Despite the fact that I have a small family consisting of only myself, my husband, and my pets, I have always loved having traditions. One of my traditions is to make a tea party meal every year on Mother's Day weekend.
I tend to cook quite a bit for this event, far more then two can eat, so left overs are available throughout the week. Every year I try something a bit different but there are two recipes that are always on the menu and both were created to honor British Queens who were also dog lovers.
Queen Victoria was a noted dog fanatic. Her beloved spaniel Dash was memoralized in potraits
and in this touching epigraph:
Here lies 'Dash'
The favorite spaniel of Her Majesty, Queen Victoria,
By whose command this Memorial was erected.
He died on the 20th December 1840, in his 9th year.
His attachment was without selfishness,
His playfulness without malice,
His fidelity without deceit.
Reader, if you would live beloved and die regretted,
profit by the example of 'Dash'.
In addition to Dash, Victoria owned collies, pugs, labradors, and pomeranians, as well as many other breeds.
An early advocate of animal rights Queen Victoria outlawed the barbaric practice of bull baiting and she was a patron of the SPCA (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to animals, which due to her support became the RSPCA, Royal Society for The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals).
Victoria had a sweet tooth and was very fond of her afternoon tea. The cake, Victoria Sponge, was created in her honor and a delicious cake it is too!
I use the recipe from the NYC restaurant, Tea and Sympathy which you can find here. The only change I make is to use one cake pan and bake it a bit longer, and then slice the cake into two layers. I find the batter a bit scant for two pans.
The second recipe is in honor of Queen Elizabeth, who as everyone knows has a life long fondness for Corgis.
This delicious salad was created for Elizabeth's coronation in 1953.
Coronation Chicken Salad
3-4 lbs of split chicken breasts, bone in and skin on
olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Butter head lettuce
1 onion, chopped
2 tbsp butter
1/4 cup mild curry powder
1/4 cup tomato puree
1/2 cup red wine or water
1 bay leaf
Juice of 1 lemon
Large can of apricot slices in juice, or several small cans I used 3 8 ounce cans, drained
1/4 cup Major Grey's mango chutney
1 cup mayonnaise
Rub the chicken breasts with olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Roast at 350 for 50 min to an hour until cooked through. Cool and remove the skin and shred the meat. Transfer to a large mixing bowl.
Melt the butter in a large sauce pan and add the onion and saute until translucent. Stir in the curry powder, tomato puree, wine or water, bay leaf, lemon juice, drained apricots and chutney and simmer until thickened about 20 minutes. Stir into the bowl with the chicken. Let cool and stir in the mayonnaise. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve atop butter head lettuce or in sandwiches.
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