ISO traditional English but vegetarian recipes?

[Barly]

(First post, and I'm quite a beginner at cooking…)

Does anyone know of a good collection of recipes of food that is or was common among the English upper classes, both of the nursery/public school and the French cook varieties, but all vegetarian?

If it substitutes tofu for meat and the like, that would be fine, but many books and websites seem to be either full of modern fusion food or otherwise of old-style grim healthfood.

 

[menumaker]

Mmmm,
That's quite a wide brief but maybe you should take a look at ' The Cranks recipe book ' which was published due to the great popularity of the highly thought of "Cranks restaurant"
Vegetarianism as we think of it today is a fairly modern concept in the long history of British cooking I would suggest, as it was considered a 'bit wacky' or for those of an artistic nature ( a bit wacky again ) until as late as the early 60's in some quarters. Soya 'meat' was the most common substitute for meat as it looked like minced meat.
' A Victorian Kitchen ' is also worth a look if you can find a copy as there are recipes for those of a delicate disposition or those recovering from an illness so require a ' light ' diet. We find this amusing now but it was a different mind-set back then.

 

[Barly]

Yes, that's exactly the problem I have. I'm not interested in recipes for or by ideologists of vegetarianism or raw food or for the ill and feeble. So, no special cuisine, but the same food you'd typically be served at an English upper-class dinner (or, if fancier, dinner party) and in addition the sort up in the nursery and at your boarding school. Just, uh, no meat or fish. Yes, I realise the difficulty.


(Still, the Cranks recipe book is already on its way to me - looking forward.)

 

[cave76]

Does anyone know of a good collection of recipes of food that is or was common among the English upper classes, both of the nursery/public school and the French cook varieties, but all vegetarian?

If it substitutes tofu for meat and the like, that would be fine, but many books and websites seem to be either full of modern fusion food or otherwise of old-style grim healthfood.

Have you looked at this?Best of British veggie | delicious. Magazine food articles & advice

Some of those recipes might be a little daunting for a new cook and many rely on pastry crusts: but I think with the now available pie crust dough in supermarkets it would make them easier.

 

[cave76]

And here's another web site:
Traditional British Food: British Vegetarian Recipes

That site has Bubble and Squeak----- one of my VERY favorite British foods, but probably not served at a fancy dinner.

 

[menumaker]

Oh Cave, you'd be surprised. It comes under the 'Nanny knows best' way of thinking along with bread and butter pudding and spotted Dick. ( Ask Mad Cook if you think I'm joshing you )

 

[Aunt Bea]

If you use dairy products how about some cheese cauliflower or cabbage with milk.

I also get a kick out of Rinktum Tiddy with toast soldiers!

I would also consider a cottage or shepherds pie, just leave out the shepherd!

 

[cave76]

Let's not forget that terrific favorite Marmite! It's one of those love it or hate it things------ and I love it!

"Marmite is traditionally eaten as a savoury spread on bread, toast, savoury biscuits or crackers, and other similar baked products. Owing to its concentrated taste it is usually spread thinly with butter or margarine.[12] Marmite can also be made into a savoury hot drink by adding one teaspoon to a mug of hot water much like Bovril."

YUM!!!!!

 

[menumaker]

I must tell a wee story here. When I did a maternity leave classroom ass. stint at our local very rural school in Scotland the cook made a Shepherds pie for lunch. Very popular choice except for one 5yr old newcomer who would, under no circumstances touch it. He was not at all happy for the rest of the day. However, the next day his mum reveled all. He threw himself into his Daddy's arms that evening crying " Daddy, Daddy, I thought they had cooked you"....... His daddy was a Shepherd. Poor little soul had gone all that time worrying, poor wee lad. As adults we sometimes just don't get it do we?

 

[cave76]

I also get a kick out of Rinktum Tiddy with toast soldiers!

I used to eat Rinktum Ditty a lot for lunch. Why did I stop? Really don't know, but I'm about to start up again.

(The spelling is varied--- one spelling is Rinktum Ditty)

Rinktum Ditty Recipe - Food.com - 128933

 

[Aunt Bea]

I used to eat Rinktum Ditty a lot for lunch. Why did I stop? Really don't know, but I'm about to start up again.

(The spelling is varied--- one spelling is Rinktum Ditty)

Rinktum Ditty Recipe - Food.com - 128933

We also have an American version called Blushing Bunny, it helped Campbell's sell condensed cream of tomato soup in the early 1900's.

 

[Gravy Queen]

Well I am English but a bit stumped by this , vegetarian, upper class and traditional don't quite go together . Can I just ask out of curiosity why this combination ? Where are you based ?

