tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29894950983443726912024-03-16T01:10:19.524+00:00Keep Calm and Fanny On - The Fanny Cradock Food BlogBlogging my way through the Fanny Cradock Cookery Programme 1970-1971 - minus the meat Keep Calm and Fanny Onhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13805757699969350030noreply@blogger.comBlogger291125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2989495098344372691.post-69822910813780672132022-06-13T10:59:00.001+01:002022-06-23T11:36:46.831+01:00Argyll Grill - digging up new potato recipes from the past<p style="text-align: right;"> <i style="text-align: right;">AD Post in collaboration with <a href="https://www.scottybrand.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Scotty Brand</a> Scotlands leading leading provider of <a href="https://www.scottybrand.com/recipe/argyll-grill/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ayrshire New Potatoes</a>, who grow their potatoes with love and care in Scotland</i></p><p>Fanny Cradock and I have many things in common (no, not our eyebrows)... Like her, I am forever delving into my old cookbooks, searching for inspiration, madly making meals from scratch and finding 'new' ways, which are often 'old', to enjoy my very favourite produce. Fanny did the same, harvesting 'old' recipes which she would then test furiously (well, get her assistants to) and include in her own cookbooks and television programmes. Fanny knew a thing or two about <a href="https://www.scottybrand.com/recipe/pea-potato-rissoles/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">historical recipes</a>. Another thing we agreed upon - nothing beats a tattie or two. All too often though they are plonked on the side, instead of given their place as the star of the table. Fanny never accepted co-star status. It is <a href="https://www.scottybrand.com/product/ayrshire-new-potatoes/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ayrshire New Potato</a> season, the first and finest new potatoes grown in Scotland, so a great excuse to embrace all things Ayrshire! <a href="https://www.scottybrand.com/product/ayrshire-new-potatoes/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ayrshire New Potatoes</a> have Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) status, promoting their reputation and characteristics specific to Ayrshire. On Scotland's West Coast, Ayrshire provides ideal growing conditions resulting in<a href="https://www.scottybrand.com/product/ayrshire-new-potatoes/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Ayrshire New Potatoes</a> which are deliciously smooth, sweet, creamy in taste with a texture unlike any other. Fanny would definitely be snapping some up, grabbing her old books and wow-ing her viewers with the results... And so can we!</p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnufXd8XBZ_Vd_-SnlL8lWdfT6IOm5Cy1O-qJM6zsu7NQHIfxsQcMuVqmA8L-Ov9-SwC8E1y8YiZwyLs4U_BZNb9QWxCORfQXbsufDt1x7a0MLoAzJzDDE4Gm5a1yRMY8kgyglxbCOwNCRkdd4R_e4XkGFebzE7ge0hxblyuuhJcy4NArO7M_c_royQw/s4335/44072806-E97F-4108-BBD6-111B6931DD3A_1_201_a.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2719" data-original-width="4335" height="402" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnufXd8XBZ_Vd_-SnlL8lWdfT6IOm5Cy1O-qJM6zsu7NQHIfxsQcMuVqmA8L-Ov9-SwC8E1y8YiZwyLs4U_BZNb9QWxCORfQXbsufDt1x7a0MLoAzJzDDE4Gm5a1yRMY8kgyglxbCOwNCRkdd4R_e4XkGFebzE7ge0hxblyuuhJcy4NArO7M_c_royQw/w640-h402/44072806-E97F-4108-BBD6-111B6931DD3A_1_201_a.jpeg" width="640" /></a></p><p>Just like Fanny's historical bookshelves, Ayrshire has a long history with potatoes - early and tasty potatoes have been recorded as being grown in Girvan since the 1850s. Ayrshire potatoes in the late 19th and early 20th century were primarily harvested by “Tattie Howkers” - a term I love, it reminds me so much of being young and going tattie howking myself, during the tattie holidays, of course. It really doesn't take much for me to get all nostalgic, as you can imagine. We used to head to Ayrshire for our holidays when I was wee, and if you've ever visited Ayrshire yourself you'll know well that the West Coast's light, sandy soil and sheltered beaches benefit from the warming waters of the Gulf Stream, allowing farmers in Ayrshire to be able to plant their crop a few weeks earlier. Luckily for us, those early tatties are now in the shops. <a href="https://www.scottybrand.com/product/ayrshire-new-potatoes/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Scotty Brand Ayrshire New Potatoes</a> are harvested, packed locally and stocked on the shelves as soon as 24 hours after lifting. They are around between June and September, so that means so many opportunities to try new, old dishes...</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg22XooM2jUsxd0N-7M25haQCt9-MTWigba7N-KquQPnu_UoyhBHdwP4BAsgOMMhtUHPaYdlLPMj0hJ3zqTiGj71M41UDcxX2NHGuSW0BuwJij0ybc5dFU0w5gRWq_VrlV_agf9liGbIpXRLVKmrSFUGthHFiSt7hyQC-5tZjxHMDw8aCPN1uDDn7onXA/s2540/DSC_3694~4.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2058" data-original-width="2540" height="518" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg22XooM2jUsxd0N-7M25haQCt9-MTWigba7N-KquQPnu_UoyhBHdwP4BAsgOMMhtUHPaYdlLPMj0hJ3zqTiGj71M41UDcxX2NHGuSW0BuwJij0ybc5dFU0w5gRWq_VrlV_agf9liGbIpXRLVKmrSFUGthHFiSt7hyQC-5tZjxHMDw8aCPN1uDDn7onXA/w640-h518/DSC_3694~4.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p>When I am searching through all my old Scottish cookbooks, the wonderful and sadly almost-forgotten names jump out at me. Recipes today tend to be named after their ingredients, rather than as a defined dish. I miss that. Thankfully my books are stuffed full of wonderfully named Scottish tattie dishes. I mean, how evocative do <a href="https://www.scottybrand.com/recipe/rumbledethumps/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Rumbledethumps</a>, <a href="https://www.scottybrand.com/recipe/pan-haggerty/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Pan Haggerty</a>, <a href="https://www.scottybrand.com/recipe/clapshot/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Clapshot</a>, <a href="https://www.scottybrand.com/recipe/cullen-skink/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Cullen Skink</a>, <a href="https://www.scottybrand.com/recipe/stovies/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Stovies</a>, Potato Clogs, Cockpits or Helter Skelters sound? Even without knowing what they are (do search them out!) you just want to dive in. 'What do you fancy for yer tea tonight? Rumbledethumps?' Ayrshires are great to cook with and can be used in most potato-based dishes such as casseroles or bakes - and my eye is immediately drawn to an old Scottish recipe I've never made before called the Argyll Grill. Perfect. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXdP80Wom_rYqIb_x_pLpst6DYTnOc1esUypeFAGRcCymb-Z12D9qml41RhHUF1kWNwtqliUxeaB0-DNC4HoY6A1tM2s9kFsTn8k-dRtfARWcVqAOkZ7FYzDVRZBAV2rim6eeT6LnGWmYcxOV93ooxRynaPXUDo-fK1SQjalnCwSRMRX0H6g9nYYHBBw/s3622/445F562C-4550-4CD7-B603-46B40F6EA3BC_1_201_a.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3622" data-original-width="2738" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXdP80Wom_rYqIb_x_pLpst6DYTnOc1esUypeFAGRcCymb-Z12D9qml41RhHUF1kWNwtqliUxeaB0-DNC4HoY6A1tM2s9kFsTn8k-dRtfARWcVqAOkZ7FYzDVRZBAV2rim6eeT6LnGWmYcxOV93ooxRynaPXUDo-fK1SQjalnCwSRMRX0H6g9nYYHBBw/w484-h640/445F562C-4550-4CD7-B603-46B40F6EA3BC_1_201_a.jpeg" width="484" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqo0QDmakxEVrs1T0B92Vn8b3TY1sGbqfOPHTj-JdJKN6pWtxgm9Fa6z2XK3phrd-j4V2fxIyqSVhlxXOchBrR83Dkb9DODsCox47ozDlRkVHJroiI6Qa3daGlN7k7lahgobwpu0xysvDI6RQSQidkuiI9uzziK8oqRPMX_UcpPd02rXx0kvOItrglKA/s4153/58A5F4AC-3E82-45B4-9CAA-8F83189EACDF_1_201_a.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4153" data-original-width="2753" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqo0QDmakxEVrs1T0B92Vn8b3TY1sGbqfOPHTj-JdJKN6pWtxgm9Fa6z2XK3phrd-j4V2fxIyqSVhlxXOchBrR83Dkb9DODsCox47ozDlRkVHJroiI6Qa3daGlN7k7lahgobwpu0xysvDI6RQSQidkuiI9uzziK8oqRPMX_UcpPd02rXx0kvOItrglKA/w424-h640/58A5F4AC-3E82-45B4-9CAA-8F83189EACDF_1_201_a.jpeg" width="424" /></a></div><p>The Argyll Grill is an up-until-now hidden gem. A really simple recipe, but delicious and a perfect way to showcase <a href="https://www.scottybrand.com/product/ayrshire-new-potatoes/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ayrshire New Potatoes</a>. Think Cauliflower Cheese, but Ayrshire New Potatoes - I mean why should the cauliflowers have all the fun? So easy to put together. Make a simple white sauce, or if you have some leftover from making another dish more the better, half-fill an oven-proof dish with it. Carefully place in your <a href="https://www.scottybrand.com/product/ayrshire-new-potatoes/" target="_blank">Ayrshire New Potatoes</a> - Fanny would boom at you through the television screen 'you don't even need to peel them, much of the flavour (and the vitamin C goodness) can be found just under the skins' so, do as Fanny says - and bake them in a moderate oven for around 45 minutes, maybe up to an hour. Add a topping of Ayrshire Cheese (okay, any cheese you like really) and pop it under a hot grill to melt, brown and crisp up. When they emerge they will be bubbling - try not to dig in straight away! What old recipes for <a href="https://www.scottybrand.com/product/ayrshire-new-potatoes/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ayrshire New Potatoes</a> can you find in your own old family cookbooks? </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1ghndIknbbG8NeOspLY3bzxDgpYmNNTsijHZ4eO_lLWVUTGrsrimPRvacWEcIv9XJz1p1qU7TmjZJ74bWNNDN7HRPlhk2JuxFsQvagaEUe4LYpBxP2XLaeVcSyQCg19bh4RCC5Vo0nsrOk7YA7MsngPPnVMBFKZd5_QurngThRbHVThLy_B0Xoikshw/s4197/2B38341C-F3A7-4348-8C60-D182A4D1B017_1_201_a.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2721" data-original-width="4197" height="414" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1ghndIknbbG8NeOspLY3bzxDgpYmNNTsijHZ4eO_lLWVUTGrsrimPRvacWEcIv9XJz1p1qU7TmjZJ74bWNNDN7HRPlhk2JuxFsQvagaEUe4LYpBxP2XLaeVcSyQCg19bh4RCC5Vo0nsrOk7YA7MsngPPnVMBFKZd5_QurngThRbHVThLy_B0Xoikshw/w640-h414/2B38341C-F3A7-4348-8C60-D182A4D1B017_1_201_a.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p><a href="https://www.scottybrand.com/recipe/argyll-grill/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Argyll Grill Recipe</a></p><p>30g (Ayrshire Sea Salted) Butter</p><p>30g Plain Flour</p><p>450g Milk</p><p>Scotty Brand Ayrshire New Potatoes</p><p>Ayrshire Cheese, grated</p><p>Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Add in the flour and stir with a wooden spoon until it all comes together. Cook for a minute or two, stirring all the time. Off the heat, gradually add the milk, whisking as you do, until it is all combined. Return the saucepan to the heat and stir/whisk constantly until the sauce thickens. It will start to bubble as it does. </p><p>Transfer to an oven-safe dish, submerge the potatoes and bake at 200C for 45-60 minutes. Add some cheese near the end of the time - grill. That's it! </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX_wUGYxTMVPM0qhd3yMjuoQkFVOzO5HF4iBGBAYmSEeBmSd7A5DTvQFHImWrzu_g1tuNbr02bnj5JFEQe-1eX9I8Uc22LlSZfYxDISyikETZtCifstUfOo_jrENLIcNh_1V95tb7m20pkDvtPSzhd0s6-zcpuuR2wRQIu7hRcYwTD7peWTqlN6ci-XQ/s4912/12061C64-B231-456D-89B8-B0FE4AB08605_1_201_a.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2760" data-original-width="4912" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX_wUGYxTMVPM0qhd3yMjuoQkFVOzO5HF4iBGBAYmSEeBmSd7A5DTvQFHImWrzu_g1tuNbr02bnj5JFEQe-1eX9I8Uc22LlSZfYxDISyikETZtCifstUfOo_jrENLIcNh_1V95tb7m20pkDvtPSzhd0s6-zcpuuR2wRQIu7hRcYwTD7peWTqlN6ci-XQ/w640-h360/12061C64-B231-456D-89B8-B0FE4AB08605_1_201_a.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Disclosure - <a href="https://www.scottybrand.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Scotty Brand</a> asked me to research and write about old Scottish recipes for <a href="http://www.scottybrand.com/product/ayrshire-new-potatoes" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ayrshire New Potatoes</a>, then share this recipe and associated photographs. I was delighted to. <a href="https://www.scottybrand.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Scotty Brand</a> is championing shoppers to support the Scottish food and industry and buy Scottish products when they can. Just look out for the wee Scotty dog! <a href="https://www.scottybrand.com/product/ayrshire-new-potatoes/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ayrshire New Potatoes</a> are regarded as among the best in the world and are only available from early June until early September. <a href="https://www.scottybrand.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Scotty Brand</a> Ayrshire New Potatoes are widely available in selected ASDA (where I bought mine), Co-op, Lidl, Spar, Tesco and Waitrose stores throughout Scotland. Go get 'em! <br /></div>Keep Calm and Fanny Onhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13805757699969350030noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2989495098344372691.post-16693363772374689932021-11-09T09:54:00.007+00:002021-11-10T14:33:30.322+00:00Fanny Cradocks' Duchess Potato and Pea Rissoles <p style="text-align: right;"><i>AD Post in collaboration with <a href="https://www.scottybrand.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Scotty Brand</a> Scotlands leading potato producer, who grow their potatoes with love and care in Scotland</i></p><p>Fanny Cradock famously claimed that there were 450 ways to cook potatoes, in classical cookery, that she knew about anyway. She would love that <a href="https://www.scottybrand.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Scotty Brand</a> were championing shoppers to support Scottish products by digging up those old and retro recipe favourites and elevating the spud from humble to honoured. Fanny was upset however that they so often only ended up simply being boiled, baked, roasted or fried. An after-thought. Fanny herself loved the flavour, versatility, nutrition and all round goodness of the common spud. She celebrated the history they were connected with, and the historical recipes they inspired. Fanny was ever keen to 'surprise' us all with potato dishes to bring any meal to life, such as sweet puddings (yes!), soufflées, galettes, and well, hundreds of other ways to treat the otherwise humble potato. Fanny always used potatoes in season, and gave hints and tips to store them correctly, to enjoy all year round. Potatoes could be the main attraction in any meal, or the accompaniment. They still can... <a href="https://www.scottybrand.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Scotty Brand</a> potatoes come straight from selected Scottish farms, where they are carefully grown and harvested seasonally. Fanny would've loved them. Perfect. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhofPW1DhfrBZ2I41ILrEJuTPqGVZmQUaFOkLWSacRdSLyMiL4g_ScLru8g5PV1SG0KCThU4UeeWsL2q75ASzH3FraggQ6LoRwXdPZh4v8KKgLoYwouoAz_WR6P1Yew256t1Te9kkI9XuB7/s2048/E7ED7D93-4C78-4A57-84AE-AFBE0601AA6E_1_201_a.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Potato Rissoles made with Frozen peas sliced showing green inside" border="0" data-original-height="1151" data-original-width="2048" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhofPW1DhfrBZ2I41ILrEJuTPqGVZmQUaFOkLWSacRdSLyMiL4g_ScLru8g5PV1SG0KCThU4UeeWsL2q75ASzH3FraggQ6LoRwXdPZh4v8KKgLoYwouoAz_WR6P1Yew256t1Te9kkI9XuB7/w640-h360/E7ED7D93-4C78-4A57-84AE-AFBE0601AA6E_1_201_a.jpeg" title="Scotty Brand Potato Rissoles" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkYG5p-UIt_fc-JTSKZLLYfkmPpqk8Lvv9wxrKy89gmWj-yRQhkN4LPdoPdvtj1lf1Zs6CqKxxUO1S42Q3Me90AssWHORRJnbd-b3gQO0StRWHEY-jvWNKVQ2qo_0ULEHIBvQXO9sxZbVG/s2048/B7552BD9-2107-43D8-88C2-8BBBDE679406_1_201_a.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Scotty Brand Products - potatoes and peas" border="0" data-original-height="1151" data-original-width="2048" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkYG5p-UIt_fc-JTSKZLLYfkmPpqk8Lvv9wxrKy89gmWj-yRQhkN4LPdoPdvtj1lf1Zs6CqKxxUO1S42Q3Me90AssWHORRJnbd-b3gQO0StRWHEY-jvWNKVQ2qo_0ULEHIBvQXO9sxZbVG/w640-h360/B7552BD9-2107-43D8-88C2-8BBBDE679406_1_201_a.jpeg" title="Potatoes, Baking Potatoes, Baby Potatoes and Frozen peas" width="640" /></a></div><p>Fanny Cradock was not alone in her love of the potato. Looking back through my bookshelves groaning with vintage cookbooks, there are quite a few dedicated to the love of potatoes. Yup, entire books on potatoes. You just wouldn't get that today - Spuds Nadiya Likes? Bish Bash Smash - Jamie does Potatoes? Potatoes à la Nigella? Unless of course <a href="https://www.scottybrand.