# Cooking for special International Days..various



## Wilberforce (Nov 18, 2016)

Following on from a post I made a few days ago in which I mentioned I often cook the special menus from around the world to commemorate special days. I said I would post what I was doing  so here goes.

Coming up... St. Andrew's Day November 30th,patron saint of Scotland  but well recognized by special days for other nations too.

Food will be typicallyScottish and as my husband was from Aberdeen this is not too irregular for me. I try to stay away from the recipes that I may use at New Year or Burns night. 

There are many "Scottish" recipes online but I doubt some of them as being very traditional ot of any age but well worth a look and it is the spirit of the day that matters.

Depending on how many folks are around I would have available

Breakfast I would do a porridge but have to admit it is my version and not very authentic, but also eggs, bacon and Lorne sausage which I have to make as it is not available here. Aberdeen Rowies and apple jelly too both home made.

Lunchtime I would probably make  a Forfar Bridie , maybe some Scotch eggs and salad ,scones to follow  with Wild Bramble jelly and cream


Meat I think is going to be Aberdeen Angus  steak with  a whisky cream sauce, veggies will be varied. I may do a colcannon type of mash ( originally Irish} or a lighter version of  stovies with it

Dessert will be a Tipsy Laird trifle or  a Raspberry and Whisky  cheesecake. 

I would also make tablet and shortbread.

It may vary a bit from above but probably pretty accurate, it rather depends on how many are coming on the day.


And  that's it.


While on the subject of  cooking  for special days, some things have to me done way ahead of time  for  Christmas  and New Year. I make shortbread all year round but I  specially make  Scottish Black Bun  for New Year, I make  steamed fruit  puddings for Christmas , make my own mincemeat for tarts and I make a cake for 12th night. All done well in advance., some are already done.

XX Jeannine


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## BlondieBoomer (Nov 18, 2016)

I like your idea of celebrating international holidays with dishes from the different countries. Your menu for St. Andrews Day sounds delicious, although I haven't heard of a Forfar Birdie or tablet before.


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## Wilberforce (Nov 19, 2016)

Hi Forfar Bridie is a type of meat pasty. Tablet is a candy, sort of hard to explain, think fudge but not soft, then toffee but nor so chewy sort of in the middle with a sort of sugary texture .  Very sweet, very nice, very bad for the hips but loved now and again as a special treat.


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## BlondieBoomer (Nov 19, 2016)

I found a recipe for the Forfar Bridie here:  http://allrecipes.com/recipe/46886/forfar-bridies/

It sounds good, and would be even easier with packaged pie crusts. Do they freeze well? It seems like they would.


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## RadishRose (Nov 19, 2016)

I found a recipe I'd like to rey- 
[h=2]Salmon Broth Recipe[/h]
http://www.scottishrecipes.co.uk/sppbroth.php

it has-
50g potatoes, cut into wee cubes 
150g baby spinach 
1.3 litres vegetable stock 
1 finely chopped chilli 
1 chopped onion 
2 finely chopped garlic cloves 
200g thin macaroni 
1 tablespoon olive oil 

Your favourite mushrooms can also be added

Wish me luck.


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## Wilberforce (Nov 19, 2016)

Hi Blondieboomer, great to see you interested. I find it is a fascinating sort of culinary hobby albeit a bit challenging. The Bridies will freeze as any other meat pie would. I do mostly  tend to freeze pies unbaked though ,defrost overnight in the fridge and bake the next day  but they will definitely freeze.

Would you let me know how you get on if you make them.

To anyone who is looking up a stovie recipe let me say there are loads of variations and mine is even more different as I don't cook it a pot on the stove top which is were it gets it's name from.  I do it like this, my husband used to call it Yorkshire stovies.


Take 4 very large russet potatoes and cut them into cubes.

2 large onions chopped small

about 1/4 tin of corned beef crumbled, you can use more but I make this as a side dish not a main and we like it this way

Pop it all into a casserole dish , use one that is big enough but not so big that the contents are spread out. I use a small deep one so it is about 3-4 inches deep with  stuff .If it is spread too thin it will brown and I don't want that.

Add salt to taste and also white pepper, this is one dish I am a bit heavy with the pepper on.

Add a little water, not a lot as moisture will come out of the veggies.

Cook it about 325..check a few times to see that it is not drying out and give it a stir at the same time. It is done when the onions are all soft and the moisture is all gone.

What you are trying to end up with is a sort of lumpy mash so all the moisture will be evaporated. Don't mash it. There will be some potato that had completely broken down and some still in soft lumps, taste and adjust the salt and pepper and that is it.
Of curse you can make your own variation and add whatever cooked meats or veggies you like, just be easy on the water.

Originally it was made on Mondays after the Sunday dinner and whatever meat was left over went in the pot along with any drippings on the meat plate

I like the potato/onion ratio as above but you can change that to suit yourself.


Radish Rose . Hi and good luck, that is a lovely sounding soup. it would be great with some Scottish Baps alongside it. Lots of recipes for them on the net. just very soft  floury bread rolls.

 The Aberdeen Rowies I mentioned above  are very fatty, much like flaky pastry but they have yeast, sort of like a croissant but square and perhaps not quite so light. My husband used to tell me he got them at 5am straight from the baker in Aberdeen  and ate them warm with his favorite jelly on.  He always used apple on Rowies and Bramble ( wild blackberry) on bread  or scones. Being Yorkshire I would put strawberry jam and cream in my scones..oh oh, and yes there is a Yorkshire Day!!!!

He is permanently hospitalized now but he will still get his Scottish favorites on St Andrews day.


As there are so many recipes already online I  haven't typed any but if anyone wants exactly what I do please ask and of course I will post them

Thank you for joining in and I hope it all goes well.

I always find it strange that so many folks celebrate St Patricks day for Ireland but don't bother so much with St Georges for England, St Andrews for Scotland and St David for Wales. I enjoy doing all 4. and I will post as they come up.

XX Jeannine


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