 

[PrincessFiona60]

I must tell a wee story here. When I did a maternity leave classroom ass. stint at our local very rural school in Scotland the cook made a Shepherds pie for lunch. Very popular choice except for one 5yr old newcomer who would, under no circumstances touch it. He was not at all happy for the rest of the day. However, the next day his mum reveled all. He threw himself into his Daddy's arms that evening crying " Daddy, Daddy, I thought they had cooked you"....... His daddy was a Shepherd. Poor little soul had gone all that time worrying, poor wee lad. As adults we sometimes just don't get it do we?

My brother thought firetrucks set fire to houses, the alarms in the middle of the night scared him, making him think they were coming to set fire to our house. Took us a while to convince him otherwise with multiple visits to meet firemen and see the trucks.

 

[Mad Cook]

(First post, and I'm quite a beginner at cooking…)

Does anyone know of a good collection of recipes of food that is or was common among the English upper classes, both of the nursery/public school and the French cook varieties, but all vegetarian?

If it substitutes tofu for meat and the like, that would be fine, but many books and websites seem to be either full of modern fusion food or otherwise of old-style grim healthfood.

Florence White "Good Things in England" Originally published in 1932.Not a vegetarian book but I think it has some non-meat recipes. (I'm not at home so can't check)

Have a look at this
International Vegetarian Union - London Vegetarian Association 1888-1969

and you could probably get some info from The Vegetarian Society of the United Kingdom Ltd.

Another book you might like to check out is "Food in England" by Dorothy Hartley (published 1954) - a very scholarly book on all aspects of cooking and food.

 

[Mad Cook]

Yes, that's exactly the problem I have. I'm not interested in recipes for or by ideologists of vegetarianism or raw food or for the ill and feeble. So, no special cuisine, but the same food you'd typically be served at an English upper-class dinner (or, if fancier, dinner party) and in addition the sort up in the nursery and at your boarding school. Just, uh, no meat or fish. Yes, I realise the difficulty.


(Still, the Cranks recipe book is already on its way to me - looking forward.)

I once ate at Cranks on a long ago visit to London. That was when I decided vegetarianism was not for me! It was the early 1960s and the emphasis seemed to be on very worthy and very stodgy food that was Good For You. Thank goodness things have changed!

 

[Barly]

Well I am English but a bit stumped by this , vegetarian, upper class and traditional don't quite go together . Can I just ask out of curiosity why this combination ? Where are you based ?

I grew up with this, but I've been a vegetarian since I was a teenager. (My mother still doesn't quite understand why I won't eat her six-weeks-preparation plum pudding, just because of that bit of suet.) I never much cooked, and "never much" is a bit of an understatement. Now I find myself in a situation where, with a five-year old, I thought I shouldn't just leave the cooking all to my wife. She's working full-time, and I want to unburden her, even though she loves cooking and finds it relaxing (all the more so because I'm cleaning up the mess). Not to mention days when she's at work but it's not a school day. (I work from home.)

Maybe too much information, but you asked.

 

[Gravy Queen]

Not too much info at all so where did you grow up and where are you based now ?

I was going to suggest having a look at Elizabeth David recipes x

 

[Barly]

Different places, now moved to France. I had a look at Amazon France. There are more books in the "cuisine et vins" section than in "érotisme", but I found it difficult to find something, especially vegetarian, that isn't innovative/contemporary/updated and mixes French cuisine with Singhalese-Inuit fusion.

I just want a book that tells me how to cook something indistinguishable from a traditional five-course dinner as it used to be cooked by a handful of servants, but vegetarian and done in a quarter of an hour by a beginner. That so hard?

 

[menumaker]

Barly,
With respect, A five course meal delivered by a team of trained and disciplined kitchen staff is completely different to whipping up something in 15 minutes. I think that maybe you have watched a bit too much of Downton Abbey? That lifestyle doesn't exist anymore and when it did, they didn't do the kind of cooking you seem to be looking for. As for living in France,which is where I live now, the French and vegetarianism are are not close friends shall we say.
You have been given some excellent advice on books especially Elisabeth David now that we know where you are based so maybe you need to have a look through them and do what most of us do, cherry-pick what appeals to you and build your own repitiore of recipes. I will look forward to hearing how you progress, which you will I'm sure. My last piece of advice, if I may be so bold is this,
Get cooking for that lucky wife of yours and just enjoy it.

 

[Barly]

I'm sorry I wasn't clear: of course, I wasn't serious about doing the work of half a dozen experienced kitchen staff without any great efforts myself. (And never mind Downton Abbey - multi-course dinners are still eaten.)