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Scotty Brand</a> considered reviving this and publishing their own? In the 1930s, television cook Marcel Boulestin, released his book - <i>101 Ways of Cooking Potatoes</i> - giving well, 101 ideas to transform the modest potato like a true French gastronomic genius. He noted that although potatoes were 'expected' at least twice a day, they were taken for granted and often found themselves at the bottom of lists of vegetables. He suggested fabulous ideas to ensure potatoes were the stars of any menu, from soups to the sweet course. After the war, 'Potato Pete' was drafted in to help housewives stretch the rations at home, with tempting tattie pies and spud-filled casseroles. Zoom forward to the 1970s, and you'll find TV cook Zena Skinner who joined forces with the <i>Potato Marketing Board</i> to publish <i>Spuds Galore</i> - opening with a quote from the <i>Merry Wives of Windsor</i> proclaiming 'let the sky rain potatoes'... Sadly Zena could only manage to stuff a mere 76 recipes into her pages. She clearly needed some help from Fanny, as we all did. Fanny wins. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUthHBzD0QXTTgGBbPVndOltjzZNGOhGetGq6v_oEx8jNIp6NfL8IdoJ3dhrhfKTR0hPp91TGyXZbAHIqq04Fl8nZX7SMy4nsIrqzs1reM3v_byRD6k7COHiDI9vKeHVOwpQyxvsCzKIKY/s1600/Untitled+design-29.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Range of vintage potato cookbooks" border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUthHBzD0QXTTgGBbPVndOltjzZNGOhGetGq6v_oEx8jNIp6NfL8IdoJ3dhrhfKTR0hPp91TGyXZbAHIqq04Fl8nZX7SMy4nsIrqzs1reM3v_byRD6k7COHiDI9vKeHVOwpQyxvsCzKIKY/w640-h360/Untitled+design-29.png" title="Potatoes in cookbooks and marketing" width="640" /></a></div><p>Fanny Cradock championed one particular potato recipe above all others, and one that crops up in all my recipe books of the past. Perhaps forgotten today, unfairly, the marvellous Duchess Potato surely should be revived and celebrated once again? The name alone promises a potato elevated well above the usual, but in reality it is simply a fancy mashed potato. Fanny loved to fancy them up even further by adding harmless vegetable food colouring. Her choice of colouring was green, her own invention to celebrate the launch of her autobiography. What else says 'buy my book' like green, mashed, vitamin C packed potato after all? Fanny piped them into fantastical shapes, baked them and surprised all her guests with her colourful delights. These days, I replace the food colouring with puréed peas, handily <a href="https://www.scottybrand.com/product/garden-peas/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Scotty Brand</a> also have some freshly frozen, which have the same effect really, adds more nutrition and just as much colour and taste fantastic. I'm surprised Fanny never thought of it. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9fGynxBl9gWfW8GwCBeGsm6HsHShsvVncCr9cf7iLRdzZgQU1IP2WqWf4TSETynXWICQa0qA3GkpzUKcVOJ_GLx70_l7MuSVrHn1qn4VyUL_DdVB7cy3sWkAd0j0623HalRv1qsPJ1E2B/s1600/Untitled+design-30.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Two bowls of mashed Duchess potato - one plan and one with added crushed peas" border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9fGynxBl9gWfW8GwCBeGsm6HsHShsvVncCr9cf7iLRdzZgQU1IP2WqWf4TSETynXWICQa0qA3GkpzUKcVOJ_GLx70_l7MuSVrHn1qn4VyUL_DdVB7cy3sWkAd0j0623HalRv1qsPJ1E2B/w640-h360/Untitled+design-30.png" title="Duchess Potatoes" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoDhNahRENswSCksro1-L7Vgab8QkvCJuyLbm99G2afegJm1BOC3GT77qpMQci1Kzo-fj-42C-1oij8lUtrrY-mF1ZXTelE6g4hfzAAAJ-OSuJZxaI706HvCj7URf16tI43O9c-3z75oTj/s1231/Fanny+pipes+Duchess+Potatoes.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Fanny Cradock and her assistants pipe out some Duchess Potatoes" border="0" data-original-height="1231" data-original-width="1081" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoDhNahRENswSCksro1-L7Vgab8QkvCJuyLbm99G2afegJm1BOC3GT77qpMQci1Kzo-fj-42C-1oij8lUtrrY-mF1ZXTelE6g4hfzAAAJ-OSuJZxaI706HvCj7URf16tI43O9c-3z75oTj/w562-h640/Fanny+pipes+Duchess+Potatoes.jpeg" title="Fanny Cradock piping Duchess Potatoes" width="562" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Photo Credit - 1970 Mike Leale from the Cradock Cookery Programme part-work and used with Mike's permission</i></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Fanny used the Duchess Potatoes as a 'basic' which she then 'advanced' in other recipes. One of her very favourite advancements was the Rissole. Others may have called them croquettes, but for Fanny they were rissoles. She had her own way on everything. She included them in almost all of her books in various forms, and on television as part of her <i>Fanny Cradock Invites</i> series in 1970, where she added Gruyere cheese to them. Boulestin added all kinds of things to his - herbs, peppers, onions, tomatoes, spinach. Zena Skinner had them just plain. Anything goes really. Peas. I choose <a href="https://www.scottybrand.com/product/garden-peas/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Scotty Brand</a> peas, in honour of Fanny Cradock and in celebration of all things green. They are simple to make, and super tasty too. Will you give this retro recipe from the past a revival?</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW77u2xDYpjV10douXtrhSSeFnVygO48mYyD0OyQrY8kPq8GAvT5QB4FNn_uqis3HfTU-Hl1nyi-5RkkDbj0GOUBzj27mqNOKIf2jVVhx1Uj7dbSl9B4jBhd-wGH7sMmtkiNh6ZbHCk6Jc/s2048/E6FD53C3-5B41-49AE-BF35-E0D90C12CDAA_1_201_a.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Duchess potatoes made into rissoles with Scotty Brand potatoes and peas" border="0" data-original-height="1151" data-original-width="2048" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW77u2xDYpjV10douXtrhSSeFnVygO48mYyD0OyQrY8kPq8GAvT5QB4FNn_uqis3HfTU-Hl1nyi-5RkkDbj0GOUBzj27mqNOKIf2jVVhx1Uj7dbSl9B4jBhd-wGH7sMmtkiNh6ZbHCk6Jc/w640-h360/E6FD53C3-5B41-49AE-BF35-E0D90C12CDAA_1_201_a.jpeg" title="Fanny Cradocks' Potato and Pea Rissoles" width="640" /></a></div><p>Recipe</p><p>Duchess Potatoes</p><p>450g <a href="https://www.scottybrand.com/scotty-range/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Scotty Brand </a>Potatoes</p><p>salt, pepper and nutmeg to season</p><p>1 egg yolk</p><p>100g butter, cut into small cubes</p><p>200g (or so) <a href="https://www.scottybrand.com/scotty-range/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Scotty Band </a>frozen peas</p><p>Steam the potatoes, mash them, stir over a low heat to dry them out a little, beat in the yolk, seasonings and butter. Blitz the peas to a rough puree, add to the potato mixture. When cool, pipe or shape. Can be baked at 200C for twenty minutes until browned, or used to make the Rissoles. </p><p>For the rissoles;</p><p>Duchess Potato mixture as above</p><p>Flour to coat</p><p>1 egg, beaten</p><p>Breadcrumbs (I used Ruskoline for added retro-ness)</p><p>oil to fry</p><p>Shape the mixture into logs, coat in flour, then beaten egg and cover in breadcrumbs. If you have time, chill in the fridge to firm them up slightly. Fry gently until golden brown.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMP71r4RWRqO6cYQQ2DrVwxYU5UToqTmECdfzHLj50o3wnV2YjtJDgqkvxPITlhg50MTKfrnUPEkT-V_lYxdm6Hqoa8BiR3aO1ERjfXlvKU-zteILcf5xz7ywXuTolP5LIOiiRvrcPpNt2/s2048/5A6F6C63-63AA-4823-97B3-4FAA0CA76347_1_201_a.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Rissoles in a pile, with one cut to reveal green inside, with a phot of Fanny Cradock in a frame behind" border="0" data-original-height="1254" data-original-width="2048" height="392" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMP71r4RWRqO6cYQQ2DrVwxYU5UToqTmECdfzHLj50o3wnV2YjtJDgqkvxPITlhg50MTKfrnUPEkT-V_lYxdm6Hqoa8BiR3aO1ERjfXlvKU-zteILcf5xz7ywXuTolP5LIOiiRvrcPpNt2/w640-h392/5A6F6C63-63AA-4823-97B3-4FAA0CA76347_1_201_a.jpeg" title="Fanny Cradock's Potato and Pea Rissoles made with Scotty Brand produce" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Disclosure - <a href="https://www.scottybrand.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Scotty Brand</a> asked me to research and write about Fanny Cradock's love of potatoes, then share this recipe and associated photographs. I was delighted to. <a href="https://www.scottybrand.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Scotty Brand</a> Potatoes thrive in the Scottish Climate, which is perfect for growing potatoes. Their main crop potatoes are planted in late March and April, and harvested in September and October. <a href="https://www.scottybrand.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Scotty Brand</a> potatoes are widely available in selected ASDA (where I bought mine), Co-op, Tesco and Sainsbury's stores throughout Scotland. I found their frozen peas in my local ScotMid. </div>Keep Calm and Fanny Onhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13805757699969350030noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2989495098344372691.post-22358782250296267802019-10-21T11:14:00.001+01:002019-10-21T11:14:22.147+01:00Keep Calm and Fanny On! I chose the name of this blog mainly because it made me smile. I hoped it would make others smile too. It still makes me smile, all these years later. I had no real idea way back then that it would come to symbolise Fanny Cradock's life just so much. She really <b>did</b> keep calm, and Fanny on. She never looked back. She always pushed forward. She kept going. She forged many, many careers. She (mostly) succeeded in all of them. I wonder what the heck she would've thought about little old me writing a book about big old her...?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC5T28eeng5xcfVW8gmwz3BLqFNgomKcL2CDBAlKNzCBBKDWwXR5vHnGCmdKUaMzCNcnbNOsfU5BenS3Ig1_4nK56KC_-iDCZPI9_640TI2u7DTmL2AJRzjTZRm7Fl-x-5Hp-LDX5QkTo4/s1600/72345340_383218235892880_539628663256121344_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Fanny Cradock Biography" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1140" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC5T28eeng5xcfVW8gmwz3BLqFNgomKcL2CDBAlKNzCBBKDWwXR5vHnGCmdKUaMzCNcnbNOsfU5BenS3Ig1_4nK56KC_-iDCZPI9_640TI2u7DTmL2AJRzjTZRm7Fl-x-5Hp-LDX5QkTo4/s640/72345340_383218235892880_539628663256121344_n.jpg" title="Fanny Cradock Biography " width="456" /></a></div>
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Fanny died twenty-five years ago. Even today though, mention the name ‘Fanny Cradock’ to anyone, young or old, and they tend to simply snigger, make an innuendo-heavy reference to doughnuts or squirm at the thought of long-forgotten meals disguised under layer-upon-layer of ever-increasingly bizarre food-colourings and flourishes of garnish. She is, at least, remembered. She was hard to forget.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcITE1IBXQ0qvD8Ouc4Ofv8qWwzrxr9OJsADNfINm6mxOslaLSm68yCX_ao1wBgaF91Jodu9J1zGX9dkEc_TIpuXeMxJPcWoAQO65tzpGp3x7WLtpbkBNA16nglkfA00CUi7quYuzHtuww/s1600/23.+Fanny+70s.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Fanny Cradock Biography" border="0" data-original-height="1230" data-original-width="1600" height="492" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcITE1IBXQ0qvD8Ouc4Ofv8qWwzrxr9OJsADNfINm6mxOslaLSm68yCX_ao1wBgaF91Jodu9J1zGX9dkEc_TIpuXeMxJPcWoAQO65tzpGp3x7WLtpbkBNA16nglkfA00CUi7quYuzHtuww/s640/23.+Fanny+70s.jpeg" title="Fanny Cradock Biography" width="640" /></a></div>
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Her legacy collapsed faster than you could say ‘freshly baked soufflé’ when she died. It became popular to talk her down; laughing at her appearance captured as if in aspic on YouTube, discussing the ‘shocking’ way she treated her assistants and husband-come-sidekick, Johnnie, repeating rumours that she ‘couldn’t cook anyway’, was rude to everyone she ever met and spent her days swanning around her kitchen in elaborate ball-gowns barking orders as she went… However, there is much more to Fanny Cradock than even the most elaborately pencilled-in eyebrow might suggest. The ‘real’ story is just as weird, wonderful and wacky as the myths that persist…<br />
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Fanny Cradock had many careers; she was the mistress of reinvention before Madonna had even considered it. She was an entrepreneur, business-woman, activist, journalist, food critic, travel guru, food demonstrator, fiction writer, children’s author, cookbook creator, media personality and, as she is most remembered, a television cook - the first ‘celebrity chef’. Fanny deliberately created the over-the-top persona which catapulted her into the living rooms of millions of British viewers in the 1950s, riding high as the ‘television celebrity chef’ until the 1970s, enabling her to remain in the hearts and minds of the public to this day.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-IlA0Y_LOfSpulTLM0ot1lyNdO4TdH8dvRe3Ic6guSfL63K3P3gB7dn_N3zMZbuCIo-ZRW_owfxQYj91pqGDm2bZ2O_sX3Na2UCyqPpqfi4tEZedQgZ3eOnXu8TS5B_4_xJiv47SF4JKp/s1600/21.+Fanny+50s.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Fanny Cradock Biography" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1210" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-IlA0Y_LOfSpulTLM0ot1lyNdO4TdH8dvRe3Ic6guSfL63K3P3gB7dn_N3zMZbuCIo-ZRW_owfxQYj91pqGDm2bZ2O_sX3Na2UCyqPpqfi4tEZedQgZ3eOnXu8TS5B_4_xJiv47SF4JKp/s640/21.+Fanny+50s.jpeg" title="Fanny Cradock Biography" width="482" /></a></div>
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For <b>Keep Calm and Fanny On! – The Many Careers of Fanny Cradock</b> I have taken (hopefully) an amusing, entertaining and lively look at her life and work. I've been locked in her own archives, those of the BBC and others, through speaking to those who knew her best – friends, family, assistants, colleagues, and those fortunate enough to experience her charisma, uniqueness, nerve and talent over the decades.<br />
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With a Foreword from Nicholas Parsons and contributions from Dame Esther Rantzen, Gyles Brandreth, Sir David Attenborough, Nick Owen, Prue Leith, Diana Henry and Evangeline Evans, Keep Calm and Fanny On – The Many Careers of Fanny Cradock re-draws, re-evaluates and re-tells the remarkable story of Fanny Cradock.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5HqIoSM9-qllHTX-F187EU5DCPl5sdQsajuT27AhQnMeZA56DlRdAunHCsQLU3gxaP6byNEPrjf8XRqqEWCd7PvirobsyShTFW7n452O0tOYQ62uWQSYllIikga8qgOoGoJnH80AqK7HC/s1600/31.+Fanny.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Fanny Cradock Biography" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="990" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5HqIoSM9-qllHTX-F187EU5DCPl5sdQsajuT27AhQnMeZA56DlRdAunHCsQLU3gxaP6byNEPrjf8XRqqEWCd7PvirobsyShTFW7n452O0tOYQ62uWQSYllIikga8qgOoGoJnH80AqK7HC/s640/31.+Fanny.jpeg" title="Fanny Cradock Biography" width="396" /></a></div>
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I do hope it might make you smile.<br />
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<b>My Book is available to buy direct from the <a href="https://www.fantompublishing.co.uk/product/kevin-geddes-fanny-cradock/" target="_blank">Publisher</a>, on <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1781963398/?coliid=I2OUKLXA8YXSNC&colid=1GHIRIZLLFKW3&psc=1&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it" target="_blank">Amazon</a>, from <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1781963398/?coliid=I2OUKLXA8YXSNC&colid=1GHIRIZLLFKW3&psc=1&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it" target="_blank">Waterstones,</a> <a href="https://www.whsmith.co.uk/products/keep-calm-and-fanny-on-the-many-careers-of-fanny-cradock/kevin-geddes/hardback/9781781963395.html" target="_blank">WHSmith</a>, <a href="https://www.foyles.co.uk/witem/biography/keep-calm-and-fanny-on-the-many,kevin-geddes-9781781963395" target="_blank">Foyles</a> and, as they say, all good bookshops. I'm sure even the bad ones will be able to order you a copy...</b>Keep Calm and Fanny Onhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13805757699969350030noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2989495098344372691.post-57618653845496990102019-10-03T14:53:00.001+01:002019-10-03T14:53:38.442+01:00Murder, She Didn't Write... Fanny loved a good murder. Not that I am suggesting she had been in any way involved in one, you understand. No, she loved the intrigue, the mystery and most of all she loved to be able to solve it all and take the glory. She just wasn't always very good at it. She let small things, such as the lack of evidence, and, well, you know trivial things like the truth get in the way. For Fanny, the story always came first, and then any authentic (or otherwise) affirmation could be made to fit. What she really needed was someone renowned for solving murder cases on her side. An assistant if you like. Someone like, erm, Jessica Fletcher would have been ideal. A crack team.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuRd6vOpxIbqcU7fT60tZ5l_63wEfVpvkNUnnqEEnjsuQhMcnWLEENyIiA7Mc1tY3-aEVw34Uihe7kWfRrArw-yccnJFtDYURa-PNfATuvO3DSMv6iZFNsUeUqHgz-qR222hod4bxN9pSt/s1600/fullsizeoutput_25fa.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Fanny Cradock Muder She Wrote Cookalong" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuRd6vOpxIbqcU7fT60tZ5l_63wEfVpvkNUnnqEEnjsuQhMcnWLEENyIiA7Mc1tY3-aEVw34Uihe7kWfRrArw-yccnJFtDYURa-PNfATuvO3DSMv6iZFNsUeUqHgz-qR222hod4bxN9pSt/s640/fullsizeoutput_25fa.jpeg" title="Fanny Cradock Muder She Wrote Cookalong" width="358" /></a></div>
