Nice Peas, Dear

Fanny's romp through a few hors d'oeuvres has included some delights and some low lights too, but it's certainly opened my eyes to another world of 'outside the menu'. Fanny does say that although she has helped increase my overall culinary repertoire, she reminds me it remains small. I know my place. To finish things off, for now - there will be more 'advanced' hors d'oeuvres to come we are promised - Fanny tackles a vegetable that I am sure we all take for granted. Peas. I don't really think about them too much, occasionally boil some up as an accompanying after thought, or fling some in with some pasta. Surely I am not alone?

Fanny treats them far more regally and royally, making a Casserole of Cooked Peas, or Petits Pois à la Française. I've seen this dish on different retro and historical cooking shows, normally being scoffed at rather than scoffed speedily though. It's essentially a different way to cook peas, for me at least, which may seem a little extravagant today, but Fanny reckons is the only way to treat such a wonderful vegetable when in season.

Fanny lines a lidded casserole dish with the outside leaves of a well-washed lettuce. Of course she does. I don't have a lidded dish, so use a glass bowl which I can fit with a foil lid. Fanny has taught me to be resourceful. The lettuce is the old-fashioned limp, round kind, no need for an iceberg here, we won't be eating it anyway. Fanny adds perfectly ordinary shelled peas, which have been freshly prepared by one of the assistants. Thankfully the supermarket has done mine for me. I know... Please don't send me nasty letters, it's been a busy week.

To the peas, Fanny adds a mix of good 'bone' stock (I use vegetable bouillon of course), white wine and seasoning before topping it all with yet more lettuce leaves. It seems to be a day for switching, all I have is some Vermouth, always to hand in case an emergency Martini is required, so Noilly Prat is sloshed in. It's only a tablespoon of each, which doesn't seem very much at all. Fanny cooks hers with the ever helpful instruction of 'until they are ready', which for me is around 45 minutes. I assume it is the same for everyone, but you'll know best.

Fanny dredges out the now wilted, grey and pulpy lettuce leaves, which she says look like pond weed (she's not joking) and mixes the cooked peas with a little mayonnaise and the casseroled cooking liquid to serve. The peas themselves are nice and tender - not at all like Fanny warns they might be if cooked incorrectly. If so, they'd be more like the ones Miss Mattie in Cranford swallowed with mouthfuls of water because they were so hard! Not these, the casseroling technique worked well, and the lettuce cushioned them perfectly. Fanny flings her discarded leaves onto the compost heap, so don't be worrying about waste. They do taste great, very, erm, pea-ish and very fresh. Not like bullets, no need for mouthfuls of water. Fanny's final warning is to take a note of what I serve to whom, as my still small (ok, I get it) repertoire could cause resentment to guests if served often. So, for one time only, unless I forget my notebook, peas anyone?

Slim, Trim & Brimming with Vim

Fanny Cradock actually had a curious relationship with food. She delighted in it, but she feared it at the same time. At least she did once her TV career began - she said that the camera piled on extra pounds, even commenting after the war that both her and Johnnie were such a size that there was no way they'd both fit on the TV screen at the same time. She kept to a very strict diet to help keep herself trim, even taking her own 'slimline' food when invited round for dinner, while encouraging the rest of us to cook, eat and be ample. It's the same deal with TV cooks today really. She was ahead of the curves, shunning the 5:2 diet for a more extreme 6:1 version, all washed down with a few chemical helpers if the rumours are to be believed.

For her own 'slimming diet', she stuck to a fortnight of nothing more than lemon juice in hot water and perhaps a small grapefruit or 'slimming soup' to kickstart her into shape. Allegedly. For the Cookery Programme she recommends a Raw Carrot Salad as an hors d'oeuvre for slimmers. Fanny herself says it is nothing more complicated than topped, tailed, scraped and peeled carrots cut into juliennes strips on the mandoline, as used in professional kitchens in France. I have some lovely, knobbly, gnarly, dirty carrots from the market which badly need some love. Todays TV cooks might do the same, but spiralised I suppose, which makes me shudder. Surely there must be more to this salad than raw carrot?

While we ponder, Fanny has some crucial information about choosing a few other vegetables which may be used in hors d'oeuvres, which you could employ as if you were an expert. Thanks Fanny. She gives no clues what to do with them once you've chosen them. Presumably they are not for slimmers. And certainly not for bargain hunters. As Esoffier said, 'In the matter of provisions the cheapest is the dearest in the end'! So shall we have a little quiz together to guess which vegetables she is educating us about?

