Yes Vote in 2014 will put Scotland’s Cuisine on the Map

Yes Vote in 2014 will put Scotland’s Cuisine on the Map.

Tattie Scones; Their Not Just for Breakfast Anymore

 

Just about every culture I can think of has some type of flat bread or product indigenous to the need for a dough type product intended to enrobe foods, provide nourishment and most of all be easy to hold. This idea is thousands of years old and has evolved with the times into meeting the necessity of staying relevant with changing generations that crave traditional foods but with trendy combinations and presentations.

The tattie scone should be no different, I would think, but it is. It has played a very important part of being identified with the Scottish breakfast and while working in tandem with the traditional Scottish slice sausage, the tattie scone has helped identify the Scottish breakfast from any other breakfast in the British Isles. It is as Scottish as the Scotch Egg yet suffers from a similar fate in the assumption that it is only good if served before 10 AM.

I saw this an an opportunity to expand upon the traditions of the tattie scone and help re-shape a future of this delicacy to reach the other day part opportunities that loom beyond breakfast. I let my imagination run wild. My first order of business was to change it’s shape. In an effort to do what I could with the scone I found it most restricting using the pre-packaged form of sliced triangular shaped portions to not work so well in its current form with the exception of cutting those pieces into smaller triangles and serving with sliced smoked Scottish salmon, cucumber cream, a slice of boiled egg and a dollop of caviar on top. Sort of taking the place of a classical blini if you will.

I proceeded to make my own and from there I was impressed by the versatility of the tattie scone. I first made a large circle, thinner than store bought, and fried it off. Instead of cutting into triangular sections I left it whole. I then steamed it to make it pliable. Filled it with slow roasted pulled beef, carrot shreds and onion. Rolled it up similar to a large spring roll or burrito. It turned out great. I took the trimmings from the dough and after rolling paper thin, fried them up and since the sandwich I made reminded me of a burrito, I made a sort of nacho platter out of the fried trimmings with crumbled sliced sausage, green onions, diced tomatoes and crumbled Shropshire Blue cheese. Wow, it worked perfectly. I kept traditional Scottish flavours and shaped them into a modern presentation that I would hope more restaurants in Scotland would serve to their guests. Now I only need to think of what to call it! 

As I went on, it seemed as though the ideas just started flowing. Some things worked while others not so well like making a meat pie with the scone dough. Well, I thought it was a good idea at the time. At the end of the day my point was made though. Our food from Scotland is delicious and with a little ingenuity we can expand upon what we have and share it with the world. That is the whole idea of Modern Scottish Cuisine….. to share it with the world.

Sharing My Story

Since writing my memoirs I am surprised at the support I have received from the many readers whom have let me know how much they appreciated my story. As you may know, it is not easy putting yourself out there in an effort to entertain as well as inspire the reader and at the same time open yourself up to criticism. I guess I have also learned this as a chef also. I work hard at creating a dish, analyze and often times overanalyze the preparation, envision the artistic view of the dish and demonstrate my years of practice by putting it out there for criticism or scrutiny.

The same holds true with my publication of GINGER. I put off the project for a number of years for the simple reason that I wouldn’t think anybody would be interested. I have my wife to thank for giving me the encouragement to finally get it done and to share my story with whomever would be interested in it. The same goes for a lot of food innovations I have developed through the years. Sometimes I just like to keep certain dishes to myself when other times I look very much foreword to sharing with whomever is willing to try it. I take the praises with humility as well as take the criticisms with seriousness and sometimes a grain of salt. 

It had taken me several years to not take the criticism personally. I would sometimes take it as a blow to my very sensitive feelings and rebut the criticism with often time insult or dismissal. I am glad to have matured from these feelings and believe that maybe there was more to postponing writing my memoirs. Maybe I just wouldn’t have been ready for any kind of praise or criticism. Being it so very personal, I truly believe now that I wasn’t ready.

I never studied to be a writer. Although I have writers that I admired through the years, I never thought of someday actually writing anything more than a menu and possibly some recipes for people to enjoy. I now opened myself up to be criticized for not only my abilities as a chef, a vocation that I have trained earnestly for years, but my abilities as a writer. A vocation that I had never studied nor ever wanted to study to do professionally. I have always just wanted to work with food.

I am extremely grateful to those whom have contacted me and let me know how much you have enjoyed my book. I am truly touched by those who have said that it inspires you. I am also appreciative to all of you who recommended Ginger to others. That is truly one of the greatest compliments I could have ever hoped for. It ranks right up there with Mark Sutherland of Dunrobin Publishing liking the story so much that he took a chance on a first time, no name author and published his work for all the world to read because he not only liked the story but saw the potential that others would like it too.

That being said, when I got my shipment of promotional books from my publisher I worked on a list of potential reviewers whom I thought would enjoy the book as well as help get the word out. As I was going through the mailing list Christina, my wife, let’s me know that President Clinton would have to be on the list. She was right. He would have to be on the list. 

