To him, a toast - not with
Showing posts with label Devon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Devon. Show all posts
Saturday, October 21, 2017
It's Coleridge's Birthday!
Today is Samuel Taylor Coleridge 's birthday, born in the romantic and dairy rich shire of Devon in Southwestern in England. What would he have eaten for his big day? Pasties, buttery and flaky pastries filled with beef, pork and possibly chicken. Maybe a slice of the fish intense Stargazey Pie , with the little heads of pilchards. It would have been washed down with a delicious cup of scrumpy - a strong, slightly carbonated cider made from the county's famed apples. He may have finished with a Dittisham plum tart smothered with clotted cream.
To him, a toast - not withscrumpy but with a modern American treat - the German chocolate cupcake!
To him, a toast - not with
Friday, October 21, 2016
Happy Birthday Coleridge!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO SAMUEL TAYLOR COLERIDGE!
It's not a Devon cream tea with scones and jams and good English tea!
Yet this is how we celebrate birthdays nowadays across the sea!
It is good chocolate cake!
I did not bake!
But it's yummy and tasty, a real treat for you and me!
Monday, October 21, 2013
A Perfect Coleridge Tea
Today is Samuel Taylor Coleridge's birthday and just like any Englishman of his time (and of today) he appreciated a good tea.He was born and raised in Devon , England ,a shire known for its' dairy and jams. It was good then and now is amazing, true British locavore treats and dishes that can sustain anyone, be it poet or just foodie.
Devonshire is known for one of England's greatest contributions to high tea, clotted cream. Originally , introduced to ancient Britannia by the Phoenicians trading with the locals around what's now present day Torquay this variation of yogurt is essentially a thick cream steamed and then left in pans toook slowly.it separates during this and the top is full of clouts or clots. Devon locals have it smeared on scones , with a dollop of jam to add to the decadence.Of course teas also have fairy cakes or cupcakes as well as shortbread cookies and miniature tarts.
Coleridge probably would have preferred his county's scrumpy, the tangy apple cider and a pasty, however he also would have appreciated savory.sandwiches too.These usually involve some form of seafood, usually a shrimp paste or baby prawns with mayonaisse on thin slices of white bread.A curry chicken salad is also served, on raisin bread but it could also be spread on plain scones,As far as teas, most serve the mild but flavorful Earl Grey as well as the exotic Darjeeling and Assam teas -a nod to Britain's colonial past;
Samuel Taylor Coleridge probably had enjoyed many a traditional Devon cream tea.He would feel right at home, today on his birthday, savoring a modern one. The recipes haven;t changed in two hundred years. They are still delicious now as they were then
Devonshire is known for one of England's greatest contributions to high tea, clotted cream. Originally , introduced to ancient Britannia by the Phoenicians trading with the locals around what's now present day Torquay this variation of yogurt is essentially a thick cream steamed and then left in pans toook slowly.it separates during this and the top is full of clouts or clots. Devon locals have it smeared on scones , with a dollop of jam to add to the decadence.Of course teas also have fairy cakes or cupcakes as well as shortbread cookies and miniature tarts.
Coleridge probably would have preferred his county's scrumpy, the tangy apple cider and a pasty, however he also would have appreciated savory.sandwiches too.These usually involve some form of seafood, usually a shrimp paste or baby prawns with mayonaisse on thin slices of white bread.A curry chicken salad is also served, on raisin bread but it could also be spread on plain scones,As far as teas, most serve the mild but flavorful Earl Grey as well as the exotic Darjeeling and Assam teas -a nod to Britain's colonial past;
Samuel Taylor Coleridge probably had enjoyed many a traditional Devon cream tea.He would feel right at home, today on his birthday, savoring a modern one. The recipes haven;t changed in two hundred years. They are still delicious now as they were then
Friday, October 21, 2011
Coleridge's Devon
Devonshire cooking hasn't changed much since its' literary son, Samuel Taylor Coleridge was born there on this date (as am I however not in beautiful Devon however) in 1772. The food reflects both the land and the sea, the farms and the arbors that make up one of England's most loveliest and varied counties. It is full of fresh seafood as well as beef and lamb. Greenery also plays an important part of the cuisine , with berries and dandelions being part of the diet and landscape.
One dish that the young poet would have feasted on is blackbird pie. Yes, that blackbird pie from the famed children's rhyme. This involves plucking and boning the little birds and then placing them neatly in a pie shell along with bacon , liver, onions and mushrooms. The dish is no longer made (unless by those wishing to recreate 18th Century cookery.). Devon was also known for its' classic skylark recipe, which basically is plucking and then roasting the buttered birds over a spit and then serving them on buttered toast. For the more faint hearted there is also a rabbit stew that is more to contemporary tastes along with a mutton pie that could easily work as a dinner or even a Sunday lunch. Devon cuisine featured the sea as well. , considering it is sandwiched between the Atlantic Ocean and the English Channel. Coleridge probably enjoyed a few eel pies as well as homemade fishcakes too during his childhood there.
