Mince pies etc....

[Padraig]

My father, who served in India (later to become Pakistan) during WWII, used to make 'curries' for us at the weekend (this was in the early '50s). The meat content was usually rabbit, and he always included sultanas and apple. Perhaps it was a recipe local to where he was stationed.

My father was born in India to an Army family. Later, the family moved back to Ireland, and when I came on the scene just before WW2 my grandmother was already an accomplished cook and had incorporated some Indian recipes. As a child in the early 40s I remember discovering rice that was not pudding, curried eggs, and a hot curry that had sultanas in it - tastes that have remained ever since. At the same period, an Indian family had come to live opposite. They have since prospered in business, but then, they often entertained a small Irish neighbour who had a liking for their food and they used to make chapati bread in front of the range on the back of a shovel - or am I making that up?

[Old Grumpy]

Doubly recommended by Father Jack Hackett.

Presumably better than Ecclesfechan cakes then!

[Nick Armstrong]

Sultanas become slimy and stick to the roof of your mouth like well gorged slugs

Och piffle ! They're plump and delicious. Love currants too!

[Padraig]

Presumably better than Ecclesfechan cakes then!

I'm sorely tempted, OG, but I'll houl my whisht!

[mangerton]

Obviously, someone needs to reseach the sultana, apple, curry problem (not me!)
Gosh, is it not wonderful from mince pies we go on to Curries of The Last Days of the Raj?

This is certainly a group which revels in its eclecticism.

Curries in the UK were invented by Vesta (dehydrated) and then Cerola (boil in the bag). They were dire. Early recipes for curry in the sixties featured sultanas, apples and bananas, and daring amounts of curry powder like half a teaspoonful. It came as a great surprise to the average Briton that rice could be served plain boiled, and not as rice pudding.

In 1969, my parents sold their house in Edinburgh to an Indian doctor at the Royal Infirmary. We were invited to dinner at their house, and that meal remains in my memory. What a revelation!

[Anna]

What a revelation!

Reveal yourself, Purge yourself, go on, you know you want to!

[Nick Armstrong]

Purge yourself

Better get some more sultanas in...

PS: Anna - how do you stand on prunes?

[Flosshilde]

I think Anna would stand on anything with elegance and poise.

[Nick Armstrong]

Perhaps soak them in sherry first, Flossie?

Now you're talking.... one of the most delicious things available to the gourmet in London is the dessert at Moro* called Helado de pasas de Málaga - vanilla ice cream studded with fat raisins (even bigger and slimier than sultanas - yum!!) marinaded in Pedro Ximénez sherry..... Amazing !!!

(Rick Stein gives a recipe here: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/fo...ez-sherry.html)

Which reminds me of one of the most delicious uses for sultanas - those succulent pods of flavour in Bread and Butter Pudding!

How can folk not like them?!??!





* http://www.moro.co.uk/

[mangerton]

Reveal yourself, Purge yourself, go on, you know you want to!

Be careful what you wish for!

OT: Actually, little chance of that here tonight. We're all going round well wrapped up. Zero degrees here this evening, and car window scraping was required at 8 pm after work.

[Flosshilde]

sultanas - those succulent pods of flavour in Bread and Butter Pudding! * http://www.moro.co.uk/

Where's Mr Pee's vomiting emoticon when you need it?

[teamsaint]

Now you're talking.... one of the most delicious things available to the gourmet in London is the dessert at Moro* called Helado de pasas de Málaga - vanilla ice cream studded with fat raisins (even bigger and slimier than sultanas - yum!!) marinaded in Pedro Ximénez sherry..... Amazing !!!

(Rick Stein gives a recipe here: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/fo...ez-sherry.html)

Which reminds me of one of the most delicious uses for sultanas - those succulent pods of flavour in Bread and Butter Pudding!

How can folk not like them?!??!





* http://www.moro.co.uk/

ooh yum, I'll have mine with extra sultanas please.

That would taste good in the Proms queue........

[teamsaint]

Where's Mr Pee's vomiting emoticon when you need it?

you mean his Car sick one?.........

Brmm Brmm..............

[Nick Armstrong]

Where's Mr Pee's vomiting emoticon when you need it?

[Anna]

PS: Anna - how do you stand on prunes?

I like them, particularly with Greek yoghurt or good vanilla ice cream. I also sometimes stuff a tenderloin of pork with them. I also like glace cherries (although I know a lot of people have an aversion to them.) I had a so-called Bath Bun last week which surprisingly contained cherries, and very nice it was.