Monthly Archives: January 2018
BURNS NIGHT FEAST
Haggis | How to cook Haggis
Haggis Recipe
Haggis in Scotland was once considered a poor-man’s dish made from leftovers, but is now a regular feature on tables across the country. For advice on how to cook haggis look no further.
Ingredients
First find a good, spicy haggis, either from your local butcher, deli, supermarket or nearest Scottish store if you live overseas. Contrary to what we tell overseas visitors, you cannot hunt one down at the top of Scottish mountain peaks, hills, glens, moors or shooting estates. There are many award-winning haggis makers with various ingredients from traditional beef and lamb to vegetarian, pork, smoked venison or even kosher.
Haggis travels well and therefore can be ordered over the internet to be delivered by post, although there are import restrictions in countries such as America and Canada. It will keep up to one month in the fridge and from six months to a year in the freezer. If the haggis is to be a main course, the average portion should be around 6-8 oz (150-200 g) per person and 4 oz (100 g) if served as a starter.
Turnips and potatoes are also essential accompaniments, available from farmers’ markets, delis, market gardens, vegetable stores, supermarkets or your own back garden.
Step-by-Step Cooking Instructions:
The haggis is already cooked and just needs some careful re-heating until it is piping hot. It may seem obvious, but it is essential to defrost before cooking if the haggis hasn’t been bought fresh.
Pan method
1. Bring a pan of water to the boil.
2. Place the haggis in the pan and turn the heat down immediately. The water should only simmer, not boil as this may burst the case…resulting in a culinary disaster and a ‘murdert haggis’. Some haggis come in a ‘cook-in bag’ to avoid this problem – otherwise wrapping it in foil would help to protect the contents. The length of time it should be gently poached depends on the size of your haggis. As a guide, a 1kg haggis takes around 75 mins.
Oven
1. Remove outer plastic bag and wrap in aluminium foil.
2. Place in a casserole dish with a little water and cook in a pre-heated oven at 180 degrees C (Gas Mark 6) for around an hour, depending on the size of your haggis. To be on the safe side, test with a cooking thermometer to a minimum of 63 degrees Centigrade.
Microwave
1. Remove outer bag and skin.
2. Cut into evenly-sized slices and heat on medium for around eight minutes – or as instructed on the haggis.
3. Halfway through cooking, mash with a fork to ensure an even temperature throughout.
Neeps
1. Peel and quarter the turnip and boil for 25 mins or until soft.
2. Drain and mash with a little butter. Add a teaspoon of caster sugar and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Tatties
1. Peel and quarter the potatoes and boil for 20 mins or until soft.
2. Drain and mash with a little butter and milk to get a smooth, creamy consistency. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
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Burns Night
Thousands of people in the UK
Will be celebrating the life of Robert Burns
The celebrated poet of Scotland
Reading his poems in turns
Robert Burns born into a farming family
In Alloway, Ayrshire in 1759
He died at the age of 37years
On this earth for a very short time
Yet in that very short time
He took the Scottish literary by storm
Secured a place in history as a legend
From the day he was born
So as Burns night approaches
Let all celebrate his plight
By reading his wonderful work
Remembering his poetry on Burns Night
Malcolm G Bradshaw
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Address to a Haggis
This poem was written by Burns to celebrate his appreciation of the Haggis. As a result Burns and Haggis have been forever linked.
This particular poem is always the first item on the program of Burn’s suppers. The haggis is generally carried in on a silver salver at the start of the proceedings.
As it is brought to the table a piper plays a suitable, rousing accompaniment.
One of the invited artistes then recites the poem before the theatrical cutting of the haggis with the ceremonial knife.
Address to a Haggis
Fair fa’ your honest, sonsie face,
Great chieftain o the puddin’-race!
Aboon them a’ ye tak your place,
Painch, tripe, or thairm:
Weel are ye worthy o’ a grace
As lang’s my arm.
The groaning trencher there ye fill,
Your hurdies like a distant hill,
Your pin wad help to mend a mill
In time o need,
While thro your pores the dews distil
Like amber bead.
His knife see rustic Labour dight,
An cut you up wi ready slight,
Trenching your gushing entrails bright,
Like onie ditch;
And then, O what a glorious sight,
Warm-reekin, rich!
Then, horn for horn, they stretch an strive:
Deil tak the hindmost, on they drive,
Till a’ their weel-swall’d kytes belyve
Are bent like drums;
The auld Guidman, maist like to rive,
‘Bethankit’ hums.
Is there that owre his French ragout,
Or olio that wad staw a sow,
Or fricassee wad mak her spew
Wi perfect scunner,
Looks down wi sneering, scornfu view
On sic a dinner?
