When I gave a winter post the name Cold Comfort Food, I wasn't thinking of a dish to be eaten in extremis, but that's what today's similarly-titled post is about.
If you've read yesterday's Cornflower Books piece you'll know I was quoting Anne Fadiman's Ex Libris, and her interest in polar exploration literature. Well, later in the book while on the subject of food she mentions an extraordinary gastronomic survey:
"On Ernest Shackleton's 1914-1917 Antarctic expedition, Dr. James McIlroy conducted a poll of the twenty two men who were stranded on Elephant Island, asking each what he would choose if he were permitted a single dish. The sweet-cravers outnumbered the savoury-cravers by a large margin. A sampling:
Clark Devonshire dumpling with cream
James Syrup pudding
McIlroy Marmalade pudding with Devonshire cream
Rickenson Blackberry and apple tart with cream
Wild Apple pudding and cream
Hussey Porridge, sugar and cream
Green Apple dumpling
Greenstreet Christmas pudding
Kerr Dough and syrup
Macklin Scrambled eggs on toast
Bakewell Baked pork and beans
Cheetham Pork, apple sauce, potatoes and turnips"
Very interesting - specially the inclusion of turnips - and unsurprisingly, they mostly want highly calorific, sweetly starchy, homely fare, and would no doubt pass on the lemon sorbet.
But from the trivial to the serious, now I want to read about the expedition.
If I was stranded somewhere, where I couldn't have proper food I think I' go for... - pork, apple sauce, potatoes and turnips! Wouldn't you? :)
Posted by: Kristina | 11 June 2009 at 08:55 AM