After sending it to him, I have to admit, I thought I would never hear back from him about GINGER. I made every excuse I could think of to not worry about whether he read it or not but deep down inside I wanted not only him to read it but I wanted everybody to read it. Not for any personal gain but rather because I wasn’t afraid of criticism anymore and that is a great feeling. 

Thanks to everyone who has read Ginger. Your kind words insure that I did the right thing by putting my story out there and I am grateful for your support.

Promotional Excerpt from Ginger A Boy’s Journey from Scotland to the White House

FOREWORD

My story. The story of a boy, who was born and raised in Scotland, and who moved to the United States at age 10. The product
of an immigrant family where a new life, divorce, alcoholism, poverty and desire drive this boy to become an award winning chef overcoming a situation where all the odds are against him.

From the streets of New Jersey to being hand picked to cook at the White House for the President of the United States.

Ginger is not by any means a sad story. To the contrary, it is about passion for a career that would separate the man from the boy. From shy and insecure to a driven, fanatical perfectionist trying to learn from the past and wish it was different—only to come to terms with what really matters and the things that cannot be changed.

Ginger is a boy who never gave up. A boy that never accepted life’s trials and misgivings as an excuse to give in and accept
uncontrollable conditions that shape one’s life for the worse. His will is not hereditary but is instead contrary to his father’s will.

You might think that when people move to another country, life would be easier upon acclimation. In reflection, nothing could be further from the truth. For Ginger’s family, this move was not easy. His social class would be transformed from what he perceived as normal, happy and content to abnormal, unhappy and discontent.

Life, as you may know, is only easy if you are living somebody else’s and never your own. If someone else has planned it for you and paid your way through the tolls of adversity then yes, life is easy.

This homesick boy learns to adjust and start a new life. Unfortunately, not a better life but rather one that challenges him to be a better person in the end and not to be fooled by not being good
enough to do what makes him happy.

He’s a boy who wants to be a chef and he does just that. He doesn’t settle for an easy occupation, as a result of a hard life, but rather one that takes hard work, dedication and the ability to please people and wanting nothing in return. It’s an occupation that is never glamorous. It is hot, uncomfortable, and stressful and drives the sane to be insane.

Ginger becomes an artist in a craft that relishes taking in the castaways of normal society and exploiting them for their mere self gratification and addictions, only to pay them with the pains of hardship. But it is love and love is blind.

This is not a cookbook; this is a cook’s book. This is my book.

My Scottish Valentine Dinner

As we draw close to a day on fancy where chocolates, flowers and the ever important dinner are soon upon us, I consider the dinner to be the ever important part. Part of that is of course me being a chef but also part of that is the sheer joy of sharing food with the one you love.

As I work to put Scottish cuisine on the radar of global food trends, I have found Scottish food to be more delicious than I first imagined possible in part due to the wholesome natural flavours of home. Scotland is delicious!

Pan Seared Scottish Salmon with Leek Sauce:

2 Center Cut Skinless, Boneless Salmon Filets, lightly seasoned with Salt and Pepper

1 TBSP Oil

For The Sauce:

2 Tbsp Butter

2 Slices Rasher Bacon, cut into julienne strips

1 Leek, white only rinsed and cut into julienne matchstick length

1/2 Cup Prunes, sliced into julienne strips

4 Oyster Mushrooms, sliced into julienne strips

4 Shiitake Mushrooms, sliced into julienne strips

1 Cup Heavy Cream

In a sautee pan, heat the oil then sear each side of the salmon filets under medium heat. Once crisp remove from heat and place in oven (350 F/ 175 C) for 12 minutes or until firm. Meanwhile, melt butter in separate pan, toss in the bacon and sautee till lightly crispy. Then add the leeks and saute until leeks become tender. Around 4 – 5 minutes over medium heat. Once leeks are tender then add the prunes and mushroom. Give it a good stir and season lightly with salt and pepper.

Add the heavy cream and reduce till thickened. Around 5 – 7 minutes.

Remove salmon from oven and place in center of plate. With tongs, pile the leek and mushroom mix on top of salmon equally. Then pour the sauce from pan over mixture till fully coated.

Enjoy!

Modern Scottish Cuisine

As we soon approach a day

sacred to the Scottish culture and

celebrated globally as Burns

Night, we are reminded of the

affection Scotland’s Bairn had

with the ever mysterious national

dish of Scotland. This dish has

captured the curiosity of many a

diner around the world.

Celebrated in a ritual of drama

and passion as presenters rehearse

and memorize the lines to

perfection never to miss the cue of

stabbing the pudding in a most

unsurgically rapid manner in an

effort to spew the juices in an

attempt to soak the front row

patrons reminiscent of a Galagher

performance.

