Soup!

[jennyjj01]

For me stew evokes the taste of swede. My mum used to feed 6 of us with one can of stewing steak, one can of tomatoes and half a pressure cooker full of leeks, spuds, swede, carrots etc. All topped off with dumplings.
Soup meanwhile may have smaller solids or be pureed but should be possible to drink from a mug.
The main family recipe for soup also involved the above mentioned pressure cooker, the carcass of a chicken was pressure cooked to oblivion along with a chopped onion and a stock cube for chicken soup.

Every 'Potteries' family has it's own take on lobby. We never had lamb and so ours was diced brisket beef. I've never known corned beef to be used. Local shops sell 'Lobby packs' comprising a big Carrot, an Onion, a half swede and sometimes a big spud. Leeks were a bit too posh for my mum
Over in Crewe, The In-laws 'stew' had a meatier mix based on Steak and diced kidney all slow cooked on the hob.

Now,,,,, On the subject of soups. Can anyone suggest how to make a decent soup from my TooGoodToGo Carvery veg selection. Bearing in mind I get to choose the ingredients from the carvery.

[grenfell]

Ok a question. The lobby idea was one known to my family even if the term was rarely used. Mother would put everything in the pot that she had and that included potatoes. However , my sister in law ( the moaning one mentioned earlier) is quite adamant that potatoes don't go in the stew. Who's right , and yes I know it's hardly the most pressing question of our times.
The only thing mother didn't put in the stew and SIL does is mushrooms although that's probably because dad didn't like them. And while I like stew mom would always make a stew out of rabbit when we had one , she never really considered cooking it any other way.

[jennyjj01]

Spuds, chopped chunky. Carrots chopped medium, swede diced smaller. Left over cooked brisket cubed. Onion sliced. Oxo cube. Some add pearl barley, but Mum didn't. All slow cooked together. Mum used the oven. Mum in law used the hob. Mum's never really went into the water which gave a watery broth. I've had better lobbies where everything melded together.
Mushrooms.... Noooo. No mushrooms.
Now when I make similar, I add mixed herbs and a bayleaf and I quite like leeks. If using lamb, I add a glass of wine. If using beef, I add a glass of beer.

[GillyBee]

I think our "stew" originated with the Hampshire Romany section of the family but is very similar to your Lobby. The only real difference is Mum's "modernisation" with the pressure cooker and the tomatoes.
A friend of mine got quite huffy with my stew as her family version is what I call a beef casserole. ie. a LOT of beef simmered with a few carrots and a gravy. I suppose it is reasonably called "stewed beef" but it is not stew in my book. Maybe she felt cheated by the limited amount of meat in mine.

[jansman]

I make a spicy lamb stew. A lot of veg in there,and a minimum amount of lamb . Let’s face it, stews were always a case of what was available. Right now,that is rather apt!
If you like spice,or not,sweet or sour, or whatever,then that is your recipe. Individual. I think that soups and stews are a wonderful meal. Chuck in spuds ,rice ,pasta or bread,then you have a meal.

Way back after I left The Bootnecks,I went back into butchering. The chap I worked for then was suffering from Non- Hodgkin Lymphoma. In the turn of the 80’s that was very serious! He underwent experimental chemotherapy. It made him sick! Sadly I now know how that sickness feels!
Jack would get treated, come home,and eat a stew then sleep. By afternoon he would get some work done. They cured him. I worked with him for 16 years,and he still ate stew twice a week. He reckoned it kept him well,and as a result with my own *ancer, I eat in a similar way. And I enjoy it.

[jennyjj01]

A lot of veg in there,and a minimum amount of lamb . Let’s face it, stews were always a case of what was available. Right now,that is rather apt!

That's it with Lobby. Minimal meat, cheapest veg, max value for money. Eaten with bread to pad it further.
Probably pretty healthy... Just like the salted dripping on toast.

[grenfell]

I remember once on a re-enactment we made what we called lobby . It started as some bacon being fried up to which a tin of beans and some cheese were added and it was probably where it should of stopped but all sorts went in there. I can't remember exact!y but there were eggs , mushrooms , porridge and even a can of Guiness. Probably the beer had an impact on what went in there .. The guiness made it a bit runny and it wasn't the most appetising looking meal but we still ate it...

[jennyjj01]

I remember once on a re-enactment we made what we called lobby . It started as some bacon being fried up to which a tin of beans and some cheese were added and it was probably where it should of stopped but all sorts went in there. I can't remember exact!y but there were eggs , mushrooms , porridge and even a can of Guiness. Probably the beer had an impact on what went in there .. The guiness made it a bit runny and it wasn't the most appetising looking meal but we still ate it...

LOL. Sounds a bit gross. But you started right with the Cheese and Beans Casserole