It was Pie and Mash for tea last night, with the now obligatory Bisto gravy.
I didn't really think the gravy would go that well with the pie, as it was a Saag Aloo pie from the freezer that I wanted to use up, but it really did. It made me think that I will try to make a curried vegetable pie for myself, after all curry powder was available during the war years and I have a whole drawer of spices to use up. I only had a little bit of mash as I wasn't that hungry, but I still made enough to have some left overs.
During the war years mashed potato was used in a lot of ration recipes as you were advised to eat around 1lb of potatoes a day per person. I may not be quite managing that at the moment but I am trying to make sure I have some available.
And there's a very specific recipe I wanted to try, so I separated out two tablespoons of the potatoes before I added any salt or butter.
I'll let you know how it tastes. 😀
Sue xx
Chocolate spread - that's inventive.
ReplyDeleteI await the results of that experiment with interest ☺️
Coming up on the next post. :-)
DeleteOh isn't she wonderful! I've just fallen down the rabbit hole discovering more of Utility Jude! But one thing has always puzzled me when using ww2 recipes.. Was cocoa cheaper back then, relative to other foods? All those wartime naval films, the British sailors sink the German subs and then all celebrate with mugs of steaming cocoa. In our cash strapped years when we were living on love, faith and very little else, I relied heavily on Margeurite Patten and her ww2 recipes. But I just couldn't afford to use as much cocoa as she appeared to. But now I grow my own potatoes I just might try this one and see what the grandchildren say.
ReplyDeleteShe is, and such a good teacher for young children too isn't she. I've fallen down that particular rabbit hole a few times, she has a wealth of video films on there. I'm guessing it was more easily available and very traditional. The 'bedtime drinks' were highly appreciated for sending you to sleep with a full tummy, so cocoa, Ovaltine and Horlicks were all used a lot.
DeleteYes, do try it out on the grandchildren and see if they can guess that the main ingredient is mashed potatoes. Alan didn't. :-)
I imagine it was rather interesting! We make a type of candy with potatoes and adding some cocoa to it would make it a chocolaty fudge!
ReplyDeleteOoh, yes do have a try at that. Have you shared the recipe for the candy on your blog?
DeleteThat looks 'interesting'. I look forward to finding out how it tastes. X
ReplyDeleteIt was very interesting. :-)
DeleteThat video is brilliant!! I'm a little dubious about the chocolate potato spread...and yet, also intrigued...lol. Ah, the humble potato, so versatile. Still, a whole pound of them every day seems like a lot...very filling, I suppose. I'm so blown away at the ingenuity of the whole thing, though -- who was inventing and testing these recipes? I need to go and find out!
ReplyDeleteThat's exactly how I felt, dubious and intrigued!!
DeleteThe recipes were all tested before the war by a lot of cooks and chefs for the Ministry of Food. It was a huge Government department, with advisors like Marguerite Patten being the spokeswomen for whether it would work for the 'average housewife'. The idea was that things should be relatively easy to make, be able to be made from the basic rations wherever possible, work out virtually every single time they were made and be cheap enough for everyone to be able to use them.
I honestly thought you had put chocolate spread on your pie when I saw the photo😂 Catriona
ReplyDeleteHaha ... yes looking back at this, with the title and first photo I do give that impression don't I. :-)
DeleteSo did I:) Love pies, mash and gravy♥
DeleteYes, pies, mash and gravy is so much nicer than pies, mash and chocolate sauce. ;-)
DeletePie, mash and gravy -yum ,mash and cocoa -mmm I shall look forward to your review before I enter you for Masterchef :)
ReplyDeleteI think Greg and John would be intrigued but also horrified. ;-)
DeleteI use mashed potatoes as part of the mixture in some mints I make at Christmas. They taste wonderful, so I imagine Chocolate spread would be pretty good as well.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
Oooh, now there's a good idea. I was thinking of something that I could make for Alan for Christmas that would be 'wartime ration appropriate' ... Mashed Potato Mints sound perfect. :-)
DeleteI have only just realised you started this blog. I must have missed you saying it was now open hence first comment today. I have caught up with it going backwards over the last few days. As always you are doing really well but as you say past challenges have given you good practice. Not sure about chocolate and mash though. Rather you than me!
ReplyDeleteI opened it sooner that was originally planned as a lot of folk were getting interested, and I decided on the spur of the moment that the war on the Home Front was never planned for as such ... it just happened. (Except by the Ministry of Food.) Housewives then had to learn as they went and although I have previous 'rationing' experience I wanted to jump in this time without too much advance planning.
DeleteI'm glad you found it and have had a good read backwards.
I'm reading backwards so I know how that experiment went. Like the others, I thought you'd poured chocolate sauce on your dinner.
ReplyDeleteI've never eaten gravy and am not particularly keen on pies, I was definitely born in the wrong country! x
I didn't think of that until the comments pointed it out ... and now I can't stop seeing it. :-)
DeleteWhat a wonderful channel - I've subscribed and will indulge later on today. Thanks, Sue. xx
ReplyDeleteShe's great isn't she and she gives you lots of time to write down any recipes you want a go at. Jude and Rebecca are my current favourites on YouTube when I need a bit of inspiration.
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