892, she continued to be known as Miss Cranston of Miss Cranston’s Tearooms.

Charles Rennie Mackintosh

After the success of her luncheonette and first tearoom, Kate opened a second, then a third and then in 1903, the one which was to become her most famous of all, on Sauchiehall Street.

As a prominent businesswoman, Kate had become very well known in the artist community. This is where she had met the young Charles Rennie Mackintosh. Charles Rennie Mackintosh was born in Glasgow on June 7, 1868, one of eleven children. From the age of 9 he studied art and design, then trained as an architect in a local practice. At art school Mackintosh and his friend and colleague, Herbert MacNair, met sisters, Margaret and Frances MacDonald, also artists. Margaret was later to become his wife and worked with Charles on many of Kate’s projects.

Frieze of woman in rose trellis.

Kate first employed Charles in 1896 to provide just a stencil for the walls of her first tearoom on Buchanan Street. Mackintosh created a frieze depicting delicate elongated lines of female figures in pairs facing each other surrounded by roses. Kate loved it. She then gave Mackintosh more responsibility for the Argyll Street tearoom, where he created his first major piece of furniture, the elegant high-backed chair (now housed in the Hunterian Museum and Art Gallery). In 1900, working closely with Kate, Charles designed the ladies’ luncheon room for Miss Cranston’s Ingram Street tearoom. Then came the two-year Sauchiehall Street project.

Mackintosh constructed a barricade around the building to protect his project, decorated with his classic stenciling and lettering, of course. Nothing escaped Mackintosh’s attention. He and his wife, Margaret, designed everything from the furniture and menus, to the silverware and the waitresses’ uniforms. Within this tall, white-washed four story building, Mackintosh created a casual tearoom for ladies on the first floor, with a tea gallery on the mezzanine level above it. On the second floor, he created a more exclusive ladies’ room, the Room de Luxe.

Stained Glass Mirror Wall

Overlooking the street, this room had white walls with a frieze of stained glass and mirrored glass, stained glass double doors (Mackintosh’s largest and most elaborate stained glass creation) and his signature high-backed chairs in silver with sofas upholstered in rich purple. The third floor was to be a men’s billiard and smoking room. Sauchiehall Street was the “crown jewel” of tearooms.

Kate’s defiant bohemian attitude was frowned upon by the ‘old order’. Her tearooms broke traditions. They provided a fashionable destination for women who were dissatisfied with their lot … where women and men were invited to not only dine together, but to play cards, billiards and smoke. She had created a place where, not only the elite could see and be seen, but where the artist community flourished. She encouraged young artists to showcase their talents by using her tearooms as galleries.

Unfortunately, Kate’s husband, John, died suddenly in 1917 and Kate was no longer interested in the tearooms or in business in general. She sold her tearooms and wore black for the rest of her life. Kate developed dementia and became increasingly difficult to deal with. She moved from her fashionable mansion to a hotel in the south side of Glasgow where she was looked after by a female companion until she died in April 1934. Having had no children, when she died, Kate left two thirds of her £67,476 estate (20 times more than her brother Stuart) to the poor of Glasgow.

Willow Tearoom Today

Never actually receiving true recognition for his work, Mackintosh left Scotland with the hopes of living in Austria, where his work was admired. This was halted because of the outbreak of World War 1. He and Margaret moved to Walberswick, England, where he was arrested as a spy, possibly because of the letters he received from his friends in Austria. After being released they moved to London.

As happens with so many talented artists, Mackintosh wasn’t recognized as the pioneer of modern architecture until the 1960s with the renewed interest in Art Nouveau and the Arts and Crafts Movement. It was only then that the art world recognized his talents. Charles Rennie Mackintosh died from cancer in London in 1928 – destitute.

Miss Cranston’s Tearooms had become the places to see and be seen for Glasgow society and continued to be for many years. The partnership between Kate Cranston and Charles Rennie Mackintosh lasted for 20 years, the most important being the tearoom on Sauchiehall Street … now known as the Willow Tearoom. Today Charles Rennie Mackintosh is studied and celebrated around the world. Did I know any of this when we visited the Willow? Absolutely not! But it doesn’t take long when approaching the building to realize you’ve come upon a tearoom unlike any other.

