The National Mark, established in the late 1920’s, sought to improve the standards of all foods produced in this country, and those imported into our shops and markets. The idea that British people were terrible cooks or didn’t care what they ate is just absolutely not true. The recipes in the National Mark Calendar of Cooking, a handy little cookery book, are full of herbs, spices, garlic, olive oil, fresh seasonal fruit and vegetables, ethically produced meat and mainstays we would use today such as spaghetti and other pasta, and I’m not sure we would present it in the way described.
Our tastes may have changed, but this still sounds a good, tasty and welcome dish after a chilly day out! Here is the recipe as it is written by Ambrose Heath and Mrs Cottington Taylor:
- ¾ lb cold National Mark beef
- 1 oz National Mark flour
- 1½ oz National Mark butter
- 3 oz National Mark cheese
- 4 oz spaghetti or macaroni
- 1 National Mark onion
- 1 shallot
- 1 can of National Mark peas
- 1 pint of stock
- small bunch of herbs
- a little mace
- pepper and salt
- mince the beef, rejecting skin, gristle and fat
- melt ½ oz of the butter in a saucepan, fry the sliced shallot and onion until golden brown
- stir in the flour and cook slowly until also golden brown
- add the stock, herbs and pepper and salt,boil and simmer for twenty minutes . Then add the minced beef and allow the mixture to reheat; but it should not boil unless the beef happens to be very underdone
- whilst the meat is cooking, boil the spaghetti or macaroni in salted water until tender. Strain free from moisture, stir in the 1 oz butter and the grated cheese. Blend these ingredients together. At the same time reheat the can of peas
- to serve, arrange the mince in the middle of the dish surrounded by a border of peas, and on the outside a border of spaghetti or macaroni
Lois Elsden 