Howdy from Texas, Man, your definition of 'scrote' fits me to a tee! It's the same thing we in Texas call an "ornery ol' cuss". I work with quite a few English and Scots at my company (Baker Hughes, Inc., and oilfield services company), and have come to truly appreciate the sense of humor that you folks have, as well as having picked up on a lot of the Anglo-Scot-Slang. I was totally converted to only drinking Guinness Extra Stout by my former Scottish boss. After having tasted Guinness, no other beer will do. One thing, though, is that I've also been around a few Aussies, as well, and thus prefer Vegemite over Marmite. But Veg is hard to get here, so I soldier on with Marmite. Not the there's ALL that much difference in them.... I love your English Food webpages! Bubble & Squeak and Bangers & Mash are right up my alley! Cheers! Dave Hughes, Richmond, Texas, 4th June 2004

g'day from down under. thought you mite be interested to know that in NSW some people call toad in the hole a fried egg fried in a slice of bread with the middle removed, great on a BBQ as the egg does not run everywhere on the BBQ plate, the round centre of the bread is fried also. I was born in Nottingham and used to luv the english toad when I was a lad but the Aussie version is great also, it is great with bacon for brekky cooked in a frying pan. Your site is a tresure i can now feed me Aussie wife fair dinkum english tucker. Best wishes Johnny Frost Tuncurry NSW Australia. 2nd June 2004

i need a recipe for traditional pie & mash please kim cook, 24th May 2004

Hiya Scrote I've only just found your site (and bookmarked it) and am only on the 'Ingredients' page so far, but I just wanted to say what a bloomin' eye opener it is! I know things contain additives, but until someone actually tells you WHAT is put into some things, (grated turnip etc in the horseradis sauce) it certainly puts you off them! Anyway - Just to say I'm really enjoying the site, am looking forward to reading the recipes, and I've already forwarded it on to my mates!! Jayne Bailey xx, 23rd May 2004

I've just found out that a gill is equal to a quarter of a pint. I hope that helps to shed some light on your more ancient recipes! I think your site is a cracker. Are you adding any more stuff to it? Regards, Chris Richards, 20th April 2004

At last a site with real food and a real sense of humour. (I didn't know that I had written one I must have a doppleganger) Seriously though thanks for all the work put into helping me remember my childhood. Yes Rationing etc. David Jellyman, 14th April 2004

I always wanted to know what "Bangers & Mash" was; now, thanks to you, I have to get up off my posterior & make some! Damn!! Actually, I'm quite looking forward to it. Thank you for your help. Budd Moss, Occupied Tennessee, U.S., 13th March 2004

Dear Scrote, it helped to get such a variety of recipe on your site. thank you. stevie bidjoua, 21st January 2004

Eleanor and Ruth, you have a dad to be proud of! This site is wonderful and now has a place on my favourites. When I download winzip I will download site for my 4 children in the hope that they will follow his example. Alison McCarthy, 13th December 2003

Scrote, discussions with the natives in the Dominions reveal an interest in "Spotted Dick" (the desert, not the disease) and possibly Christmas pudding. Could you contact "Mother" (in Dr Evil finger-quotes) and extract said recipes before any mortal coils get sloughed off? The Canadian Heart Foundation is waiting with baited breath. Frere Scrote, Carp (yes really!), Ontario, Canada Dec 12th 2003. PS I too would like a drink section with rants on commercial beers, ciders etc.

Have enjoyed and used your recipes for a long time, especially the Greek ones. Having just recommended it to someone, and checked again after a bit of a break, I am so sorry to see that you no longer have the casual coffe/tea stains on the background. Do put them back! They're part of the atmosphere. Susanna, 11th December 2003

I've just found this site and I will be trying many of the recipes. Better yet, my husband has expressed an interest in cooking and I have put the site address in my favourites, informed him and will now sit back and wait for some delicious food. Any chance of a decent recipe for pie and mash with 'Proper' liquor? Jacqueline Richards, 19th November 2003

What bliss. Good comfort food for a man who lives to eat.
Mr Philip V Hackett, 1st October 2003

Hi just had to put link on my page to your site wonderfull grub, could not find steak and kidney pudding any other place.
Ken Sears, 18th September 2003

Good to see some one who takes food seriously but without pretence. Two tips one economic and one culinary: Buy cast iron pots in France - they have more brands than the dreaded Le Crueset and even these are cheaper. Add a little mustard to cheese sauce for Macaroni Cheese. Peter, 9th September 2003

Greetings Scrote! The wedding cake recipe was great! Now could you help with a preparation for kippers? Everyone here in England seems to have a different way to prepare... yes, I am settling here in England... a long way from Missouri, USA, but wonderful nonetheless :-)) Blessings, Debra Tarana Robinson, 1st September 2003

:) I love this website! I may be only 13 but i love the things in here! Hope this site wun be dead gone after 3 or 4 years.
Mysterious but Cool, 31st July 2003

Most excellent site, just be careful with the Cornish jokes!
Airlie, 9th July 2003

You see - people ought to believe in the power of a local butcher. I'm luck my ones name is Lee. You get, well, real meat, no rubbish, just real meat. It's good to see a site (finally) who understands how to cook. (I found this site looking for something to do with a duck & 1/2 bottle of yesterdays red!)
Alex, 5th July 2003

Hi Scrote - Just in case nobody has told you how the Greeks get very thick Tsatziki, it's drained, either in a fine mesh strainer or cheesecloth in the fridge to allow the extra water to run out of the yogurt.. This can take quite awhile. Nice recipe website. I was there looking for variations on Felafel and Hummus. Bon Appetit! JoanieBlon, 29th June 2003

Love your web-site and have added it to my 'favourites'. Like Denise I too think I must be married to you from your self-description! If Amanda wants the recipe for Gypsy Tart I can supply it. One of the few things I enjoyed from school dinners. Sandra Jeffery, 6th June 2003

Your's is a three star site on my own site's brief and idiosyncratic listing of web places that interest and fascinate me. Thanks for making the world a better place. Patrick Mackie, 28th April 2003

Why can I not find a recipe for proper Bread Pudding. (not bread & butter pudding). You know that stuff that you mix up with soaked bread, dried fruit, mixed spice and suet. I think that I have remembered most of the ingredients but I still need the recipe for quantities and cooking times. Can you help? Caroline Clarke, 12th April 2003
see across to the entry dated 2 April 2006- Scrote

Recipe for an Italian wedding cake, Angela Clarkson, 7th April 2003

just found your site don't see a recipe for pork pie,do you have one having grown up in England and now living in Canada I miss all the REAL food of my childhood love your website will be back often you are on my favourites list although your discription of yourself I think I am married to you!!!!!!!!! Denise, 27th March 2003

Just my sort of food with the same ethics! I shall consult many times. Mary, 20th March 2003

Thanks Scrote. Just added you to my favourites sight for easy access. Patrick Hickey, 20th February 2003

Have you no recipe for Melton Mowbray Pie? I've searched high and low and can't find one, and I am getting desparate. My 81 yr. old mother wants me to make one, which I will if I can find the recipe. HELP! Thanks in advance. Carol Pearce, Pembroke, Ontario, Canada, 20th February 2003