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References: Wikipedia, Undiscovered Scotland, Argyll Arcade, BBC, Willow Tearooms, BBC History, CRMSociety,

A Perfect Cuppa

January 20, 2016August 12, 2021Leave a comment

Yes, I know, everyone knows how to make a cup of tea. Right? Wrong! I am simply amazed at how many people make tea BADLY. The water is generally not hot enough, or too hot. If they use a teabag, it’s left in the cup or pot FOREVER! And these are the very same people who would never think of serving a badly prepared cup of coffee. A well made cup of tea is delicious. Please don’t offer me a tepid cup with a teabag hanging out. If you do, of course I will accept, but don’t be offended if I don’t drink it.

It’s not complicated. There are really just three simple steps:

HEAT THE WATER
Get a tea kettle or a saucepan, fill it with as much water as you think you will need for the pot or cup you are making. DON’T use water that’s been sitting in the kettle most of the day. The oxygen has dissipated and now it’s flat. Use freshly drawn water from the tap. Bottled water is not necessary.

You don’t need any fancy appliance. By all means, if you have an electric kettle, use it, but if not, put the kettle or a saucepan on the stove. Please do not use a microwave. It’s just not possible to know what the temperature of the water is when using a microwave oven. And, if the water gets too hot, there is a chance the cup will explode. Yes, it does happen!

WATER TEMPERATURE
The temperature you heat the water to is very important. If you use boiling water (210°) for green tea, you will stew the leaves and it will be bitter. If you use water that’s under the boil (180°) for black tea, it will be flat and insipid. When making black tea (English Breakfast, Earl Grey, etc.), bring the water to a rolling boil. When making green tea (Jasmine, flavored or unflavored greens), bring the water to a soft boil and let it cool for a minute or two before pouring over the tea. It’s not complicated.

POT OR NO POT
Yes, I use a teapot every time I make tea. Must you use a teapot? No. But I truly believe it adds to the ceremony, the enjoyment and the taste. Using a teapot doesn’t mean you need to get Grandma’s old 6-cup porcelain pot from the back of the cupboard. Teapots come in all sizes and styles. In the morning I use a three-cup ceramic pot, perfect for making two large mugs of tea. Later in the day, I use my two-cup glass teapot, for an afternoon pick-me-up.

LOOSE OR TEA BAG
Do you drink instant coffee? No. Then why would you use a teabag, which is nothing more than instant tea? Yes, teabag offerings have become much better recently. This is only because the large tea companies were losing market share as consumers started buying more and more loose leaf tea. As a result, these large tea companies had to step up their game to compete with the loose leaf tea market. Certainly you can use a tea bag if you’d like, but given the choice, use good quality loose leaf. Don’t you deserve it?

MEASURE THE TEA
Use one teaspoon of tea for each 8 oz. cup. An 8 oz. measuring cup is not the same as a teacup. Teacups are usually 5 oz. Mugs are usually 12 to 14 oz. All the more reason to use a teapot for accurate measurements. A three-cup teapot uses three teaspoons of tea. What is the capacity of your teapot? Just get a measuring cup and find out.

Green teas and white teas are lighter in weight than black teas. You may want to use a bit more green or white teas than a teaspoon. Black teas are heavier. You might want to use just a bit less than a teaspoon. Your taste will ultimately determine how much to use.

Then put the tea into an infuser or directly into your teapot. Pour the boiling water if it’s black tea (cooler than boiling if it’s green tea) over the tea. Cover and let it steep.

TIMING – HOW LONG TO STEEP
This is also a critical point. You need to steep the tea long enough for the flavor to be extracted from the leaves. 30 seconds is plenty of time for a tea bag, but certainly not enough for loose leaf tea. For black tea, steep for 3 to 5 minutes. For green tea and white teas, steep for 2 to 3 minutes. Start with these times and then adapt to your own taste. If you like your tea steeped a little more, or less, adjust the steeping time slightly. But, please, remember you must take the tea bag or infuser out of the cup or pot at the end of the steeping time.

