Hi - I am new at this gastronomic disaster site - may I join you?
I was in traction for 3 months at the grand old age of 18 after a motor bike accident but I was lucky enough to be in a hospital where the food was edible, particularly breakfast.
I returned this year for a 1/2 knee replacement to find that breakfast is now cold - ie a bread roll, butter pat and portion of jam, cereal and juice. I would be interested to see your breakfast one day????
Just the same as yours. I get my own muesli brought in as All Bran, Cornflakes or Weetabix don't float my boat. Then it's paper thin toast with sunflower spread and jam. How I long for an egg or a bacon sandwich.
Well TM, tonights offerrings look slightly, and I mean very slightly, more appetising than last weeks BUT the cottage pie looks hideous! It is drowned! And WHY serve a dollop of mash with it???? Cottage Pie HAS mash on top! Well, the ones I make do have!
I presume this is upside down cottage pie. The mash is at the bottom and the gravy is at the top. It does, however, appear to be a bit deficient in the meat division - apologies to Peter Cooke and Dudley Moore.
Woolton pie, at first known as Lord Woolton pie, was an adaptable dish of vegetables, created at the Savoy Hotel in London by its then Maitre Chef de Cuisine, Francis Latry. It was one of a number of recipes commended to the British public by the Ministry of Food during the Second World War to enable a nutritional diet to be maintained despite shortages and rationing of many types of food, especially meat.
It was named after Frederick Marquis, 1st Lord Woolton (1883-1964), who became Minister of Food in 1940. The recipe involved dicing and cooking potatoes (or parsnips), cauliflower, swede, carrots and, possibly, turnip. Rolled oats and chopped spring onions were added to the thickened vegetable water which was poured over the vegetables themselves. The dish was topped with potato pastry and grated cheese and served with brown gravy. The recipe could be adapted to reflect the availability and seasonality of ingredients.
Woolton pie, entirely lacking meat, was not universally well received. An editorial in The Times commented:
“When Woolton pie was being forced on somewhat reluctant tables, Lord Woolton performed a valuable service by submitting to the flashlight camera at public luncheons while eating, with every sign of enjoyment, the dish named after him.”
Professor John Fuller has noted that Woolton pie and similar wartime austerity dishes "were forgotten as quickly as possible when conditions returned to normal".
Traction Man, I think it's time we started looking for religious and iconic images in your hospital food - you know, like the ones you see on the net: Mother Teresa in a cinnamon roll, Jesus on a potato crisp, Mary on toast etc. I searched for Princess Diana in today's custard, and Elvis in the cottage pie but I guess I'm not hallucinating yet - you might be soon though. I will email you a photo I have of my dead budgie "appearing" in a glass of beetroot juice if you want to get a new competition started
In the cottage pie part I can discern the face of either Asterix, albeit with a square nose the colour of a carrot; or maybe it is just a hospital clown appearing as Asterix. Who turned fifty a few days back. HAve you had a visit yet by an hospital clown? Did he or she bring you any foodstuffs? Best wishes, and three cheers for the panino chef. Barbara
Hi - I am new at this gastronomic disaster site - may I join you?
ReplyDeleteI was in traction for 3 months at the grand old age of 18 after a motor bike accident but I was lucky enough to be in a hospital where the food was edible, particularly breakfast.
I returned this year for a 1/2 knee replacement to find that breakfast is now cold - ie a bread roll, butter pat and portion of jam, cereal and juice. I would be interested to see your breakfast one day????
Just the same as yours. I get my own muesli brought in as All Bran, Cornflakes or Weetabix don't float my boat. Then it's paper thin toast with sunflower spread and jam. How I long for an egg or a bacon sandwich.
ReplyDeleteWell TM, tonights offerrings look slightly, and I mean very slightly, more appetising than last weeks BUT the cottage pie looks hideous! It is drowned! And WHY serve a dollop of mash with it???? Cottage Pie HAS mash on top! Well, the ones I make do have!
ReplyDeleteEnusre for supper?
I have feasted on Bourbon biscuits tonight. The peak of culinary excellence.
ReplyDeleteI presume this is upside down cottage pie. The mash is at the bottom and the gravy is at the top. It does, however, appear to be a bit deficient in the meat division - apologies to Peter Cooke and Dudley Moore.
ReplyDeleteI looked really hard but I couldn't find any meat in there at all.
ReplyDeleteAn interesting concept - the meatless cottage pie. Hovel pie?
ReplyDeleteWoolton pie, at first known as Lord Woolton pie, was an adaptable dish of vegetables, created at the Savoy Hotel in London by its then Maitre Chef de Cuisine, Francis Latry. It was one of a number of recipes commended to the British public by the Ministry of Food during the Second World War to enable a nutritional diet to be maintained despite shortages and rationing of many types of food, especially meat.
ReplyDeleteIt was named after Frederick Marquis, 1st Lord Woolton (1883-1964), who became Minister of Food in 1940. The recipe involved dicing and cooking potatoes (or parsnips), cauliflower, swede, carrots and, possibly, turnip. Rolled oats and chopped spring onions were added to the thickened vegetable water which was poured over the vegetables themselves. The dish was topped with potato pastry and grated cheese and served with brown gravy. The recipe could be adapted to reflect the availability and seasonality of ingredients.
Woolton pie, entirely lacking meat, was not universally well received. An editorial in The Times commented:
“When Woolton pie was being forced on somewhat reluctant tables, Lord Woolton performed a valuable service by submitting to the flashlight camera at public luncheons while eating, with every sign of enjoyment, the dish named after him.”
Professor John Fuller has noted that Woolton pie and similar wartime austerity dishes "were forgotten as quickly as possible when conditions returned to normal".
(Thank you, Wikipedia)
Traction Man, I think it's time we started looking for religious and iconic images in your hospital food - you know, like the ones you see on the net: Mother Teresa in a cinnamon roll, Jesus on a potato crisp, Mary on toast etc. I searched for Princess Diana in today's custard, and Elvis in the cottage pie but I guess I'm not hallucinating yet - you might be soon though. I will email you a photo I have of my dead budgie "appearing" in a glass of beetroot juice if you want to get a new competition started
ReplyDeleteIn the cottage pie part I can discern the face of either Asterix, albeit with a square nose the colour of a carrot; or maybe it is just a hospital clown appearing as Asterix. Who turned fifty a few days back. HAve you had a visit yet by an hospital clown? Did he or she bring you any foodstuffs?
ReplyDeleteBest wishes, and three cheers for the panino chef.
Barbara
I think the hospital clown was busy in the operating theatre!
ReplyDeleteThe dishes are indeed minging... I must be losing it... I can see Asterix too...
ReplyDeletethe cottage pie looks like a bell boy. Mickey Rooney?
ReplyDeleteThe sponge looks like foam rubber. I could use some of that to re-stuff my sofa.
ReplyDelete