EXPLORING SCOTTISH CREATORS

Otto Theodore Leyde 

(German born, Scottish painter of the 19th Century) 

27 April 1835 – 11 January 1897

Otto Theodore Leyde was born at Wehlau, East Prussia. At the age of 19 he traveled to Edinburgh, Scotland where he eventually settled, becoming a naturalized subject of her Majesty.

After employment as a lithographic artist, he devoted himself to painting. He exhibited at the Royal Scottish Academy and was elected an Associate of the Academy in 1870. He later became an Academician, and in 1886 he became Librarian of the Academy.

Leyde painted in oils and watercolors and became well known for his landscapes and genre subjects. As well as the Royal Scottish Academy, his paintings were exhibited in other places, especially in Scottish galleries.  

Prices for Leyde's paintings range from $106 USD to $6,765 USD.

 A Few Paintings by Otto Theodore Leyde

Happy as the Day is Long

Portrait of a Lady wearing a Lace Shawl with Pearl Bracelet sitting at Spinning Wheel

The Fishing Party

The Young Angler

The Fishing Party

Portrait of a Scotsman

A Highland Home

Unknown Title

A Day at the Seashore

Unknown Title

Two Children - Twee Kilderen

Two Children Fishing in Scotland

 

EXPLORING THE SCOTS-IRISH

Scots-Irish or Scotch-Irish

Scots-Irish or Scotch-Irish? Is one, or the other of them, correct?

Both Scots-Irish and Scotch-Irish can be found in dictionaries.

Merriam Webster online:

Scotch-Irish adjective

ˈskäch-ˈī-rish

Definition of Scotch-Irish

of, relating to, or descended from Scottish settlers in Northern Ireland

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Scotch-Irish

Free Dictionary online:

Scotch′-I′rish or Scots-Irish n.

1. the descendants of the Lowland Scots who were settled in Ulster in the 17th century. adj.

2. of or pertaining to the Scotch-Irish.

Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.

https://www.thefreedictionary.com/Scots-Irish

Your Dictionary online:

Scots-irish meaning

skŏtsīrĭsh

The people of Scotland who settled in Ulster or their descendants, especially those who emigrated to North America.

https://www.yourdictionary.com/scots-irish

American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language

Scots-I·rish

(skŏts′ī′rĭsh) n.

1. The people of Scotland who settled in Ulster or their descendants, especially those who emigrated to North America.

Also called Scotch-Irish.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

https://www.ahdictionary.com/word/search.html?q=Scots+Irish

The term Scotch-Irish has been more widely used in the United States than Scots-Irish. Book titles using Scotch-Irish are more numerous than book titles using Scots-Irish. People of Scottish background were known as Scotch in the 18^th century.

Scotch-Irish has been used for immigrants from Ulster (mainly of Presbyterian heritage) for more than three centuries. In a letter written by Elizabeth I, she described Sorley Boy MacDonald and others as being of the Scotch-Irish race.

The term was used in Colonial America, along with Irish, Ulster Irish, Northern Irish and Irish Presbyterian. A Maryland document shows Scotch-Irish being used as an insult.

The term Scotch-Irish is a source of confusion. It was not in common use in the United States until the mid-19^th century when it became common. It had fallen out of use by the time the United States had become a new country. The ethnic Scots, who had immigrated from Ulster, were typically referred to as Irish, since their most recent home had been in Ireland.

Due to the Irish Potato Famine, of the 1840s, many Irish Catholics fled to America. This large-scale Catholic migration caused the Protestant Scots to adopt the qualifier Scotch Irish to distinguish themselves and their culture from the new immigrants.

The term Scots-Irish is used most often by genealogists and academics. Presumably, they are conforming to British usage. Today, people in Scotland are called Scots rather than Scotch.

Though it is common in the United States, Scotch-Irish is seldom used in England, Scotland and Ireland. People in Scotland prefer to use the terms Scottish and Scots, reserving Scotch to refer to whisky.

Whisky or Whiskey? That is another story!

Credits:

Scotch-Irish or Scots-Irish: What's in a Name? An Essay by Michael Montgomery

http://ulsterscotslanguage.com/en/texts/scotch-irish/scotch-irish-or-scots-irish/

SCOTCH-IRISH

Concise Oxford Companion to the English Language TOM McARTHUR

https://www.encyclopedia.com/history/united-states-and-canada/us-history/scotch-irish

The Scots-Irish The second largest pre-Revolutionary European immigrant group

https://www.mcmillen-design.com/scotsirish/pages/scotsirish.html

Scotch, Scottish and Scots-Irish By David A. Fryxell

http://www.tartansauthority.com/tartan/tartan-today/finding-your-tartan/scotch-irish

EXPLORING SCOTLAND

Scotland

United Kingdom

Scotland is part of the United Kingdom. It lies farther north than the other parts of the United Kingdom and covers about one third of the island of Great Britain. Scotland is the second largest country in the United Kingdom.

