Dear LPG,

Isn’t it funny how, when you have lots of time on your hands, you can get your mind going into deep meditations on some of the most needless bouts of self-discussion, and it has to be said that we have all had a lot of time on our hands during the past lockdown year. 

Your mind might be triggered by a sentence you hear on the radio, some bit of junk mail you receive on the day or an old photograph, but you only need one of the senses to set you off.  I had such an experience the other day when I got up much too late (yet another habit that lockdown has taught my body clock to perfect), and decided that the morning, or should I say early afternoon needed a lift.  Breakfast was my first thought, but after a glance at my watch, I spent a little time considering what I could do to make the brunch that my breakfast was going to turn into, different and worth waiting for. 

I came upon the notion that cheese was the way to go, and then a mental picture of a cheesy topped bit of toast or two came into focus.  It is true that I use a lot of cheese in the kitchen, although I don’t often keep it as simple as cheese on toast for any meal and so, even though that would have been quite an ordinary meal for someone else, it was going to be special for me on that particular day. 

I like cheese and have a variety of types in my fridge so my thoughts turned to which alternative would be best toasted and I could not help but take a look at the internet to work out what I could do with the two ingredients to make the meal really spectacular. 

This is when my self-discussion on the subject took another direction.  I decided that Welsh Rarebit might be a way to make the whole thing really exceptional although I also realised that I have no idea what the difference between that and plain old cheese on toast is. 

Whatever else Self-isolation has taught me, I have learned that Google can be a really good friend when there is no one else to talk to, so I invited the internet into my conversation and found some of the most unusual recipes on offer. 

I was quite surprised to learn just how much more involved the preparation of a good Welsh Rarebit is if you are used to chucking a bit of cheese on top of a slice of bread and firing up the toaster for a couple of minutes.  Though there was no ‘hair of the dog’ event being re-enacted, I learned that beer is involved not to mention eggs, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, flour and a few other ingredients. The result ended up being lunch, but well worth the extra preparation and waiting involved.

With LPG’s help, I have waffled on a bit but I feel my story worth a mention today because though, as I mentioned earlier, this all happened a while ago now, if LPG got the day right, today is National Welsh Rarebit Day, and it occurs to me that perhaps some readers might be inspired to not only learn about the dish, its differences when compared to cheese on toast and its national significance.  Ladies and especially Gentlemen, on such a day as this I invite you to get in the kitchen, ingredients and pinny at the ready, and take a little time to taste the difference…Enjoy!

SA, Downham

SA offers some of what he has learned about the subtle differences between the two dishes in question…

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…and a few recipes that even a man can try…

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