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Fanny was convinced that her Victorian gastronomic idol, Mrs Agnes Marshall, had been murdered, possibly by her husband, possibly by someone trying to erase her memory in favour of Mrs Beeton (who Fanny despised and discredited throughout her career), deliberately suppressing her lucrative business and good name 'at the height of her fame'. Her actual cause of death had been carcinoma, which Fanny believed was indistinguishable from good old-fashioned arsenic poisoning. We don't need to ask how she knew this. She had clearly researched this part of the story well...<br />
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Fanny planned to write a book about Mrs Marshall and her demise, reintroducing the world once again to her recipes. She tried to get hold of the archives to allow her to investigate further, but they remained mysteriously out of her reach. Or perhaps didn't match her theory. She <b>really</b> needed Jessica to step in. Jessica stumbled across a Murder <b>wherever</b> she went. Jessica <b>never</b>, <b>ever</b>, found herself unable to solve a murder. A rogue clue. A flash of an eye. A misplaced fragrance... Whatever it was, Jessica <b>always</b> uncovered the truth, confronted the murderer and somehow managed to get them to confess (with only a minute or two to spare before the episode ended) everything without much of a fuss. Fanny needed Jessica.<br />
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Sadly, the two never came together, but can you imagine what a killer episode that would've been? Perhaps Fanny would not have taken kindly to being upstaged by dear Jessica however, and arranged for her to be 'disposed of' too... We can only guess. She surely, or at least 'allegedly', would have snuck some arsenic into a tempting dish. Jessica loved to eat. So much so that there is going to be a Murder She Wrote cookbook (squeal!) published soon, by the wonderful <a href="https://twitter.com/silverscreensup" target="_blank">Jenny Hammerton</a>, and this recipe is one which might just feature there. It's not a recipe by Fanny Cradock, but it is given a Fanny-meets-Jessica twist... It is part of a wonderful #<a href="https://www.silverscreensuppers.com/the-murder-she-wrote-cookalong" target="_blank">MurderSheWroteCookalong</a><br />
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It's a cheesy ball. It came via an actress by the name of Jane Withers, which seems appropriate as this is <b>exactly</b> what would have happened if Fanny had looked at her. Jane appeared in Murder She Wrote, twice, but most notably in an episode called <i>Who Killed Jessica Fletcher?</i> where Jane pretends to be Jessica, and, well, ends up being murdered. Jane made these cheese balls by mixing together some soft American Kraft cheeses, which I have subbed for available and retro British ones. Jane mixes in chopped onions and Worchester sauce (I'm using the more veggie friendly Hendersons Relish) before rolling it all into a giant ball (not an entirely easy task) and covering it in chopped pecans, parsley, or both. I think Fanny would take complete credit for this, especially as Jane had well and truly withered already. She would definitely do 'both'. She would then convince Jessica to solve the mysterious case of Mrs Agnes Marshall before serving this at the celebratory buffet afterwards... Would Jessica dare to tuck in...?<br />
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Keep Calm and Fanny Onhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13805757699969350030noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2989495098344372691.post-74375329359096210622019-08-13T14:32:00.001+01:002019-08-13T14:32:15.260+01:00Drumroll please... My 6th Fannyversary!Fanny would be raging with me. She may ex-communicate me. This could be it. She'd be spinning in her grave, or whatever the equivalent might be for cremation... Birling under her bush? You thought she was furious when dear Sara tried to tidy away her spatula BEFORE she was finished with it. You've seen her face when the lovely Gwen Troake tried to serve her a humble Bramble. These incidents pale into the background like Johnnie at the very best cocktail party Fanny ever held. I. Forgot. My. Fannyversary.<br />
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Yes, can you believe it? Six years have passed since I began this blog, one sunny day late in June. Six years! I have lasted longer than any of Fanny's assistants, and up until now I think she has been pleased with my progress. I have tackled task after task with gusto. I have prepared dish after dish with a smile on my face. I have eaten colour after colour without fear. All the while, with Fanny at my side, I have learnt the Cradock way. As it should be...<br />
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However, the Cradock way is not to miss a milestone. The Cradock way is not to let things slip. The Cradock way is not to miss an opportunity to celebrate all things Fanny. I am sorry. So sorry. Sorry to Fanny. More sorry than Sara ever was. More shamefaced than Gwen appeared to be. More apologetic than Johnnie had to be day in and day out. Sorry enough to bake a cake to somehow make up for it. A belated celebration. Will Fanny ever forgive me?<br />
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This cake was among the first that Fanny insisted I make with her. One of the first rungs on her culinary ladder. I hope it appeases her, a little. Her famous Cherry Cake, with fruit that never sinks, except they do, sometimes. Fanny has a natty suggestion for decoration too. Not known for keeping quiet, never one to pipe down, barely able to be ignored, Fanny in cake form may be a loud, banging, colourful drum. Wouldn't she?<br />
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The past six years have been a hoot. Fanny has taught me so much. I have learnt so much about Fanny too. 2019 is quite a momentous year for Fanny. Or it would have been. Fanny would have been celebrating her 110th birthday, had she still been around. Quite a thought. Fanny died 25 years ago. Part of my reason for blogging is to keep her alive in some small way, fighting for Fanny to be fixed in our minds for years to come. She may just forgive me yet... For I have some super exciting celebrations planned as the year draws to a hold, which will hopefully let the celebration of Fanny continue apace. That's the real reason I 'forgot', I've been busy in the background. Watch this space, as they say...<br />
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Keep Calm and Fanny Onhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13805757699969350030noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2989495098344372691.post-26433748084782430172019-02-26T09:39:00.001+00:002019-02-26T09:39:06.415+00:00Joyeux Anniversaire Fanny CradockToday would have been a very special day for Fanny Cradock. I do find it a little odd to celebrate 'special days' when someone is no longer around, but hey, this is Fanny Cradock we are talking about. If she were still with us today, Fanny Cradock would have been celebrating her birthday. A Big Birthday. She would have been a staggering one hundred and ten. Quite what she would be doing is anyone's guess. One of the many things about Fanny, you could never predict what she'd get up to, what mischief she might be behind, or indeed what she would be saying. No-one ever could. Thankfully.<br />
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One thing that could be predicted, year on year, at least while Johnnie was alive, was that he would make an incredible fuss of her on her significantly special day. Legend has it that every year on her birthday he would send her a very formal invite to a very special, secret event to mark her very momentous day - another year with Fanny in the world! All would be revealed 'at appropriate times'. I think to think of Fanny being blindfolded and led to the nearest airport on her way to some exotic, mystery location by a rather giggly, excitable Johnnie. She was a terrible driver, by all accounts (and police reports) so there would be no danger of her driving herself, Bird Box-style. That would be too scary.<br />
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For a more low-key celebration, in keeping with the occasion, Fanny is showing us how to make a very simple version of her very favourite luxurious pudding. The Crème Marie Louise, or the Empress Marie Louise Pudding if French is simply too much to handle. Fanny usually makes it with a collar of set chocolate surrounding a large dessert. Dare I say, like a mahoosive chocolate trifle, although Fanny would simply never describe it as such. She made it at the Royal Albert Hall for an audience of 6750 people. For this, oh-so-simple version, no chocolate collar is required and the ingredients needn't stretch to feed thousands.<br />
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Fanny, without any elaboration, takes eggs yolks and double cream, plonks them in a roomy bowl and sets them ready to whisk. She recommends getting someone to help here, it really is a two-man job. My assistant today is my trusty KitchenAid mixer, my modern-day extra pair of hands! Fanny then softens some perfectly ordinary chocolate chips over a simmering double-boiler. When soft, she beats them vigorously until they are cool and thick. Then, with the yolks and cream whipping away (or being whisked for you), Fanny suggests we simply 'dump' the melted, whipped chocolate in and continue to whisk. Do try NOT to dump it down the side of the mixer...<br />
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As we might expect, Fanny is not finished here. No Fanny Cradock pudding would be complete with a final flourish. A splash of rum. Some Orange Flower Water. Then Rose Water. All whacked together, served on top of a little piece of sponge cake, with a little chocolate leaf or two, and just because it's her birthday, some glacé cherries. It tastes (if you care to dip a perfectly clean finger into the bowl and try it... Shhh... I won't tell Fanny) like a deluxe, boozy Turkish Delight. Simply keep it cool in ordinary domestic refrigeration until the plane lands, bringing Fanny and Johnnie home from their magical mystery tour and the real celebration can begin. Happy Birthday Fanny Cradock.<br />
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Keep Calm and Fanny Onhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13805757699969350030noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2989495098344372691.post-61521852868273545322019-02-14T11:22:00.000+00:002019-02-14T11:22:00.339+00:00Fancy a Banquette? Fanny Cradock is in the mood for a spot of remodelling. In the kitchen that is, where else? And there is simply <b>no-one</b> that she would trust with the job apart from her good self, and Johnnie, to a lesser extent. She would especially <b>not</b> trust an architect or designer, who very probably <b>cannot</b> even fry an egg, to possibly know what is in her mind. How would they understand what she wanted from a kitchen? It's not like she could tell them or anything... Oh...<br />
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Fanny feels that her thoughts, working patterns and culinary life are simply beyond the comprehension of mere designers. Having worked 'alongside' Fanny for all these years, I may be inclined to agree. Fanny's pet peeve are kitchens with work surfaces which face the wall. They mean that lighting is inevitably poor, and to cook is wearisome - relying on our experience and 'Housewives Braille'. Presumably housewives would be unable to read the partwork with ease as they prepare dish after dish. That will never do. And don't even think about getting Fanny started on cluttered-up cupboards...<br />
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Fannys aim is to ensure that the kitchen is the absolute <b>hub</b> of the home - after all we all spend so much time in there. It should be a place that visitors realise is <b>not</b> simply the room from where 'the grub' comes, or indeed the room where family or friends are <b>inevitably</b> drawn. Fanny thinks her job, in her kitchen, is to keep people <b>out</b> of it, not woo them in. Of course, this may be to avoid the social embarrassment of visitors realising that there are a small <b>army</b> of <strike>cheery</strike> weary assistants busy preparing all the food that Fanny passes of as her own...<br />
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Fanny knows that readers must work within the limits of their incomes, and could not possibly hope to have a kitchen <b>just</b> like her own. However she feels by showing you a DREAM kitchen (as hers is, without question) she can inspire readers to achieve similar things in the much 'smaller units' that they no doubt have. I mean, who needs FOUR cookers like Fanny? Fanny knows that we are all 'suckers' who would like to submit ourselves to collecting useless exhibition type gadgets. They are a <b>menace</b>, and should be scrapped from any kitchen if not used <b>once</b> in any given calendar year. The exception are items purchased directly from Fanny herself, available at a very reasonable cost to readers of the partwork, to help them in their hour of need to set up a DREAM kitchen like Fannys. Also, never (unless you are Fanny) install a seventeenth century knife grinder in your kitchen merely for decoration. A <b>menace</b>.<br />
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Fanny provides drawings and plans for an <b>ideal</b> kitchen - in no way 'architect-like' or as if she were herself, or had consulted, a designer. No. Fanny provides inspiration through little touches and flourishes that Johnnie has made himself. Once all the work is done though, you will need an area, should you be fortunate enough to have space, to settle down and enjoy a well-deserved coffee. The must-have for a <b>dreamy</b> DREAM kitchen is naturally a banquette area, complete with 'copper effect' curtains and psychedelic hallucinogenic-inducing accessories. Look how pleased Fanny is with the final results. You too could be like Fanny. Just on a more moderate budget in line with your own income, naturally.<br />
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Keep Calm and Fanny Onhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13805757699969350030noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2989495098344372691.post-2989090365810557302019-01-10T09:45:00.000+00:002019-01-10T09:45:35.149+00:00Curl Up and Dye Some retro touches from the past remain exclusively in the olden days. They never get revived. There's no rhyme nor reason for it, just overlooked I suppose. Or forgotten. Perhaps the skills have left us. Perhaps the will has gone. Perhaps the tools were gifted to the local charity shop in haste. Fanny's personal favourite retro touch is of course the garnish, exclusively for presentation. It's the ultimate. So much so that she often sets 'the young ones' to learn the techniques with tables full of basic ingredients to be embellished with the very simplest of tools. If one of the tools missing from your own kitchen drawer is the humble butter curler, you'd best make a dash to that charity shop and retrieve it immediately...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLO_ZxVHDD9dnQ3r9hC-buPv5uyrsBncELrDWOLbH29Ik5futpDhdDX-gpDDUO88Sfsw4bc9eG06uk212mdxjhbnck9MeYKPJncF-ptt0Pze1_4Ghj7pDffKZb8TZDi2m4kPnDldf0Ubct/s1600/fullsizeoutput_256e.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Fanny Cradock Buttercream Cake" border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLO_ZxVHDD9dnQ3r9hC-buPv5uyrsBncELrDWOLbH29Ik5futpDhdDX-gpDDUO88Sfsw4bc9eG06uk212mdxjhbnck9MeYKPJncF-ptt0Pze1_4Ghj7pDffKZb8TZDi2m4kPnDldf0Ubct/s640/fullsizeoutput_256e.jpeg" title="Fanny Cradock Buttercream Cake" width="640" /></a></div>
