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Traditional Brummie Food

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There is an ancient brass fork hanging from the mantelpiece here. The fireplace is what is known as a Devon style. i.e. built of brick rather than tiled.
 
Alan,

Like many members, we had the old style black lead iron fireplace until the late 1950s when we had it replaced by the, then in fashion, filed job, but still retaining the open fire. By 1961, I'd moved south to Dorset and in 1966, my widowed mother re-married & with her new husband she moved to Dorset the following year. Here in Crete we have the usual iron wood-burning stove, which has never been lit because we have central heating! Toast is usually done under the electric grill because there is no piped gas on Crete. Not the same though as instead of a crispy outside face and a soft inside, the whole slice becomes crispy as it is a much slower process.

Maurice
 
Sunday roast at my Nan's in Harborne was always preceded by a cup of cabbage water and followed by a bit of dippy bread, if we were good.
. Tea was often Toast and dripping, scrumptious and if I was unlucky I got the Wimbush carroway seed cake, the one shaped like a loaf, no comment. Tonight for tea we are having pikelets, they do not know what those are in Devon either.

Bob
 
sospiri said:
Alan,

Like many members, we had the old style black lead iron fireplace until the late 1950s when we had it replaced by the, then in fashion, filed job, but still retaining the open fire. By 1961, I'd moved south to Dorset and in 1966, my widowed mother re-married & with her new husband she moved to Dorset the following year. Here in Crete we have the usual iron wood-burning stove, which has never been lit because we have central heating! Toast is usually done under the electric grill because there is no piped gas on Crete. Not the same though as instead of a crispy outside face and a soft inside, the whole slice becomes crispy as it is a much slower process.

Maurice
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I suspect there are many places in the UK without mains gas Maurice. Kingswear in Devon is one place.
 
sospiri said:
Yes, Alan, an open fire gives the toast a special sort of flavour. I remember my father making a toasting fork from the binding wire (before the advent of today's plastic strapping) that he put around the packing cases for pen nibs & accessories that was his job to make. We had that toasting fork until we left Brum in the early 1960s, and it did an excellent job. It was about six inches longer than the bought ones, so however fierce the fire, you never got your hands burned.

Maurice
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OOOh yes I can still remember the smell and taste of toast done on the toasting fork in front of our open fire.
Wendy
 
No one ever ate bubble an squeak ?, one of my pop's favorite things and still to this day but complains about the price as I under stand they are hard to find "Jellied Eels" not for me I'll take the Cockles, every Saturday night mom would make a sandwich of Mussels with pepper and vinegar we would eat during match of the day, another one brains on toast again not for me, how about kidney and chips or just plain egg and chips, Kippers with bread and butter.
 
Some supermarkets sell bubble & squeak. But of course it was a meal made from left overs.
There are a few packets from different manufacturers, of Jack the Rippers, but some are better than others. Some are correctly smoked and are best, others, which can 'repeat' on you, are artificially smoked as far as I know an do not have the better taste.
 
wendylee said:
OOOh yes I can still remember the smell and taste of toast done on the toasting fork in front of our open fire.
Wendy
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Roasting spuds on the open fire, in the ashes, with best Danish butter!!!! on a cold, dark dank, winter night, No bloody central heating those days. Close the doors and put your woollies on BURRRRR!!! Of course, turn up the wireless and listen to the Armed Forces network and all the big bands from the USA!!! Did we have fun then, YOU BET Happy times
 
Robert Ensor (bob) said:
Alan alas I live in America and have for 40 years so there are no frozen packs of bubble and squeak here, in fact when I want a little fun I will ask some one if they enjoy spotted d##k, the one thing I miss more than most is a pork pie and me mum's chips.
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In Parker, Colorado USA that I have in now for 40 years lived there, we have several English shops that do sell Pork pies Sausages Wheatabix etc, a bit pricey but well worth it once in a while
 
oldbrit said:
In Parker, Colorado USA that I have in now for 40 years lived there, we have several English shops that do sell Pork pies Sausages Wheatabix etc, a bit pricey but well worth it once in a while
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We have one here (Sarasota FL) its called Scotts corner same problem a little pricey, but the pork pies are not nice alas, there is a English guy in New York who makes great pies and ships.
 
oldbrit said:
In Parker, Colorado USA that I have in now for 40 years lived there, we have several English shops that do sell Pork pies Sausages Wheatabix etc, a bit pricey but well worth it once in a while
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My mom was a pastry cook at IMI and she made steamed spotted thingamejig and it was delicious. She also made it with sultanas but not sure what that one was called. I loved it with treacle the best. I hate sweet things these days though. I still cook bubble and squeak the traditional way.
 
sospiri said:
Well it was about 20s ago that I last went down to Affpuddle and watched them harvesting watercress, Pete, great stuff though.