 

Scotland contains over 790 islands. Most of the islands are in the Hebrides and the Northern Isles.

Scottish Population Density Map

 

The majority of Scotland’s population lives in the plains between the Scottish Highlands and the Southern Lowlands.

 

Edinburgh, Scotland

Edinburgh, in the county of Midlothian, is the capital of Scotland. Financial institutions in the city financed much of the development - ranching, railroads, timber and mining - of the western United States.

Scotland’s legal, educational, religious and other institutions remain separate from the rest of the United Kingdom. Since the union with England, in 1707, this has allowed Scottish culture and national identity to persist.

Scottish Parliament

In 1999, a new Scottish Parliament, the first since 1707, was elected. This gave Scotland significant control over Scottish affairs. 

 

Credits: 

https://www.britannica.com/place/Edinburgh-Scotland/Union-with-England

Turnbull, Archie Rule , Lynch, Michael and Ehrlich, Blake. "Edinburgh". Encyclopedia Britannica, Invalid Date, https://www.britannica.com/place/Edinburgh-Scotland. Accessed 6 January 2022.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scotland

 https://notevenpast.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/United_Kingdom_labelled_map7.jpg

https://www.tripsavvy.com/scotland-tourist-map-cities-and-attractions-1508622

 https://www.pinterest.com/pin/276619602092360751/

 https://www.embracescotland.co.uk/self-catering/scottish-culture/

https://www.sikh24.com/2014/05/15/cross-party-members-of-the-scottish-parliament-call-for-public-inquiry-into-uk-involvement-in-operation-blue-star/

 

EXPLORING SCOTTISH FOOD

 Traditional Scottish Cookery Cookbook

Traditional Scottish Cookery

Traditional Scottish Cookery by Margaret Fairlie is a very small Scottish cookbook. It measures about 3 ½ inches x 5 inches. If the measurement had been quoted in the description, it might not have been purchased. Being on a Scottish Cookbook buying spree, though, it, without a doubt, would have been. It includes over one hundred interesting, unusual recipes for wannabee Scottish cooks.

Table of Contents

On the contents page, handwritten and underlined in pencil, is the very brief note: ’85 trip. Somebody, somewhere, had visited Scotland in 1985 and purchased this little Scottish cookbook as a souvenir. Did they try any of the recipes? The book is not worn, like it might have been if it had been used. There are no splashes or smears from a recipe being prepared close by. Except for the note on the contents page, it is remarkably clean.

The copyright for the mini book is 1972. It was published by Robert Hale Limited, Clerkenwell House in London, England, and it was printed by Everbest Printing Co. in Hong Kong.

Introduction

On the introduction page to the book, it is stated that many Scottish recipes are of French origin. Could haggis be a French inspired recipe? or Cock-A-Leekie? or Cullen Skink? or Tipsy Laird? or Rumbledethumps? This will require some thorough culinary sleuthing.

The relationship between France and Scotland is an old one, going back many centuries to the late 1200s. James I is said to have employed a French cook. Scotland’s most famous monarch, Mary Queen of Scots, spent her early years in France and married French King Francis II. Having spent most of her childhood in that country, she would have dined on French food and become accustomed that style of cooking.

King Francis II and Queen Mary of France

 https://www.scotland.org/events/lorient-celtic-festival/scottish-french-connections

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary,_Queen_of_Scots

 

A Journey into Chocolate Chip Pan Cookie Land and Being a Scottish Descendant Cook

Scottish Descendant Recipe

I don’t live in Scotland, and I’ve never been to Scotland. Through my father, I do have Scotland in my genes. Through my brother, who took the Y-DNA test for me, and his ethnicity turned out to be Scottish Gael, I have Scotland in my heart.

To become acquainted with Scotland and Scottish cooking, I’ve taken advantage of some Scottish food groups on Facebook. Many Scottish cookbooks have been added to my collection, and I’ve found many Scottish recipes on the web. But, I’m still not a Scottish cook.

I am, I guess, a Scottish descendant cook, and my recipes are Scottish descendant recipes.