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I can't remember the last time I saw curled butter. Fortunately for me, I happen to have a butter curler to hand, from a failed attempt to recreate Fanny's gloriously green Brandy Butter 'tree' for Christmas. I clearly need additional practice. I'm sure Fanny would sit me down at the table and set me to work on an endless mountain of butter crying out to be curled and loved if she could. Fanny being Fanny doesn't settle JUST for curled butter of course. Why would you when you could have curled BUTTERCREAM to lift your cake from the ordinary to the extraordinary in a few gentle strokes?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivor1GnHPTjHbLH-01H7X4uOz2DuuLihcj1EAMhs5CAwpfll2kVHCgA1_iflmyH9vk7nzwTFCXduVAAQzJyhwOfjrsRrkOBzD9pS9ViWlFbVN_WORo91ETIZmMnF5djgK0RdjI1lQXlIeo/s1600/Buttercream+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Fanny Cradock Buttercream Cake" border="0" data-original-height="384" data-original-width="512" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivor1GnHPTjHbLH-01H7X4uOz2DuuLihcj1EAMhs5CAwpfll2kVHCgA1_iflmyH9vk7nzwTFCXduVAAQzJyhwOfjrsRrkOBzD9pS9ViWlFbVN_WORo91ETIZmMnF5djgK0RdjI1lQXlIeo/s640/Buttercream+2.jpg" title="Fanny Cradock Buttercream Cake" width="640" /></a></div>
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Fanny says to make a standard batch of her basic buttercream. Version 1. Naturally, she has several variations. Version 1 is butter whipped up all softly and creamily, with twice the amount of icing sugar blended in. <b>Normally</b> she adds an egg yolk too, for good measure and perhaps for a touch of colour. <b>Normally</b> I would add one too. <b>Normally</b> however I would take extra care NOT to drop the yolk, which I had just rescued from the white, down the kitchen sink... <b>Normally</b> it wouldn't be the last egg in my house. <b>Normally</b> I would worry endlessly about this, but nothing about this venture is normal anyway. As is normal with Fanny, icing and cakes, a massive burst of colour is involved anyway...<br />
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Fanny splits her buttercream into two and colours each a tasteful shade. Fanny has taught me to go one better in every walk of life, so three colours for me! Once tinted, the buttercream needs to be shaped into, err, well butter shapes and popped back in the fridge to harden up. This is not normal for buttercream. Fanny explains that this is an invention of a nameless Farmer's Wife from the nineteenth century. She made her own butter, and enjoyed shaping it using her butter curlers. She apparently also liked to colour it up and set it on top of her cakes. She didn't have a fridge naturally, but did have a stone slab in the dairy to keep her handiwork cool... Hmmm, I wonder if Fanny is simply just making this story fit her own fiendish plans. Either way, we must salute the anonymously curly Farmer's Wife for her buttery endeavours.<br />
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The Farmer's Wife uses her butter curler to scrape curls of buttercream which she then arranges on top of a freshly baked cake in an amusing pattern. Fanny did the same in her honour. I did too, although I used one of the many White Christmas Cakes I made before the festive season using Fanny's fabulous formula. The colourful insides now matches the colourful garnish. The cake has a kind of crocheted feel to it, reminiscent of a tea-cosy. I clearly need more practice with the curler. Surely, however, Fanny would be pleased? Perhaps not. One type of garnish Fanny does NOT subscribe to is that used by Italian pastry cooks. She seems to take issue with all things Italian. For Fanny, nothing is more 'potent for putting you off' your food that all the colours being too bright, especially when they are 'swirled and curled up together'. Make your mind up Fanny. Bright orange, green (luckily I would never use green for icing, always blue) and, god forbid, <b>another</b> colour, makes for a 'horrifying, brash appearance' which is off-putting in the extreme. I feel well and truly 'told off'. Excuse me while I slink off to the corner, curl up and hide... I'm taking a massive slice of cake with me though. Welcome to the New Year...<br />
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Keep Calm and Fanny Onhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13805757699969350030noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2989495098344372691.post-55862336054174105442018-10-18T10:26:00.001+01:002018-10-18T10:26:45.087+01:00Bonkers Conkers This time of year always makes me think of conkers. I long to spend days throwing sticks up into the tall trees in the hope that a spiny capsule will come tumbling down, soon to be prised open to reveal a mahogany prize. Dried out for a while, never soaked in vinegar nor baked in the oven (cheating was not on my agenda, even as a child), nailed through the centre and strung on a long piece of twine. Ready for battle. I wasn't a violent child, or particularly competitive. However, I had to be conker champion.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir4sKujOrE4b2P2XeTjyvYuN-Ljo4lbDQuwFcePgY_0Q-eHlqSP8u-MJfTi6bhirzw6DfjGcaGFCV0loPEDQJR7Hg6fyHYcuKtUl7eQKSD6BtjYwbp4VQGZrZzD6a9As4W-NmwVDoqhSuh/s1600/fullsizeoutput_252e.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Fanny Cradock Chestnut Meringue" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir4sKujOrE4b2P2XeTjyvYuN-Ljo4lbDQuwFcePgY_0Q-eHlqSP8u-MJfTi6bhirzw6DfjGcaGFCV0loPEDQJR7Hg6fyHYcuKtUl7eQKSD6BtjYwbp4VQGZrZzD6a9As4W-NmwVDoqhSuh/s640/fullsizeoutput_252e.jpeg" title="Fanny Cradock Chestnut Meringue" width="358" /></a></div>
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Fanny seems to have indulged in the same pastime as myself. Skipping through her garden, collecting chestnuts in a wicker basket. Wearing gingham ribbons. Singing a happy tune. No doubt. Or, more likely, sending someone out in the howling rain to scarper round furiously shoving the fallen jewels into their pockets while she barks at them from the kitchen door. Either way, she ended up with quite a collection of chestnuts that would not be strung nor whacked to pieces in the name of a playground game.<br />
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Fanny's prized nuts were far too delicious to be wasted on leisure pursuits. She plunged them into slightly smoking hot oil in the deep fat fryer, causing the oil to seethe up madly. Just as she herself did when the garden haul was less than bountiful. Fanny's chestnuts split not with heavy strikes, but with the heat and tension. Once things have cooled down a little, they are shelled and skinned, boiled and drained, wiped and rubbed, through a sieve. Perhaps Fanny would be seething at me, as I bought some ready cooked and vacuum packed. And a food processor.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgBqJY9LgpRQFCeR8i2BSphlAJ-zL3cg7CgQatPmG5vJOSZzRgLRoSyn3ZIUuQTM6jdabUX3j7RgVkAwzuqHwq52DBzzIipfjZGbw-wx3N6AN2zlu_j20Tr882wuqxjID12zX85MWbkSG9/s1600/Meringue+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Fanny Cradock Chestnut Meringue" border="0" data-original-height="384" data-original-width="512" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgBqJY9LgpRQFCeR8i2BSphlAJ-zL3cg7CgQatPmG5vJOSZzRgLRoSyn3ZIUuQTM6jdabUX3j7RgVkAwzuqHwq52DBzzIipfjZGbw-wx3N6AN2zlu_j20Tr882wuqxjID12zX85MWbkSG9/s640/Meringue+3.jpg" title="Fanny Cradock Chestnut Meringue" width="640" /></a></div>
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Fanny has a grand plan for these little wonders. Mont Blanc, or Chestnut and Meringue Cream. She whips up an Italian Meringue, whipping egg whites with hot sugar syrup to cook them. She blows the syrup through slotted spoon until bubbles appear to know that it is hot enough. I've never been to Mont Blanc (although I have seen it from the skies as we flew over) so have no real concept of what it looks like but Fanny suggests colouring the meringue before piping it, so who am I to disagree? Ignoring the name as the major clue, I wade in with a delightful shade of teal. She builds a meringue case with elaborate pipes and borders. It feels perhaps more like '70s Toilet-Roll Holder Lady' than 'Highest Peak in the Alps', but I'd never tell her.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgAJkxJ3vnjGWCgwPuCxNIdm-eb_LFffn0lDE7Jc0D15uiu1LA3L8spSBB7-503gLDK_yH4tefoK88HonCxlXtwJfMamxh0Fan3wWwkkaDMoymz4akTIGi0aHvRzMa3suTiJtKeXHAhdyC/s1600/Meringue+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Fanny Cradock Chestnut Meringue" border="0" data-original-height="384" data-original-width="512" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgAJkxJ3vnjGWCgwPuCxNIdm-eb_LFffn0lDE7Jc0D15uiu1LA3L8spSBB7-503gLDK_yH4tefoK88HonCxlXtwJfMamxh0Fan3wWwkkaDMoymz4akTIGi0aHvRzMa3suTiJtKeXHAhdyC/s640/Meringue+4.jpg" title="Fanny Cradock Chestnut Meringue" width="640" /></a></div>
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Fanny adds a splash of sherry, some vanilla, icing sugar and whipped double cream to the whizzed up chestnuts to make a very Christmassy (too early?) tasting paste. Fanny then pipes it using a 'writing pipe' nozzle into a mound of squiggles over and up on the inside of the meringue case. Squiggles. Squiggles? This must be what the Great White Mountain looks like up close. Only one thing left to do. Just like my younger days. Decide on tactics. Take aim. Smash the chestnut mound swiftly, cracking the meringue and, in a departure from the playground pranks, shovel into your mouth as quickly as possible. Conker Champion once again.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwLi_SvVamOqOb9px9pI5Yw2BBArg18a10Y7IKj5oF6wFygutt80xedq1L-Ab98iFl1PiLBMrH2zNdl3ehvNse43I_ChyphenhyphenP2cs1EpwuWYDxNTt3jmBzRcIPXIuI3Gznk0KcM446_-1FWwSu/s1600/fullsizeoutput_2549.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Fanny Cradock Chestnut Meringue" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwLi_SvVamOqOb9px9pI5Yw2BBArg18a10Y7IKj5oF6wFygutt80xedq1L-Ab98iFl1PiLBMrH2zNdl3ehvNse43I_ChyphenhyphenP2cs1EpwuWYDxNTt3jmBzRcIPXIuI3Gznk0KcM446_-1FWwSu/s640/fullsizeoutput_2549.jpeg" title="Fanny Cradock Chestnut Meringue" width="358" /></a></div>
Keep Calm and Fanny Onhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13805757699969350030noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2989495098344372691.post-13238601009741586342018-10-05T11:53:00.001+01:002018-10-05T11:53:24.164+01:00Fanny Takes The Biscuit Fanny Cradock just loves tiddling things up. She can't leave anything alone. Nothing is safe from her nimble fingers, cunning plans and decorating box of tricks. Plain old things bore her to tears. The nasty neighbours would talk about you over the fence if you served them something basic, or even if they spied it on your plate... Why on earth would you have something 'ordinary' when you could transform it into 'extraordinary' in a flash? 'Stripped down' and 'modest' were not in Fanny's vocabulary.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSiN2AQY_eh_3YnNeLbnnobeyl825ePcLVIwZX2Zr9VRMOuGtyP9ovRauUZRCdNGUsh0ANsz-lCclbX2Toso_c3ZmWhmYe6MfaQZRCbAPG0OHIlaz-4tvav0rCGB-x6FtI8rFtwq-W20EF/s1600/fullsizeoutput_2501.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Fanny Cradock Biscuits" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSiN2AQY_eh_3YnNeLbnnobeyl825ePcLVIwZX2Zr9VRMOuGtyP9ovRauUZRCdNGUsh0ANsz-lCclbX2Toso_c3ZmWhmYe6MfaQZRCbAPG0OHIlaz-4tvav0rCGB-x6FtI8rFtwq-W20EF/s640/fullsizeoutput_2501.jpeg" title="Fanny Cradock Biscuits" width="358" /></a></div>
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Even the simplest of biscuits could be tiddled up from basic to fancy. Shortbread is often thought of as a simple biscuit, but in Fanny's world this needn't be the case. Fanny is not suggesting that we all spend hours and hours in the kitchen creating ridiculous showstoppers (ahem, biscuit Chandelier anyone?), however with a little bit of imagination and some store cupboard essentials, the nasty neighbours may just be, reluctantly, voting you as Star Baker when the pop round for afternoon tea.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlgB0JZfrpEjWid__jOsIlU-g-en518a3OxQhpOcv8UphwOfy-I85j6Dm1Ns2ic7shHLH7AFpPm2f3KjmCXJ-VUXn25nqsOhsKIyrzbtA4zTm2l2eOaj8qH9i-jhWp22pVe8Esn8xx0M1O/s1600/Biscuits+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Fanny Cradock Biscuits" border="0" data-original-height="384" data-original-width="512" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlgB0JZfrpEjWid__jOsIlU-g-en518a3OxQhpOcv8UphwOfy-I85j6Dm1Ns2ic7shHLH7AFpPm2f3KjmCXJ-VUXn25nqsOhsKIyrzbtA4zTm2l2eOaj8qH9i-jhWp22pVe8Esn8xx0M1O/s640/Biscuits+2.jpg" title="Fanny Cradock Biscuits" width="640" /></a></div>
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Fanny's shortbread is made from a mix of ordinary flour and Rice flour (for a crunch), butter and caster sugar. The butter is beaten with the sugar, and then the mix of flours gently added in to combine. The mixture resembles breadcrumbs really, but should clump together between your hands if you give it a good squeeze. Think of this nasty neighbours and cackle loudly as you do it.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYWtYYjtsRj0oE6meubvJ1Kyyc2eMsQY3i27EldhFbt-T-_jcPn9nbag0g-1B-HhwwioN2K4UCUruJLEeIk4VPrjBM1D1GD1HNQ_h7c2gZov1FyeVhDNHIGWC8kL_oLGuwUnX7qLhTkNEY/s1600/Biscuits+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Fanny Cradock Biscuits" border="0" data-original-height="384" data-original-width="512" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYWtYYjtsRj0oE6meubvJ1Kyyc2eMsQY3i27EldhFbt-T-_jcPn9nbag0g-1B-HhwwioN2K4UCUruJLEeIk4VPrjBM1D1GD1HNQ_h7c2gZov1FyeVhDNHIGWC8kL_oLGuwUnX7qLhTkNEY/s640/Biscuits+3.jpg" title="Fanny Cradock Biscuits" width="640" /></a></div>
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Fanny then rolls out the crumbly mix and begins the transformation from unvarnished to embellished. A third of the dough is cut cleverly into leaf shapes. Fanny does this freehand, so do I. I don't have any leaf cutter, but you may do. A third are cut into simple rounds with a very ordinary cutter. The final third are also cut into rounds, with the centre of half of those cut with a piping nozzle to make rings. All from the same austere mixture. The simple rounds are to be glazed with egg white and scattered with almond flakes. Leave the rest bare and bake for around eight or nine minutes. Just time to lean over the fence and gloat to those neighbours.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPPARenKaExIJHpf_c1vKeAgfHJolofPFS5TBGIoVfCxZBVE8EQF8zYtOpN7U4lof_D35T6kn8VvLod3KmwsXXbRBBS4yTGxSG1wTx9bKIgQRC0kwsC5ZosYVAtArv3mWAH0hdAIi4vH-b/s1600/Biscuits+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Fanny Cradock Biscuits" border="0" data-original-height="384" data-original-width="512" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPPARenKaExIJHpf_c1vKeAgfHJolofPFS5TBGIoVfCxZBVE8EQF8zYtOpN7U4lof_D35T6kn8VvLod3KmwsXXbRBBS4yTGxSG1wTx9bKIgQRC0kwsC5ZosYVAtArv3mWAH0hdAIi4vH-b/s640/Biscuits+4.jpg" title="Fanny Cradock Biscuits" width="640" /></a></div>
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Let the tiddling begin! The almond rounds are already tiddled, so set them on a rack to cook. Carefully, they will be soft until they do. The rounds with holes become like Jammie Dodgers, filled with jam. I have used Rhubarb and Gin jam for mine. Gin helps everything. This is not enough tiddling for Fanny however. Slice a coloured glacé cherry in half, plonk it in the centre and add a sprig of cut Angelica. There is no explanation of why, but tiddle away and ask no questions. The leaves are tiddled with melted chocolate chips, covering only half the leaf. Tiddling done, the nasty neighbours will think you've been at it for hours...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiTAVGYA_MI2FPhI6uU2R7Dl7wu0HGZ1UX6r_JChFrn-VDaPaW0Gf4mrnGQWnuvcIFav09L4pYsemkLQ594XOAkdui-al_FqePOk7xzh89wrVqYiBbhNBMI1Y6FgzWzbtqxSk2OGGerGFO/s1600/fullsizeoutput_2518.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Fanny Cradock Biscuits" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiTAVGYA_MI2FPhI6uU2R7Dl7wu0HGZ1UX6r_JChFrn-VDaPaW0Gf4mrnGQWnuvcIFav09L4pYsemkLQ594XOAkdui-al_FqePOk7xzh89wrVqYiBbhNBMI1Y6FgzWzbtqxSk2OGGerGFO/s640/fullsizeoutput_2518.jpeg" title="Fanny Cradock Biscuits" width="358" /></a></div>
Keep Calm and Fanny Onhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13805757699969350030noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2989495098344372691.post-50908848373111354812018-08-06T11:41:00.001+01:002018-08-06T11:41:13.020+01:00World's Quorn Fakin' Mad I've eaten <b>everything</b> from the Fanny Cradock Cookery Programme I have made. So far. I've tucked into an array of sweet omelettes, despite my better judgement. I've wolfed down green mashed piped potatoes, although my eyes have said 'no'. I've willingly deep-throated bananas smeared with jam and nuts. I've gladly gobbled eggs transformed into a variety of disguises without complaint. I've swiftly swallowed all kinds of things Fanny has made to go further than my purse, or my mind, was able to stretch. Until today. I. Just. Can't.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh93mYLJNUMC5ox9kCG9chlCFutFtLXJcp4i-qVIql673g0-sYO4jX0M-QCSFss7sBGrPgiWInsjlHDbX6GtDoqcqJbZCbrf4PEPCqdwrADAvRqnmyvx5F_Sk6xvyVlJ7pgIjW4-pH89_4J/s1600/fullsizeoutput_2411.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Fanny Cradock Quorn Ham Soufflé" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh93mYLJNUMC5ox9kCG9chlCFutFtLXJcp4i-qVIql673g0-sYO4jX0M-QCSFss7sBGrPgiWInsjlHDbX6GtDoqcqJbZCbrf4PEPCqdwrADAvRqnmyvx5F_Sk6xvyVlJ7pgIjW4-pH89_4J/s640/fullsizeoutput_2411.jpeg" title="Fanny Cradock Quorn Ham Soufflé" width="358" /></a></div>
