Pride and Pudding

Cabinet Pudding – Or what to do with stale cake and booze

27th April 2016 by Regula 4 Comments

Let me share with you a recipe from Pride and Pudding, my debut book that was festively launched in London’s Borough Market two weeks ago. There is also good news if you haven’t ordered the book yet! The Amazon editorial team has not only included Pride and Pudding in their ‘Books of the Month’ – this week it is also part of their ‘Deal of the Week’ which comes with a 50% discount only this week. (Get it here >) Meaning it will only set you back a tenner! It looks like sales are going splendid as I haven’t seemed to have lost my spot in the first 10 of the top 100 Bestsellers. As an author you do fear no one will buy your book. As do you fear bad reviews and negativity. So if you have a moment and you like the book, Amazon reviews do make a difference.

Now back to the actual order of the day. Cabinet pudding was a favourite on Victorian tables, the first recipes for it appeared in the early 19th century, though similar puddings had been made long before then. It is also sometimes called Newcastle pudding, diplomat pudding or Chancellor’s pudding, though the connection with politics isn’t clear. Recipes also vary. There are theories about the name but none seemed to hold much truth to them….

Pride and Pudding – London Book launch

25th April 2016 by Regula 2 Comments

Two weeks ago was the day I have been waiting for, for a very very long time.
The publication day and book launch of the English Pride and Pudding, my original work. My baby. You might find it quite odd that the Dutch translation came out before the original but the whole editing process of the two books was completely different. I’m thinking of writing a post about the two different ways this book was brought to life, it is quite interesting and could come with some advise for any of you are thinking of publishing a book….

The Rise of Rice Pudding – a History and a 14th century recipe

11th April 2016 by Regula 5 Comments

Yesterday, 11 april, I was asked to come on the BBC One Breakfast television program to talk about the history of rice pudding in light of the sudden craze for rice pudding – and that I have just written Pride and Pudding, a whole book about pudding. So how has rice pudding got itself back on our menu’s and in our hearts?

Rice pudding now as its own restaurant in Manhattan, New York dedicated to rice pudding – called ‘Rice to Riches’. The BBC journalist contacting me told me that Waitrose executive chef, Jonathan Moore, said that after visiting Manhattan’s rice pudding-only shop recently, Jason Atherton’s Michelan star restaurant, Pollen Street Social, and Berner’s Tavern in London have both re-invented the classic dessert. He also said sweet, savoury and embellished versions are becoming more ‘extreme’, with options at The Rice Cream Shoppe in Greenwich Village including gluten free and vegan versions. Waitrose also reported that sales of rice pudding have risen by 8% year on year.

I’m sure that in this modern day and age with dishes that look like works of art, we are all craving for something real and honest. Something which just isn’t pretending to be more than it is. Something so humble it conjures up memories of your nan, your mum or the auntie who made it especially when you were visiting. I have faint memories of my mum making rice pudding and I can remember the impatience for it to cool off and develop that glorious yellow skin which was really, the best part of the pud….

Pride and Pudding – the process of creating the Pudding Bowl + pre-order

20th March 2016 by Regula 5 Comments

At some point when I was working on Pride and Pudding, probably in one of those moments of super clear thoughts in the middle of the night, I decided I wanted to try and create a Pride and Pudding – pudding bowl. Since I have been collecting the vintage and antique pudding moulds of England’s past, the need for creating a new one was great. In fact, it became something that nearly seemed impossible to pull off. But when I was introduced to the ceramics artist Solomia Zoumaras by another potter in their studio in Hackney, the first little piece of the bowl was made.

It took 6 months from that first meeting, several skype calls, messages, visits and samples, until I picked up the first finished bowl last week. Today 25 handmade bowls are available for sale in the Limited edition package of the book, and for 5 days only it is still possible to choose your illustration from the book for your signed print. The limited edition pack contains a signed book, a 5 piece postcard set, a signed illustration print and this amazing illustrated pudding bowl. You will find more information about the pre-order here on the book page >

But the reason for this post is about the incredible art that is pottery. I want to celebrate Solomia and tell you how the basins were made. It is a fascinating process and I will never look at a piece of pottery the same way again. Watching The Great British Pottery show on the BBC was great, but seeing this come to life showed such complexity and skill, even though it might look like a very simple design. Over to Solomia who will take you through the process which I have tried to document with pictures in her studio in London….

My Books: Pride and Pudding

26th October 2015 by Regula 39 Comments

Pride and Pudding – The history of British Puddings Savoury and Sweet takes you on a journey through the fascinating culinary past of Great Britain.
Published by Murdoch Books in Britain, Australia and New Zealand. Also available in a Dutch translation.
Pride and Pudding was selected as one of the best ‘Books of 2016’ by Sheila Dillon from the BBC Food Programme, Delicious Magazine, the Irish Times and the Guardian. It was also shortlisted for the prestigious Andre Simon Award and the Fortnum & Mason award. The book won the Gourmand World Cookbook Award for the UK, in the Food Heritage category.