Devonshire is also known for its' greenery and fruits. Dandelion wine is one of the favorite homemade drinks. It involved fermenting the greens with raisins, brown sugar and yeast along with lemons. Another is apple cider as well as a gooseberry wine both being very easy to make, These were probably served as were traditional punches during the holidays and the young poet probably imbibed , relishing the headiness of these home made brews. Devon is also the birthplace of clotted cream, that English classic that goes well with everything from fruit to fresh baked scones. Devon is also know fo r its' walnut cake and Somerset pound, a lemon cake made with sultana raisins. There is also a local sponge cake recipe consisting of just eggs, flour and sugartoo
Samuel Taylor Coleridge probably was inspired by the land and seascapes about him. Hopefully he enjoyed them as he enjoyed roasted skylark or mutton pie, washed down with good Devonshire cider, homemade dandeline or green gooseberry wine. He not only fed his soul but also himself with classic and traditionals western English food.
One dish that the young poet would have feasted on is blackbird pie. Yes, that blackbird pie from the famed children's rhyme. This involves plucking and boning the little birds and then placing them neatly in a pie shell along with bacon , liver, onions and mushrooms. The dish is no longer made (unless by those wishing to recreate 18th Century cookery.). Devon was also known for its' classic skylark recipe, which basically is plucking and then roasting the buttered birds over a spit and then serving them on buttered toast. For the more faint hearted there is also a rabbit stew that is more to contemporary tastes along with a mutton pie that could easily work as a dinner or even a Sunday lunch. Devon cuisine featured the sea as well. , considering it is sandwiched between the Atlantic Ocean and the English Channel. Coleridge probably enjoyed a few eel pies as well as homemade fishcakes too during his childhood there.
Devonshire is also known for its' greenery and fruits. Dandelion wine is one of the favorite homemade drinks. It involved fermenting the greens with raisins, brown sugar and yeast along with lemons. Another is apple cider as well as a gooseberry wine both being very easy to make, These were probably served as were traditional punches during the holidays and the young poet probably imbibed , relishing the headiness of these home made brews. Devon is also the birthplace of clotted cream, that English classic that goes well with everything from fruit to fresh baked scones. Devon is also know fo r its' walnut cake and Somerset pound, a lemon cake made with sultana raisins. There is also a local sponge cake recipe consisting of just eggs, flour and sugartoo
Samuel Taylor Coleridge probably was inspired by the land and seascapes about him. Hopefully he enjoyed them as he enjoyed roasted skylark or mutton pie, washed down with good Devonshire cider, homemade dandeline or green gooseberry wine. He not only fed his soul but also himself with classic and traditionals western English food.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Devonshire Specialties
Today is Samuel Taylor Coleridge's birthday (and mine as well. ) To honor one of my favorite poets and shared birthday mates I'd like to explore Devonshire cooking. Devon was the shire where Coleridge was born on this date in 1772. Devon is a wonderful place with the English Channel to the south and the Irish Sea to the North.One of its other towns is Torquay , the town wheret he TV show "Fawlty Towers" was set. However it's also known for its' good food and organic farms.Its' menu takes from its' beautiful farmland.
One of the county's most famous foods is clotted cream.This is actually a variation of yogurt first brought to the UK by Phoenician traders around the time of Christ. Another explanation is that it was used as a way of preserving milk in the 1500's. Now it is made of standing unpasteurized milk that is left to set in a shallow pan. The cream that rises to the top thickens or becomes clotted.It's spread over scones and is one of the prime foods in an English "cream tea". Devon is also known for its' cheese and wonderful cider called scrumpy. The area has lush farms and a temperate climate so it's perfect for growing all sort s of fruits such as apples and vegetables like carrot s and turnips.
Devon is also hosting a food festival this month as well. There are several activities going on as well as restuarants that offering a tast e of Devon' abundant homegrown produce. Visitors can try some organic beef burgers as well as sides of beef , and lamb. Some events will feature the area's special cider sand apple wines.
Devon is just as beautiful as it was in Coleridge's time. There are still farms and dairies that offer the best of British cooking. STC would feel right at home today with a glass of scrumpy and a plate of fresh baked scones topped with clotted cream!
One of the county's most famous foods is clotted cream.This is actually a variation of yogurt first brought to the UK by Phoenician traders around the time of Christ. Another explanation is that it was used as a way of preserving milk in the 1500's. Now it is made of standing unpasteurized milk that is left to set in a shallow pan. The cream that rises to the top thickens or becomes clotted.It's spread over scones and is one of the prime foods in an English "cream tea". Devon is also known for its' cheese and wonderful cider called scrumpy. The area has lush farms and a temperate climate so it's perfect for growing all sort s of fruits such as apples and vegetables like carrot s and turnips.
Devon is also hosting a food festival this month as well. There are several activities going on as well as restuarants that offering a tast e of Devon' abundant homegrown produce. Visitors can try some organic beef burgers as well as sides of beef , and lamb. Some events will feature the area's special cider sand apple wines.
Devon is just as beautiful as it was in Coleridge's time. There are still farms and dairies that offer the best of British cooking. STC would feel right at home today with a glass of scrumpy and a plate of fresh baked scones topped with clotted cream!
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