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Of course, as I've made Fanny's fascinations minus the meat, at least I've this far been safe in the knowledge that her creations may taste okay. I <b>like</b> vegetables. I've steered clear of using processed meat substitutes, mostly, simply because I rarely eat them myself. However, on a recent trip to the supermarket I was 'amazed' to see so many 'fake' meat products. Perhaps bemused. Perhaps perplexed. Perhaps baffled. Who was buying these things made to look, taste and feel like meat? Before I knew it I was hearing the self-service checkout beep in shame as I loaded up my bag. With. Sliced. Ham. Vegetarian Sliced Ham. What was I thinking?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVpZ9hFwpW0PrDDN3Z2Te-pJlkEGnMfYXydhTjdN7icRYFucYa_FMSw5Vx9XBaeCnl0ATyM4zZMR6-OtHPbAU6amHGuQ6Vk8FSXceyrHAJ1_HGXUudhJZ1dyOyccfI_7sOkNVXJpMX2FKy/s1600/Ham+Souffle+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Fanny Cradock Quorn Ham Soufflé" border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVpZ9hFwpW0PrDDN3Z2Te-pJlkEGnMfYXydhTjdN7icRYFucYa_FMSw5Vx9XBaeCnl0ATyM4zZMR6-OtHPbAU6amHGuQ6Vk8FSXceyrHAJ1_HGXUudhJZ1dyOyccfI_7sOkNVXJpMX2FKy/s640/Ham+Souffle+3.jpg" title="Fanny Cradock Quorn Ham Soufflé" width="640" /></a></div>
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I hadn't gone completely loopy. I was curious, and of course Fanny was guiding me to make a Cold Ham Soufflé with her, so part of me didn't want to miss out. Would this ham-hoax cut the mustard? Fanny starts by mincing up her ham. Mine minces fabulously, just like a seventies game show host. Fanny makes a velouté sauce, essentially a white sauce made with stock instead of milk, as the backbone of her dish. Mine whips up like the best bad-ass dominatrix. Or so I've heard anyway. Fanny sets her soufflé with Aspic. I need to adapt the recipe a little, adding Agar Agar to the stock, boiling and then making the velouté like a cutie. That's just how I rock. Nearly.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRwsFwdJREIymjgQzgklqF8TpAC1GWEr5wec4Rt-uDfWWJmq5GDg5jm2jrU8zvkNhJZ6gd3iFxY4kfJvaaY4ymEEuqYgO0JiDZ42oNXc5QHyC96-cNemSZ3gZXU4atySUYkxsFHKNbjc5p/s1600/Ham+Souffle+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Fanny Cradock Quorn Ham Soufflé" border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRwsFwdJREIymjgQzgklqF8TpAC1GWEr5wec4Rt-uDfWWJmq5GDg5jm2jrU8zvkNhJZ6gd3iFxY4kfJvaaY4ymEEuqYgO0JiDZ42oNXc5QHyC96-cNemSZ3gZXU4atySUYkxsFHKNbjc5p/s640/Ham+Souffle+2.jpg" title="Fanny Cradock Quorn Ham Soufflé" width="640" /></a></div>
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I can barely bring myself to touch the phoney-ham. Thankfully I am able to distract myself by whipping up egg whites and double cream. Separately of course. Fanny staples. All good here. I. Can. Cope. Except I can't. The pseudo-ham is mocking me. The whole sorry lot needs to be folded together and plopped into a wetted soufflé mould, so that it will come out smoothly. Fanny has taught me that. She hasn't trained me to cope with the horror of this. It's time to chill. The soufflé. And. Me. Too.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzMRyntRn7ZSe-oizjatXaN0teHBr5wyOOI1Oz9oVK7k1WgrIS-AxSRT8NWQvsgC2vM6FIPYT7-zMsZ-8fCImIigZxUiTYB9oWgIYg7xBoXyw9nKGWvZDS_eZninXlCTFirpni3NWQ55zB/s1600/Ham+Souffle+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Fanny Cradock Quorn Ham Soufflé" border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzMRyntRn7ZSe-oizjatXaN0teHBr5wyOOI1Oz9oVK7k1WgrIS-AxSRT8NWQvsgC2vM6FIPYT7-zMsZ-8fCImIigZxUiTYB9oWgIYg7xBoXyw9nKGWvZDS_eZninXlCTFirpni3NWQ55zB/s640/Ham+Souffle+4.jpg" title="Fanny Cradock Quorn Ham Soufflé" width="640" /></a></div>
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However, the shudders continue as Fanny suggests a stomach-churning staging. Apparently what this bogus Cold Ham Soufflé needs is to be topped with a further glaze of Aspic-y Agar Agar before being surrounded by more rolls of fabricated ham. It looks convincingly like the one Fanny made. I am sure it will feel faithfully like it too. Oh. The. Smell. I have absolutely no doubt that this sham-ham would also taste just like the one Fanny made. I. Am. Not. Trying. It. Sorry. Not. Sorry. Does anyone want it?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8eiC962SOMa2vrdc2txKl8pS5D46sHGY3Z86S1MzG4KeeBF117zjGK7qhxPF4y7vPm4aFMrUtfzxDhlPPjFu1mRMgO_X5yMhv7RQJXfVphNHlkTJ_V2IPGFEBf6hJqs_y4-jLcsMRCT-8/s1600/fullsizeoutput_2410.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Fanny Cradock Quorn Ham Soufflé" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8eiC962SOMa2vrdc2txKl8pS5D46sHGY3Z86S1MzG4KeeBF117zjGK7qhxPF4y7vPm4aFMrUtfzxDhlPPjFu1mRMgO_X5yMhv7RQJXfVphNHlkTJ_V2IPGFEBf6hJqs_y4-jLcsMRCT-8/s640/fullsizeoutput_2410.jpeg" title="Fanny Cradock Quorn Ham Soufflé" width="358" /></a></div>
Keep Calm and Fanny Onhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13805757699969350030noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2989495098344372691.post-43420436368950163722018-07-16T08:32:00.001+01:002018-07-16T08:32:15.928+01:00What's The Name of The Game?The thought of Fanny Cradock with a shotgun in her hand terrifies me beyond belief. I think we should all be terrified. She's out and about looking for the 'crowning glory' of English cookery. Game birds. On top of t all, she's not happy. She has become 'astigmatised' looking for a poulterer to cater to her needs, but alas her beloved birds have dwindled from her failing sight. Any remaining ptarmigan, capercailzie (as she calls them), woodcock or snipe should be especially terrified. Those are her favourites. You can almost hear the blood dripping and smell the smoke from the cartridge shot as she proclaims that they 'make wonderful eating'. Terrifying.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTDPPus6WJ0T_W0y-QPjPeZHqPpt28cTAY0EgdkoRQiANkh8QlDGHx_uVMYkjR_nS1a1cDd8YHEaOiu-yvQJhpNoOY5NkfEQ9Ivbj9fp5p7XOxnJchjV8S7U-ehFr2zUzulUmpV-_ycUyn/s1600/fullsizeoutput_23fe.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Fanny Cradock Cooking with Game " border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="986" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTDPPus6WJ0T_W0y-QPjPeZHqPpt28cTAY0EgdkoRQiANkh8QlDGHx_uVMYkjR_nS1a1cDd8YHEaOiu-yvQJhpNoOY5NkfEQ9Ivbj9fp5p7XOxnJchjV8S7U-ehFr2zUzulUmpV-_ycUyn/s640/fullsizeoutput_23fe.jpeg" title="Fanny Cradock Cooking with Game " width="394" /></a></div>
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The thought of Fanny Cradock with a dead carcass in her kitchen terrifies me beyond belief. As Fanny licks her lips, she wonders if Scottish folks might still be able to get their hands round a neck of a capercailzie, but she doubts it. Fanny reminisces about the 'snipe of her childhood' which she has scarcely seen since. They are the hardest birds of all to shoot on the wing as they have a curious zig-zag flight. You believe she is talking from experience. You believe that the barrel of the shotgun is still warm. Well before the Spice Girls, you believe she did her own zig-a-zig-ah and blew the blighters out of mid-air anyway. They eat terrifyingly beautifully.<br />
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The thought of Fanny Cradock inventing the 'overhead' instagram-ready flat-lay shot terrifies me beyond belief. Fanny has her perfect meal-based social media snaps all planned out. It may be a Moroccan Couscous eaten in a tent in the Sahara Desert at 110°F, of course sitting in the shade. It may be a Provençal Octopus Stew. Fanny has fished the baby octopus herself from the 'wavelets on the sands' on a moonlight night. Her terrifying hands gripped tightly on the poor little babies. It may be a roast partridge, with trimmings, followed by English Stilton, brandy and a cigar. Yes, Fanny smokes cigars. Johnnie approves very much. He is no doubt too terrified to say otherwise.<br />
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The thought of Fanny Cradock with the garden secateurs in her hands terrifies me beyond belief. They are well sterilised, of course, and always close to hand. But still. Terrifying. Fanny does not like the shape of modern game scissors. She also does not like the modern service of woodcock. Her preference is to travel to Denmark, perhaps with her secateurs still close to hand, for service in the classic manner. The Danes have the decency to leave the heads on, you see. The Danes then split the skull open to expose the brain. The Danes then pick the brains out. The Danes think the brains are a delicacy. The Danes are just as terrifying as Fanny.<br />
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The thought of Fanny Cradock with a pigeon in her hand terrifies me beyond belief. They can be eaten all year round, and require no hanging. Strangely, they are rarely seen flying anywhere near Fanny's house. Served best with their breasts ripped from the body and covered in puff pastry. We all love a puffed up breast. Fanny suggests, with one final terrifyingly loud cackle, that if you really want to show off, serve them resplendent with feathered wings. If you weren't terrified before, you will be now.<br />
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Keep Calm and Fanny Onhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13805757699969350030noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2989495098344372691.post-73296287779145837722018-07-06T08:10:00.001+01:002018-07-06T08:10:21.509+01:00Yon Olden Pond We don't know all that much about Fanny Cradock's Mum. We know she was an actress. We know her name. Bijou. It may be that she chose that name however. Fanny told us she believed in Fairies. She played a good game of golf, and once almost qualified for Wimbledon. She danced like thistledown, whatever that was like. She drove a car wildly, but brilliantly. She would only play cards with men, as 'women cheat'. She seemed to know, as Fanny told us she kept 'all her lovers' until the day of her death.<br />
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Thanks to the part-work, however, we know that she was a 'gorgeous cook', although at times Fanny describes her cooking as 'erratic', with things never tasting the same twice. As ever with Fanny, the truth is often hidden behind a good story. We know what Bijou didn't like. Fanny tells us. She passionately disliked <b>anything</b> in the shape of a pond. We don't know how she felt about <b>actual</b> ponds. Just things that <b>appeared</b> like ponds. Shaped like ponds. Based on ponds. Ponds were out as far as Fanny's Mum was concerned.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq9NHymoy-9zoVR1ieLd0vTCJ4ij4ZosA5lHURVTFPyUTGH9R6eT_UhKeLUWLfl7-4Idvp7oWRInznkfLYAm2OEqbaa-8TSdWU9gSObnDg5aZaOvVVlZzkt5RKnHBZKUoV3Ly46oPxTjg3/s1600/Fruit+Salad+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Fanny Cradock Fruit Salad " border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="800" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq9NHymoy-9zoVR1ieLd0vTCJ4ij4ZosA5lHURVTFPyUTGH9R6eT_UhKeLUWLfl7-4Idvp7oWRInznkfLYAm2OEqbaa-8TSdWU9gSObnDg5aZaOvVVlZzkt5RKnHBZKUoV3Ly46oPxTjg3/s640/Fruit+Salad+2.jpg" title="Fanny Cradock Fruit Salad " width="640" /></a></div>
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So, Fanny tells us, Bijou invented a method (Fanny refuses to call it a recipe) for Fruit Salad which ensured that it could in no way be mistaken for a pond. For they often do, don't they? When I think 'Fruit Salad' I immediately think 'pond'. Don't you? I actually immediately think of a tin of soft pieces of fruit, with one bright pink cherry half and one slightly wrinkly grape. Bijou detested little bits of fruit floating in a vast pond or even a puddle of weak fruit juice, water and sugar which is barely fit for human consumption. No ponds. No puddles. We can only assume lakes were out too.<br />
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Bijou's famous invention involved slicing up the fruits - seasonal is best, whatever is to hand - and layering them in a tall, glass vase with little sprinklings of icing sugar between each section. Perhaps even a drop or two of liqueur, if it is liked. Bijou liked. Lemon juice is also required for apples and pears (and bananas if used) to prevent discolouring. The vase is then left in ordinary domestic refrigeration overnight where the fruit will 'make it's own juice' which will in no way resemble pond water. Never.<br />
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To make <b>absolutely sure</b> that your Fruit Salad looks nothing like a pond, it must be served in a pumpkin. Hollowed out of course. The discarded flesh can be cooked separately, but Fanny warns that pumpkin is an acquired taste - like custard-apples, mangoes, sweet potatoes, lychees, sweetcorn and heaven forbid, avocados - so proceed with caution. Unless you're a millennial. Fanny does give a recipe for Pumpkin Soup in a bid to 'turn' all the 'haters'. She is confident, however, that her mothers Fruit Salad will not be hated by anyone, especially those with an aversion to ponds. Or cheating women.<br />
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Keep Calm and Fanny Onhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13805757699969350030noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2989495098344372691.post-72647021685261429452018-06-22T10:38:00.002+01:002018-06-22T10:38:22.399+01:00Cinq or Swim - My 5th Fannyversary Can you remember what the heck you were doing on this day five long, weary years ago? Sometimes I can barely remember what I was doing five minutes before, but that date in 2013 is etched into my memory. It had been a long time coming, well at least the thought had. I'd become a *little bit* obsessed with Fanny Cradock, especially the Cradock Cookery Programme part-work. I wanted to celebrate it, and her. somehow. I started this blog, hoping that she would be able to teach me some of her tricks. So, five years ago today, I quickly wrote the first <a href="https://keepcalmandfannyon.blogspot.com/2013/06/above-all-garnish-and-presentation.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">post</a> and hit 'publish' before I could think about it too much. So, in the five years since, what <b>exactly</b> has dear old Fanny taught me?<br />
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<b>Number One</b> - Fanny is <b>always</b> right. Never argue with her. Never veer from her instructions. Never query her methods. Never skip an ingredient (well, ok, I skipped all the meat, but you know what I mean). Never wonder why. No need to, Fanny is <b>always</b> right. I've published 277 posts in those five years. The recipes have <b>always</b> worked. The results have <b>always</b> been good, if a little surprising. The smile on my face has <b>always</b> been wide. Fanny has <b>always</b> been right. <b>Always</b>.<br />
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<b>Number Two</b> - above all, garnish and presentation. Fanny made this her mantra for the part-work. Recipes are one thing. Good ingredients are another. Technique is essential. It's all well and good making a sensational dish that you know people will enjoy, but if it doesn't also<b> look</b> spectacular then no-one will remember it. No-one will talk about it. No-one will rave about you. No-one will say Fanny was right. And she is <b>always</b> right. Garnish and presentation are key. And if that's retro-tastically over the top, more the better. Don't you agree?<br />
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<b>Number Three</b> - believe in yourself. Fanny did, extraordinarily so. She created herself to be the most fabulous Bon Viveur, the most celebrated television cook, the most widely published person across different genres. She's taught me to 'go for it'. Write lots, tell people about everything Fanny related. I've written this blog every week for five years. I've written articles, papers and presentations about Fanny. I've written my Masters dissertation about her, and will soon include her in my PhD. I'm writing a book. She'd be delighted (I hope). So am I. I love writing and I love spreading the word about Fanny, just as she always did. I hope you are enjoying reading it.<br />
