Haggis verdict: Not bad

OK, so 12 brave souls lined up at the Burns Supper buffet and came away with their haggis, neeps and tatties.

The neeps and tatties went fast; basically they were potatoes and rutabagas diced and roasted slow with butter, parsley, salt, pepper and some onions. I'd make them again.

The haggis needs some 'splaining. A former intern sent us a can of haggis from Scotland. The Brits I've emailed recommended a shepherd's pie: the haggis mixed with diced turnips, carrots and a diced potato, topped with mashed potatoes and baked until bubbly and hot.

The verdict: surprisingly positive, considering that these folks knew they were eating lamb offal disguised as a shepherd's pie. True, the mashed potatoes and copious amounts of butter probably masked the haggis so much that a true Scot wouldn't have recognized it. And we pulled out some Tabasco. But, all in all, "not bad" seemed to be the general consensus.