Easy British food for themed book club meeting?

[mamakelly]

It's my turn to host bookclub tomorrow, which means I chose the book (House of Silk), and I do all the food. In the past year, we've all sort of started serving food that goes with our book. So my book is a Sherlock Holmes book. I need for ideas. I was thinking I'd make shepherds pie, but someone just served that last month. Any "British" food ideas that aren't crazy complicated?

[Chris in VA]

Bangers and Mash? lol Probably not.

 

How about little individual trifles?

 

Ooo, these little tarragon chicken salad sandwiches look good, too.

 

Indian curries are very British.

 

Do you need to do dinner, or just a nice dessert?

 

 

Edited January 26, 2016 by Chris in VA

[mamakelly]

I was thinking maybe bangers and mash for my main meal. That's not boring?

[zoobie]

Not healthy, but there was a bangers and mash pastry on Proper Tasty the other day. I don't think regular bangers and mash sounds boring though.

 

Order chicken tikka

 

Shepherd's or cottage pie

 

Do tea sandwiches and scones and tiny tarts even though it's the wrong time of day

 

ETA link https://www.facebook.com/buzzfeedpropertasty/videos/1747950442084295/

Edited January 26, 2016 by zoobie

[justasque]

Bangers and mash is all about the presentation.  We like to do mashed potato "volcanoes", with the bangers leaned up against the sides, peas around the bottom, and gravy poured in the "volcano" and down the sides.  

 

Of course there's always fish and chips, or a nice roast beef with roast potatoes, broccoli cheese, and Yorkshire puddings with gravy.  Jamie Oliver has a great Yorkshire pudding video on YouTube.

 

I also second the curry idea, or you could do Cornish pasties or some other form of meat pie.

 

The Brits are big on fish - Dover sole or even a bit of salmon would work.

 

Great pub food like a ploughman's lunch would work.

 

A nice Victoria Sponge or a Pavlova for dessert, or perhaps a fruit crumble covered in nice hot custard.

 

I would use the project as an excuse to watch copious Jamie Oliver videos, for inspiration purposes.

[TXBeth]

I'd do bangers and mash, toads in the hole, or fish & chips.

[Melissa in Australia]

 

A nice Victoria Sponge or a Pavlova for dessert, or perhaps a fruit crumble covered in nice hot custard.

 

 

 

 

Pavlova is an Aussie /NZ thing not a British thing at all. :toetap05:

[justasque]

Pavlova is an Aussie /NZ thing not a British thing at all. :toetap05:

 

Well, technically neither is curry, but it's all Commonwealth goodness.   :D

 

[KungFuPanda]

Do a tea party. Have a tea service, scones, some chocolates, and maybe a curried chicken salad?

 

I you want to do a savory pie, Jamie Oliver's "Fantastic Fish Pie" is a favorite of mine. I use Parmesan instead of cheddar because he did that on the show. I'm not sure the Internet recipes all tell you about the Parmesan option. Here's that recipe: http://www.food.com/recipe/fantastic-fish-pie-147123I tend to omit the hard boiled egg, but with your party theme I might leave it in.

Edited January 26, 2016 by KungFuPanda

[Plink]

Tea.  

Cheddar Cheese.  

Scones (they might be Scottish, but depending on your book it may apply).