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<b>Number Four</b> - if in any doubt about anything, think What Would Fanny Do (#WWFD)? It will be the best option, hands down. No contest. Remember, she is <b>always</b> right! She has never let me down. Not once. <b>Number Five</b> - if life gives you grapes and wine, squidge them up, make a jelly. Save some for the garnish and presentation. Add food colouring. Present it in a way that only Fanny could. Write about it, let the world know all about Fanny. She did. So do I. And I will, for years to come. I hope you'll still be joining me, and Fanny, for my next Fannyversary. And the next... and next... I *thought* I was obsessed five years ago. Little did I know. Oh dear...<br />
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Keep Calm and Fanny Onhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13805757699969350030noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2989495098344372691.post-43112729811602063942018-06-17T16:51:00.001+01:002018-06-17T16:51:47.085+01:00She's Crazy Like A Fool, What About It Daddy Cool?Fathers Day is not one that everyone cherishes, it can be a harsh reminder of loss for some, while others celebrate. Fanny's Father died in 1961, just as her career was well and truly taking off. He lived long enough to see her become a success, following in his footsteps with a variety of careers, an array of publications and a diversity of nom de plumes. Born as Archibald Thomas Pechey in deepest Essex, it didn't take long for him to invent new names and personas to hide behind, or perhaps just to remain hidden.<br />
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His chequered story is often hard to unravel. Like a mirror to her own life, truthful details are a nuisance, especially when they get in the way of a better, more fanciful story. Archibald was a storyteller. According to Fanny he wrote over eighty novels, publishing the eightieth on his eightieth birthday. Fanny baked a cake to celebrate, with eighty candles. She threw him a wild party, stretching out until three or four in the morning. Perhaps there were eighty guests.<br />
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Fanny referred to him as 'our Father who art in Shepton Mallet' as he preferred to live alone in later life, in peace and quiet. Archibald published under the pseudonym Valentine. A swish of camp-ness which Fanny would no doubt have appreciated, but also borrowed almost from his real-life ancestors, the Vallentins, who were distillers in London. Fanny claimed that her Father was no gastronome however, and ate whatever was put in front of him. Worse still, he knew nothing of wine. He rarely drank. He probably had no time, given he had to deal with Fanny, her Mother and juggle writing at least three books a year. And plays. And songs. He was quite a hit.<br />
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Valentine himself also had a pseudonym. The rather more dowdy sounding Mark Cross was the name which adorned the jackets of his thriller series. Valentine had penned the successful play Tons of Money, which made him just that. However, the combination of a wife who liked to spend faster than he could earn, and a penchant for gambling put a strain on finances. Fanny wrote that gambling gave him his worst moments. Moving round the country to avoid debts and debtors ended with Archibald/Valentine in the bankruptcy courts. Mark Cross was created as a way out, to continue to write, and earn, to be known and to keep busy. The word 'prolific' seems to have been invented for him, before being passed on to Fanny.<br />
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Fanny went on to publish more books than her Father. She too wrote plays and novels, adding children's books, newspaper columns, magazine features and of course cookbooks to her repertoire. She worked under so many names, at times for fun, at times for financial reasons, at times I would imagine just to cope with the huge volume of work that just kept pouring from her typewriter. Dear Daddy set the blueprint, in name(s) and in spirit too. I wonder if his distilling family are still producing today? I'd raise a glass to him, and to all Fathers.<br />
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Keep Calm and Fanny Onhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13805757699969350030noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2989495098344372691.post-89274594338864677342018-06-07T17:55:00.001+01:002018-06-07T17:55:18.077+01:00Stiff Supper Flip From time to time, despite our best efforts, or perhaps as a result of them, the cupboard is well and truly bare. Maybe we've forgotten to go shopping or perhaps we've simply eaten everything in blooming sight. Either way we all know the dreadful feeling of peering into the kitchen and discovering... Nothing. We look again. Open every door. Check the fridge. The cupboards again. There must be something. Panic! Then, out of the corner of one eye, you spot it...<br />
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An egg. Perhaps we'd not all immediately be jumping for joy, secure in the knowledge that we'll be eating well after all. It's just an egg. Not a meal. Nothing to feel excited about. Fanny thinks differently. She always does. We know this by now. She's determined to encourage us to crack open that solitary egg, grab our griddle pans and give out a celebratory whoop as we whip up a hunger-busting meal. Yahoo!<br />
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Well, kind of. We know that Fanny is a little bit obsessed with one particular type of egg-based meal. She loves them in all forms. Savoury. Sweet. Substantial. Small. She'll have them all. However you'd be forgiven for imagining that Fanny had well and truly flipped (some might say, finally) were she to suggest that one little egg, all on it's own, could be remodelled into Fanny's favourite. An Omelette. Not any old ordinary omelette though. C'mon, that just <b>wouldn't</b> be Fanny, now would it?<br />
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When times are tough, Fanny's Griddle Soufflé Omelette comes to the rescue. The griddle, you see, cuts down on one ingredient which Fanny herself would normally add to a Soufflé Omelette cooked in any other way. This is amazing. Fewer ingredients all round. The redundant element is simply, erm, water. For griddles, the egg is simply separated. The white is beaten to an absolute maximum stiffness. No semi-stiffness welcome. Maximum stiffness. The yolk is beaten lightly with a fork and turned gently into the whites until they are creamily blended. If you have a knob of cheese, add it. Salt and pepper are essential.<br />
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The ingredient list is zooming up, but we will forgive Fanny. I cannot however forgive her for rubbing a piece of pork fat on a dry heated griddle. I spray a little oil before following Fanny's instruction to 'dump' the 'foamy mixture' onto it over a low heat. Working quickly, Fanny says we must shape it using spatulas and knives, one in each hand, into an oval. Turning with the spatula when brown on one side, tidying up any rough edges with the knife. There you have it. A light, fluffy, foamy, stiffly-beaten Griddle Soufflé Omelette made with one lonely, neglected and resurrected egg. It's dead nice, but what can I eat now...? *stares into kitchen*<br />
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Keep Calm and Fanny Onhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13805757699969350030noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2989495098344372691.post-51474666573608472642018-05-22T16:14:00.001+01:002018-05-22T16:15:05.728+01:00Viennese Dreams - This Means Nothing To MeAspiration. That was what Fanny Cradock was all about. Every television appearance. Every recipe in the booklets. Every magazine interview she gave. Aspiration. She understood that food could be the key to unlocking the otherwise hard-to-climb social ladder. She made everyone feel that by introducing new ideas, combinations and recipes to their otherwise ordinary everyday lives they had some hope of escaping. Changing. Dreaming. Yearning for something that had once seemed completely out of reach.<br />
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Pancakes may not immediately spring to mind as the saviour of society, but Fanny had a plan. Her trick was always to take very ordinary ingredients and make them extra-ordinary. Today, television cooks often rely on exotic, new or as-yet undiscovered ingredients. Fanny had eggs and flour. Everyone made pancakes. Hardly anything to shout about, never mind to give you a leg up the ladder of success. Imagine though if you made Austrian pancakes at home. Everyone would be envious. Imagine if they were really more like a cross between crumpets and pancakes. Everyone would be envious. Imagine if they were to be described as 'souffléd'. Everyone would be envious. Stretch your imagination even further and don't even call them pancakes. They are 'puffs'. Everyone would be envious of your Austrian Soufflé Puffs, wouldn't they?<br />
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Fanny thought so. She thought transforming two humble eggs, one ounce of flour and one fluid ounce of water would induce a hankering for Vienna at home. She whisked up the egg yolks until they were list and fluffy. She probably got someone else to do this for her, by hand. However I have a passion for my modern mixer at times like these. Next, the flour is whisked in until smooth, followed by the water. In a separate bowl (thank heavens I have two, don't we all?) the whites are beaten until very stiff, before the yolk mixture is gently folded in. The resulting puffy clouds would be happy floating over any well respected opera house.<br />
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To elevate them into Austrian Soufflé Puffs however, local chefs are trained to make tricky architectural, cylindrical cuffs from greased parchment paper. Fanny has another idea. Why not make good use of those otherwise discarded tins that we all have filled with Mandarin Oranges that we all enjoy so much. They are the perfect size, and once cleaned and carefully opened and trimmed at both ends are ideal for our Austrian Puffs. Simply brush them lovingly with oil, place on a hot griddle pan ready to dollop your soufflé in. Maybe save a Mandarin segment or two for garnish.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgecHQZb2fQzUidHF5rhf4fHCliDqnQaM0JbPmWmFyyp7np-iekxEtoyFl_4mKiVsae0ttLPeuQzGXXxi6y2VCRxXH2z-h6iCK32Byaxm1WmQsrVDC9rWkTNhyphenhyphenLrqNPe2_3S-qQ0R0EscYO/s1600/Austrian+Puffs+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Fanny Cradock Austrian Puffs" border="0" data-original-height="384" data-original-width="512" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgecHQZb2fQzUidHF5rhf4fHCliDqnQaM0JbPmWmFyyp7np-iekxEtoyFl_4mKiVsae0ttLPeuQzGXXxi6y2VCRxXH2z-h6iCK32Byaxm1WmQsrVDC9rWkTNhyphenhyphenLrqNPe2_3S-qQ0R0EscYO/s640/Austrian+Puffs+4.jpg" title="Fanny Cradock Austrian Puffs" width="640" /></a></div>
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Fanny includes an elaborate pic-strip where Dianne, just 19 and apparently never before tackled these wonders, makes Salzburger Nockerln on a griddle with ease. In the excitement, neither say how long to cook them for, or how to know when they are ready. We are instructed to turn the tins over, with a carefully placed cloth to avoid scalded hands, 'half way through', whenever that might be. Dianne gently eases the Puffs out of the tins and simply dusts them lightly with icing sugar. Perhaps she'd already eaten the Mandarin Oranges. Perhaps she'd suddenly been lifted out of the drudgery of Fanny's kitchen and climbed her own ladder to a more successful life elsewhere. We shall never know. The <strike>pancakes</strike>, erm <strike>crumpets</strike>, erm Austrian Soufflé Puffs are light, fluffy and elevated well above the ordinary in any case.<br />
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Keep Calm and Fanny Onhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13805757699969350030noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2989495098344372691.post-32503960988918258472018-04-30T12:42:00.001+01:002018-04-30T12:42:27.299+01:00Stop Messin' About!<b>I was so very fortunate to be invited to the launch party for the new book, The Kenneth Williams Companion, written by my lovely friend <a href="https://twitter.com/kcwcompanion" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Adam Endacott</a>. The launch was held at the iconic Elstree Studios - the room was filled wall-to-wall with celebrity friends, colleagues and fans of the late great Kenneth. It was the 30th Anniversary of his death, but the mood was upbeat and the room was ready for a celebration! Between innuendos and various cries of 'ooooh matron' reverberating around the room, I managed to grab a quick chat with the author... </b><b>Adam, no messing' about - the launch party was a hoot... </b><br />
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The book launch came about as Sir Tim Rice said if you’re having one then I’d love to come along! I hadn’t even thought about it and it became a celebratory afternoon at Elstree Studios which was very special indeed. It acted as a thank you to so many people who had been a part of the book and also to showcase and commemorate a genius and his work.<br />
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<b>And I guess if Sir Tim suggests an event, you go with it... maybe a musical will be on the cards one day? But first, the book - rather than a biography it's a complete record of Kenneth's work - how did you go about researching this encyclopaedic, ultimate companion to Kenneth's career? </b><br />
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Researching was a combination of things. I set out to watch and listen to everything that exists and I did so that took some time - so many episodes of Hancock’s Half Hour, as an example. The BBC Written Archives in Caversham were a good start and then combined with looking through Radio Times and TV Times and other resources - it all came together along with memories from those whom he worked with. This would often lead to an introduction or producing a copy of a lost project. In all it took about five years and then writing and putting it altogether. I hope it will be well received and become a go-to book for Kenneth’s career.<br />
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<b>When people mention Fanny Cradock, they often reference her ‘cooking in ballgowns’ which she only really did in 1955/56 at the beginning of her career - I get a sense that Kenneth was similarly trapped in an image of himself forever. What do you hope that the book will reveal or ‘set straight’ to people about his wonderful career?</b><br />
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He was indeed and the way the diaries have been edited depict a very sad, lonely man but this was not the case at all. He had a lot of love, full of fun and a wicked sense of humour. Yes, he had his mannerisms and mystery’s about him but then we all do. This book is a celebration of a man who did so much more than 26 Carry On films for which he has become best known for. I hope it is very much a testament to a remarkable career over a 40 year career. He did it all and hopefully this will stand as a reference work that will be referred to by fans and researchers alike for many years to come.<br />
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<b>I was thrilled to see a clip at the launch of Fanny and Kenneth together on the TV show 'What's My Line?' in 1974, but how do you think Kenneth and Fanny got along when they met?</b><br />
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I reckon they did very well. Kenneth liked strong women who would stand up to him and Fanny would definitely have done that! There is an excellent playful relationship between them when she appeared on What’s My Line? Kenneth expresses his love of watching her on the television with his Mum, Louie. Two very British eccentric personalities that I think got on well and enjoyed some good banter.<br />
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<b>Yes, they seemed to have their very own Carry On! He says 'I adore you - you stuffed all those mushrooms up that chicken!'... Ooooh matron indeed! What about food? Did Kenneth have any favourites or places even to eat? What would he have made of Fanny’s creations?</b><br />
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Kenneth always said that he hated cooking and the most he could do was a boiled egg. He would have his meal with his Mum most evenings. Lorraine Chase said that he would have one main meal a day which was steak and a glass of red wine. Kenneth often entertained chums in restaurants such as Joe Allens and others which have since sadly closed down. In Joe Allen’s he would have the secret burger which has become my order each time that I’m in there! He would drink wine, Campari and soda water or gin and tonic. He had a delicate stomach so I’m not sure how well Fanny’s creations would have gone down but I should think her French cuisine would have been a hit certainly! He did however cook an omelette on Pebble Mill but sadly this is a lost episode. He did share the kitchen with Rustie Lee and Nanette Newman for breakfast television.<br />
