Saturday, June 21, 2008

Welsh Rarebit - Welsh Rabbit..........


When I was growing up in Toronto, there used to be a very formal tearoom in the downtown Simpson's Department Store. It was the kind of place where the women wore hats and gloves and dined on little sandwiches and drank their tea out of china cups (with their pinky finger extended to show sophistication and good breeding). It wasn't a place that I went with my mother - we just didn't eat out as I was growing up. But when I started to go to school and then work downtown, I took my mother there a few times and it was a perfect place for people-watching. I always ordered Welsh Rarebit - from the ingredients I could just tell it would be delicious. This article in the London Times will tell you all about this treat (and provide you with a recipe).
It is an old-fashioned dish - a creamy mixture of mature cheddar, mustard and beer that is grilled on crusty bread. I always thought it was pronounced rarebit - but this article informs me that it is pronounced "rabbit", probably as an insult to the Welsh. Why? In the 18th century rabbit was a poor man's meat in England, whereas in Wales the poor man's “meat” was cheese. Never mind who insulted who - it is a delicious treat.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Chef Anthony Bourdain, author of Kitchen Confidential once commented that lack of financial resources has resulted in some of the culinary worlds more interesting recipes. People who do not have access to the best meats and condiments create delicacies with the food resources that are accessible to them. Welsh Rarebit would be one of those.

How nice that you took your mother to Simpsons for lunch. Must have been a lovely treat for both of you to share.

Anonymous said...

You must be talking about The Arcadian Court. It is still there. i remember going there a couple of times at Easter. We had paty sandiches and drinks with umbrellas. Now I could really go for Welsh Rarebit (and still have a fancy drink with an umbrella)
Wendy

Anonymous said...

It was the Arcadian Court (thanks for reminding me) - it seemed so elegant and genteel to me.....glad Wendy could remember the name. Is the old Simpson's now a Bay Store? Does the Arcadian Court still look the same? The recipe in the linked article suggests pea shoots as an accompaniment - doesn't it all sound good? (even without an umbrella)

Anonymous said...

Yes,the old Simpsons is a Bay now. The Arcadian Court has been tarted up quite a bit --grand piano, and definitely quite genteel. I think that they are trying to appeal to an upscale business crowd -- I guess that now I fall into the older ladies who once dined there category.
Wendy