National dish of Britain, chicken tikka masala has multiple conflicting origin stories, some attributed to Glasgow, others Birmingham but most involving a confused local in an Indian restaurant in the 70s ordering a chicken tikka (a succulent, spiced but sauceless chicken dish). When it arrived he saw it and asked where the gravy was. It was returned to him a few minutes later covered in a gloop made from spices, cream and Heinz tomato soup, and this tikka masala has since become more popular than fish and chips.
Just yesterday I went to the fridge and all I could find were leftover roasted sweet potato slices sooo I drizzled them with butter added toasted pecans dripped chili crisp on top and then hit it with some feta... ummm Delicious! ❤️
Coq au vin.... always seems like a random dish made out of the left overs in a French kitchen. Still my favourite what ever the consequences of its invention, it’s seconded by Caesar salad... did Caesar eat it?
Take a wad of premade pizza dough from the store and roll it out. Coat it with spaghetti sauce. Add chopped marinated artichoke hearts. Cover with parmesan and mozzarella. Roll into a loaf and bake. Let it cool. A family favorite for Christmas morning or movie night.
Mar 8, 2023·edited Mar 8, 2023Liked by Michael Marshall Smith
I haven't seen it anywhere else so I'm claiming my crab, chorizo and strawberry salad. And it was while working as Head chef in a busy restaurant and needing to get rid of underused ingredients. It ended up working pretty well!
When I was a kid my Mum used to make us Baked Bean Hash which was often Corned beef, baked beans and boiled potatoes or any other leftover meat she had. It was one of my favourite teatime foodstuffs, but sounds very bland compared to everyone else’s shenanigans on here! I still have it now if I get the munchies after a night out and still grab whatever meat is around. I have made it my own now though by adding some grated cheese (or Parmesan if available) to make it seem vaguely Italian.
Ooh just remembered another one… Tarte Tatin- invented when a baker overcooked the filling for an apple pie so just chucked the pastry base on top of the pan contents and put the whole thing in the oven.
The truth of the whole “they served it as-is and the punters loved it” seems a bit of a stretch. I suspect they tried it in the kitchen, realised they were onto something and finessed it before putting it on the menu, but another accident nonetheless.
May I introduce you to South African Monkey Gland sauce? Not made of monkey glands. Several origin stories, but the one I like is that uncultured people weren't appreciating French sauces enough, so the French chefs mixed a bunch of pre-made sauces together and to their chagrin it was a hit! https://www.atlasobscura.com/foods/monkey-gland-sauce-africa
Doubles, the (un)official street food of Trinidad. Created so that people could “carry” their breakfast to the sugar cane fields where they worked as Indian indentured labourers. Fascinating backstory. Amazing food. Trinis pack doubles in their luggage to take them to family and friends all over the world, which is much more difficult than it sounds:)
My simplistic version of ”give me something NOW”, is a hump backed Cornish pasty ( I’ve tried it with the flat variety, didn’t work) on a buttered Demi baguette with brown sauce. Yes I was herbed, but I tried it again sober and it is surprisingly good. I still partake occasionally. When NOTHING but stodge will do.
National dish of Britain, chicken tikka masala has multiple conflicting origin stories, some attributed to Glasgow, others Birmingham but most involving a confused local in an Indian restaurant in the 70s ordering a chicken tikka (a succulent, spiced but sauceless chicken dish). When it arrived he saw it and asked where the gravy was. It was returned to him a few minutes later covered in a gloop made from spices, cream and Heinz tomato soup, and this tikka masala has since become more popular than fish and chips.
Just yesterday I went to the fridge and all I could find were leftover roasted sweet potato slices sooo I drizzled them with butter added toasted pecans dripped chili crisp on top and then hit it with some feta... ummm Delicious! ❤️
Coq au vin.... always seems like a random dish made out of the left overs in a French kitchen. Still my favourite what ever the consequences of its invention, it’s seconded by Caesar salad... did Caesar eat it?
This is near-perfect content.
Take a wad of premade pizza dough from the store and roll it out. Coat it with spaghetti sauce. Add chopped marinated artichoke hearts. Cover with parmesan and mozzarella. Roll into a loaf and bake. Let it cool. A family favorite for Christmas morning or movie night.
Just bring me the salade Nicoise and no one gets hurt
I haven't seen it anywhere else so I'm claiming my crab, chorizo and strawberry salad. And it was while working as Head chef in a busy restaurant and needing to get rid of underused ingredients. It ended up working pretty well!
Spaghetti alla Puttanesca is one of my favorites, and the ingredients are almost always at hand
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spaghetti_alla_puttanesca
“The first is that they’re all great. The second is they came about by accident.” Much like me. ;)
When I was a kid my Mum used to make us Baked Bean Hash which was often Corned beef, baked beans and boiled potatoes or any other leftover meat she had. It was one of my favourite teatime foodstuffs, but sounds very bland compared to everyone else’s shenanigans on here! I still have it now if I get the munchies after a night out and still grab whatever meat is around. I have made it my own now though by adding some grated cheese (or Parmesan if available) to make it seem vaguely Italian.
Ooh just remembered another one… Tarte Tatin- invented when a baker overcooked the filling for an apple pie so just chucked the pastry base on top of the pan contents and put the whole thing in the oven.
The truth of the whole “they served it as-is and the punters loved it” seems a bit of a stretch. I suspect they tried it in the kitchen, realised they were onto something and finessed it before putting it on the menu, but another accident nonetheless.
‘The genesis of nachos is murkier’ you sure can turn a phrase!
May I introduce you to South African Monkey Gland sauce? Not made of monkey glands. Several origin stories, but the one I like is that uncultured people weren't appreciating French sauces enough, so the French chefs mixed a bunch of pre-made sauces together and to their chagrin it was a hit! https://www.atlasobscura.com/foods/monkey-gland-sauce-africa
Yum
Doubles, the (un)official street food of Trinidad. Created so that people could “carry” their breakfast to the sugar cane fields where they worked as Indian indentured labourers. Fascinating backstory. Amazing food. Trinis pack doubles in their luggage to take them to family and friends all over the world, which is much more difficult than it sounds:)
https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20210526-doubles-trinidads-favourite-street-food
My simplistic version of ”give me something NOW”, is a hump backed Cornish pasty ( I’ve tried it with the flat variety, didn’t work) on a buttered Demi baguette with brown sauce. Yes I was herbed, but I tried it again sober and it is surprisingly good. I still partake occasionally. When NOTHING but stodge will do.