Why this book?

Every book I write is about preserving a heritage, because in the present day far too much importance is given to new and exciting things while the past holds a treasure of beauty that is often forgotten. (See my other book Belgian Cafe Culture HERE)

Captivated by British cuisine – from its ancient savoury dishes such as the Scottish haggis to traditional sweet and savoury pies, pastries, jellies and ices, flummeries, junkets and jam roly-poly – I tell the story of British food, paying homage in particular to the great British pudding, which is versatile and wonderful in all its guises.

By tracing back to authentic cookery texts, the earliest of which dates from 14th century, I have re-created more than 80 recipes for the twenty-first century, and in the process I have rediscovered long-forgotten flavours and food fashions. I show you how pudding evolved over the centuries from being a savoury, often meat-based sausage-like dish, to the more dessert puddings we know today.

Pudding was so important in British culture that even foreign visitors wrote about them and British food, for example this one, by a French visitor in his diary:

“Blessed be he that invented pudding for it is a manna that hits the palates of all sorts of people…ah what an excellent thing is an English pudding.”

In the book I explore how religion and politics all influenced food and flavours, and how wartime shaped what British food is today.

Part food history and part recipe book, I tried to capture the essence of Britishness through its food, this is a different kind of cookbook.
It took me 2,5 years to complete the book, of which most of it was research.

The illustrations in the book are created by my husband and tell part of the stories, as do the photoghraphs which I have taken myself. I also designed the book, so as you can see this is a very personal project.

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To order online Amazon UK and Waterstones (I don’t receive any commission from sales by clicking) Or signed copies through email, see contact page

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Praise for Pride and Pudding

It’s a labour of love that revives your faith in cookbooks – erudite, original, beautifully written, gorgeously shot and styled – something you’ll definitely want to own and leaf through. If it doesn’t win one of next year’s food writing and/or photography prizes I’ll be amazed.

Fiona Beckett

award-winning food and wine writer. Wine columnist for The Guardian and the author of 23 books on food, wine and beer.

This is quite definitely the most beautiful food book I have ever seen.
Regula Ysewijn has the aesthetic eye of an Old Master and the intelligence and attention to detail of a well-read scholar.
Every page is a delight. I would never have believed that a prune tart or cabbage pudding could look so captivating. You will want to have Pride and Pudding on your bookshelves. Not only because is it an extraordinarily fine looking book thats a pleasure to handle and behold, but also because the contents are fascinating.
Pride and Pudding is an astonishing achievement from an exceptional writer.

Joanna Blythman
acclaimed journalist and author of 7 books, most recent: ‘Swallow this’

Cook favourite and maverick creative Regula Ysewijn, is set to publish her first book, Pride and Pudding, in April. What started out as a childhood hankering for traditional English fare has become an all-consuming social study of the historical treats of Britain. And this is the beautifully illustrated, hardbacked result. Ysewijn collected handwritten cookbooks and vintage pudding moulds. She researched the etymologies of our dish names and the chronologies of our tastebuds. Crucially, she cooked the ancient recipes she came across, photographing, in glorious , painterly detail, jaune manges and apple tansies and glimmery almond flummeries. What a beauty of a book this is.

The Guardian – Cook

A truly wonderful thing of beauty…a very tasty masterpiece’ – Jamie Oliver

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Where to find my book

The English version is available online: Amazon UK and Waterstones! (I don’t receive any commission from sales by clicking)

The Dutch book costs 35 euros + shipping cost. You can find it in bookstores in Belgium and Holland (not signed).

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We have created something special:

The Limited edition pack

PRIDE-AND-PUDDING-LIMITED-EDITION-regula-ysewijn-LR

The Limited edition package with handmade pudding basin, a signed book, card set and signed art print.
Another news is that I’ve been working on a little project with pottery artist Solomia Zoumaras to create a Pride and Pudding – pudding basin! We’re still trying out glazes and clays but we managed to get a good one out of the kiln to show to you lovely people! The cool thing is that on the outside the pudding basin is quite modern, but the inside has a different shape so that your christmas pudding will come out pudding-shaped! So here is the deal: There will be 25 pudding basins, handmade by Solomia and printed with a design from the book. These basins come with a signed book (Dutch or English) a card set designed by Bruno, and a signed art print of one of the illustrations.

The limited edition costs 120 £ + shipping and contains*:
• A signed book – made out to whom you wish and personal message if you would like that
• The hand made pudding basin, designed by Solomia and I
• A card set with 5 cards (see below)
• A signed and numbered aprox. A5 size art print of one of the illustrations

Status pre-order for Limited edition:
Available: 25 / Sold: 15

Payment possible with paypal : contact me for a shipping quote

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