Mince Pies

Hi Hooah, Yes and no.The filling is "mincemeat", which is a mixture of sugar, dried fruit and spirits. Strictly, it should contain beef suet, ie. the fat from around the kidneys of cattle. I think most shop-bought ones - like the cheap-ass one I'm eating now - are vegetarian though.The name is traditional and comes from the days when people really did use minced beef, as a few still do. They are reminiscent of the kind of cooking that was popular in Tudor times, when mixing meat with sweet and smothering everything in spices was the order of the day.Mutate and Survive

---

"A curious aspect of the theory of evolution is that everybody thinks he understands it." - Jacques Monod

Hi RAZD,Yeah, it's interesting how some things start out of practical necessity, only to become popular for their own sake. Fennel seeds are commonly added to curries not just for flavour, but because they are believed to aid digestion.Mutate and Survive

Since the topic seems to have turned to weird food in general, I have to put in a word for the eating qualities of the North American Grey Squirrel.Grey squirrels are a serious pest over here and they have all but wiped out the native red squirrel, leaving only a few strongholds for the reds in Scotland, Northern England and the Isle of Wight. The greys are also a menace to other wildlife, taking chicks and eggs from bird nests and damaging trees.The good news is that the little buggers taste delicious! They are easy to trap and they meat is extremely good, comparable to rabbit, but a little sweeter. The saddle meat is particularly good and there is more on them than you might think.If everyone in Britain got stuck in to the greys there might be a much safer future for the remaining reds.Mutate and Survive

---

"A curious aspect of the theory of evolution is that everybody thinks he understands it." - Jacques Monod

Hi Straggler, You'll be lucky, but it is sometimes available from game dealers, gamekeepers and forestry managers. A good option if you're not squeamish about catching, killing and prepping your own meat. Squirrel cage traps are about 20 and are very easy to use. They're also pretty easy to make. Mine we're caught in my Mum's garden; they had been ransacking the bird feeders, so instead, they fed us.Mutate and Survive

Hi CS,Brawn = head cheese. Nice with a bit of mustard and some pickles.Mutate and Survive

Hi CS, Don't be silly. You should know that no-one in the UK has teeth that good.Mutate and Survive

Hi Straggler, Yup. "Granny Magda" is an old D&D character of mine. I appreciate that it is an eccentric choice of sobriquet, but then... I'm eccentric. One of the pleasures of the internet is that we don't have to present our regular face to the world.Mutate and Survive