I found your web site the other day while looking for easy recipes to take with me to France for a self-catering holiday. Your cookbook is perfect because you use measurements that work for my American mind - I've never been able to fathom metric. Also, you look and act exactly like my brother. You have a doppleganger in America. I must say your corn-on-the-cob recipe over cooks the corn. True sweet corn, as grown on this side of the Atlantic, shouldn't be cooked more than 20 minutes. But then perhaps you don't get that sort of corn in England. Anyway, thanks for the giggles and the good recipes. A New Fan! 18th february 2003

do you know what a gypsy pie consists of? it is an old school dinner dessert. amanda, 17th February 2003

Scrote my dear, this is absolutely wonderful. I have not had time to read it all but what I have read will get me coming back again and again....as long as it's free...lol lol. Mmikelachef, 13th february 2003

Well, 'Scrote' - what a classic website! Why I have not come across it before, goodness knows! Anyway, that has now been rectified and if you've noticed an increase in visitors it may well be because I have posted a link on our AOL Ask the Cooks board. I hope it brings as much pleasure to our posters and lurkers as it has done to me! Well done! Oozat, 13th February 2003

Have just discovered your website whilst searching for inspiration on the making of sandwiches. I am thoroughly enjoying your wonderful descriptive recipes, having only reached the English section, and am anticipating that the remainder of your site will be just as enjoyable. Thank you - Barbara, 11th February 2003

Happy to have found your site -- I'm looking forward to visiting it often. CK Place, 25th January 2003

you old scrote! tell me, what can i use "epices pommes suatees" for?. i bought this on a day trip to calais and it smelt nice but i do not know what use it has. regards owen, 15th January 2003

My name is Wendy Wilkinson. I am a Girl Scout leader in the US. I have been searching for recipes for traditional English food. Your website has been very helpful. I think I will try Yorkshire Pudding & Fish and Chips. Could you tell me some history of Fish and Chips? We have 14 girls in our troop and they would love to hear anything you would like to share about food traditions in England. Thank you, Wendy Wilkinson, 13th January 2003

In helping my son with a 'foods Harry Potter might eat' assignment I found your site! What fun! I know I'll be back again and again! You're in my favorites list! Tracie from Florida, 13th January 2003

Dear Sir, I sincerely believe that your site contains the answer to peace in the Middle East. How can you hate anyone when you are sitting around a table, sharing marvelous and lovingly prepared food ? And I quote: Great is the Meal which brings together those who are distant from each other. (Sanhedrin.) Sandy, 9th January 2003

I am a teacher of both English language and cooking - in Denmark. I found a goldmine here, a key to English culture. I never realised you had arme riddere too - you only call them poor knights, same recipe, same name. Wow, the world is small. Bente D Eskildsen Tulipanvej 44 1.th 6705 Esbjerg Ø. Danmark, 9th January 2003

THANKS for a most entertaining and informative cooking tome! Drew Vogel, 17th December 2002

beef borguinion (or whatever) got me into this. Thanks so much for making lots of things I've only eaten out and never thought of cooking myself sound easy to cook. Now shall I do it or carry on with the ready mades? george holderness, 17th December 2002

...I can see how popular your web site is and wondered if you have every been contacted by custard crazy people? I am trying to find big fans of custard...or people with wacky custard stories. Do you think you could help me please? ann.huckett@carltontv.co.uk, 18th November 2002

I found your old style recipes exciting and tasty, well done, keep up the good work. Richard Edgeworth, 27th October 2002

Thanks for an earthy artists cookbook. I am happy to leave the scientist's cookbooks to those lacking tastebuds and an imagination. Any fan of Jocasta Innes & Elizabeth David is a friend of mine. Liam, 12th October 2002

First, your site is wonderful! Excellent recipes...but, would you, by any chance, have a recipe for a traditional English Wedding Cake? I am getting married 30 November 2002, my fiance is English, and wishes the traditional cake. Thank you in advance! Blessings, Debra Tarana DTarana@Hotmail.com, 11th October 2002

This is simply the best cookery book, on or off web, I've ever read. Beautiful food, beautiful writing. Cheryl Stonehouse, 1st September 2002

Thank-you for the cookbook ... It has saved me a lot of worrying about amounts of ingredients, and made me more adventurous (without being apprehensive) in my cooking. 'Tis also useful for dumping on a CD-ROM and sending off with the kids when they go to university! I was having a look for vegetarian meals today, as I have a vegetarian guest visiting tonight for a few days, and noticed the recipe for minestrone is listed in the vegetarian section - presumably just to make sure that your readers are awake! Many thanks, Gareth Davies, 1st August 2002

My wife has for years referred to me as an old scrote. I am now very happy to find that I am not alone. Full marks for a website that has been long overdue. Compliments to the author. Alan Liptrot, 23rd July 2002

A co-worker just send me an email of your website...I have to say, you may very well be my hero! Love the name, love the site! Jeff Koelling, 22nd July 2002

Fine site, I shall use it regularly. Andrew Cole, 14th July 2002

I would like recpies from around the usa espically in new jersey for cakes and main dishes and barbacue ribs,plesase help if you can. Diane, 4th July 2002

Wonderful stuff! As 'England' has its own section, could we not have one for Wales? Please? If I ask nicely? Dawn Watton, 11th June 2002

I was looking for a little pot roast recipe, and I stumbled on your site. This is the best, bar none, cooking site I have found on the web. I appreciate all the time and effort you've spent putting it together, even though it is obviously a labor of love. And you're not even trying to capitalize on your writing and cooking prowess by putting ads on your pages! I share your feeling about what "real food" should be and now have a huge chest of cooking ideas to explore. Thanks so much again. Chris Lynch, 7th June 2002

I stumbled across your site and I absolutely love it! Thank you so much for including such wonderful recipes in your book. I have been raised on food from New Zealand and England and it's so great to finally find some of the recipes actually written down. Thanks again, Jen , 11th May 2002

Impressive work I'm a Retired Engineer and your sense of food nutrition appeals to my appitite real Man's / Woman's food. well done, Larry Wright, 3rd May 2002

Dear Scrote, Love Your recipes all good stuff, I have made it into a cook book for my husband, hint, hint. Will look out for more. Best Wishes Mavis. Mavis & Frank, 30th April 2002

Great site Scrote. rant on you crazy diamond Keith, 16th March 2002

I'm a 38 yr old englishman living in Australia. I love your site and reading the recipes. They bring back fond memories of sunday lunch at grandma's house when I was a young boy. Excellent site - Well done. Richard (Rickster) Waters, 5th March 2002

Hi Mr Scrote, I loved your recipes and I shall keep an eye on your stuff. JENNY LEMAN, 28th February 2002

you star! what an amazing site - funny, informative and clear enough even for someone as bad at cooking as me to understand. Wicked. Seb Falk, 20th February 2002

Tip from a Greek! Re:(melitzanosalata)
Dear Scrote, cool website! I've read you've been having trouble with making a melitzanosalata. Well the trick is that the aubergines must be roasted before made into the creammy sallad. Cover each aubergine in kitchen foil and put it in a preheated oven for 30-40 minutes. After its cooked, take the skin off and mash it with a fork or a blender if you have (I haven't), adding garlic, olive oil and some vinegar. A variation is to mix the creamy salad with a few roast and then finelly chopped tomatoes. That's all love tAsos, 19th February 2002

