It's British Pie Week

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I love meat pies and, in particular, the humble pasty.

When I was a child in Wisconsin, the old man would occasionally bring home Cornish-style pasties from a local joint (whose name I have long since forgotten) that was renowned for them. The place was run by a British ex-pat and the pasties were homemade and top notch. My brother and I always considered them a real treat. We added our own American touch by drowning them in Heinz ketchup, but they were delicious nevertheless. Eventually the place went out of business, and after I moved away from home in 1979, it was a long time before I had another one.

In 2002, I began working for a company that would send me to the UK on business a couple of times a year. They had satellite offices in London and Evesham (Midlands). I particularly liked the Evesham office. Not only were they more lax in dress and attitude, but there was a small hole-in-the-wall restaurant right across from the office called "West Cornwall Pasty Company". More of a takeout place than a restaurant, as there was no place to sit. So I would buy my pasty, walk down the street, eat it in the park close to the 1300 year old Evesham Abbey ruins. Sometimes the simplest things in life are the best.

This Pasty shop (which I found out later to be a chain) had quite a variety of pies. In additional to the traditional blend of steak, swede, and onion, there was Steak & Stilton, Lamb & Mint, Cheese & Onion, and a Balti curry pie. There are some in Britain who insist that Greggs makes good pies, but I beg to differ. They put carrots and peas (and no swedes) in theirs. Nope, I'll take West Cornwall's.

A couple of years ago, I took a trip to Yorkshire and was thrilled to find a West Cornwall Pasty shop in the York village square. It brought back all of those great memories again.

Delicious stuff, those pasties. Oddly, I have yet to try my hand at making them. I might just have to give it a go. Anyone have a recipe?
 
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Ah Steve, the good old pasty. Food of the gods done properly. I will keep an eye out for a good recipe for you, never made them myself . I have a Hairy Bikers recipe book Mums know Best where mums donated traditional recipes, shall have a look.

I wonder if I could get away with a tart for British Pie week, I just fancied a galette. Hmm not very British or Pie like :rolleyes:

Off with my head..
 
Back in the '90's, I tasted what was advertised as an authentic steak & kidney pie at a little shop in St. Charles, MO. The essence of kidney was quite strong and tasted like :ermm:, well, you know....

I'd try again, but I think there's a local ordinance against them here.
 
We used to have a department store restaurant in town that served a salmon pie and a lamb pie, both pies were probably based on the same recipe. They combined the fish or meat with seasoned mashed potatoes between two crusts that had an egg wash applied before baking. The lamb pies were small individual pies and the salmon was a large pie served in wedges. If I could find the recipe I would join your celebration. A week seems short for a celebration involving pie!
 
I love meat pies and, in particular, the humble pasty.

When I was a child in Wisconsin, the old man would occasionally bring home Cornish-style pasties from a local joint (whose name I have long since forgotten) that was renowned for them. The place was run by a British ex-pat and the pasties were homemade and top notch. My brother and I always considered them a real treat. We added our own American touch by drowning them in Heinz ketchup, but they were delicious nevertheless. Eventually the place went out of business, and after I moved away from home in 1979, it was a long time before I had another one.

In 2002, I began working for a company that would send me to the UK on business a couple of times a year. They had satellite offices in London and Evesham (Midlands). I particularly liked the Evesham office. Not only were they more lax in dress and attitude, but there was a small hole-in-the-wall restaurant right across from the office called "West Cornwall Pasty Company". More of a takeout place than a restaurant, as there was no place to sit. So I would buy my pasty, walk down the street, eat it in the park close to the 1300 year old Evesham Abbey ruins. Sometimes the simplest things in life are the best.

This Pasty shop (which I found out later to be a chain) had quite a variety of pies. In additional to the traditional blend of steak, swede, and onion, there was Steak & Stilton, Lamb & Mint, Cheese & Onion, and a Balti curry pie. There are some in Britain who insist that Greggs makes good pies, but I beg to differ. They put carrots and peas (and no swedes) in theirs. Nope, I'll take West Cornwall's.

A couple of years ago, I took a trip to Yorkshire and was thrilled to find a West Cornwall Pasty shop in the York village square. It brought back all of those great memories again.

Delicious stuff, those pasties. Oddly, I have yet to try my hand at making them. I might just have to give it a go. Anyone have a recipe?
As Gravy will confirm Steve on Mersyside we have the famous Sayer breakfast pasty which is filled with congealed pureed scouse.
The memories of a night on the lash in Birkenhead, catching the first ferry home across the Mersy, eating the said pasty with a coffee made with conny onny then throwing up over a passing seagull is priceless.:)
 
Everyone knows the best cure for a hangover is grease. I believe it's an established fact. :)
 
Fat coke = coke with sugar (i.e. not diet coke)
Conny onny = sweetened condensed milk
Scouse = a meat and vegetable stew

And a conny onny buttie is - yes - a sandwich with condensed milk for the filling. It's a Liverpool thing.

I knew about scouse - it's the Anglicized version of Skipper labscovs

I know all about butties. I was married to a Scot. He would eat "chip butties" (French fries in a sandwich) and even "crisp butties" (potato chips). :ermm:

But he cooked a mean curry.
 
Fat coke = coke with sugar (i.e. not diet coke)
Conny onny = sweetened condensed milk
Scouse = a meat and vegetable stew

And a conny onny buttie is - yes - a sandwich with condensed milk for the filling. It's a Liverpool thing.
:) correct and for those with a sweet tooth sprinkle sugar on your connie onny.
What about a connie onny pannini stevie.
 
Very impressed Steve Kroll! Shall adopt you as a scouser.

Bolas, oh aye, sugar on conny onny butties, before my time mind......

Next you'll be telling me you had salad cream butties or is that too posh?
 
Salad cream butties are you sure you are not from the Wirral. We were so poor Mam would add tartrazine to melted lard for our S/C butties, I could climb a lamp post one handed in seconds after one.
 
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