POUR AND ENJOY
Again, please remove the infuser or the teabags from the teapot or cup. Don’t leave them in the pot or your tea will oversteep and become bitter. Do you take milk and sugar with your tea? Feel free. Now relax and enjoy!

To recap, all you need to make the perfect cuppa is:
.. good quality tea
.. water at the right temperature
.. steeped for the correct amount of time

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Toad in the Hole … my way!

January 18, 2016Leave a comment

For hubby, this is comfort food to end all comfort foods! Toad in the Hole … really? Who am I to say what is comfort food. For me, it’s Mac ‘n Cheese! At least with Mac ‘n Cheese you have an idea of what it is. Toad in the Hole . Bubble ‘n Squeak . Jam Roly Poly . Spotted Dick . where do the Brits get these names?

The origins of Toad in the Hole, which are sausages baked in a Yorkshire Pudding (aka Popover) batter, generally served with onion gravy, are sketchy. Some food historians theorize that this dish originated in the late 1600’s when a flour and egg batter (now known as Yorkshire Pudding) was placed under the meat while it was cooking on an open spit, in order to catch the drippings. Others say that “no, it wasn’t until the early 1800’s” that this type of batter was used.

Today this very economical dish is traditionally made with bangers (sausages). But in The Modern Housewife by Alexis Soyer (1850), she suggests using “any remains of cooked beef, veal, mutton, pork, roasted or boiled, salt or fresh, game and fowl”. As a result, you can see that this dish was probably not served to the aristocrats or royalty, but rather to the working class and poor. Dishes like this, however, are what we have all come to love. Comfort food!

Where did the name come from? No one is really certain. Does the finished dish look like toads poking up out of a quagmire? Was the dish originally made using toads or frogs? Or was it named after a pub game of tossing discs into holes in a pub table?

All I know is, tonight I’m making Toad in the Hole – My Way! Why am I calling it My Way? Because I think the original recipe is a little bland, so I am kicking it up just a bit with Harissa and adding onions coated in a mixture of Ketchup and Chili Sauce. Like many family recipes, there are quite a few variations. Give this one a try and let me know what you think.

TOAD IN THE HOLE (my way)
1 cup all purpose flour
4 eggs, room temperature
1 cup milk (whole or 2%)
salt and pepper
1 tsp Harissa seasoning (or more to taste)
8 to 10 good quality pork sausages (sweet or spicy)
2 tablespoons ketchup
2 tablespoons sweet chili sauce
2 onions, sliced
olive oil
4 tablespoons sausage drippings

Make the batter first and then set it aside for at least 30 minutes (up to 3 or 4 hours).

Into a bowl sift 1 cup flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, pepper to taste and the Harissa seasoning.

Mix together and make a well in the center. Add 4 eggs and beat well.

Add the milk while beating the mixture. Be sure to beat til smooth and lump free. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 400°.

In a saute pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat and brown the sausages. I prefer spicy sausages, but you can use sweet, or flavoured.

When nicely browned put the sausages into an ovenproof baking dish (approx. 13″ x 9″).

In the same saute pan add a bit more olive oil and, over medium heat, saute the sliced onions. Season with salt and pepper. When they are soft (about 10 minutes) add the ketchup and sweet chili sauce, coating the onions well. Pour this over the sausages in the baking dish.

If you do not have 4 tablespoons of drippings after cooking the sausages and onions, make up the difference with olive oil. Add it to the baking dish and then put the baking dish into the 400° oven for 5 minutes until everything gets very hot.

Remove the dish from the oven and quickly pour the batter over the sausages and onions. Pop the dish back into the oven and bake for 35 minutes. Don’t peek! You want the Yorkshire Pudding to puff up and if you are opening and closing the door, it will deflate.

