Food Friday: A British Dessert Treat

Have you tried any foods your ancestor would have ate? Now, no fair if you are deeply entrenched in that ancestral culture and have that food all of the time. I'm talking to those who currently do not eat anything their  ancestors would have passed down, have never tried it, don't have a grandma to cook it for them, nada.

Yesterday, I took my kids on a culinary adventure to a British restaurant in San Diego. I had originally eyed Shakespeare Pub & Grille when I went to eat at El Indio with family a few months back. My goal was simply to have some British fare, something my maternal ancestors would have had. Basically this all boiled down to a single dish I've wanted to try for some time.

Loved sitting on the patio on a beautiful day. Photo (c) 2013 Gena Philibert-Ortega

Now, I know that name of this dish might spur chuckles among my fellow American readers and because I seem to be a magnet for spammers with creative love ideas I chose not to include the name of this dish in the title of this blog post.

Yes, the dish is...spotted dick.

Spotted Dick. Photo (c) 2013 Gena Philibert-Ortega

What it looks like inside. Photo(c) 2013 Gena Philibert-Ortega

After a wonderful ploughman's plate with a scotch egg (hard boiled egg encased in sausage and then rolled in breadcrumbs before being baked) I decided to go with dessert and I wasn't disappointed. Spotted dick is a steamed pudding with raisins (basically reminded me of a cake with raisins  that was topped off with custard.) 

Part of the Ploughman's Plate. Photo (c) 2013 Gena Philibert-Ortega

Scotch Eggs. Photo (c) 2013 Gena Philibert-Ortega

I had always wanted to try this because many years ago, a Mormon cookbook I had purchased talked about how early English pioneers ate this dish. I think there may have even been a variation  that was used as they were crossing the plains. Since these are my ancestors, I wanted to try something they would have enjoyed.

Anyway, for today's Food Friday here's a rather vague recipe for Spotted Dick (From Good Housekeeping, August 30, 1890 available on Google Books) and a reminder to go out and be adventurous! Try something your ancestor's ate.