Guy Fawkes eats

[jackal10]

"Please to remember the 5th of November

Gunpowder Treason and Plot"

Now Haloween is past inthe UK we have Guy Fawkes on Nov 5th, with fireworks and bonfires. What are your food traditions?

For organised displays, then bad hot dogs from street vendors at large municipal dsiplays, although the local one that I'm helping out at has hog roast, hot doughnuts and roast chestnuts.

For smaller and village displays the hot dogs (or bacon butties) will be grilled by the local Boy Scouts or in aid of some other good cause

At home, then hot soup (Tomato), Pigs in Blankets, Yorkshire Parkin are the order of the day. Potatoes baked in the bonfire are the best...

Mulled Wine for the adults, fizzy pop for the kids..

Marshmallows and Chili for those with US connections, but that is now becoming increasingly politically incorrect over here.

Edited October 31, 2004 by jackal10 (log)

[ladyyoung98]

i knew what yorkshire pudding is but can u tell me what yorkshire parkins is?

[jackal10]

Parkin is a sort dark sticky gingerbread, made with oatmeal and black molasses (treacle)

Henrietta Green gives a recipe on her Foodlover's Britain site: Parkin recipe

Dorothy Hartley says it can also be served hot, covered in apple sauce as a pudding

Edited October 31, 2004 by jackal10 (log)

[bobmac]

"Marshmallows and Chili for those with US connections, but that is now becoming increasingly politically incorrect over here."

Does this mean hatred of America spreading to the UK?

And speaking of hotdogs, I once ate one from a London vendor that made me very ill.

[chromedome]

Guy Fawkes Day is still celebrated, in attenuated form, in some parts of Newfoundland (it is referred to as "Bonfire Day"). Celebratory comestibles are random, ranging from hot dogs to fresh fish to frozen McCain cakes (dunno why). Copious quantities of alcohol will be consumed, regardless of the food, but this is a given whenever Newfoundlanders congregate to celebrate.

[jamiemaw]

Guy Fawkes Day is still celebrated, in attenuated form, in some parts of Newfoundland (it is referred to as "Bonfire Day").  Celebratory comestibles are random, ranging from hot dogs to fresh fish to frozen McCain cakes (dunno why).  Copious quantities of alcohol will be consumed, regardless of the food, but this is a given whenever Newfoundlanders congregate to celebrate.

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And Screech to a halt.

[Dr. Funk]

My father spent most of WWII in Newfoundland at an Army Air Corps refueling station and he said that all there was in Newfoundland was "fishin', fightin' and f**kin' and in the winter there is no fishin' ".

[chromedome]

That's still a popular catchphrase. Now, of course, they can also watch hockey...oh, wait...

[Thumper]

Guy Fawkes Day is still celebrated, in attenuated form, in some parts of Newfoundland (it is referred to as "Bonfire Day").  Celebratory comestibles are random, ranging from hot dogs to fresh fish to frozen McCain cakes (dunno why).  Copious quantities of alcohol will be consumed, regardless of the food, but this is a given whenever Newfoundlanders congregate to celebrate.

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And Screech to a halt.

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No, you halt when the Screech runs out - so you can run to get more.

In my hometown of Labrador City (for those not familiar, Labrador City is on the western-most part of Labrador, the mainland portion of Newfoundland) it was actually a big family community event. When I was in Cub Scouts, we'd go tobogganing down a large hill by the beach where the bonfire was lit, and play other games - pick-up hockey on the frozen lake, etc.

I remember the adults piling the bonfire so high they needed old tires for kindling The smoke was incredibly thick when it was first lit and they'd squirt bbq-lighting fluid to make the flames catch. The only God-forsaken reason I can fathom this ripe-for-disaster lighting method was because it wasn't odd to have three feet of snow down and -20 C weather in Labrador City in early November (our town is very close to Northern Quebec) so they needed as much combustion as possible without killing anyone...though I'm sure there were lots of close calls for those who stood too close.

We'd pig out on hotdogs, marshmellows and hot chocolate - perfect gourmet food for any eight-year old. There was no alcohol in sight save for some of the adults passing around a well-hidden hip flask. Once the kids went off to bed I'm sure the "festivities" picked up alcohol wise.

[intraining]

jacket potatoes from the fire and toffee apples.

my best bonfire night was on blackheath common where a big windmill with people living in it had to abandon and the finale was when it was lit on fire, as it became the bonfire. i just remember drinking beer that night and going to a thai restaurant.

[jackal10]

Pop! (or rather whooosh...BANG!). Its that time of year again...

Not cold enough for suet puddings, yet...

I will be assisting at the Cambridge City fireworks on Midsummer Common on Saturday night, if anyone wants to say hallo. 30,000 people are expected.

Edited November 3, 2005 by jackal10 (log)

[Adam Balic]

Parkin is a sort dark sticky gingerbread, made with oatmeal and black molasses (treacle)

Henrietta Green gives a recipe on her Foodlover's Britain site: Parkin recipe

Dorothy Hartley says it can also be served hot, covered in apple sauce as a pudding

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Scottish Parkin is a bit drier and in South Yorkshire, Lancashire and Derbyshire there are similar cakes called "Thar" or "Tharf" cake made at this time of the year. The name is thought to come from "Thor" as in the Scandanavian God of thunder and goat eating. As the cakes were eaten at this time of the year, it has been suggested that it is connected to a pagan celebration aroud this date. Obviously, the modern cakes are not really the same, beging more like a oat bannock most likley, but still fun.

More informaton and recipes

[Pontormo]

Since the day marks the foiled attempt of Guy Fawkes to blow up the Houses of Parliament, it was (? still is?) traditional for children to burn a straw effigy of the arsonist.

I say, then, why not serve paglia e fieno as a first course and have crepes flambe'e as dessert? Not exactly traditionally British, but the UK has changed. The crepes might be decorated with Guy's likeness. Dosing the flames would signal the strength of Britannia Herself.

Edited November 3, 2005 by Pontormo (log)

[Bricktop]

Treacle toffee was what I remember.