When the pudding is golden brown, and still a bit soft in the middle, it is ready. Serve immediately with a crisp green salad. Hot, crisp and soft with a bit of heat from the Harissa … English comfort food!!

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References: BBC Food, The Telegraph, Britain Explorer,

A Burns Night Celebration

January 17, 2016January 17, 2016Leave a comment

“Fair fa’ your honest, sonsie face
Great chieftain o the puddin’-race!
Aboon them a’ ye tak your place,
Painch, tripe, or thairm:
Weel are ye worthy o’ a grace
As lang’s my arm.”

Which translates to …
“Fair and full is your honest, jolly face,
Great chieftain of the sausage race!
Above them all you take your place,
Stomach, tripe, or intestines:
Well are you worthy of a grace
As long as my arm.”

Yes, that is the beginning of Robert Burns’ famous ADDRESS TO A HAGGIS. If you’ve ever visited Scotland, hopefully, you’ve put aside your squeemishness and ‘tucked in’ to Scotland’s most famous dish, “Haggis”.*

January 25th all of Scotland will be celebrating their national poet laureate, Robert Burns. Unless you are of Scottish decent, or have visited Scotland, you’re probably unaware of what a national celebrity Robert Burns was. Rabbie, as he was called, was born in 1759 (on January 25th, of course) to a poor family. As any young lad is expected to do, he began his working with his father on the farm. But, Rabbie’s father recognized that the young Burns was quite talented and decided to invest in hiring a teacher for him. Young Burns loved listening to stories, especially those of the supernatural, and when he was older he began turning the stories he heard as a child into poems and songs.

Rabbie’s father died when Rabbie was 25. He was now responsible for the family and the farm. Unfortunately, young Burns was not very successful at either. Two years later, not only was the farm in receivership, he made two young women pregnant (the first of many). Burns’ hopes were to leave the country and go to Jamaica. In order to do so, he had to raise money which he did by selling his first collection of poems, ‘Poems Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect’.

His poems were an immediate success and he was persuaded to not leave the country after all. A year later Burns married, Jean Armour (who was also pregnant at the time). Jean was a very forgiving woman because Robert was not a faithful husband. When his eldest child was born to Jean, Robert already had three illegitimate daughters. In celebration of this birth, Burns wrote a poem entitled “Welcome to a Bastard Wean.”

Robert Burns was not only an amazingly talented writer, he was a romantic, he held strong political views, and he loved his whiskey and his women. Although Burns life was cut short at the young age of 37, he had managed to write over 500 songs and poems. I’m certain everyone knows Robert Burns’ most famous song of all, sung all over the world on New Year’s Eve . . . Auld Lang Syne.

A few years after Burns’ death his friends began celebrating his life. That same celebration continues to this very day, each year on the day of his birth, January 25, now known as Burns Night. If you are in Scotland on January 25, please join in the celebration. You will find everything from very formal affairs to just laughter and toasting at the local pub. It’s great fun!!

To hold your own Burns Night, you will need the following:

Scottish bagpipe music – for the ceremonial processional of the Haggis.
Master of Ceremonies – for the Selkirk Grace, “Addressing” the Haggis,
and the “Toast to the Lassies”
“Haggis” – and plenty of it, presented on a silver platter
A Ceremonial Knife – to plunge into the Haggis
Neeps and Tatties – to accompany the Haggis (potatoes and turnips)
Genuine Scotch whiskey – a wee dram for toasting and enjoying
Traditional Scottish Music – for dancing, toasting and cheering
A Quiz – could be fun to find out who actually knows Robert Burns
And, of course, everyone must wear a bit of tartan!

* And what is “Haggis”?
Haggis is a traditional Scottish dish, much like a sausage, made from the organ meats of a sheep, chopped up and mixed with oatmeal, suet and spices. The mixture is then stuffed into the casing of a sheep’s stomach, tied with twine and cooked for several hours. Delicious!

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References: The Complete Works of Robert Burns, Historic U.K., Robert Burns Night,

Tea, Toast and Travel

Exploring the World of British Foods and Traditions

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