First up, something which should be shiny skinned, blackish purple in colour and as hard as a policeman's truncheon? It can leave a bitter taste in your mouth, but this can be easily drawn from the flesh with salt once exposed. Of course... aubergines. Next, something which should feel tight as drums as you hold them in your hands and should handle hard but with paper-thin skins. Soft spongy ones are worthless, Fanny warns. That's right... onions. Lastly, something which should be small and hard - the bigger, more impressive ones will not have a good taste, a bit like boiled turnips, so only the very tips should be devoured. You got it... radishes, naturally.

Now that is all clear, we can turn our attention back to the dubious diet, and back to the carrots. There is no way Fanny would simply serve shredded carrots to a slimmer. If like me, you are hoping for the addition of another flavour, look away. No, she also cuts ribbons of carrot, rolls them up into little curls, secures them with a cocktail stick and decorates the edge of the 'salad' with them. Not even a poppyseed. I think perhaps she has been spending too much time fondling her other 'vegetables' and knocking back her little friends if I'm perfectly honest. I do love carrots, and raw is bang on trend right now, but those so-called healthy, clean fads are not for me. I enjoy food too much, just like Fanny, but without the miniature helpers. Maybe I should take her advice after all?

Deliciously Decorated but no Diva + Cake & Bake Show Ticket Giveaway

Squeeeeeeeeeeeeel. My *very* favourite retrotastic Cake Designer, Charlotte White, is heading off round the country soon - including a welcome stop in Edinburgh for Halloween - with the Cake & Bake Show. I am beyond excited, and thankfully the lovely Charlotte was equally excited to chat to me about food, fashion and Fanny...  I also have some tickets to giveaway for the shows - but first, let's find out what this deliciously decorated Modern Day Fanny Cradock thought of the lady herself...

Those pencilled-in eyebrows, the stern demeanour, the outlandish outfits! Fanny had long since passed away and passed into parody by the time that I found her; or rather, she found me. Hanging around kitchens in pearls and impractical clothing meant I was bound to draw a comparison at some point! I have absolutely no idea of when I first heard of Fanny Cradock and can only assume she was just absorbed into my consciousness as a national treasure. As the first celebrity chef in the television age, Fanny was a trailblazer. She comes across as a formidable woman - I think she had to be to become the most recognisable home cook in the country. It's because of Fanny that I have had the opportunities that I have had, like baking carrot cake with Lorraine Kelly on breakfast television! I admire Fanny's style and her wit greatly but would not have like to share a kitchen with her!

Johnnie might've been pleased though... Fanny was known for her elaborate and flamboyant demonstrations - how would you describe your own presentation style at events like the Cake & Bake Show lovely lady?

My own demonstrations walk a fine line between instruction and entertainment! I think that they have to. Any teacher who ever taught me anything also managed to make me laugh at least once. I genuinely love making cakes and meet so many keen bakers who freak out at the thought of using fondant icing or picking up a piping bag. What I try to do in my demos is to break down the basic skills that you need to decorate a cake, showing that it is far from rocket science, and encouraging you to go home and use the new skills to decorate your own cakes. Once you nail a few basic techniques, you can create anything! Unfortunately, if you are in a room with me for 30 minutes, my filthy sense of humour will escape at some point... They don't call me the Burlesque Baker for nothing!

Fanny would maybe blush. Fanny wore ballgowns for her demos in the 50's, proudly never spilt a drop on them and was forever associated with them. Her style updated with the decades (she even embraced shoulder pads in the 80's) although she was always 'Fanny'. How do you choose what to wear for your own demos?

I love that Fanny was able to express her individuality on stage and screen! As a fan of the 1940's and 1950's fashion, there are several photographs of Fanny in which I would kill for her outfit. The popular image of Fanny tends to be the garish late 70's version but she really was striking in the 50's - the changes in fashion were far from kind to anyone! I love my retro fashion so have a few dresses to choose from for shows - I treat myself to a little online spree with Glamour Bunny or 20th Century Foxy when I have a show coming up! My style is often a hybrid of 1940's and 1950's styles; I'm 'retro-eclectic'! Funnily enough when I set my hair into curls, I am probably doing a very similar pre-show beauty routine to Fanny herself. I like to wear bright colours like red and blue and very often have a hat to match. I am always in heels and have a tartan pair ready for Edinburgh! I rarely wear an apron whilst demoing these days as I have found that, like Fanny, I can avoid spills though I often end up with cornflour on my boobs with no idea how it got there!

