There Was No 'Catch & Return' In The Old Days!

[HERUTILUS]

Hello,

 

Being an avid reader of 'The Times' I thought you might like to read two 'letters to the editor' reproduced in the paper recently, both using the current German Ecoli outbreak as a theme.

 

Letter No. 01 - Titled 'Cool' being relative to cucumbers.

 

"Sir, Did the great Samuel Johnson [THE eminent man of letters] know something that we do not know?

For example, one of his recipes was the following - Cucumber should be well sliced, dressed with pepper & vinegar; and then thrown out". Via Des Machale of Cork, Eire.

 

Letter No. 02 - Titled 'Coarse fish' being relative to the eating of Chub.

 

Doctor Johnson's views on cucumbers [letter, June 6th] reminded me of a similar piece of culinary advice I encountered in the 1940's. In 'With Rod and Line in and around Gloucestshire'; a nostalgic read from a bygone era, the chapter on the chub closes with the following advice. "There is only one way to cook a chub & that is to lay him on a board and scale & gut him. Then, carefully bury the body and cook the board". Via M J W Rogers. Staffs.

 

Perhaps we could try the 'recipes' sometime?

 

Regards,

 

H.