Have You Spotted Dick?

Now that I have your attention....

In the book Gastronaut by Stefan Gates he puts forth the theory that British food is looked down upon not because it is bad but because a lot of the names are silly. Here is a list of some of the names, old and new, that he cites:

• Aberdeen Nips
• Beef Cecils
• Black Pudding
• Bubble and Squeak
• Clapshot
• Cullen Skink
• Dean's Cream
• Fitless Cock
• Flummery
• Girdle Sponges
• Hob Nobs
• Huffkins
• Hunter's Buns
• Love in Disguise
• Inky Pinky
• Knickerbocker Glory
• Marmite
• Priddy Oggies
• Scouse
• Singing Hinnies
• Slot
• Spotted Dick
• Toad-in-the-hole
• Wet Nelly
• Wow-Wow Sauce
  

Now, I will give points to those of you who can describe at least ten of these. I only recognize about half of them myself. I have yet to decide what the points will be worth, but I'll think of something. I'll give you two to start with. Here's a Knickerbocker Glory, the greatest ice cream invention ever.

There is no precise recipe, but it is said that a knickerbocker glory was first described in the 1930s. As well as layers of ice cream, gelatin, fruit and cream, it can be topped with different kinds of syrup, nuts, whipped cream and often a cherry. More complicated variations can sometimes include layers of things like meringue, or be topped off with a wafer.

And Spotted Dick (pictured at top) is a moist sponge cake spotted with raisins, served warm. The word 'dick' is an archaic slang term for pudding. Evidently a couple of NHS hospitals recently changed it to Spotted Richard on their menu, for fear the word 'dick' might upset some little old ladies. They since changed it back.

Go to it, my faithful minions!