Johnnie would be blushing for sure, but his monocle would be focused. Fanny loved to demo recipes with the wow factor, potentially disastrous soufflés with huge, over decorated (can they be?) cakes all displayed on ice swan sculptures - it was all theatre to her and her audiences loved it. How do you think it has changed since, and how do you choose what to demo yourself?

My main consideration is always time. A demo is normally around 30-45 minutes, and time needs to be factored in for prep and clear-up, answering any questions from the audience and producing something convincing to look at! I'd love to demonstrate some of the really intricate techniques that I love but the time just won't allow - so much of cake decorating is simply time consuming rather than actually complicated. I keep my demos to the fundamental techniques that you need to know and give as much extra info as my time will allow. Yes, things do sometimes go wrong but that's part of the live theatre aspect of demonstrating! Once I was given a really dodgy stand mixer to use and my royal icing wouldn't stiffen up *insert joke here* so my piping looked a real mess! We all had a giggle and a huge slice of cake. Unlike Fanny, I can promise that I never yell at my assistants or show my diva side - only my family and friends get to see my diva side!

Fanny thought she was kind to her assistants too mind you... Fanny tended to think that cakes should be iced in blue (green was the colour of choice for potatoes) and decorated with a variety of animals, chocolate swans, brightly coloured glacé cherries and her very favourite Angelica (so may uses). What are your own 'signature styles' and pieces that people associate with you?

Blue cakes and green potatoes? Sounds like the Neverland food fight in Hook to me! I hope that my signature style is glamorous and just that little bit vintage-inspired. My demos are often entitled Burlesque Baking, in part so that I can decide exactly what design I want to demonstrate at the last minute but mostly because that's the style I'm most associated with. When Burlesque Baking came out, I took a copy in to Gaby Roslin on her BBC London radio show and she introduced me as 'The Burlesque Baker' which was entirely perfect and has kind of stuck! Burlesque Baking describes my style perfectly - it's classic Hollywood glamour turned up to 11 with a cheeky edge - that's both the style of the cakes and the cake designer too!

You cheeky glamorous cakey person you, Fanny would've loved you I'm sure. Finally what are you looking forward to most about the Cake & Bake Shows? What can we expect from you and what exciting things are coming up next?

The Cake & Bake shows are incredible! I'm looking forward to meeting loads of new baking friends and catching up with some old ones. For the best part of October, we chefs will be something of a travelling company of performers and I am so looking forward to seeing everyone back in the green room after all the fun we had in Harrogate earlier this year. Cake & Bake has a real family atmosphere, everyone has a love of baking - whether it be breads and tasty treats or showstopping cakes - a desire to learn and a passion to share. I count myself incredibly lucky to be amongst a handful who get the opportunity to share what I have learned over my many years as a Cake Designer. I'll be sharing as many tips and tricks as I possibly can, focusing on essential techniques with maximum impact. In my demos, I work with sugar paste (fondant) icing and royal icing, mixing classic techniques with newly available tools of the trade. As for what exciting things are round the corner, I am excited to tell you that I will be going to the Goodwood Revival in September with Kenwood and baking up some deliciously decorated cakes in their kitchen theatre. A vintage festival feels like the perfect place to remember Fanny and to bring a little bit of her flamboyance to the stage!

I simply can't wait! Watch out for a very special Fanny inspired feature with Charlotte in the future... Fingers crossed, boobs free from flour, aprons cast aside... Meantime I've got a pair of tickets to giveaway for *ANY* of the Cake & Bake Shows in October/November. Choose one of London 2nd - 4th October, Edinburgh 30th October - 1st November or Manchester 12th - 15th November. All you need to do is leave a comment below telling me which show you'd like to attend and fill in the Rafflecopter thingy-me-jig which will randomly select the winner! You can also select additional entries... Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Les Oeufs Bleu

Fanny Cradock was famous for her use of perfectly harmless vegetable food colouring. Some say overuse, not me you understand. Some said it even at the time. Fanny was oblivious, not even a blush. Everything seemed to be brightly coloured to well and truly illuminate the food, perhaps as an intense antidote to the rather drab and monotone life Fanny assumed everyone else led? Fanny's most used stains were green and blue. She generally held to her own unwritten rule that green was for savoury items (potatoes more often that not) and blue for sweet (think cakes iced in blue). So, eggs should be dyed green shouldn't they?