Mr. Scrote, you can write! I'm impressed with your prose and your food tastes. I'm an American and I'm not very adventurous with food, but your site has me interested in English cooking and I might even dare to experiment a bit. Thank you for making it available for download! Sincerely, Robert A. Sloan, 12th February 2002

This site is brilliant. I wish it were in a bound cookbook form because I would buy a copy to keep right next to the stove. A Fan, 12th February 2002

are you me? great site, thanks- bob denton, 30th January 2002

Mr Scrote, I came across your website today as I tried to find out what a Scrote is (old or otherwise) and I notice that your page on English food makes no mention of the Crumble (Apple or otherwise). Isn't that a mistake? Crumble (with or without custard) is the greatest gift Britain has made to humanity - on a par at least with Sussex Pond Pudding (mmm, very nice whether in or out of Sussex). Ian, 30th January 2002

i wisit yoyr gyestbook for the first time to day. I am from Bornholm in Denmark and food- recipies and cooking is my hobby. I spend a lot of time with the inernet to find out hove to cooke in other countries. Your side is a good one and I will come back. If you want danish original recpies please contact me- allso recipies from Bornholm. Bornhom is a small island with only 40.000 people. karin true, 27th January 2002

The bread and butter pudding was a success especially using left-over Christmas Day Brandy Butter. even the gannets at work had a go at it. Neil Bishop, 27th January 2002

Dear Scrote I swear you are me! Goodbye, I must make my authority felt in the kitchen. John Wilson, 16th January 2002

Came across your site while looking for food at www.buffet.co.uk. Great site I will list your site for you also add a link for you at my www.esandwichman.co.uk site as sandwiches i do enjoy.. all the best, awd design, 16th January 2002

Great stuff. Thanks for not having numbers. Tried the american fish chowder. Added clams. Came out beautifully even though I let the milk boil. -S, 15th January 2002

I came across your site while searching for a meat and potato pie recipe. What fun it is to read all the comments and I am looking forward to trying your recipes. I have forwarded you site on the my daughters. I am from Liverpool but now reside in Virginia City near Reno Nevada USA. A great touch of home. I will visit it often. Barbara Fielding, 12th January 2002

Having had my name bandied about on these pages by my father - not to mention the speculation about my cooking skills and general health and well-being from the contributers to this page - I thought I should probably add something to the effect of a testimony to my dad's food. Before the course I was a 7 pound weakling barely able to lift my head let alone cook a three course meal. After 24 years of Scrote's cuisine I am able (just about) to run to the bus-stop and have grown several feet AND I am a pretty good cook (all this and modest too). I have (so far) suffered no apparent ill-effects.
Ruth (daughter of Scrote), 29th December 2001

Nice one Scrote - no Scottish recipes. Here's one - to the tail end of a stew add equal amounts of diced potatoes and chopped onions season well with salt and lots of fresh ground black pepper, add water to 3/4 level of onion-potato mix and cook on low heat until potatoes cooked and slightly mushy - the result Stovies - a Scottish treasure! Jim Brown, 29th December 2001

I can still remember the smell of vegetables and fruit on the day we (my Mom and I) brought them from the market. and the dirt covering them. and the taste. Love your site... Sara, 20th December 2001

Terrific stuff. Good simple food, easy-to-understand recipes with scope for a little inventiveness on the part of the chef. And humourously presented. Entertainment and food - what more can a Scrote fan ask for? Thank you. John & Julie Dalby, 13th December 2001

I'm having a great time reading all these recipes, and can't wait to try some A great site. A fan in the USA, 3rd December 2001

hello i think u should make the recipes more clear...so do it. Elize Cugs, 14th November 2001

Hi I'm pleased to inform you that your site is currently listed in WebGuide, BBCi's guide to the best of the Net. Aside from listing the best sites around, we also promote them through our Site of the Week, Also Recommended and other editorial features. Best Wishes WebGuide BBCi, 9th November 2001

Dear Scrote (Old Scrote, Miserable Scrote, one is a little confused on exact scrote address protocol). Just to say it's a great website and I look forward to reading more on it. Dave Ross, 28th September 2001

What a fantastic offbeat but on-target web-site. more food better food, yum yum. Oli Bailey, 19th September 2001

Dear Old Scrote My husband wanted to know why, all of a sudden, I was a pretty good cook. I explained about this website, and now he drinks a grateful toast to you most nights. Deborah. 16th July 2001

You are a life-saver! I am at school in England and will this year be taking my GCSEs (exams at 16 years old). I will reluctantly (because I am very bad at it) be doing a GCSE in Food Technology. I was searching for recipes and food research on the Internet, and wading my way through countless useless recipes and, more frequently, shopping sites, when I found your site. I found as many recipes as I will need, and many more for my own use (I am a big pasta fan). I am especially grateful as it looks as if I will actually be able to cook these, recipes look extremely complicated everywhere else. So thankyou for your wonderful website! Harry Scarbrough, 4th July 2001

Very interesting! I'm looking for a good LANCASHIRE HOTPOT recipe. Peter Baines, Brazil, 5th August 2001

I was particularly taken with the coffee cup stain on the page background. It's a great site but a pity you don't have student recipes like Wagonwheel toasties (a Burton's Wagonwheel between two slices of bread cooked in a sandwich toaster) or fish finger and baked bean sandwiches :)
Thank you for giving us recipes to beat those (apart from the Wagonwheel toasties which are incredible). I do appreciate good food and I appreciate the effort you put into doing the site. Thanks. (chilling out - having a homebrew) -- Andy Davison, 22nd July 2001

As a fresh foodie and a francophile who can’t boil an egg I reckon this is the best browsing I have found on the web. I will be back but must go now, I’m feeling hungry. Jack Birkin, Tolleshunt d’Arcy, England, 15th July 2001

Nice recipe book. And I think your attitude to this stuff is similar to mine (although you're better than I am! - and I'm a veggie, so I can't appreciate the full range of your recipes). No ads, nice touch. Good site. Jack, 26th June 2001

Hi! First time on the site and looking forward to the wife cooking some of your recipes. Keep it going. Pete Gilbert, Canvey Island, 25th May 2001

What an excellent website. There should be a link to this site in every British Universities freshers welcome pack. Tony Sweeney, 8th April 2001

Looking forward to participating. For now, I need the recipe for stuffado and suggestions for wines to accompany the dish - it is being made with beef rather than rabbit however. Larry Hubbard, 28th December 2000

Hi! very nice site that we use a lot but can you please include some recipes from the Philippines as that's where my wife comes from.
Alan, an Englishman at pineland@tesco.net
Many thanks and a happy Xmas to all Alan & Mercedita Hoare, 21st December 2000

Look forward to educating my taste buds. -- Alan Ferris, 2nd December 2000

You and my father must have been separated at birth. God help your daughters. Jen Andrew, 9th November 2000

Scrote, if your children have inherited your approach to food, the world will be a better place, my son has started at uni and this is just what he needed, someone other than his Dad showing him how to enjoy food. Best wishes, Nick Williams, Potters Bar, England, 22nd October 2000