Poor devil! see him owre his trash,
As feckless as a wither’d rash,
His spindle shank a guid whip-lash,
His nieve a nit;
Thro bloody flood or field to dash,
O how unfit!
But mark the Rustic, haggis-fed,
The trembling earth resounds his tread,
Clap in his walie nieve a blade,
He’ll make it whissle;
An legs an arms, an heads will sned,
Like taps o thrissle.
Ye Pow’rs, wha mak mankind your care,
And dish them out their bill o fare,
Auld Scotland wants nae skinking ware
That jaups in luggies:
But, if ye wish her gratefu prayer,
Gie her a Haggis
Address to a Haggis Translation
Fair and full is your honest, jolly face,
Great chieftain of the sausage race!
Above them all you take your place,
Stomach, tripe, or intestines:
Well are you worthy of a grace
As long as my arm.
The groaning trencher there you fill,
Your buttocks like a distant hill,
Your pin would help to mend a mill
In time of need,
While through your pores the dews distill
Like amber bead.
His knife see rustic Labour wipe,
And cut you up with ready slight,
Trenching your gushing entrails bright,
Like any ditch;
And then, O what a glorious sight,
Warm steaming, rich!
Then spoon for spoon, the stretch and strive:
Devil take the hindmost, on they drive,
Till all their well swollen bellies by-and-by
Are bent like drums;
Then old head of the table, most like to burst,
‘The grace!’ hums.
Is there that over his French ragout,
Or olio that would sicken a sow,
Or fricassee would make her vomit
With perfect disgust,
Looks down with sneering, scornful view
On such a dinner?
Poor devil! see him over his trash,
As feeble as a withered rush,
His thin legs a good whip-lash,
His fist a nut;
Through bloody flood or field to dash,
O how unfit.
But mark the Rustic, haggis-fed,
The trembling earth resounds his tread,
Clap in his ample fist a blade,
He’ll make it whistle;
And legs, and arms, and heads will cut off
Like the heads of thistles.
You powers, who make mankind your care,
And dish them out their bill of fare,
Old Scotland wants no watery stuff,
That splashes in small wooden dishes;
But if you wish her grateful prayer,
Give her [Scotland] a Haggis!
By Robert Burns
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She Is Perfect..
Her alluring sculpture of a woman
Her dark hair like a charming legend
Her feminine scent from heaven
Her beady eyes outshining diamond
Her dulcet voice like breeze tones
Her sweet lips as coconut flan
Her sharp wit penetrating stones
Her clear skin wearing no tan
Invaded my gamut of emotions
Inhabited my heart, soul, and mind
Dived into my deepest oceans
And cured my eyes that were blind
© Chaouki M’kaddem
December 25th, 2014
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5 Overused New Year’s Resolution
It’s a new year! Some of us are excited about what 2016 will offer. Some of us are fidgety about what may happen next year. While some of us, perhaps, do not care. Today is the last day of this year and the coming year might be a roller coaster, a bike ride, or perhaps a hoverboard ride, smooth and sailing (only if you know how to do it, which I do not know by the way). That is why people love to have new year’s resolution to reboot the past year and start a new life somehow. Funny, it may seem, but, the world is full of cliched new year’s resolution. I have listed five of them:
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TOP TEN NEW YEARS RESOLUTIONS FOR 2018
New Year’s Resolutions to Ring in 2017
It is that time of year again. We start off the new year singing “Auld Lang Syne.” One of my all time favorite movies, “When Harry Met Sally” has clever dialogue about the song. Harry: What does this song mean? My whole life, I don’t know what this song means. I mean, ‘Should old acquaintance be forgot’? Does that mean that we should forget old acquaintances, or does it mean if we happened to forget them, we should remember them, which is not possible because we already forgot? Sally: Well, maybe it just means that we should remember that we forgot them or something. Anyway, it’s about old friends.
Making New Year’s Resolutions are also quite popular at the stroke of midnight. Some will last until the next New Year’s Eve while others don’t make it a day into the new year. Some interesting statistics… A 2007 study by Richard Wisemen from the University of Bristol involving 3,000 people showed that 88% of those who set New Year resolutions fail, despite the fact that 52% of the study’s participants were confident of success at the beginning. Men achieved their goal 22% more often when they engaged in goal setting, (a system where small measurable goals are being set; such as, a pound a week, instead of saying “lose weight”), while women succeeded 10% more when they made their goals public and got support from their friends.
Here are the 10 most popular New Year’s Resolutions:
- Join a health club.
- Improve finances. Talk to a financial planner.
- Get a better job.
- Manage stress with a massage.
- Learn something new.
- Quit smoking.
- Take a vacation.
- Volunteer at a charity.
- Drink less alcohol.
- Get along better with others.
- WHAT IS YOURS?
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