April 23rd is St. George's Day. It is England's national day, but who is or was St. George? Briefly, Saint George is the patron saint of England, his emblem - a red cross on a white background - is the flag of England. He was a Roman soldier who protested against the Romans' torture of Christians and died for his beliefs. The popularity of Saint George in England stems from the time of the early Crusades when it is said that the Normans saw him in a vision and were victorious. Saint George is always depicted as a knight carrying a shield with a red cross (or a banner with a red cross), generally sitting upon a horse and killing a dragon. One of the best-known stories about Saint George is his fight with a dragon. But it is highly unlikely that he ever fought a dragon, and even more unlikely that he ever actually visited England. Despite this, Saint George is known throughout the world as the dragon-slaying patron saint of England. By tradition, April 23rd is the day for a red rose in the button hole, as this is the national flower. Got it now? Well now let's indulge in the infamous English national dish. THE CLASSIC STEAK AND KIDNEY PIE You can make the filling the day before you need it. Cover it and bake the following day for 45 minutes to 1 hour and dinner is ready! Serves 4 -6 INGREDIENTS 1 tablespoon beef drippings or cooking oil 1 lbs chuck steaks, cut into 1 inch dice lb ox kidney (or lamb's, trimmed and diced) 12 ounces puff pastry 2 onions, chopped 3 carrots, peeled and cut into rough dice (5/8 inch) A knob {snicker, snicker} of butter 4 large flat mushrooms cut into thick slices 2 tablespoons flour 1 teaspoon tomato puree 1 bay leaf 1 pint veal stock or beef stock (or water and stock cube or granules) Worcestershire sauce Salt and pepper 1 egg, beaten, for glazing METHOD Heat a large frying pan with a little of the dripping or oil. Season the diced beef with salt and pepper. Fry in the pan until well colored and completely sealed. Lift out the meat and transfer to a large saucepan. Add a touch more oil, if necessary, to the frying pan. Season the kidneys and also fry quickly to seal and colour in the hot pan. Also transfer to the saucepan. Melt a knob of butter in the pan and cook the onions and carrots in the melted butter for 2 - 3 minutes. They will lift any flavors left from the meats. Put into the saucepan with the meat. Fry the mushroom slices in a little more butter, just turning in the pan for a minute or two; keep to one side. Place the saucepan on medium heat, stirring in the flour, and allow it to cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the tomato puree, bay leaf and mushrooms. Pour in the stock and bring to a simmer, skimming off any impurities. The meat should just be covered with the stock; if not, top with a little more stock or water. Simmer gently, partially covered, for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. During the cooking time it may need to be skimmed several times. After 1 1/2 hours, check the meat for tenderness. If not quite soft enough, cook for the additional 30 minutes. If the meat is cooking gently, it will not need to be topped up with any additional stock or water. The sauce will have reduced, thickening its consistency and increasing its flavor. Taste for seasoning, adding a dash or two of Worcestershire Sauce to the mixture. Transfer to a 2 pint pie dish and allow to cool to lukewarm. Preheat the oven to 425F. Roll the pastry -inch thick. Cut a strip of pastry to sit around the rim of the dish. This will help the top to stay on. Brush the rim of the pie dish with some beaten egg and apply the strip. Brush again with egg. Making sure the pastry top is bigger than the dish, sit it on top. Push down around the sides, trim and crimp for a neat finish. Brush completely with egg wash and place in the preheated oven. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes until golden brown. AND FINALLY... Englishman, Welshman and a Scotsman, are talking about where they got their names. "My name is George, because I was born on St. George's Day" says the Englishman. "My name is Andrew, because I was born on St. Andrew's day, says the Scotsman. They both turn to the Welshman and say, "What day were you born on, Pancake?!" "TAXI FOR CHEF GILLIGAN"