Mackem 'Cewk Bewk' captures Sunderland's culinary delights including Double Maxim chocolate brownies

The author of the Mackem 'Cewk Bewk', Paul Swinney, talks about why he wrote the book and some of the recipes on the menu.

Transcript

00:00Okay, then Paul, where did the idea for the Mackham Cookbook come from then?

00:04All started with the Mackham Dictionary, which was very much looking at the role that dialect

00:08plays in our culture in Wearside.

00:11When moving away to university and all of a sudden discovering that we don't talk the

00:14same as everyone else, we talk proper, lots of other people don't, but actually there's

00:18something here to celebrate.

00:20The cookbook came from there, you know, very particular Mackham word, cookbook, and your

00:25food is some part of cuisine around the world, and wanted to do something which celebrates

00:30food here and our long distinguished culinary history that we have in Wearside and put it

00:34in a book.

00:35So, what are some of the traditional dishes you've got in there, and I also understand

00:38there's some new dishes as well?

00:39Yeah, so traditional ones, your pink slice, obviously you've got to have pink slice in

00:44there.

00:45We know we've got other dishes like puddings in the corner, for example, corned beef potato

00:50pie, and of course panacotti as well, which is very much the Wearside casserole, I like

01:00to call it.

01:01But also a number of traditional new recipes in there too.

01:05We've got pink ice, which is pink slice ice cream, got double maximum chocolate brownies,

01:10which are absolutely delicious, and we've got lambton worm cakes to celebrate the famous

01:15Wearside servant.

01:16I understand the process of going to Sunderland Soup Kitchen as well, is that right?

01:19That's right, yes.

01:20They all support the fantastic work the Soup Kitchen does, helping Wearside's most in need.

01:25Not just with issues around food and drink, but also some of the wider challenge that

01:29they may face.

01:30So, all the proceeds that come from this book will be going to support the great work that

01:34they do.

01:35Obviously Christmas around the corner, good Christmas present?

01:38It should be on the bookshelf of any discerning mackam, either those that live in Sunderland

01:42or live far away from home, because this gives you a taste of home, and hopefully people

01:48get it and much love it and celebrate everything that's inside of it.

01:51Have you got a favourite dish in there?

01:53I think it's probably got to be, from the traditional ones, the pink slice, couldn't

01:57be anything else could it?

01:58From the new ones, take some going to beat there, double maximum chocolate brownie, people

02:02should definitely give that a try.