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<b>I would LOVE to see those clips too! Fanny also did a spot on TV-Am, what a shame they missed each other - I'm sure Fanny would've made his eggs very special... What would Kenneth think of all this marvellous chronicling of his career do you reckon? By the way, I’m sure Fanny would’ve loved to have done the catering for your party...</b><br />
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The legacy he has left behind and what we can treasure for decades to come. It may seem corny, but I do feel Kenneth has been with me on this journey and I’d like to think he has given his blessing. I’m told by his chum that he would have liked me, which I’m rather chuffed about. Even if he didn’t approve, then I hope he would appreciate and reflect on what a body of work he actually had. I would have loved for Fanny to have done the catering - especially with her choux pastry!<br />
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<b>She would probably have replaced Kenneth's face on those cupcakes with her own mind you... If you want to read all about Kenneth's career, you can find The Kenneth Williams Companion <a href="https://www.fantompublishing.co.uk/product/adam-endacott-the-kenneth-companion/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a></b></div>
Keep Calm and Fanny Onhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13805757699969350030noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2989495098344372691.post-81507795523261837332018-04-09T14:52:00.003+01:002018-04-09T14:52:43.393+01:00Gotta Oughta Ricotta The joy of Fanny has to be in the unexpected. I try not to look too far ahead to see what is coming next. I just love the element of surprise, delight and from time-to-time surprisingly delightful horror, that are contained within the technicolour pages of the partwork. It's not worth trying to second guess what Fanny has in mind, it's rarely what you might think, even if you apply previous knowledge of her work and erm, innovation, to your already over-active imagination. Fanny's is in overdrive.<br />
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We are still cooking with cheese. I've been hopeful for something savoury and well. cheesy. So far, however, it's all been sweet. Today is no exception as we tackle an Italian Budino di Ricotta, or a plain old cream cheese pudding if like me, you're Italian is ropey. Fanny's Italian was very ropey indeed, so let's hope that Budino does actually translate as pudding...<br />
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Fanny begins by beating together the ricotta - or any of her dreamy creamy homemade cheese should you have any left - with ground almonds, icing sugar and a flavouring. Fanny suggests lemon, but I don't have any, so substitute with vanilla. The mix is quite wet. Fanny whips up a lot of egg whites until they are very stiff indeed and gently folds them in, before transferring to a buttered soufflé mould to bake for thirty minutes.<br />
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It emerges from the oven as a gloriously risen, well, soufflé, but as it cooled it sank down again. I think Fanny knew it would be looking less than appealing as it was turned out of the mould, so she had an idea up her chiffon sleeve to turn things around. Boudoir Biscuits and coloured icing. She sits the ricotta pud on a sponge base before surrounding it with the biscuits dipped in heavily coloured icing. Of course she does. What else would she do?<br />
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It certainly makes it seem cheerier. She's not finished there. Cream piping. Always required. Suddenly this old pudding is looking quite splendid indeed. Unless of course my retro-loving eyes have become tainted by Fanny? Fanny finishes it off with some rose petals, primarily because she had a pretty plate with roses on it. I don't. The smell is lovely though, so shouldn't complain. It's a very unusual pudding, to look at and to taste, light and pillowy, nutty and sweet. As always with Fanny, she delivers something unexpected and slightly wonderful. And blue.<br />
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Keep Calm and Fanny Onhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13805757699969350030noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2989495098344372691.post-5508414296551866602018-03-31T08:09:00.002+01:002018-03-31T08:09:59.564+01:00Fanny Cradock Invites... you to the iPlayer There's been quite the hullaballoo this week in the press about the 'Return of Fanny Cradock' to the BBC... Every newspaper, every radio show and even some television shows have covered the 'breaking news' story. The BBC are at last adding some classic cooking shows to their iPlayer archive for us all to savour, showcasing the changes from the 'early days' of Fanny and Delia to erm, well, the 'later days' of, erm, Levi Roots and Lorraine Pascale. It's Fanny that has set the headlines alight however - and I'm not just talking about those nasty tabloids who stole my blog photos to illustrate their stories, but that is another tale for another day...<br />
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Once again, Fanny will be showing us all how to throw a proper Cheese and Wine Party. She happily invites us into her actual home to do this, and cooks for us in her actual kitchen. She'd actually campaigned fiercely for many years behind the scenes to move cooking programmes out of the dreary studio, to show the housewives of Britain how to cook in ordinary kitchens. She wanted to cook in ordinary housewives homes. The producers were't keen. Fanny cooked up the plan to use her own kitchen instead. We'd all love to see that! Just before we get that exclusive peek of Fanny's kitchen, she, of course, introduces us to her dog, Mademoiselle Lolita Saltina Cradock, who is not yet quite a lady. No more explanation required.<br />
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Fanny is sick to death of looking at walls while she cooks at home, so she shows us around her time-saving kitchen where everything faces the camera instead. Which is fortunate. Peter and Sally are on hand, looking terrified, to help out when barked at. We're having a Cheese and Wine party after all, and time is tight. We all have dramas, nothing worse than the doorbell ringing before you are ready, you really should have your frock on by now and the food isn't presented as it should be. Don't worry, just pull in your army of amiable assistants to rummage through your endless cupboards to make the show happen with ease. It's what every ordinary housewife would do.<br />
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To celebrate Fanny on the iPlayer, I am making her very special Italian cheesecake with her very special homemade cream cheese, that we very specially made earlier. This one uses a pastry base. The cream cheese is simply mixed together with egg yolks, orange zest, sugar and a little flour. Oh, and fresh grapes and mixed peel. They are funny lot these Italians. This mixture is poured into the raw pastry case. Fanny then covers the surface in unbeaten egg white and a trellis of pastry offcuts. She sprinkles on a few pine-nuts and a dusting of icing sugar, and it's ready to bake.<br />
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Her kitchen at home has four ovens, but we only need one for this. Once baked, sit back and enjoy a slice while catching up with Fanny on iPlayer. It's a treat. Sing along to the jaunty theme tune and gawp in amazement at her talents. She never misses a heartbeat as she tours round, whips up several meals, cleans as she goes, fries stuff, forks stuff, fondues stuff, shows off every piece of equipment she owns and gives detailed explanations of the culinary terms involved. She has diplomas you know. <b>All in one take</b>. The camera follows her round the kitchen with ease. You'll be amazed. Of course if you miss the recipes, don't worry, they are all in the booklet. Back where she belongs on the BBC. Enjoy!<br />
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Keep Calm and Fanny Onhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13805757699969350030noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2989495098344372691.post-76889017236451723452018-03-08T09:51:00.002+00:002018-03-08T09:52:27.460+00:00Marsk My Pony Fanny Cradock loves cheese. Don't we all? Fanny says that there is <b>nothing</b> more frustrating to a cook or hostess than reading about delicious items which people in other parts of the world can put on their tables and which are, for one reason or another, unobtainable in Britain. Naturally then, Fanny continues to give extensive lists of cheese which at the time of writing were only available from her very favourite shops in London. She rattles of the delights of English Cheese, French Cheese, Italian Cheese, Danish Cheese, Swiss Cheese, Dutch Cheese, German Cheese, Austrian Cheese, and even a limited supply of Scottish Cheese. So basically all the unavailable cheese.<br />
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We needed worry though, Fanny has an idea. She always does. This time her idea is, if we simply cannot buy the cheese that we want, why don't we make our own? She doesn't suggest we start with Blue Vinney. She doesn't suggest we start with Pont l'Evèque. She doesn't suggest we start with Osterola. She suggests we start with cream cheese.<br />
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Fanny being Fanny, gives us a choice. We can make a 'Basic Modest' version, which is made simply from milk. We can make a 'Basic Luxurious' version which is made from milk, single cream <b>and</b> double cream. Or, we can make a 'Basic Sweet' version which can be 'modest' or 'luxurious' but adds in sugar and a vanilla pod. I was hoping for an 'Advanced' version, which may still be to come later on the part-work, however I am happy to plump for luxury. This should always be the choice.<br />
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The only other ingredient is rennet. Fortunately for me, with the rise in home cheese making, vegetarian rennet is now fairly easy to source. I bought mine in Lakeland. The process of luxurious cream cheese making involves heating the milk and creams together over a 'mere thread' of heat until it is really hot. Blood heat, apparently. Add the rennet, allow to cool then transfer to an ordinary sieve lined with butter muslin. Tie knots in the top and hang it somewhere (over the sink for me) to drip for 48 hours, until it stops dripping, and then a further 24 hours in a draught to firm up a little. It's quite strange to have it hanging in the kitchen for days on end...<br />
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... but so worth it in the end! Fanny informs us now that we can serve this cheese with trimmed sticks of celery for hors d'oeuvres or canapés. We can use it instead of buying Ricotta, which we probably wouldn't be able to buy at the time anyway, in baked tartlets. We can add herbs, parmesan and celery salt to make it suitably savoury if we prefer our tartlets that way. We can make an Italian gateau which Fanny says is normally made with 'Mascherpone' from the Lombardy region. It's really like the creamiest, most delicious, best ever Philadelphia you've ever tasted. So, we can also serve it simply 'forked up' and decorated with fancy pretzels, for scooping and scoffing, to impress and amaze anyone at our buffet table.<br />
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Keep Calm and Fanny Onhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13805757699969350030noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2989495098344372691.post-3986549554363035762018-02-19T08:46:00.002+00:002018-02-19T08:46:52.243+00:00A Potted History of Cheese Fanny Cradock has decided that the time is right. We've been through a lot together. Different ingredients. Different skills. Different techniques. We don't even need to mention all the different colours. We've done it all. Well, almost. Fanny has saved a particularly important aptitude to impart to us until now. We are ready. We are excited. We are cooking with cheese.<br />
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Leftover cheese is not something which features heavily in my life, I have to admit. Fanny however has an idea from Ye Olde Days of Old for that challenging time when perhaps my refrigerator is blessed with more cheese that I can handle. My first reaction would be to simply eat it, however Fanny has a much more sophisticated solution should I find myself in such a pickle. Pot it.<br />
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For this preserving technique, Fanny chooses Cheddar. First of all Fanny would like to clear something up. A fallacy. According to her, Cheddar was NEVER matured in caves at Cheddar Gorge. They are simply too cold and too damp for the job. Fanny says that English Cheddar is the best in the world. Cheddars of other countries are considered inferior. My Cheddar is Scottish.<br />
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Fanny reckons that there is only ONE Scottish cheese on sale which is worth mentioning at all. Dunlop. It responds very well to being creamed down, apparently, with half it's weight in butter and the classic alcohol of the country it comes from, whisky. Fanny tells us that Dunlop was first made in 1688 by a dairy woman, Barbara Gilmour, and is an excellent cheese for toasting or for an imitation fondue. I still only have Cheddar. Scottish Cheddar.<br />
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To 'pot' this already inferior cheese, Fanny grates it and adds it to a double-boiler with a tablespoon of thick cream, a few tablespoons of sherry, some butter and quickly scissored chives and tarragon. Fanny stirs the mixture over a gentle heat until it turns creamy and pale green in colour, before adding seasoning. Straight into sterilised pots, packed in well and covered with a covering of clarified butter when cold and then a well-fitted lid. Preserved Cheese. It still will not last long in my hands, but it is a super oomph in the savoury stakes and perfect with toast.<br />
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Keep Calm and Fanny Onhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13805757699969350030noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2989495098344372691.post-52336249296856242302018-02-12T08:24:00.001+00:002018-02-12T08:24:14.585+00:00Are Friends Electric? <b>Fanny Cradock had a chequered career off screen, as well as a chequered life. One of her many and varied careers was as a food demonstrator, convincing the housewives of Britain, at Ideal Homes Exhibitions and the like, to ditch their old cookers and install a brand spanking shiny new Gas one instead. It <i>had</i> to be Gas. She said she <i>never</i> cooked with anything else, she simply wouldn't trust it. She was of course sponsored by the Gas Board throughout her career, and she remained loyal - even repeating the same line on her final television cooking performance on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ng6i4IdtC4w" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">TV-AM</a> in 1985. Another face appearing on <a href="https://www.tv-am.org.uk/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">TV-AM</a> in the early days was food demonstrator, retro-lover, Fanny-fan and all-round appliance expert, <a href="https://twitter.com/retrocookery" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jenny Webb</a>. Had their paths ever crossed, I wondered...?</b><br />
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I never met Fanny but saw her on stage a number of times. An absolute enthusiast, entertaining and an exceptional communicator. Fanny and I operated in different worlds – and she was, of course, very much in a league of her own. Throughout my career, my world was not just about cookers, but all domestic electrical appliances. I was involved in developing test specifications in conjunction with the IEC and BSI, lecturing, writing and/or advising and being interviewed by the media and the public. As The Electricity Council's National Home Economist I also advised the home economists of each of the regional Electricity Boards (NORWEB, SEEBOARD etc) before they were privatised in the 1990s. Cookery demonstrations were a part of my early years in the electricity industry, having studied ‘domestic science as it used to be called...<br />
