I have recently finished reading a book by an American Housewife. The book (a New York Times Best-Seller) being nothing to do with food, at one point refers to British food as being “bland” in the opinion of the writers family. (Let it be said here that I love Americans but I’m just making a point!)
As I mulled over this comment and considered the food I cook I couldn’t help but agree with this lady to a certain extent. I mean in our home we tend to cook many dishes which are traditionally from other countries and I’m sure this could be the reason why.
Bland means (according to my computer’s dictionary) “lacking strong features or characteristics”. Now don’t get me wrong I’m all for my Roast Beef and Yorkshire Pudding but I don’t think it can be described as a having “strong feature” when compared to a vindaloo or a chilli con carne.
So to get my much requested recipe section up and running I am sticking with the home fayre and you can’t get much closer to home than,
IRISH FARMHOUSE BAKE
2oz butter
8 rashers smoked back bacon, cut in strips
1 large onion, finely chopped
4oz mushrooms, sliced
6 potatoes boiled
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1/4 pint double cream
4oz Cheddar cheese, grated
Salt and Pepper
Melt half the butter in a pan and fry the bacon until cooked and beginning to brown. Remove from the pan and fry the onion and mushrooms until cooked and beginning to colour. Cut the potatoes into wedges and arrange with the fried bacon mushrooms and onions in an oval ovenproof dish. Season with salt and pepper and add the parsley. Pour over the cream and cover with the grated cheese. Bake in the preheated oven (180) for 20-30 minutes until crisp and golden on top and very hot.
Other vegetables can be used such as courgettes, broccoli, cauliflower or our favourite leeks.
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Enjoy and watch out for more “Bland” recipes to come….
Mummymac.
I can vouch for this meal being tasty…..well actually once upon a time! I can’t even think of it now because I made it in the very early days of my pregnancy! Anything that I made then is for some reason off the menu, but I do remember it being tasty and the kids cleaning their plates!
Bland indeed!
NM
Keep those recipes coming!
I love the sound of this one.
Oh, boy! I told my mom about this one….I think we’ll definitely want to try it! Just for the record, I don’t think British food is bland, it’s what I would classify as comfort food!
[...] 17, 2007 · Filed under Recipes If you don’t know what bland is you need to check here. If you’re willing to risk it here comes the next recipe……. salute to NM who used [...]
Thanks for the recipe! I like to add a touch of my honey’s “home” to our dinner fare occasionaly. This one sounds rather nice.
[...] Irish Farmhouse Bake remains to be a firm favourite in this house. [...]
I think this must smell and taste great.
Hey Elaine,
Do you think you could cook this in the slow cooker?
Elaine B
Just a point to make and maybe its pernicity but as an Irish citizen I find this offensive because from a geography/political point of view “Irish” farmhouse bake does not represent British food, being that they are two different nations. If you want to use an example of British food to disprove the statement that British cooking is bland then I suggest you use a recipe that is in fact British.
Yea you’re right – that is pernicity.