François Latry and son Roger 1937 Life and Times François Latry (1889-1966) was “maître chef” at the Savoy Hotel in London for 23 years, from 1919 to 1942. Today, he is remembered particularly for the Second World War rationing recipes he helped create for Lord Woolton at the Ministry of Food, particularly the one named…
English
Peek Freans
Peek Freans Logo © Denzil Green Life and Times Peek Freans is a brand of cookies. In the UK, the brand name is owned by United Biscuits, though they aren’t presently using it as of 2010. In the United States, the Caribbean and Canada, the brand name is owned by Kraft, which makes the cookies…
Harriet Anne de Salis
Harriet Anne de Salis (click for e-text book) © Project Gutenberg Life and Times Very little has been written about the personal, or professional, life of Harriet Anne de Salis (23 January 1829 – 18 April 1908), who often published under the name of Mrs de Salis. She was a very well-selling English cookbook and…
Dorset Naga Chiles
Dorset Naga are a Scotch Bonnet/habanero type chile grown in polytunnels in Dorset, England. These chiles have an incredible heat to them. Your eyes can sting from just from cutting one open. The heat has been measured at 876,000 Scoville units. Further tests have pushed that number to 976,000 units, and beyond 1,000,000. The previous…
India Pale Ale
India Pale Ale is a type of ale. It is pale in colour, as the name indicates, and has an alcohol content of 5% or higher. It is very hoppy, and therefore more bitter than other beers, particularly when new, however, it mellows as it ages. IPA on bottles stands for “India Pale Ale.” History…
Hollow Biscuits
Hollow Biscuits are small, dried breads made in England. A pale gold colour, they are similar to a rusk in texture, but in shape they look like irregular doorknobs. They have a crunchy crust with a hollow centre. They are traditionally buttered, and served with jam or cheese. Some recommend them with potted meats as…
Piccalilli Relish
Piccalilli is a chunky yellow relish in a thick mustard sauce. It can be made at home, or bought commercially. It has a taste variously described as pungent, head-clearing, tart, tangy, snappy and vinegary. Consequently, it stands up well to other strong-tasting foods. Piccalilli is used as an accompaniment to cheeses, cured meats, sausages, meat…
Players Original Punch
Players Original Punch is a red-coloured alcoholic drink (22% alcohol by volume) first made by Lamb & Watt of Liverpool, England. It is now (2009) owned by Halewood International of Liverpool, England. Like Pimms, it is considered a fruit cup. Cooking Tips Use as you would Pimms.
Crosse & Blackwell
Crosse & Blackwell is the brand name of a well-known British line of foodstuffs founded in London in 1829.
Two Fat Ladies
Life and Times Two Fat Ladies was a television cooking programme that ran on BBC2 from 1996 to 1999 inclusive. The two stars, Clarissa Dickson-Wright and Jennifer Paterson, did not know each other before the series. They had met only once, at a party in Tuscany, Italy in 1991. They were brought together by a…
Tregothnan Tea
Tregothnan Tea is an English tea, actually grown in England. It is grown at Tregothnan estate owned by the Boscawen family near Truro, Cornwall. The estate has a plantation of about 8,000 tea bushes (as of 2006) of the Camellia sinensis variety of tea. Harvesting of the leaves starts when the bushes are about 3…
Tregothnan Tea
Tregothnan Tea is an English tea, actually grown in England. It is grown at Tregothnan estate owned by the Boscawen family near Truro, Cornwall. The estate has a plantation of about 8,000 tea bushes (as of 2006) of the Camellia sinensis variety of tea. Harvesting of the leaves starts when the bushes are about 3…
Blaunche Escrepes
Blaunche Escrepes means literally “white pancakes” (think “blanches crepes” if you have any French.) They were made in England in the 1200s from white wheat flour. They were often used to accompany “Poume d’oranges” (pork meatballs.) Cooking Tips A batter is made of the flour and beaten, fluffy egg white, with some white wine to…
John Cadbury
John Cadbury The start of the Cadbury dynasty The Cadbury family dynasty was started in 1824 by John Cadbury (12 August 1801 – 11 May 1889), and strengthened by his sons George and Richard. A devout Quaker, John saw cocoa and chocolate as healthy alternatives to alcohol. He also led a campaign to prohibit the employment of…
Marlborough Pudding Recipe
A classic, old dessert.
Manchester Pudding Recipe
An old recipe, this is somewhat like a sweetened, flavoured bread pudding baked in a pie shell. Adapted from Mrs Beeton.
Stargazey Pie Recipe
A classic, though eccentric, regional English recipe!
Swiss Chard and Gruyère Panade Recipe
Swiss chard doesn’t make everyone’s standard vegetable list these days; but this recipe will make it a winner in your household.
Hot Water Crust Pastry Recipe
Hot Water Crust Pastry is used to make raised pies. It makes a stiff yet tender pastry that can stand up by itself and form a shell or casing that can be cooked without the support of a pan or tin.
Northumbrian Carlings Recipe
This is a classic English recipe.
Elizabeth Raffald
Elizabeth Raffald From: The experienced English housekeeper. Published 1786 Life and Times Elizabeth Raffald was the author of the 1769 book, “The Experienced English Housekeeper.” She provides 800 recipes written with such clear directions and quantities, that you can still cook from them today. Elizabeth definitely saw herself as a “modern” woman. She lived in…
Chelsea Buns
Chelsea Buns are sweet, individual serving-sized buns made from yeast-risen dough enriched with an egg. They are sticky and sweet. They are baked together in a pan with sides touching; you tear them apart to serve. The dough is not sweet in itself, though the bun ends up sweet owing to the toppings. The dough…
Belgian Buns
Belgian buns are large, soft, round buns formed from a swirled strip of bread-like dough with raisins and a taste of cinnamon in it, rising up to a low peak in the centre. After baking, they are drizzled with white icing on top, and garnished with a candied cherry. A few modern versions have started…
Drawn Butter Sauce Recipe
Use this sauce hot with vegetables particularly artichokes, fish or seafood such as crab or lobster.