Just like yer Gannie used ter mock: The Mackem Cewkbewk

What inspired you to create the “Mackem Cewkbewk”?

A few years ago I wrote the Mackem Dictionary, which had a tongue in cheek look at the role of dialect in local culture.

I wanted to celebrate something that is seen as ‘every day’ in Sunderland but very different outside of the North East.

Food is something else which shapes local culture, so the Cewkbewk always felt like a natural follow on.

Tell us about some of the recipes you have created for the book. How did you choose which ones to include and were there any dishes that stood out?

The recipes broadly fall into two categories: some are traditional favourites, while others are brand new inspired by typical North East ingredients and folklore.

For the traditional ones, we put a request out on social media and got a great response – dishes like Panackelty and Pink Slice were popular in particular.

New dishes include Double Maxim Brown Ale Brownies (I’ve always been surprised this wasn’t already a thing – they are delicious), Pink Ice, which is pink slice ice cream and Lambton Worm Cakes to honour Wearside’s notorious mythical serpent.

How do you think Sunderland’s food heritage and The Mackem Cewkbewk reflect the people of Wearside?

On the face of it not very much – food is hardly the first thing that comes to mind when you think of the area.

Yet the response to the shout out for ideas and the response to the book so far shows that people do care about it.

There is a lot to celebrate, which is what the book sets out to do.

I hope that it helps to make the link between food and identity stronger, reconnecting younger Mackems with dishes of Wearside’s past and creating new traditions with the recipes that I’ve created for the book.

 

• Paul Swinney – author of The Mackem Cewkbewk

 

Is there anything else we can expect from The Mackem Cewkbewk?

Yes – I don’t think there’s any city in the world that could fill a whole cookbook with recipes!

The Mackem Cewkbewk also looks at the role of food and drink in dialect.

It explores differences in dialect within Wearside through a survey especially run for the book, which reveals a number of things that I found surprising.

It looks at the characters and companies that have been part of Wearside’s culinary scene, such as fishwife Maggie O’Hare who lived a remarkable life in Sunderland’s East End.

All proceeds from the book will go to the Sunderland Community Soup Kitchen. Could you tell us more about why this cause is important to you and what the funds will support?

The book is about celebrating local culture, but I want it to do some good for the people of Sunderland too.

Given the theme of the book supporting the Soup Kitchen was a natural choice.

I was surprised at just how much they do, for example they grow their own food and have helped people with things well beyond just providing a meal.

The effort the team go to is inspiring and I wanted to help them with what they do.

 

Find out more about The Mackem Cewkbewk here.