Unless of course you are thinking 'why the heck would you dye your eggs?' which is fair enough. Fanny isn't chatting about heavily decorated eggs ready for Easter here, but it is hard boiled eggs flushed with a vibrant tint that have captured her attention. Ideal for any respectable Hors D'oeuvres selection you see. Gilded is best. She boils them in the normal way, and cools them under perfectly ordinary running cold tap water to maintain the glowing yellow yolks. No hint of greyness here. Absolutely not. Never.

Fanny peels the eggs (or gets some poor assistant to do it for her, you can never be too careful with your fingernails, can you?) then plunges them into bowls of strongly saturated perfectly ordinary cold water to take on the appropriate hue. Green remember? Well it should be. Fanny herself says so, but then adds that she has simply no idea why they emerge an hour later a terrific tinge of turquoise-blue. Fanny says not to ask her why they do, just to accept that they do. I'm clearly in 'curious not accepting' mood. If I was an assistant I'd be bashed. Perhaps it's a very particular chemical reaction between egg white and harmless vegetable food colouring? I wonder if food colourings have changed a bit since the 1970's so try one solitary boiled egg in green water first.

It does have a slight turquoise look to it, but I'd say it's still more green. I can barely believe that I have happily 'set to' comparing food colouring reactions on boiled eggs, but I have. This is what my life has become, I'm not sure how this has happened, don't ask, just accept that it has... The rest of the boiled batch are plunged into blue coloured water aiming for the more authentic Fanny-look, as in her own pictures. To not be authentic would be horrific, and who wants horrific oeufs hors d'oeuvres?

Fanny treats the embellished eggs in two separate ways. Some eggs are kept whole, with only a sliver sliced off their tops, ready to receive a little piped (green coloured, naturally, or at least harmlessly) mayonnaise and a sprinkling of Paprika. Presumably for even more colour. Other eggs are sliced from top to bottom, arranged on a plate, surrounded by finely chopped eggs and decorated with strips of the same coloured mayonnaise. It's a very colourful affair indeed. Fanny calls them Egg Barrels, or Oeufs à la Riga if you ever spot them on a very fancy hors d'oeuvres menu and aren't sure. Would you select one? Remember, the colouring is perfectly harmless, it never seemed to affect Fanny in any way at all, she seemed perfectly normal.

A Neat but Reet Petite Salade Marguerite

I don't know about you, but when I think about Hors D'oeuvres it's not necessarily salads that spring to mind, but Fanny has different ideas. Maybe she's thinking differently as she showcases creations she likes to call 'Flowerlike salads'? I should be learning by now that for Fanny, it's all about the presentation, but for me, when I think 'salad' I think of leaves, maybe dots of cheese, some vegetables and a dressing. We know that when Fanny thinks 'salad' she thinks eggs, so really it should be no surprise that she gives us two further variations on egg salads, both presented in typical Fanny style.

For the first, or most simple variation, for beginners, the Salad Mimosa, Fanny suggests chopping vegetables and eggs very finely and arranging them in any plain, round, glass dish. Fanny uses diced peas, cubed green beans, severed celery, sheared spring onions, divided cooked potatoes... You get the idea. Anything that is to hand really, and anything with some colour. Anything which goes well with mayonnaise too, another of Fannys staple ingredients.

I have little gem lettuce, tomatoes, orange peppers, peas and eggs - so a real flurry of colour. Fanny cuts everything to the same teeny tiny size - including chopping the egg white and egg yolks separately, to add colour to the finished, prepared Salad of course. Chopping is the key. Very small chops. When I've been in the States and had a Chopped Garden Salad, I've really enjoyed it. This reminds me of that, not many stray leaves in sight, just fresh, raw vegetables flung fastidiously together with Fannys flair.

Fanny loads up the ordinary glass bowl with a bed of vegetables. I use little gem lettuce though, despite not being sure how Fanny would react. She says it's basically a criminal culinary offence to slice lettuce with a knife, as it will only weep. We don't want that, and besides no self-respecting cook would dream of it, hand shredding is the only way professionals do it. Oh dear. The bed of chopped (horrifically) lettuce is mixed with perfectly ordinary mayonnaise and the rest of the vegetables arranged on top. They can be 'meanly moistened' with olive oil, if preferred. Arranged in diamond segments, naturally. No weeping has occurred as far as I can see, maybe just in Fannys memory.

