Burns Night

I’m planning to make a few Scottish things for Burns Night.

Will anyone else be celebrating?

I probably won’t make haggis, but I am likely to make Cullen Skink, and maybe a Scottish dessert.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2012/jan/05/how-to-cook-perfect-cullen-skink

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/aug/13/how-to-make-perfect-cranachan-scottish-dessert-recipe

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Won’t be celebrating but cranachan is a great dessert which we have made once or twice in the past. I love haggis - good quality ones, like McSween’s, are generally available in the supermarket here, so I’ve never considered making my own.

Have a nice evening. Do you have Scottish ancestry or is Burns Night just a good reason to try cooking some new dishes?

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I don’t have any direct Scottish ancestry. My aunt was married to a Scot, and he would recite Burns, and I inherited a crystal bowl from his side of the family.

Burns Night is celebrated at a handful of pubs in Toronto. My local has some Burns- themed meals all week , and there are 2 Scottish pubs that usually have Burns poetry recited and dancing, along with a set menu. The pubs are offering the meal by takeout and delivery this week since all our dine- in operations are closed until at least Feb.

I’ve only attended one Burns Night so far.

I only spent 2 nights in Scotland, but I did manage to try haggis. I can buy canned haggis in the midsized city where I’m living, but I think I will try making one at some point, a version without the offal.

I haven’t made or tried Cranachan yet!

I tried my first Cullen Skink at a pub in the Peak District on my last visit to the UK!
My Cullen Skink

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I’d forgotten that you been to almost my part of the world.

I see the card on your photo indicates the pub was the Packhorse. Was that the one near Bakewell by any chance?

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Yes, that’s the pub!

I did make it to Chester, on a quick day trip. Visited the museum, cathedral and a tea room. Really want to revisit. My nickname is Dee, so I took a few photos of the River Dee.

Also hope to see Manchester up close some day. I flew into Manchester and took the train to Windermere in 2008. I’ve only seen Manchester from a train window.

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Shout me if you come back and we can tour the foody delights of the Rainy City.

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I will certainly do that. It’s been exactly a year since my last international trip!

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Me too. I should be in Tenerife at present. As I was this time last year. While we were there, we heard of the first case of Covid on neighbouring island. Nothing actually on Tenerife till after we got home in mid-February, when there was an outbreak at a hotel a mile or so from where we stayed.

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The first community spread case in Japan was in the news 2 days before I left Japan.

The patient in Japan was a bus driver in Nara who contracted the virus from 1 of 2 tour groups from Wuhan, who visited Japan between Jan 8th and 12, 2020, iirc. The tour guide on the bus also came down with Covid.

I had visited Kyoto the day after the story came out. I’m guessing the Wuhan tourists had visited Kyoto and Osaka, which are within an hour’s drive of Nara.

The schools in Kyoto were shut down in early Feb. It would have been spreading in that part of Japan for a few weeks when I visited.

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This recipe was in my newspaper this morning and I immediately thought of you. I know you’re not making haggis (and this uses a vegetarian version) but I thought you’d enjoy the read. I’m going to give it a try at some point.

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I was listening to this live programme earlier whilst cleaning the bathroom: “Burns Night Supper”

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My cranachan, made with frozen raspberries, Quebec honey and Glenfiddich

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It’s National Sticky Toffee Pudding Day today (Jan 23)

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https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.dailyrecord.co.uk/scotland-now/best-alternative-burns-night-recipes-23368289.amp

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Generally accepted to have been invented (at least in its usual form) by the late Brian Slack, then owner of the recently closed Sharrow Bay Hotel (where I’ve eaten it)

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Yes. There are a few origin stories on the internet. This is the main story. Another one involves some Canadians.

Here is the lesser known story involving Cdns, who maybe gave recipe to the manager of a hotel in Lancashire 20 years prior, who then gave the recipe to Coulson and Lee who were employees at the Sharrow Bay Hotel.

Who knows.

I like trying different versions.

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There was a reason my ancestors fled Scotland in the mid 17th century.

(Hint: It was the food.) :laughing:

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Keeping with a Scottish theme, I made mussels (from Newfoundland) with Scotch, cream and garlic.

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