“Remember, remember the fifth of November.” So goes the old rhyme about Guy Fawkes and his plot to blow up the British Houses of Parliament. In 1605, Fawkes and his cronies were unhappy with the king’s discrimination against Catholics, so they smuggled gunpowder into the basement of the House of Lords. Much mayhem would have ensued, but the conspirators were caught and killed. Now, centuries later, the British still gather on this date for Bonfire Nights, where they burn effigies of Guy Fawkes and watch fireworks.

Being born and bred in the United States, this celebration seems a little odd to me, but I do love a good excuse to watch fireworks, particularly if there’s tasty food involved. That’s why I decided to do a little digging into the party fare of Guy Fawkes Night. Personally, when I’m near a bonfire, I like to have an ooey, gooey s’more, but the menu is a little different at these bonfires. There are three must-haves for your Guy Fawkes event : jacket potatoes, toffee apples and parkin cake.

A jacket potato is a potato baked in foil, but foil is the only thing from your kitchen you’ll need. Rather than bringing tongs to the bonfire, traditionalists just find a good, long stick. Push that potato into the bonfire with your stick and then let it cook for 45 minutes. Don’t lose that trusty stick  — that’s how you’ll get it back out again. Unwrap carefully (as it’s been sitting in a bonfire for 45 minutes) and then cover that potato with your favorite potato condiments. I suggest butter, salt and pepper and maybe a sprinkling of cheese. Hey, it’s a party, right?

Next on the menu: toffee apples. The BBC has a very easy recipe that involves melting candy toffees and sticking apples into the goop, but if you want to get more sophisticated with your melted toffee, check out this recipe at Bonfire Net. That recipe involves black treacle! I don’t know that that is, but I can bet you that eating it would make me feel glad that the king wasn’t blown up in 1605.

If you have dentures and would like to stay away from fruit dipped in sticky stuff, you’re not out of dessert options. After the fireworks, Bonfire Night participants usually have a little taste of parkin cake, which features oatmeal and ginger. Here’s a recipe from the BBC: Parkin Cake.

Now, I’m betting that some hot cider would wash these foods down quite nicely, in addition to keeping everyone warm during the fireworks. But if you’re celebrating inside, I’d like to recommend this Bobbing Head Punch from TLC Cooking. Again, I’m not British, but it seems like a good thing to drink while you’re burning effigies.

Anyone out there eating by bonfire tonight? If not, what’s on your dinner menu?

Other British-inspired recipes on HowStuffWorks:
Yorkshire Pudding
Classic English Toffee
English Thumbprint Cookies