So, here is a Scottish Descendant Recipe for you from a Scottish Descendant Cook:

Chocolate Chip Cookies in a Pan

Nestle Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

Several years ago, I was preparing for a large gathering of family. I wanted to make Chocolate Chip Cookies, but I was so busy with other things, I didn’t want to use valuable time scooping gobs of dough onto a baking sheet and waiting for them to come out of the oven, then having to repeat that process again and again until the cookie dough was gone. That would eat up too much precious time.

Nestle Chocolate Chip Recipe w/o Pan Cookie Variation

I got what I thought was a brilliant, and original, idea of mixing the Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe and spreading it onto a jelly roll pan, then baking it as a bar cookie would be baked. Hey, it worked! I cut the cookies into rectangular pieces and on the big day, I put them out to be consumed. They were a big hit. One older family member exclaimed, “These are better than the regular Chocolate Chip Cookie.” The same exact recipe for the regular Chocolate Chip Cookie was used, the one on the back of the Nestle Chocolate Chip bag. Who knew the shape of a cookie would make a difference in how it tasted!

Fast forward to present day cookie baking, and several recipes for Chocolate Chip cookies baked in a pan can be found on the internet. Maybe they were there, those many years ago, but not noticed by me. Most of the recipes have been changed by the cooks, in subtle ways, to make their recipe appear different from the Nestle’s Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe. You don’t want to plagiarize a famous, beloved cookie recipe, do you? One of the recipes added two packages of instant vanilla pudding, for instance. That didn’t appeal to me, however.

Nestle Chocolate Chip Recipe with Pan Cookie Variation

What truly caught my interest, and to my mind, was an outstanding internet find for a chocolate chip pan cookie recipe. On the page, along with a picture, the recipe looked exceptionally well presented and delicious. It was exactly what I would have put into a Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe, if I were inventing a chocolate chip cookie recipe. It would be perfect for whipping up during the next holiday cookie baking session. So went my thinking, as I was admiring the picture on the page. I saved it in a folder on my computer, labeling it with the number one "1", to make sure it appeared first in the favorite cookie recipe lineup.

Finally, the time for baking holiday cookies rolled around this week. I printed out the extraordinary recipe I had found on my ink guzzling printer and grabbed my bag of Nestle Chocolate Chips. Low and behold, the superb recipe I had saved was the exact same recipe that is printed on the back of the Nestle Chocolate Chip bag! The cook hadn’t modified it in one single way.  I had saved a pilfered cookie recipe! The only thing different about the recipe was the name! (Well, she did make the nuts optional.) I guess, I know a good cookie recipe when I see one. That’s all I have to say about that!

Scottish Descendant Chocolate Chip Pan Cookie

A Scottish Descendant's Chocolate Chip Pan Cookie Recipe (adapted from the back of the Nestle Chocolate Chip bag)

1. Follow the Nestle Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe on the back of the Nestle Chocolate Chip bag. 
2. Use the Pan Cookie Variation.
3. Use a 15 x 10 inch jelly roll pan (A 16 x 12 jelly roll pan will work. A pizza pan will, also, work or two round cake pans. For more depth to the cookie use a 9 x 12 baking pan. Adapt baking time as needed.)
   
4. After the cookie dough is spread evenly in the pan, sprinkle 1/2 to 1 cup extra chocolate chips over the top of the dough, because it looks good and tastes good. (A Scottish Descendant Variation) 

 Original NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Chocolate Chip Cookies

1. Preheat oven to 375° F.
2. Combine flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl.
3. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy.
4. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
5. Gradually beat in flour mixture.
6. Stir in morsels and nuts.
7. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown.

Pan Cookie Variation: Makes 4 dozen bars.

1. Preheat oven to 350° F. 
2. Grease 15 x 10-inch jelly-roll pan or use parchment paper - see above pan suggestions
   
3. Prepare dough as above. 
4. Spread into prepared pan. 
5. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. 
6. Cool in pan on wire rack. 

To make Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies (Another Scottish Descendant Variation)

To add richer flavor to the Nestle Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe, brown the butter before adding it to the cookie dough. 

How to Brown Butter Recipe - Adapted, almost word for word, from the Land O Lakes website by a Scottish Descendant Cook

How to make Brown Butter

1. Place 1 cup butter (two sticks) into a heavy skillet or saucepan. 
2. Melt butter over medium heat. 
3. Swirl butter in pan or stir occasionally to make sure butter cooks evenly. 
4. As butter melts, it will begin to foam.  
5. Watch butter closely.
6. The color will progress from bright yellow to golden tan, then to deep golden brown quickly.
7. When you smell nutty aroma, butter is deep golden brown and browned milk solids appear in bottom of pan, remove pan from heat.
8. Add brown butter to Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe as replacement for regular butter.

Scottish Descendant Chocolate Chip Pan Cookie