What a wonderful antidote to all those ghastly TV 'foodie' programmes, and a welcome contrast to a number of websites too. Thanks too for making me smile at the end of a working day. Chris Nichols, 20th October 2000

Good Grief - you sound like my alter ego - even down to the beard, daughters, and cooking with good honest basic ingredients bought locally. Are you sure you are not me? Thanks for some good recipes - I have downloaded the lot, and will be doing the Breast of Lamb I bought this morning as our roast tomorrow. Splendid site - do you have anywhere I can contribute some of my own recipes to? Geoff Percival, 30th September 2000

Bubble and squeak has no meat. it is left over cabbage, potatoes and onion added. fried up golden brown. I am English and we never add meat. thank you for your time. Catherine Kennedy, 13th September 2000

Thanks. I've enjoyed your site and your approach to food. Thanks also for your generosity for sharing your wealth of knowledge with us. I hope to do that some day too. Vivian Wong, 25th July 2000

Excellent site. Being one of the 'Expats' of the world marooned in a place with foreign food it is great to be able to find a source for recipes of traditional english food that I grew up with and miss. Robert Rigley, 24th July 2000

Good Day Scrote. This site is absolutely wonderful with all these various recipes. This site has helped me with my school project. Thank you Scrote. Bahiyyah Hepburn, 8th July 2000

A quick word to say I like your web site. Here in Tokyo, we have french, Spanish and thousands of Italian restaraunts. We have Belgium restaraunts serving their cloudy beer. Yet I cant find a single English restaraunt. I did a search for one on the internet and it came back with Irish pubs with stupid irish names. Sorry for ranting but I miss good old english food :-) best regards Graham Street, 22nd June 2000

Thanks you have helped me with my project. Melanie Keech. 7th June 2000

I am a writer who has been looking for extensive lists of English cooking for some time now, but this morning I came across your site and was overjoyed to find the wonderful lists of food! I just had to write you and tell you what a wonderful site you have! Thank you! Heidi Robbins, 30th May 2000

Decided to see for myself what all this "Old Scrote" nonsense was about. And who should I see at the top of the guestbook but my man James. Anyway, he's right - Very impressive, and very tasty. I don't know if he'd be able to cook for me otherwise. Can I be your official taster? Hello James, by the way. Anne. x - Anne Austin, 25th April 2000

Fantastic stuff. My Scottish girlfriend Anne has loved all the stuff I've cooked her from your recipes so far. So have I, actually. James Griffin. 27th March 2000

Hello. accord- Jana Durham, 17th March 2000

Great site- One word of note though... The Greek Dish stuffado is traditionally made with Rabbit.. Try it... Soooooperb Ian Quanbrough, 15th March 2000

Scrote, I just want to thank you for your generosity--perhaps uncharacteristic, or are you just misunderstood?--in making your wonderful cookbook available on this wonderful medium. In case you think I am using the word "wonderful" rather a lot here, I rush to assure you I think of myself as female curmudgeon-in-training. And I'm writing a cookbook that has rather more attitude than persnickety "measures." I didn't know I had a role model till I stumbled on you. Sheila Wawanash, Wordmonger 1st March 2000

To Scrote. Hello! My name is UTU and I am from Romania. I like to eat, and I like to cooke. I like specially home patiserie. (sorry if I spell with mistakes) I like, if you want to send me recipes for patiserie food. Thank you, Utu My adress is aporumb@mail.dnt.ro, 27th february 2000

Dear Webmaster: Britannica.com is contacting you because our editors have selected your site as one of the best on the Internet when reviewed for quality, accuracy of content, presentation and usability. ...
... an award, which will tell visitors to your site that Britannica editors have rated one of the most valuable and reliable on the Internet, in the company of an elite group of Web sites. Encyclopaedia Britannica 1st Feb 2000

Deplore the absence of a rambling, partisan discussion about drinking as an essential part of life and eating- Scrote Frere. (Will be thrilled if this does not make it to the page.) 20th November 1999

I needed some ideas for a catering portfolio and this gave them to me. At first I thought that this was only for French (what I was searching for) but then I found the Main Menu and did not need to go anywhere else. Great Page. Thanks Aaron Comollatti. Rockhampton. Australia 11 November 1999

a jolly good cookbook and you gave many favourites of mine. An American friend in Texas has sent me an email asking "how do I make fish and chips". I replied that he should take one fish and chip shop (preferably in northern England) ply generously with coin of the realm ... [or a] clever chap may visit us to be trained in the art. Many thanks Bryan Pain (Pain@bigfoot.com) 24th October 1999

I don't know who Scrote is, but I AM hoping he will reply to this urgent enquiry! I am writing a feature on food fads through English history, and want to try and trace a few of the foodstuffs, meals or condiments that used to be believed to offer health benefits throughout history (whether they actually did or not is fairly irrelevant, because I'm talking about fads) Kind regards and thanks in anticipation - Stephanie Zinser, Feature Writer 30th September 1999

This is a wonderful site. I sent my mother the link and she enjoyed this site more than any joke she has received. Wendy Taitague 18th September 1999

Dear Mr/Mrs, How are you? Can you help me? Because I m attending to English courses in Manchester. I have got one project about English Food. I didn`t find anything about it. Because the people who lives in hear, don`t eat English food. They ate Indian, Spanish, Italian, and other foods. I couldn`t find anything. Iwould like to learn English food name, how do prepare, which vegetables andsouces do use.Can you help me? If you help me, I am very happy. Thanks a lot, PC: I am sory for my bad English. Sevgi Gocuk 9th July 1999

Just want to let you know that I really enjoy reading your recipes. I am a transplanted brit and have been in the us for 30 years. You reminded me of how much i liked the school dinners even though they were basically rubbish disquised as nutrition. The afters were worth the runny mash with the fish in "cream" sauce. Thanks for reminding me of how food should really be considered, as an enjoyable, unpretentious necessity of life that does not have to be boring. VALERIE OBEY 5th April 1999

Re: Old Scrote LOL - ok "miserable old bugger" (I love this!) -- Your site was a complete JOY to visit - not to be missed! My best, Sherilyn 19th January 1999 Cooking Information Center and Recipe Exchange Group http://home.inreach.com/sherilyn/cic.htm

Who is Scrote? great, will surf when sober, Ed. Words later. Ed Batten 24th August 1998

It's not a joke- he really is like that.
Eleanor (daughter of Scrote)

Hi there. Great site thanks! I googled how to bone breast of lamb and got here. very helpful and now I have 2 boned and rolled breasts ready to stuff. I too ate breast of lamb a lot back in the 70's when I was a poor student and it's still one of my favourites, but I've never boned it before. Always used to roast it flat, love all the crispy fat and skin and the succulent meat layered in between. Don't know how I manage to stay a size 8 eating all that fat though! Many thanks, I will look up some other recipes now. Good old fashioned cooking, can't beat it. All the best and keep it going please! Kath Harris, 4th November 2007

I so enjoyed viewing your pages and your style that I added a link to you from my site (www.hub-uk.com) which I very rarely do for anyone these days. David Jenkins , 17th October 2007

Like your site very much and have added you to our links page www.thecookskitchen.com Kind regards Georgina, 4th September 2007