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<b>What was the rivalry like between the gas and electricity appliance people, if any? Do you still cook on electric today?</b><br />
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My home is totally electric as I had the gas disconnected when we moved into the house in 1965 as I felt that if I was in the Industry I should practise what I preached! The Electricity Council employed one of Fanny's biggest rivals, Marguerite Patten to represent the use of electricity for cooking. I also wrote a recipe book with Marguerite, where she advised on conventional cookers and I wrote the microwave recipes.<br />
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<b>Fanny published over 100 books, including over 45 cookbooks, many of which covered ‘new’ things such as Cooking with Foil or perhaps using Tinned Goods - but never Microwaves - her last cookbooks in 1985 would’ve been her only chance I guess. Perhaps she was waiting for the Gas Microwave to be invented! What do you think about the current or recent ‘trend’ for Microwave cooking - Microwave Mug cakes and things like that?</b><br />
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In 1985 only 14% of homes had a microwave. As I understood the technology and construction, plus with my background I was able to educate the public through my books and magazine pages. Initially I read and tested recipes from American cookbooks to familiarise myself and then developed recipes for the British needs. New developments are always interesting and exciting and younger people can use their own knowledge to meet the needs of today.<br />
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<b>Things spread so quickly on Social Media these days - you have a great presence on Social Media - I love your Twitter and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/ApplianceHistorian" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">YouTube</a> videos. Fanny too was a great communicator, but obviously social media wasn’t around in her time. I think she’d be ALL over it though… How do you find it? Do you think it’s helping to bring retro back?</b><br />
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What a shame Fanny isn’t around with her own YouTube channel today - she was a total one-off. But I must confess, I was initially hesitant about putting my TV back catalogue on YouTube, yet I’m now so delighted I did. However the success of my retro channel has amazed me – not just in the UK but also the USA, Australia and Europe! I never imagined that I’d end up back in front of a camera either! But the success of all my old clips, sparked my <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYNxqiLUO-c" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">TASTES OF THE 70s</a> series being filmed especially for YouTube. It was actually all shot in just one-day involving a lot of hard team work. It was a lot of fun too – with me running up and down stairs changing my genuine 1970s frocks, whilst trying to retrieve the clip on microphone from goodness knows where... I can now exclusively reveal to you that there are some out-takes left over from filming – dare I put my blunders on YouTube?!<br />
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<b>Of course - I'd say you must! Now I have a confession Jenny, please don't scold me the way Fanny might've... I’d normally cook up one of my guest interviewees recipes to include on the blog, but, erm, although I have your books, I don’t, gasp, have a microwave! Do you have a favourite retro recipe that I could make?</b><br />
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Choosing a favourite recipe is difficult but like most, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WVCwsgc0MtM" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Prawn Cocktail</a> is one of my favourites as you can see on YouTube. And here's a retro recipe for you - easy to make and a versatile addition to many a mealtime. Parsnip Balls. Simply mash cooked parsnips, add some melted butter, milk, seasoning and a beaten egg. Form into balls and then roll in more beaten egg, breadcrumb and fry. Delicious.<br />
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Keep Calm and Fanny Onhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13805757699969350030noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2989495098344372691.post-30636526235845129292017-12-08T08:19:00.001+00:002017-12-08T08:19:35.192+00:00We All Need Glittery Balls At Christmas - It's All In The Booklet #5Christmas. It seems the word has been on everyone's lips for months already. I've been deliberately trying to not mention it. Not because I don't love Christmas. I do. I love all the food, drink, Christmas films and of course my favourite cocktail, the Snowball. It's just that there seems to be a lot of work to get through before celebrations can begin. Fanny knew all about this, and she began her <a href="https://keepcalmandfannyon.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/it-beginning-to-look-lot-like-christmas.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Christmas</a> work in <a href="https://keepcalmandfannyon.blogspot.co.uk/2015/12/coping-with-cradocks-at-christmas.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">January</a>. For me, it's normally December. This year, however, Christmas was thrust at me a little early.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSpcPQ1JZg5mUZc5NkP82NkukNkUsa7VHkc8SShpsroKnCbHOd-CbEX1nriiXdNMRtzgNa-lhD802dCbQw1e8jDAmPOYPmJjyVjTV1VrWBMkx-zaNNSzz3LxOiI9fxSU1drRTT1GTizm_O/s1600/blogger-image--1664577157.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Fanny Cradock Bûche de Noel" border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="270" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSpcPQ1JZg5mUZc5NkP82NkukNkUsa7VHkc8SShpsroKnCbHOd-CbEX1nriiXdNMRtzgNa-lhD802dCbQw1e8jDAmPOYPmJjyVjTV1VrWBMkx-zaNNSzz3LxOiI9fxSU1drRTT1GTizm_O/s640/blogger-image--1664577157.jpg" title="Fanny Cradock Bûche de Noel" width="360" /></a></div>
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Back in August, the irrepressibly glamorous modern day Fanny Cradock <a href="http://www.restorationcake.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Charlotte White</a> somehow convinced me to do a series of Fanny inspired demonstrations in the Cake and Bake Theatre at <a href="http://foodiesfestival.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Foodies Festival</a> in Edinburgh. Fanny herself toured the country doing similar demonstrations, so as my mantra in life is 'What Would Fanny Do?' - I had to say yes. OK, so Fanny sold-out venues like the Royal Albert Hall and the Usher Hall in Edinburgh, and this prospect was a tent in a muddy field. Still, it was enormous fun, and great to meet so many Fanny Fans.<br />
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Charlotte asked me back as well, so perhaps I did alright. Christmas Foodies is indoors, so not a hint of mud anywhere, but it is also held in November, which is very early for Christmas I'd say. I packed my glittery balls (in homage to the <a href="https://twitter.com/thebakingnanna1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Baking Nanna</a>) and Fanny's very own Pyrex Bowls (a design - Winter Star - she had commissioned and sold directly to people through the part-work) and headed for the EICC with a whole new set of Fanny Cradock <a href="https://keepcalmandfannyon.blogspot.co.uk/search?q=it%27s+all+in+the+booklet" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Christmas recipes</a> to share with the good folks of Edinburgh. Also on the Christmas-tastic line-up were <a href="https://twitter.com/BrossBagels" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Lara</a> from <a href="https://t.co/1jFZ51bmKl" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Bross Bagels</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/bakingwithgran" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Amy</a> from <a href="https://t.co/pj3tDOzByu" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Baking with Granny.</a> Such a hoot.<br />
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We had a fun-filled three days. On Saturday afternoon I baked Fanny's <a href="https://keepcalmandfannyon.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/it-all-in-booklet-3-your-christmas-cake.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Famous White Christmas Cake,</a> complete with blue Royal Icing and stuffed with multi-coloured glacé cherries and Angelica. On Sunday, I constructed a Choux Paste Christmas Tree, with each <a href="https://keepcalmandfannyon.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/it-all-in-booklet-2-petits-fours.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Choux Bun</a> filled with cream (and no goo) and covered in Green Glacé Icing. The Cake and Bake Theatre was filled with innuendo, much of it unintentional (honest), laughter and reminisces about 'how we used to bake'. Friday night was special though, as <a href="https://twitter.com/restorationcake" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Charlotte</a> hosted a 'Late Night with Fanny' session - well 7:30pm is quite late for bakers - and I only had one thing on my mind to make for this special occasion...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYlWmZi3oOoVLjrp_tHQ5IY4Bii6eaTeXkjRT6tpMy8FMnp9qkA-zf-IjzUgX4nLBE_S9ynnQTNllWFOnbhCdi7JJay2AEpGqR1BYzWzllYRJaaJjvUkpxLzS_-0ZtJaGtOylvM2HXZCmd/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-12-07+at+18.15.21.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Fanny Cradock Bûche de Noel" border="0" data-original-height="606" data-original-width="884" height="438" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYlWmZi3oOoVLjrp_tHQ5IY4Bii6eaTeXkjRT6tpMy8FMnp9qkA-zf-IjzUgX4nLBE_S9ynnQTNllWFOnbhCdi7JJay2AEpGqR1BYzWzllYRJaaJjvUkpxLzS_-0ZtJaGtOylvM2HXZCmd/s640/Screen+Shot+2017-12-07+at+18.15.21.png" title="Fanny Cradock Bûche de Noel" width="640" /></a></div>
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Fanny's <a href="https://keepcalmandfannyon.blogspot.co.uk/2014/12/fannys-buche-de-noel.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Bûche</a>. It's basically her special Swiss Roll (which never cracks) flavoured up with cocoa (or any other powdered flavouring, try Beetroot! You can find the recipe in the November edition of <a href="https://issuu.com/mediacompany/docs/november_2017_75a408ea03b0ec" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Foodies</a> magazine... nestled alongside others from Jamie Oliver, Rosemary Shrager, Nadiya Hussain, Sabrina Ghayour - so in good company!), filled with cream and then smothered in chocolate buttercream. The old-fashioned treat went down well with the crowd, who even forgave me when Fanny's Bûche did sadly crack. The Buttercream hid all my shame, and a flurry of Icing Sugar made everyone forget. Well, what would Fanny have done?<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">You can catch Fanny cooking up her Christmas favourites this year in the UK on the BBC Red Button Channel form Saturday 9th December -</span> freeview channel 601, freesat channel 981, sky channel980 and virgin media channel 991 - it's all in the booklet! </div>
Keep Calm and Fanny Onhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13805757699969350030noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2989495098344372691.post-3191376339544126142017-11-09T16:04:00.001+00:002017-11-09T16:04:07.182+00:00Enough Is Un Oeuf (I Can't Go On, No More, No)Do you remember a few years back there was a trend for creating mahoosive versions of smaller, much-loved things? Everyone seemed to be baking giant Bourbon Biscuits, or jumbo-sized doughnuts. You couldn't move for monstrous versions of Jammie Dodgers, or hulking great Snickers bars (they will always be Marathons to me) so huge that they had to be sliced with a chain-saw. Fanny wasn't one for extreme snacking, and thank-goodness she didn't wield a chain-saw, but it's no surprise that she too had a soft spot for gigantic foodstuffs.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNXzsiyqmHdCIqNz-UQAHQx8PEOBAoMsOiUs7qp05wAkvmwJUo1AT1iYQBqWnZbWk1L-3uZSY1-EwIgZAA4EUpHHbKYIHloLwoLL0xFClRz_ejIyFW0-QoBA4qQKmP_7mStsA7KABY9ku9/s1600/fullsizeoutput_22aa.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Fanny Cradock Giant Egg" border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNXzsiyqmHdCIqNz-UQAHQx8PEOBAoMsOiUs7qp05wAkvmwJUo1AT1iYQBqWnZbWk1L-3uZSY1-EwIgZAA4EUpHHbKYIHloLwoLL0xFClRz_ejIyFW0-QoBA4qQKmP_7mStsA7KABY9ku9/s640/fullsizeoutput_22aa.jpeg" title="Fanny Cradock Giant Egg" width="358" /></a></div>
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It's not enormous sweet treats that catch Fanny's eye, much as I'd love to see a colossal packet of Spangles or a larger than life sherbert-y Flying Saucer. No, it's the savoury side of life that Fanny thinks will impress more. Specifically Eggs. Giant Eggs. She's not completely bonkers. She's not gone shopping to the local Ostrich Farm. She's looking closer to home, for something economical and simple to create. With the ethos of humungous creativity in her mind, Fanny suggests creating a Giant Egg, from, erm, eggs.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNkjDmeY5rVAS6d_5GYN0pwz1DCCKrGYhUaw0MUNa6yIdwpUYQqAwNCLfSZ3x7Ry9I6C4u9HfinL5gYnWVlbFLGk9X_S6KY8ltHtjrIfIwlpCa97zLHOl1jDdG3RS8MnQW_A3QJoP7B3lh/s1600/Giant+Egg+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Fanny Cradock Giant Egg" border="0" data-original-height="384" data-original-width="512" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNkjDmeY5rVAS6d_5GYN0pwz1DCCKrGYhUaw0MUNa6yIdwpUYQqAwNCLfSZ3x7Ry9I6C4u9HfinL5gYnWVlbFLGk9X_S6KY8ltHtjrIfIwlpCa97zLHOl1jDdG3RS8MnQW_A3QJoP7B3lh/s640/Giant+Egg+2.jpg" title="Fanny Cradock Giant Egg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Fanny begins her colossal creation by separating eight eggs, very carefully. The yolks are beaten together lightly with a fork. To make eight perfectly fine but little egg yolks into one large yolk, Fanny pops them into a fairly large polythene bag. Seasoned first of course. The bag is then held delicately in a large pan of well-filled bubbling, boiling water until the yolks, or rather yolk, sets. Fanny warns not to let the bottom of the bag touch the base of the pan, or the shape will be lost. When creating Giant Eggs, appearance is everything.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHMMrD8GslJ02_egORBfCa7lx94tBTlNJ9fewihDaEoLqzvflkz7cdDT7pt02G22bfY-nasF692JpRngLEvmDkdrtXwWqbaIORtSYTn2Iq4mP7nZWs8PkSousBDJWyFYaaKTXehXjq7vhF/s1600/Giant+Egg+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Fanny Cradock Giant Egg" border="0" data-original-height="384" data-original-width="512" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHMMrD8GslJ02_egORBfCa7lx94tBTlNJ9fewihDaEoLqzvflkz7cdDT7pt02G22bfY-nasF692JpRngLEvmDkdrtXwWqbaIORtSYTn2Iq4mP7nZWs8PkSousBDJWyFYaaKTXehXjq7vhF/s640/Giant+Egg+3.jpg" title="Fanny Cradock Giant Egg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The remaining egg whites need to be whisked up together until they are very stiff. Fanny seasons them before gently folding through a small amount of finely grated hard cheese. Second to appearance, taste is important. Fanny places half of the whipped-up mixture onto a square of oiled foil, on an ordinarily sized baking sheet. Yes, for this is no ordinary Giant Egg, it's a Giant Baked Egg.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib2Ih2jU5Px6-KY8ClGWzOhVVTWOo0qpV95oFR64T-ApBwde8svNjCzNZzx8lRvcESaKJ06ABlMT_ug-omFstnAgvlqaUQncp4BK7fQB_FOs89kOokJCm-B1WxkaoMxYHcoUzPvRlDk6fX/s1600/Giant+Egg+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Fanny Cradock Giant Egg" border="0" data-original-height="384" data-original-width="512" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib2Ih2jU5Px6-KY8ClGWzOhVVTWOo0qpV95oFR64T-ApBwde8svNjCzNZzx8lRvcESaKJ06ABlMT_ug-omFstnAgvlqaUQncp4BK7fQB_FOs89kOokJCm-B1WxkaoMxYHcoUzPvRlDk6fX/s640/Giant+Egg+4.jpg" title="Fanny Cradock Giant Egg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The cooled Giant Egg Yolk is placed into the centre of the Giant Egg White, then completed enclosed in the remaining mixture. It needs to be smoothed out as best you can, so that it resembles, well, a Giant Egg. Once it bakes for 20 or 25 minutes, until golden, it is ready to be transferred to a serving dish. Salad trimmings or mayonnaise pipings can be added if required. Fanny assures us that the effect is dramatic when we serve a person a huge slice from the Giant Egg, either as a buffet luncheon or a first course. Presumably followed by the biggest Fish Finger you've ever seen, and one enormous pea.<br />
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Keep Calm and Fanny Onhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13805757699969350030noreply@blogger.com10