Dopey Newspapers

[brionon]

Today 'The Telegraph' reports the discovery of 12 New Amphibians. NEW ? Wot like just appeared ? The Times thinks that Tomato Puree is a TRADITIONAL ingredient of Shepherds Pie. My Granny never heard of the stuff. So what can we believe from these idiots ?

[Avatar]

I think you need to get out more.

[Ethel]

I have in front of me my 1948 edition of Good Housekeeping.

Under 'Preserving Tomatoes' it tells us how to bottle tomato pur�e and I have always done this, as did my mother.

Under the recipe for Shepherd's Pie it gives tomatoes as a variation - I have always used bottled tomatoes and tomato pur�e in my shepherd and cottage pies.

Maybe your granny wasn't an adventurous cook

[Gromit]

Their discovery is new.

Like the discovery of new planets or comets.

Tomatoes are a fruit from the new world (the Americas, which were always there but remained undiscovered by Europeans until the 15th century.)

[jno]

New South Wales has been around longer than old South Wales, I believe. When you buy new shoes, how do you know how long they've been on the shelves, eh? Your granny might have seen them while shopping for puree.

[JockSporran]

I agree. Tomato puree comes to us from modern (1960s and after) delicatessens. It's no way a traditional British thing, it's Italian. But that's the Sunday Times for you. They like to change history.

BTW - before anyone growls at me, I love tom puree and use it all the time, even in shepherd's pie.

[Gromit]

Just Googled Traditional Shepherds Pie recipe and the results have Tomato Puree as an ingredient...

http://www.rampantscotland.com/recipes/blrecip e_shepherd.htm

[JockSporran]

I stand corrected!

[Ethel]

Jock - my family have always bottled the home grown tomatoes as tomato puree - for 80 years to my knowledge