Maurice
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I fondly remember mum serving watercress in a salad when we were kids and I loved the peppery taste, have trouble finding it in the shops here and if I do it costs an arm and a leg so I have tried a few times growing it without much success but at the moment I have a pot of it growing quite well , cant wait to have enough to eat :)
 
When in Brum, well Clent it is close, last year I made a remark to my niece Donna that I missed the Sunday meals at Grandmas. Roast beef with all the trimmings, so she surprised me with this. Lots of fond memories eating that lot.20150920_184436.jpg
 
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Robert Ensor (bob) said:
We have one here (Sarasota FL) its called Scotts corner same problem a little pricey, but the pork pies are not nice alas, there is a English guy in New York who makes great pies and ships.
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Yes you can get pork pies here in Australia but they are not the same as a good british pork pie. In fact when mum and dad came to visit years ago dad tried one, he was not happy he fed it to the seagulls:laughing:
 
wendylee said:
I fondly remember mum serving watercress in a salad when we were kids and I loved the peppery taste, have trouble finding it in the shops here and if I do it costs an arm and a leg so I have tried a few times growing it without much success but at the moment I have a pot of it growing quite well , cant wait to have enough to eat :)
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My Granddad in Smethwick, grew watercress in a wooden box on the window sell, also grew horseradish in the garden. Had an allotment also that he grew all the veggies in no canned stuff those days. Spent hours shelling the bloody peas!!
 
Wendylee,

Yes, watercress is one thing I can't get here in Crete - only three small rivers in the whole darn island! I have seen the umpteen videos on YouTube about growing the stuff and am tempted to have a go. I hope it turns out well for you as watercress is a great source of iron, and it would get me off these iron supplements!

Watercress with fresh bread and butter, or else as watercress soup - you can't beat either.

Love fresh parsnips too, but we only see them here during the two weeks before Christmas. Tried growing them, but no luck - they just end up dumpy little things.

Maurice
 
oldbrit said:
My Granddad in Smethwick, grew watercress in a wooden box on the window sell, also grew horseradish in the garden. Had an allotment also that he grew all the veggies in no canned stuff those days. Spent hours shelling the bloody peas!!
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Thats so true, my dad always had a great veggie patch, my sisters and I loved shelling peas for sunday dinner, ate a lot on the way though haha
 
sospiri said:
Wendylee,

Yes, watercress is one thing I can't get here in Crete - only three small rivers in the whole darn island! I have seen the umpteen videos on YouTube about growing the stuff and am tempted to have a go. I hope it turns out well for you as watercress is a great source of iron, and it would get me off these iron supplements!

Watercress with fresh bread and butter, or else as watercress soup - you can't beat either.

Love fresh parsnips too, but we only see them here during the two weeks before Christmas. Tried growing them, but no luck - they just end up dumpy little things.

Maurice
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No, Maurice I have tried growing parsnips too but no luck. I use them in my split pea and ham soup , they are a bit pricey here, usually around $10 a kilo, for goodness sake they are just a root veg.
I am trying to grow watercress in a pot and its going ok, I keep it in a small container in water and top it up regularly , changing it frequently, will let you know how it goes.
Wendy
 
Do they still have the allotments? My Granddad and uncle both had allotments, great places to grow and talk and swap goodies.
 
Robert Ensor (bob) said:
We have one here (Sarasota FL) its called Scotts corner same problem a little pricey, but the pork pies are not nice alas, there is a English guy in New York who makes great pies and ships.
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Bob, why not try making your own pork pies? Using Paul Hollywood's recipe I have successfully made lots, including putting the all important jelly in. As good as shop bought pies and more satisfying knowing they're home made.
 
Most supermarkets and stores sell 'pork pies' that are silly small ones, little port mainly pastry! Some of the larger ones are better but cheap ones omit the 'jelly' that keeps the meat from drying out into the pastry.
A good pork pie is one that is styled Melton Mowbray. (Leicestershire for those outside the UK ;) ).
Traditionally Melton Mowbray is the 'home; of pork pies and it is a tradition there (maybe it has waned in recent times) that Christmas breakfast consisted of a good pork pie.
As far as Birmingham is concerned then Palethorpe was a Birmingham founded company:

Palethorpes - Graces Guide

www.gracesguide.co.uk www.gracesguide.co.uk
Marsh & Baxter had a large input in the city's life:

Marsh & Baxters, Castle Bromwich

Does anyone have any memories or recollections of Marsh & Baxters, the meat processing factory, in Chester Road, Castle Bromwich? My parents (Vincent Oldham & Maureen Moore) worked there around 1962-64. It was managed by a Mr Stansfield and the Health & Hygiene Officer was a Mr Knight. Other...
birminghamhistory.co.uk birminghamhistory.co.uk
Bywaters was another famous name:

Bywaters

Great photo of your Dad, Derek!!
birminghamhistory.co.uk birminghamhistory.co.uk

It does seem that the Midlands was well placed for pork products.
 
Toad in the hole? Mom fixed. My relatives in the USA sent over Yank pancake mix that was good. Do they still have the pancake races on Shrove Tuesday?
 
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