Launceton, Cornwall. From Flickr user biotron's Flickr.

I'm posting images of sausage counters the world over each weeknight (and occasionally weekend) witching hour until I run out. Please use the comments section to post links to your Flickr or personal site faves, and perhaps you'll see 'em posted here late some evening.

Previously-- Midnight Sausage: Lower East Side, Manhattan

In 1861 Mrs. Beeton, arguably the most influential food writer in England in the 19th century, said "In order that the duties of the Cook may be properly performed, and that he may be able to reproduce esteemed dishes with certainty, all terms of indecision should be banished from his art."

In that one sentence, I learn how little Mrs. Beeton and I would have gotten along, as I believe that experimentation born out of indecision is at the root of many great food moments. Come on, how else could someone have discovered that the artichoke was edible if not for an indecisive cook who thought, "Well, maybe if I just keep pulling the leaves off, there's be something I can eat underneath." However, despite my disagreements with her style, she is a fascinating read, as she creates a vivid picture of cooking, home and food as it existed in her day. If you'd like to take a trip through the culinary past, go to this site, where you can read the full text of her book.

Via Metafilter

Did you know that England has a national saint? We probably planted a flag and nicked him from someone else but what the heck, good ol' St George. Sadly, unlike the Scots and the Welsh, the English tend not to celebrate their national patron. But not in the food blog world, oh no!

This year Sam of Becks and Posh (an English woman abroad) and cheeky scampster Monkey Gland of Jam Faced (an Englishman who has been abroad, but is now back) have created the first What's For Pud? event. Bring out your spotted dicks, swirl the cream over the trifle or whisk together a tub of custard to smoother the crumble as it is puds all the way this weekend. If you have a blog you can write your own post and join in the fun. Otherwise check their websites for the recipe links.

Remember though this is England we are talking about. Nothing Scottish, nothing Welsh or Irish thankyou.

Who says there is nothing great about British food! If the diverse range of British food bloggers is anything to go by the UK is really leading the food world, from historical English recreations, thoughtful comment through to recipes from the Ottoman Empire...

1. Cooking With Ginger has a great rant on what to eat, or rather, when what we are supposed to eat one day is countered by some other revelation the next.
2. Anne of Baking For Britain may not be one of the most frequent posters, but by heck laddie her writing is well worth waiting for. I love the mix of historical facts and adapted recipes. The latest compares homemade Sedgemoor Easter Cakes and a pack purchased from M&S.
3. Eating Leeds has AT LAST become a proper Englishman in actually liking custard - and seems to be a master at making it too.
4. The English Patis has posted one of those 'I must make this' recipes, a Spiced Apple Cake.
5. Fiordizucca Goes English is keeping it local with a Nettle Tart. Do nettles grow anywhere outside Europe, it's something we should all know?
6. Sqeezeweasle writing as Gastronomy Domaine got a mention in Olive magazine, but didnt boast about it like I did!
7. A new blog to me - Rustic - details how to recreate Hunkar Begendi and Tas Kabab which is basically lamb and aubergine from her Turkish homeland's Ottoman past.
8. Finally Johanna has been out partying and plying welcome party-people with Tomato & Pesto mini-Galettes.

I've already marvelled at that incredible sausage-covered, deep fried egg called the Scotch egg, and raved about HP Sauce, both of which I encountered at an English pub in Santa Monica, CA, Ye Olde King's Head.

Well here's another first that I loved during my happy hour there: Cornish pastie.

Wait! It's not what you think. It's pronounced "pastie" with a short "a," i.e. it rhymes with "nasty." It most certainly is not one of those tiny, round, nickel-sized stickers that "dancers" use to *ahem* cover up certain parts. The pastie is a type of savory pie, like a pot-pie, but it's held in your hands without the pot. I guess that makes it a hand-pie.

 

Obviously, this will be nothing new to a good number of people, but HP sauce is something brand new to me. Okay, actually, I have seen it many times before, and even bought a bottle of it from Surfas to take to some friends who live in an area where it's not as accessible. I had just never tasted a single drop of brown sauce.

I like it a lot. The thing is, I have absolutely no idea how to use it. Is it like ketchup for dipping? Is it something like mustard that you put on sandwiches? Like Nick and Jamaican Pickapeppa, it kind of reminds me of A1 Steak Sauce, because it is brown, but a little fruitier, and much less spicy.

When I went to Ye Old King's Head in Santa Monica, I tried several English-ish things for the first time, like a Scotch egg. (There are a few more things I tried that will get their moments of fame in the next few days). I used that HP sauce with everything - dumped on, poured in, dipped into, and was "mmm"-ing through the whole meal. I'm not sure if the staff at Ye Olde King's Head was completely appalled or maybe mildly amused.

Was I doing the equivalent of someone going bonkers over ketchup the first time?