Good old English food....just like Mum used to make...thank you! Susan B, 25th August 2007

Man after my own heart. Christine Ranson Jarrott, 13th August 2007

Dear Scrote, What a great site ! But could you please include a reliable recipe for making real mayonnaise. David, 9th August 2007

I got to your site a long way around, from watching a TV program to looking up the Sticky Toffee Pudding Co and then your link. It is wonderful and I haven't had such a good laugh for a while.. Such memories of growing up in Lancashire. I now live in the states with an American husband and children, so have drifted away from my good old Northern English cooking. Now the kids are gone, I am going to go back to it as my Huggy has some favourites from trios home. Thank you bunches, I am sending your link to all my Brit friends. Maggie Radliff, 25th July 2007

Excellent site. Just reminds me of days long past when food was good and real... Ex. UK now living in Newfoundland and there is still real food here. Good luck Scrote... Baz, 22nd May 2007

After receiving accolades from both the BBC and The Encyclopedia Britannica any comments from me would seem superfluous. However, and I don't do this very often, I would like to express my appreciation of your Cook Book. I have ditched all the others because I find yours to be the best. All the best and lang may your lum reek. Mike Thomason, 6th April 2007

Very enjoyable site. Great recipes, fine instructions. There's a lot to be learned here. However, I believe there is one recipe that pales into insignificance compared to the others: Chop Suey. Where's the oyster sauce? And what about stir-frying all the vegetables separately as they shouldn't adopt each others' flavours. It's essential. Apart from that, I'm full of praise for your efforts and originality. Robert Pullens, 31st March 2007

Great site but what's wrong with kidneys? I love kidneys, and calve's or lamb's liver. Both delicious if properly cooked. Ann Llewellyn, 18th February 2007

Bloody good show, interesting site with real food. Makes a refreshing change. Ian Johnson, 15th February 2007

have recently made your Turd in the Hole and everyone loved it! Havnt managed this successfully before, flat batter, raw sausages all a bit off putting, but yours was very simple and worked well, with everyone stuffed to capacity! Thanks Scrote! Keep up the good work! Donna from Evesham, 3rd February 2007

A great site. Very interesting. I was in search of Liver & Bacon and have found it here. I have to say that from my school days Scrote was slang for scrotum. I am affectionately known by my family as The Old Fart which is just as endearing. The important thing to remember is not to watch the news on TV, listen to it on the radio or read a newspaper. It will help keep the old blood pressure down and enable you to cook and share interesting recipes for years to come. Kepp up the good work. The Old Fart, 30th January 2007

Scrote, This is my first time! I must say, I have missed so much by not finding this site earlier! As an American with a Scottish background, I would like some scottish and irish recipes. Pat O'Hare, 27th January 2007

Scrote, Thankyou for producing a website that's almost free of drivel. Regards from London Ontario. Oli, 23rd January 2007

When making Yorkshire Pudding I heard one of the TV chefs say to add one egg for every ounce of flour. As he was a Yorkshire lad I tried it and believe me it really does work. Just make sure there is plenty of room to allow for a truly spectacular rising. One other tip which adds flavour is to use onion salt instead of just salt. Tony, 8th January 2007

This site is clearly brilliant! Your combination of anecdote, traditional recipe and cookery suggestion ensures every visit is a true delight. keep up the good work of encouraging everyone to remember their local, independant providor, the integrity of truly 'real' food and an unashamed love of traditional British cuisine - not forgetting the international food cultures which have intoewoven themselves into our hearts. Keep up the good work. Traditional Cook, 7th January 2007

Wow! A great site nad not a single chicken ping to be seen. Tony, 6th January 2007

I am an Ex- Pat, now residing in Texas, and I am VERY PROUD of the fact that I am origionally from LIVERPOOL!... Perhaps a little rose colored glasses effect, please forgive, I belong to the era when it was still safe to walk abroad, and everyone was greeted with a cheery Hello!.. and so I remain, for my memories of my beloved Liverpool are sacred and belong to a very sweet, dear and wonderful time, full of colorful characters and humor, the like I will never see again... Thank You Scrote, for keeping alive a genteel, elegant, and wonderful reminder of what I have lost, and yet lives on in my heart... Many Thanks, Susan Stokes, 7th December 2006

Your website is great. Tsatziki tips - though you've probably worked them out already. Aubergine - you have to roast the aubergine first in its skin. Scoop out inside and add that. Cucumber - too watery because what you have to do is slice and salt the cucumber for a while - overnight is good. Then rinse - most of the water will have come out. This is how cucumber is prepared for salads most places on the continent too. Cheers, James Swift, 25th November 2006

nice to see my old favoutites allan, 14th November 2006

Potato, Tomato Onion and Cheese Casserole. All I can say is fabulous. My husband is a big potato eater and thinks this is the best dish he has ever had. Linda Eley, North Bay, Ontario, Canada, 18th October 2006

I am grateful to have found your website on traditional English foods! I think part of coming to another country is learning to appreciate the foods. Many think British food is terrible but I enjoy it. I have English friends and relish in their family traditions when I'm there. I'm so thankful to have found this website. Now when Gail and her children come to visit, I can perhaps make them feel at home by preparing some traditional foods not just from my country but from theirs as well. S Marrama, 13th October 2006

Since taking over the kitchen (as my wife is working full-time and me not) you have, Scrote, saved the day. I use the recipes extensively and invariably to great reception at the table (I am a British citizen living in Australia for over 35 years. Still not naturalised. A fact I am not sure whether to be proud or embarassed about). Thanks for putting the time into the website. Martin Cooper, 24th September 2006

Scrote, How great to find a site dedicated to proper food! I love the presentation of the site - perfectly in keeping with the no-nonsense approach. It's completely refreshing and stubmling across your site has made my day a good one. Many thanks. Rachel, 20th September 2006

Thanks very much for your website. Im living in the Philippines with my Filipina wife Mary who has so far mastered mashed potato and figured out that its unwise to put an aluminium rice-pan in the microwave. My needs are working class Yorkshire and baked alaska isnt one of them so your site is allowing mary to keep her marriage together. Kim Smith, 20th September 2006

Hi Scrote, I think we came from something approximately close in the nether parts of an animal. Herewith my ha'penny worth. Sauces with LAMB: Please add God's gift to humanity, i.e. Mint sauce good REDCURRANT JELLY ABSOLUTE HEAVEN and just (or even more) traditional. Ask for it at any eating establishment, just to ensure that it always stays on the menu. Old Chitterling, 1st September 2006

P.S. I am the founder, chairman, treasurer and secretary of the British Save the Pickled Egg Society. I am now looking for members. Anyone interested? Always ask in your pub - a pint without a Pickled Egg is like sex on your own, OK in its own way but lacking something for the teeth and tongue. (Please use Herbed Malt Vinegar) (For the Pickled Egg, that is, not the sex)

For those interested, mint sauce basically consists of a large amount of finely chopped common-or-garden mint mixed with sugar and vinegar, and has been traditional with roast lamb in England for at least 150 years. (Mint comes in several varieties e.g. spear-mint, pepper-mint, ginger-mint etc- you want the ordinary variety that grows like a weed in gardens.) Mint-sauce seems probably originally an indian chutney, but nowadays is more usually sold in supermarkets as mint-jelly. Same flavour, but less inclined to separate into green sludge.

