Vegetarian cottage pie

Cottage pie or shepherd's pie? In the real world of carnivores, I know that it is not just semantics. One is beef, the other lamb, or so I'm told. But when one is preparing a faux pie, not a faux pas, what should one call it? I like the idyllic sound of shepherd's pie. But, I suppose, since I'm using faux beef, it should, therefore, be cottage pie.

I'm sure it's not traditional in any sense, least of all because I'm making it with soy. But I don't care. It's tasty and I like it. But I must say, even though I am using soy, I am using real cream and butter in the potatoes. Mashed potatoes deserve and require real cream and real butter, to my way of thinking. At the very least, one should use half and half. Do not use milk. If you have an aversion to cream and butter, then I suggest you cook something else. The same goes for cheese. I like cheese on top of this, and I do mean cheese. I don't mean some manky, orange shreds from a packet. I mean cheese, real cheese. So, do use real cream, real butter, and real cheese. Your taste buds will thank you.

Vegetarian cottage pie

1 medium onion, minced
2 ribs celery, minced
2 carrots, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
12 ounces soy 'beef' crumbles
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 cup vegetable stock
2 to 2 1/2 pounds potatoes
1 parsnip
salt and pepper to taste

Peel and dice the potatoes and parsnip. Put them into a saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook until tender. Meanwhile, sauté the onion, celery, and carrot until the onions are translucent. Then add the garlic and stir for about a minute. Add the soy crumbles and tomato paste. Stir in the stock and simmer until the liquid has thickened a bit. Once the spuds and parsnips are done, drain them and then put them back into the pot. Add a good knob of butter, a good slurp of cream, and salt and pepper. Mash them thoroughly, adjusting the seasoning as required, and adding more butter and cream if desired. Tip the 'beef' mixture into a casserole and then smooth the potatoes over the top. Grate some good cheddar over the potatoes and pop into a 375º oven until the cheese is all melty and the potatoes browned a bit.

Note: I also add a healthy pinch of red pepper flake whilst sautéing the veg. I just like things spicy. As for the parsnip in the mash, I like it. I adore the sweetness of the parsnip. If you can't be bothered, don't worry. Do season the potatoes properly once mashed. There's nothing worse than horrid mashed potatoes. I think both components of this pie should be able to stand alone, their marriage just being the penultimate culinary event. As for the cheese, I use Dubliner cheddar. I feel it's only right.

ps. If I'd had some frozen peas in the freezer, they would have gone in with the veg, too.