As famous as this delectable

treat is in the world, one has to

wonder why it is not so common

all the other days of the year.

In my opinion, sorry, I

should say from my position since

I am writing this from America,

Haggis is thought of only as a dish

for the brave. Could this be where

Scotland the Brave comes from?

From eating Haggis?

Most common Americans

can only speculate to what is in

Haggis and snarl at the thought of

partaking in a heaping mound of

organ meat and oats but never

attempting to have a taste. Those

who do will agree, “What’s all the

fuss about?” It is delicious!

So in my quest to rid the

Haggis of the undeserved

stereotypes here in America, I

offer you this to try.

Your very own BIG MAC

made with Haggis patties the way

I’m sure the brothers from Clan

MacDonald would be proud of

and you could even chase it down

with an anticipated swally of

single malt scotch but I personally

prefer a chilled glass of IRN BRU

to really get the taste buds doing a

highland dance.

SLAINTE

David Macfarlane is a

chef from Scotland

whom has embarked

on his own adventure

to share Scottish

cuisine with the world.

David’s initiative is to

get every household

to embrace Scottish

cuisine with his

“Scotland is Delicious”

campaign and eat a

traditional Scottish

dish one day a week.

MODERN SCOTTISH CUISINE

Ja 

nu 

a 

ry 

 2 

1 

, 2 

01 

3

INGREDIENTS:

1 chilled haggis, skin removed and cut into quarter inch slices

2 Tbsp Wondra flour

Dredge 2 slices of haggis in the wondra flour and pan sear on each side for 4

minutes on medium heat seasoning with salt and pepper and turning ever so

gently. Keep warm after searing in 200 degree oven while you prepare to build the

sandwich.

1 sesame seed bun cut into thirds

1/2 cup of iceberg lettuce cut chiffonade (long thin strips)

1 slice american cheese

2 tsp diced onion

Sauce:

2 Tbsp mayonnaise

1/8 tsp garlic powder

1/8 tsp onion powder

1 tsp yellow mustard

1/8 tsp paprika

4 diced pickled onions

Mix all ingredients for sauce in a bowl until fully incorporated. Taste and adjust

seasonings to your liking. I like to add a little of the pickled onion juice for a more

robust acidic sauce.

Spread liberally on the bun to your desired amount. Place lettuce and cheese

down then add the haggis. Enjoy!

Imagine Innovation

If necessity is the mother of all inventions, imagination has to be the mother of all innovation right?

I couldn’t work on my innovation of Modern Scottish Cuisine without first imagining what it is first in my mind. Now as I progress through the products themselves, they do not inherently have to be anything like what I imagined but rather they take a form all of their own due to the progress of the innovation. The final product is an indirect result of the imagination while the prototypes were a direct result of the imagination process. And even though I will not use the prototypes, they were still a valuable part of the innovation process and should be regarded as such and not discarded.

It makes me think of how we are brought up in school where we are taught not to daydream and pay attention mimicking the lessons letter by letter or sum by some. But the daydreaming is the infant stages of my imagination. How can this be wrong? Especially if it is such an important part of what I am imagining to become reality.

When God created the earth, wouldn’t he first have thought of what it would be like?

You see I think in order to imagine you have to put aside what we are taught as children and allow our imaginations to run wild. In order for something to be done, it first has to be thought. Otherwise it will never be done nor thought of even getting started.

This process allows me to imagine no matter how I was taught to think as a child. If I listened and believed what most people would think of Scottish food I don’t think I could ever imagine otherwise. But I did. And as a result I have imagined a completely different belief in the foods I love so dearly. I also imagine changing the perception of a Scottish meal and by doing so, I have focused on my knowledge of cooking to help my imagination run wild with innovative ideas.

I find it important though to separate my knowledge from my imagination at the very early stages of innovation simply to help the innovation process by positioning thoughts without boundaries. This to me is incredibly important. Quite frankly I do not want the smallest of details to be restricted from its importance simply because commercial kitchens might not have a way of executing today. Well, what about tomorrow? It may be possible, yes?

Innovation to me is incredibly important to what I am doing. I use lots of examples by looking not just at food trends, which by the way are mostly never right when looking into a crystal ball and trying to predict the future, but I look at new cars, fashion, art and conversation. It is all relevant to the world around us. Social media, gadgets, apps and so on can all inspire me.

Food trends, in my opinion, fall into a broad variety of areas to include but not limited to the economy, inflation, status, buzz, reviews etc. If the economy and business is booming then of course high end steakhouses and expense reports will dictate the trend. Caviar, foie gras, truffles and the such will soar in popularity versus pizza, hot dogs and home baked cassaroles will soar during a bad economy.  Common sense really and especially when you consider ethnic food as a trend, hardly ever will you hear of Scottish food reigning supreme. But I want to change that and I hope you will join me.