Hi, Do you have a receipe for bangers and mash? Had this in a London pub and would like to make. Janet, 27th August 2006
er? It's cunningly hidden in the English section under Bangers & mash (with onion gravy)

I am English, Actually half Welsh half Scottish. Don't ask, and yes they are still together. Love your website, but you have neglected a classic part of the English fry up breakfast. that I have introduced to many Yanks. Fried Bread. I know it is obviously simple, although the Americans I know were flabbergasted. But it must surely be worthy of inclusion. BTW, my american son loves Toad in The Hole, as did I when growing up, come to think of I still do. Douglas Johnstone, 24th August 2006

Found this site again five years after I first came across it. Fabulous. Show the likes of Gary Rhodes amd Oliver the way home! Scrote should be a national hero!! Matt, 12th August 2006

Long live the Scrote! You, sir, have saved my grade, my reputation, and probably my life, since I'm quite sure the buggy, batty old Foreign Studies teach would have gnawed my head off had I not come in with a half-decent dish. Do you have any idea how hard it is to find acceptable suet in Texas (or leastways near my house)? They kept trying to pawn off this nasty bluish stuff on me... Anyway, thanks loads. Sincerely, Mag, 7th August 2006

Hello Scrote, I like the drawings on your website, are they your handiwork? I am looking for a recipie for stargazer's pie, I believe that is what it is called. Is there really such a recipie, or am I just a "stargazing " Texan that really enjoyed watching ,"Lavender Ladies?" Hope you can help.....your website is wonderful, Thanks! Delma Danielle DeHoyos, 2nd August 2006
(Stargazey pie is a traditional cornish fish pie, made of pilchards with the heads sticking out of the edge of the pie, hence the name- Scrote)

Dear old Scrote, I thank you for your fine recipe for toad in the hole, yours was the first page that popped up when I googled, and I must say I like your approach. I have a plethora of (mainly second hand) cook books from all eras but none has a TITH recipe - disgraceful! You have a look of the artist Graham Clarke about you, at least if that is your likeness on the web page. Thanks for the toady recipe, anyway - husband will hopefully be v happy with it. Sky (West Midlands), 25th July 2006

I am looking for an old cracker custard by soaking butterd crackers in some kind of sauce. Peggy Daspit, 23rd June 2006

A wonderful site! I remember being a student in the 70's, experimenting with food in many and often toxic ways! Surely all supporters of Scrote should be known as "Scrotees", especially bearded ones! Retainers of Scrote, delicacy insists that I decline to define. Best Wishes Kerry Sullivan, 11th June 2006

Hello, I am looking for a receipe for bubble and squeak. Thanks sallie tibbitt-dicus, 24th May 2006
eh? It's cunningly hidden in the English section under Bubble & squeak

The liver and bacon recipe is excellent - never tried to cook liver before - it worked perfectly - thanks a bunch..... John Lynn, 16th May 2006

Real food!!! I am working my way through the recipes and haven't found any that aren't just perfect. Janet Dodsworth, 15th April 2006

Hello, I enjoy the site, and the recipes, but can't you find an English flag for English food (even if you include garlic, chowder and Scotch eggs)? The Union Jack really won't do any more. We're English, not 'British', and since none of the other 'home' nations like the designation, and since they all spurn the Union flag in favour of their own standards, why shouldn't we? Thank you for excluding Scrotes by the way (Scots; 'Scrote', which is also associated with low character and spite - hence 'nasty little scrote' for teenage tearaways - furnishes a near-exact anagram I am delighted to report irritates the hell out of Scotchmen). A change to have England treated as a subject in her own right without feeling a compulsion to throw the neighbours a bone every third paragraph. Do you update? Sincerely Edward, 15th April 2006

Ah! Scrote, thanks for the reminder about bland school dinners; days of wine and roses indeed. Love the site mate, recipes are okay too, will let all my mates in Arizona know about it, those old scrotes could cook occasionally then too! Jonathan, 7th April 2006

Nice site, but I disagree about not using a steel on knives. A steel isn't for sharpening, it's for honing (realigning the very edge). A quick few strokes on a steel before using a knife hones the edge, and much reduces the need to sharpen it on a stone. Spider, 5th April 2006

Dear jackie, my Nan's bread pudding recipe follows, it should be fairly traditional as she was a London girl who emigrated to Australia in the late 50's, I make this myself when I require comfort food (I lived in London for a decade in the 80's 90's and bought bread pudding when I could find it-I think my Nan's one is better naturally). Even trendy elites in Sydney love the result.

Soak bread for 1 hr (7-10 slices) in water to remove yeast. Pour into sieve and squeeze out water (Important-squeeze out as much water as you can) and leave aside. Into bread, mix 3oz sugar, 2tsp allspice, 1 tsp nutmeg, 4oz mixed fruit, (adjust all to taste) also add zest of lemon and orange. This is important!! Preheat your oven to 180-190Deg C, using the pan you are baking the pudding in melt approx 4 oz of 'dripping'(YES DRIPPING) until it is piping hot and pour (be careful of spitting at this stage) the hot dripping into the bread and spice mixture. With a wooden spoon mix all of this until the dripping is absorbed completely into the mix, (it will absorb don't worry). Lay the mixture out into the pan approx 2" thick and bake for aprox 1.5 hours or longer, you may need to cover the pudding with foil if you feel that it may burn, however it is important to get a crisp chewy caramel almost toffee type of crust with a soft spicy fruity (but cooked-hence the fat not egg) centre. Eat cooled; as with bread the pudding benefits with resting. Serve with custard.

Good luck with it, and be prepared to try several batches. Kind regards, Lloyd, 2nd April 2006 Sydney.
There you are then- Scrote
PS. linguistic note for Americans- 'dripping' is shortening. (Literally, left-over fat after roasting a meat joint.)

Love your site. I have been looking for some good old English recipes for ages and yours are so close (including comments) to the ones I have tried to remember from my Grandmother. Please add plain old Bread Pudding - Bread soaked in water, squeezed, add mixed fruit an egg and spices, etc., can't find my nan's method. Very Best Regards, Jackie, 15th March 2006

Found your site for the first time today. I have bookmarked it and will be visiting often. Thank you. Joe Joyce, 11th March 2006

Enjoy looking at your site & reading the recipes. Another suggestion with the tzatziki is to grate cucumber into a sieve & then sprinkle LIGHTLY with salt. Leave for about 10-15 minutes while the salt draws out excess water. I usually put a clean saucer on top of the cucumber & weight it down which saves on the squeezing a bit. Elaine, 2nd March 2006

Dear Scrote I completely take my hat off to you sir... this is the best recipe set of pages I have ever had the pleasure to enjoy. Your sense of humour and practical approach is simply wonderful. I found this site when I was looking for turd in the hole, and have ideed been serving it up to the family once a week since (it is winter time). I'm in the Basque Country, where real food still prevails, and people have a desire for things only processed by the cook, and not the manufacturer. Mushrooms still have roots, Potatoes come in different sizes, and tomataoes are ugly and taste of something etc. You don't deserve to live in the UK Scrote... not for ingredients anyways... (it may have other benefits) long live real food... may I suggest that you get a forum going so we can share some ideas with you? fond regards Peta Ward, 25th February 2006

