I got an e-mail from my British friend Lucy this week. I had sent a package with various gifts for her kids and for her and her husband and she sent a message on Sunday saying that they had received it and everything was a big hit (big relief for me as it's hard to buy for kids who live 5000 miles away). I'll post another time about how Lucy and I met and put some photos up of her family, but this post is about something specific I've been thinking about since she wrote. This will prove how idle my mind has been this week. If you're looking for a post heavy on deep thoughts, this is not it and you should stop reading now.
At the end of Lucy's message she said that she was making cottage pie for their tea (evening meal). For those who don't know that's a very delicious casserole dish that's made with meat and vegetables on the bottom and mashed potatoes on top. Once assembled, it's baked until the mashed potatoes are a little crunchy on top. It's awesome comfort food. Anyway, ever since I read that I've been thinking about cottage pie vs. shepherd's pie. I got schooled by Lucy on my first or second trip across the pond about the difference between the two, which is that shepherd's pie is made with minced (ground) lamb and cottage pie is made with hamburger.On the Planet Tess blog, I saw where she'd posted a recipe for shepherd's pie back in November, in which she used sausage. Interesting choice. I might have to try that. So to further my research, I went to Wikipedia and searched for cottage pie, which pulled up the entry for shepherd's pie. They did explain what I've already said, but that Americans generally use shepherd's pie no matter what meat's being used.
Any opinions? Got a great recipe for shepherd's/cottage pie that I need to have? Need to get rid of some leftovers? Send them my way.
Don't care? I don't blame you, but thanks for letting me purge my soul. I feel so much better now!
11 comments:
Hmmm. I've always called it shepherd's pie, even if it had ground beef. Of course, growing up, I think ground beef was the only kind of food we ever ate. That, and Slim Jims. Anyway, my vote is for shepherd's pie. And now I'm all hungry.
Ooops, I guess I meant that ground beef was the only kind of MEAT we ever ate, not the only kind of FOOD. Sheesh. We also at Ramen noodles, Miracle Whip, grilled cheese and Spaghetti-O's. And sometimes apples.
chris, i am preparing shepherd's pie for our book club tuesday. i was trying to think of something british to make for this very british book. i have a recipe that i like quite a bit. it calls for ground beef, so i guess it really is a cottage pie! no matter. i hope it will be delicious.
I've always known it as Shepherd's Pie and I've always loved it. My mom rocks the recipe, but she rocks everything she cooks. I've made it few times over the years since Justin and I have been married.
Suzanne - ground beef is so universal. You can make so many different things with it. We live on it here in the White House. Although Slim Jim's rock too.
BTW - I'm so glad you posted something. I've been missing my Chris' blog.
Lori, I was looking forward to book club already, but now I'm salivating for it. Maybe this post was festering because I just finished "Atonement" last night.
Suzanne - ground beef was a staple at our house, too. My Mom never seemed to run out of hamburger recipes or Miracle Whip! But not so many Slim Jims or Ramen noodles. Sad, I know.
Believe it or not, I've heard of this recipe but never had it. I'll have to ask Chef Corby to fix it sometime. And much like the rest of you, I grew up on hamburger, and other delicacies like scrambled eggs w/fried bologna (anyone else?), fried potatoes w/scrambled eggs (see a pattern here), etc.
Hmm ... I've never even heard of cottage pie. Guess I'm a shepherd's pie fan through-and-though!
I had never had the stuff until I met Princess Jill's brother-in-law and he made it with ground beef and called it shepard's pie. Since his passing I make it now a bit kicked up from his version and still call it shepard's pie, but I like the term cottage pie. It sounds so much more "comfy" and I think I will use that term
I've never heard of cottage pie. But it sounds comforting and quite British. We could just call it any-kind-of-meat with veggies, topped with mashed potatoes... yum.
i've never heard of cottage pie either but i love the name. sounds like something nigella lawson would make. sounds perfect to make on this super cold day.
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