Great site - and I can help you on the watery tzatziki. After grating the cucumber, squeeze out the excess liquid using your hands. If I'm feeling particularly fastidious I put on some disposable latex gloves, but usually I don't bother, just scrub well beforehand. I have actually seen an elderly Greek woman doing this. Penny, 24th February 2006

Scrote can you give me a recipe for steak and mushroom pie please, a really simple one for a beginner witih a small family. I only ate this frozed from the supermarket and never had it fresh, so I would like to try it for myself. Naiomi, 1st February 2006

Dear Scroat, I am most sorry to hear you gets lots of spam, i could never get to appreciate this American contribution to my well being. David Turner, 31st January 2006

Hi Scrote, Just browsing and came across your great site added to my favourites and going to try some of your scroty recipes. Steve, 26th January 2006

Hello Scrote, I found your website simply by typing into a Google UK browser, "English Recipes". Now, obviously I’m not English because if I were, I would have just typed "Recipes". Ooookay. Your introduction was hilarious so when I saw the ability to email you, whoever you are, I am. Thanks for the chuckle AND the recipes, and don’t forget to feed the fish. ;) Humorously Yours, Christine (Not from the UK - obviously), 22nd January 2006

Scrotums!! Absolutely brill!!! thanks. I have tried the Yorkshire Pud and it's better than my Dad's. I always thought he was the best, but things have changed. Now I am Numero Uno in my family regarding the Pud. Scrote, mate... Thanks again. I'll be back! Kevin Halsey, 15th December 2005

Scrote, Your cheese pasty recipe is a winner. I did a version with Double Gloucester, Stilton and some spring onions in addition to the onion, and it turned out very nicely indeed. Thanks for creating such a sensible and useful recipe website. Such an achievement deserves praise. Cheers, Liam, 22nd November 2005

My husband was a chef on the Royal Yacht, and I've always been intimidated by his expertise. Thanks to you, I'm now getting comments like, bloody marvelous, and brilliant. thanks soooo very much. Linda Eley, Ontario Canada, 10th November 2005

Great site - but on the 'English' food page you have a Union Flag - please change it to a Cross of Saint George - thanks. Wyvern, 4th November 2005
Certainly not- Scrote.

Dear scrote as a Londoner living in Canada for the last 6 months and being a vegetarian (I love animals I do not like to eat my friends) my girlfriend is Chinese and it was great to find your site now I can introduce her to all the lovely English dishes and use all the new wonderful healthy meat substitutes to make the dishes on your site.. Thanks again God Bless Kenny, 22nd October 2005

first time on this page - looking forward to getting some good old fashioned recipes. Catherine Ness-Hamilton, 11th October 2005

A wonderful testament to how cooking should be - I sent it to my Dad, who loves it too (and decreed, some time ago, that the best measurements to use for cooking were "a smidgen", "a splot" and "a dunshin".) Thanks! Rob Wilkins, 29th September 2005

As an ex Lancashire miner we ate cornish pasties only for some strange reason they were called torpedoes, we also ate sandwiches. mostly spam. and just like the pasty eaters we did,nt eat the crust as it was coal dusted and threw it to one side and watched the mice drag it away george raszler, 28th September 2005

Greetings from America ... I must respond to the entry involving steak sandwiches in which reference to substandard American substitutes ("pathetic" was the choice of words): "Ol’ Scrote" or whoever it was that authored that particular little gem has obviously never experienced the famous Cheese Steak sandwich of Philadelphia. Respectfully An American of British Descent, 20th September 2005
Ouch! OK, the gibe was actually against burgers, but point taken- Scrote.

I would like a recipe for liqour to go with pie and mash. thank you Joan James, 17th September 2005
see below- Scrote.

as a Cornishman Abroad (ie anywhere 'the wrong side' of the Tamar, I'm always interested to hear variations on the theme of the Pasty. Yours are pretty accurate, apart from one small thing - my Granny always used to add a sprinkle of flour to the ingredients before crimping the thing closed. Makes for a juicier meal. (By the way, the reason the crimp of a pasty is - or should be - over to one side is that when tin miners were yafflin' their lunch, they couldn't wash their hands, so they'd hold the pasty by this crimp and dig in, throwing the pleated crust away once done). Looking forward to trying the recipes in rotation, just hope my waistline doesn't expand too much! Cheers m'dear Jem Collins, 14th August 2005

Brilliant site, thank you. Stifado is in fact made with lots of small sweet onions (not just the one), each with a cross cut in its bottom, and cooked under everything else in the pot. P.S. Any chance of some more English pudding recipes? David, 30th July 2005

Hi Scrote,great site. As a Londoner in Cornwall I do miss the pie shops of London. I can make a eels and liquor but cannot get the pastry right for the pies.Any suggestions? Tel, 30th June 2005

Great site! I was wondering if you could help me with a bit of research i'm doing for a project. I am trying to find old 'forgotten' recipes, from Sheffield, Newcastle, Liverpool, Edinburgh/Glasgow, Cardiff & Bristol. If you could spare any help that would be wonderful. jasper.rosenau@gmail.com Jasper Rosenau, 27th June 2005

Re Scrambled Eggs: If you can have a small dish of boneless kipper fillets cut very thinly, as in smoked salmon, just sprinkle a bit in during the early stages of cooking the eggs, otherwise continue as before. Dont do it always, but occasioinally, it beats the real thing! john-stopit, 24th June 2005

I would love to know how to make the liquer that goes with traditional East End pie and mash, is it the same as parsley sauce that goes with fish? Pat Miles, 29th May 2005

No, it isn't. This is probably the most frequently asked question Scrote gets. According to Brian Ford's 'Cockney Cookbook', Pie & Eel shops served "meat pies with mashed potatoes but their real distinction was their hot stewed eels in liquor, a delicate green sauce with parsley. You could have this with the pie too."
Mrs Beeton's original 'Book of Household Management' (1861) also contains a recipe for eels boiled in water, with "a big bunch of parsley". As eels are very gelatinous (hence 'jellied eels'), 'liquor' is probably the leftover liquid from boiling them in the above recipe.

Stopped in for the "Toad in a Hole," stayed for the rest. Thanks for a brilliant site that I will visit often, esp. when I've volunteered to make din-dins. Laurence Hudson, Ottawa, 27th May 2005

Thank you for your straightforward and refreshingly simple recipes! I've been assigned by my 8-year-old to make an "English recipe" for his class as part of their world history assignment, and the hour or so I spent on the Net were wasted until I stumbled upon your site. Your Cheese & Potato Pasty seems just the ticket! Thank you again - Donna in California, 19th May 2005

Good read.Hard t'believe a gill's a forgotten measure. I'm on my umpteenth try at mum's rice puddin' The first was perfect (and easily forgotten) She used your (our) method of measure. Not too much and about two inches from the top etc. donald meikle (limyesq@adelphia.net), 4th May 2005

Can you please supply a nice receipe for cottage pie made with minced-meat John Baxter, 26th April 2005

I would love to know how to make traditional pie and mash and liquor Lara, 25th April 2005

help i need a recipe for a danish dish that has potato,bacon spinach mushrooms and pineapple,,,,,,,,,think its a trad dish that locals call california..pleaseeeeeeeee Laura, 12th April 2005

hello im looking for a danish white cabbage recipe that was cooked normaly at christmas i know that you cook the cabbage and then drain it in a towel and get all the juices out of the cabbage and i also know that there is a lot of cream and butter in it if any one knows E-mail me at:phildan20@hotmail .com please thank you Philip Cardy, 8th April 2005

Came across the site trying to explain the niceties of bubble and squeak and pickled onions to my American wife - I'm from Hampshire - refreshing humour! Thank you! Chris Moyse 49 Arlington Road Woburn, MA 01801, 2nd April 2005

Hi! I love your site! I've noticed that under the Poor Knights section, there was some question what a "gill" was when I moused over the "!", since it isn't explained in the cookbook what the precise measurement is? I did a bit of searching and found this: Gill - A unit of volume or capacity, used in dry and liquid measure, equal to 1/4 of a British Imperial pint (142 milliliters). Hope that helps? But I'm somewhat sure someone else has already written in to let you know, by now! D.K., 23rd March 2005

Hullo Scrote, I'd just wanted to say thanks for the opportunity to look through such recipies! I'd always had an interest in European cooking... or what we in the States refer to as everyday comfort foods. I've made what looked to be very close to Bread Sauce, a few times before, but never realized that there was actually such a thing as I thought I'd made it up entirely on a whim. When I found that it existed on your site, I was beside myself in amazement. :) Thank you for having this site up and I'll be sure to visit often, as its very much been a pleasure reading this. Best Wishes, W Kelly, 23rd March 2005

Hey there Thanks for sharing such recipes ! Just too add to your cookbook, the original (french) name of Pommes Dauphinoises is 'Gratin Dauphinois'. I was born there, so it felt weird to see it on an english site! Cheers Matt, 11th March 2005

Dear Scrote By chance came across your website, have found it delightful. Born and raised in New Zealand, descended from British, Scottish, Irish ancestors (all deceased), have found the recipes on your site so familiar, the food I was brought up on. Thank you, thank you, so nostalgic and comforting, will refer to your site often. Dianne, 11th March 2005

just to say thank you for keeping the old recipes alive it is a shame more chefs do not use them but once again thank you. andrew jordan, 23rd Febrary 2005

Home made bread pudding recipe much appreciated. My gran used to use left over or stale bread and soak in milk - Most of it was guess work - but it always tasted good. I would like to make my own and not sure where to start! Maxine, 6th Febrary 2005

I need ideas for classical french sandwiches open, round and fingerfood i also need accompaniments Rachel Hallissey, 25th January 2005

Hi I am looking for a receipe for Gypsy Tart which my Husband used to have a school in Kent. The only place i know to buy it is at Jempsons in Rye sussex, and I live in Surrey. Could you please help me find a receipe for this I would love to make it for my husband. Thanks Gwen, 12th January 2005
(Scrote says try http://www.hub-uk.com/tallyrecip02/recipe0090.htm)

Am originally from Britain and miss the food. Your site is great and brings back memories. Actually, I was looking for a clever way to make English Swede (turnip root family) vegetable, known in USA as rudebaga. My mother used to cook it, mash it, add salt, pepper and butter. Does anyone out there know of other ways to cook it? It is so good with turkey. Keep up the good work - our oldtime recipes from England are slowly slipping into the sunset unfortunately. Mary Cheatle, California USA, 23rd December 2004

BOILED???? Philistine. I'm an ex-pat Brit in the US. Corn is roasted in the oven. Peel back half the shuck, add butter, seasoning salt and pepper, close back up, wrap in foil if needed, roast for about 20 minutes at 350 degrees. Time varies on breed of corn. Better in a campfire. Thanks for the classic recipes. I actually never knew what Toad-in-the-Hole was. Mike, 15th December 2004

Scrote, I am an American who loves all kinds of food. Here in California, people never would think of cooking anything of British origin. They are simply too pretentious for that. It's their loss. I had the Bangers and Mash last night, Superb!! My wife and I loved the onion gravy. This was the only place I could find an authentic recipe for the dish. Thank you very much and please keep up the good work. Jeff Norris, California, USA, 8th December 2004

My Grandma would hug you hard!!! I was raised by my maternal grand mother from Croatia, and my paternal great aunt and uncle who lived their whole lives on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. If I added up the sum totals of all of their cooking knowledge I couldn't have found a better cooking guide to pass on to my daughter. Good Ingredients make good food! May the God and Goddess bless you greatly for this wonderful gift! Deva, 7th December 2004

I can't believe that you've had so few hits (on your counter). This is a great cooking site! Also, I like your attitude. Paul C. Barton, 18th November 2004

Great website. Learned this old Texan a lot. -- Best regards, RMorris, 4th November 2004

Damn scrote, there some youngster on telly called hugh cumley warner ripping you off, and making a killing, can't you incorporate him into a dish? Alex (same as the one about Lee, my butcher), 4th September 2004

Hi Scrote, Bacon Roll, as my mum called it, is my favourite dish. It's the one that without fail I would request as a special treat when I came home from school for the holidays. You mention that you struggle with making it light and fluffy. The way I was shown to do it was to roll out the pastry as thin as the suet will allow. The suet looks like grains of rice one layer thick spread out between the flour bits. I've never used self raising flour and always done ok. A friend tried to make it after askin gme for the receipe, and she didn't roll it thin enough. She described a sticky gooey stodge! I've never used bacon pieces, always laid out bacon rashers on top of a layer of finely chopped onions. I'll be popping to the butchers (organic/free range butchers and lovely too!) to try bacon pieces. Thanks for some great receipes. Alex, 30th August 2004

Lovely recipes. Only one criticism! The flag you show against English recipes is the British Union Flag (The Union Jack). The English flag is the Cross of St. George, a red cross on a white background. Derek Marshall, Lyndhurst, England, 30th August 2004

Dear Scrote, I have been a regular visitor to the site for several years, but never got around to reading the ingredients section. It reminded me of when my daughter was around 6 years old, and asked why they were called "chips" in the chip shop and "fries" in a well known large burger chain. As I explained at the time "fries" will fit on 1 line of the menu, whereas "reconstituted potatoes with emulsifiers and fillers" will take up too much space. Love the site and I keep recommending it. Regards Steve Mercer, Chester UK, 15th August 2004

Dear Scrote: Most enjoyed your website. A British friend sent me a link when I referred to Toad-in-a-hole in the American sense, which is to break an egg into a piece of bread with a hole cut in it, and fry it in a pan. I must say the British version sounds equally, if not more, enticing. Snake and Pygmy Pie (as another dreadfully British friend refers to it) doesn't hold quite the same fascination, however. Clever bit with the coffee-stained pages, by the way--or maybe it's tea. I found myself wiping my monitor and then laughing out loud. Best regards, Pat Gallagher, California, 9th August 2004

Dear Mr. Scrote: I found you neither miserable nor old, rather, truthful. May I ask which of the English dishes you've on your site would have been most likely to have been eaten during WWII - in particular in the London region during The Blitz? Yours gratefully, Marsha Keeffer, 4th June 2004