This makes the basic Salad Mimosa. Those who know Fanny well however know that there is always a second level to take even the most basic of dishes to. For advanced cooks. Hors D'oeuvres are no exception. To transform the Salad Mimosa into a showstopper Salad Marguerite it's essentially a case of smothering the whole lot in more mayonnaise and decorating it like a flower. With egg. The whites are sliced lengthways to become petals and the yolk kept round as a centrepiece. It seems a shame in one way to cover up all that triangular handiwork, but the finished flower does look very summery. It's all about the way it looks after all, but the completed salad tastes fresh, crunchy and wistful, perfect for showing off. That's the whole point isn't it?

Foraging at Foodies Festival? Paul Wedgwood Would

Paul Wedgwood tells me he occasionally gets into a spot of bother with people at Food Festivals who give him a hard time. "I've been verbally abused by people screaming 'why can't I get a table at your restaurant?' at me." He seems such an easy-going chap too. Fanny Cradock had similar issues when she appeared at her sell-out performances in Edinburgh at the Usher Hall. Mounted police were called in to calm the disgruntled crowds who couldn't squeeze in to see her. I think that 'Wedgie' will be more than able to handle his own security at this weekends Foodies Festival, in it's 10th year in Edinburgh, but keep an eye out for the horses just incase.

Fanny was known for her 'will they/won't they' drama-laden soufflés at demonstrations, keeping the audience on the edge of their seats, and ultimately never failing, naturally. Paul will be capturing some of Fanny's spirit on Sunday with his unplanned demo style. "I'll be doing something new, something I haven't done before using just whatever is in the fridge, whatever I have to hand and maybe some plants picked in Inverleith Park on my way!" Washed, of course, he assures me.

Paul is clearly a fan of wild food, and madcap times. His assistant James is called over to confirm to me his demo style, "Aye, he sometimes prepares a wee bit, he just goes on stage and does what he does. It's like 'oh look what I've got today, what can I make?' kind of thing." Expect to see the ever enthusiastic Paul with a supportive, friendly arm around James' shoulder at the demo though. "My team are the backbone of my business" he tells me, "everyone is as important as each other, if they are happy I am happy." Don't tell Fanny.

Like Fanny, Paul isn't classically trained, finding his way into many prestigious kitchens while doing a Hotel Management Degree, and staying put. Like Fanny he likes to take old school recipes and adapts them, inspired by the likes of American Chef Charlie Trotter, Danish maverick René Redzepi from Noma and Brazilian Alex Atala. Unlike Fanny, his creations are clean, fresh and modern with that wild signature twist. What we will see at Foodies all depends what's growing nearby on the day. Keep an eye out for Paul if you have one of the allotments next door.

Paul has been on a Chef Swap to Fanny's beloved Florence recently, and is hosting his part of the swap in Edinburgh in October. He took his Sweet, Sweet Potato Gnocchi to them, what will they give back in return? For Foodies, Paul is aiming to open a few Edinburgh eyes to his restaurant. "When we opened we thought we would be really tourist driven being on the Royal Mile, but it's so foodie round here now with fantastic shops like Cranachan & Crowdie, locals are flocking in." When they can get a reservation of course. Form orderly queues at Foodies this weekend, who knows you may be part of the show. "I like to react to the audience so I may pull someone who looks enthusiastic on stage to help!" Let's hope it's not someone who couldn't get a table at Wedgwoods, or a local allotment owner, it could get nasty. Mounted Police are on standby.

I am delighted to be an Official Foodies Festival Blogger. See you at the Festival!

Tickets:

Tickets are on sale now at www.foodiesfestival.com or by calling 0844 995 1111

Friday adult day ticket £10.00 (£8.00 concession)

Saturday or Sunday adult day ticket £13.00 (£11.00 concession)

3-day adult ticket £20.00 (£16.00 concession)

Friday VIP ticket £35.00

Saturday or Sunday VIP ticket £38.00

VIP tickets include a welcome glass of bubbly, access to the VIP tent with private bar and refreshments throughout the day, priority entry to food and drink masterclasses, a goody bag and a showguide.

All children aged 12 and under go free to all Foodies Festivals when accompanied by an adult.

Open times:

Friday 7^th August: 11am – 7pm

Saturday 8^th August: 10am – 8pm

Sunday 9^th August: 10am – 7pm

An Orgy of Hors D'oeuvres

Fanny turns her experienced hand to Hors D'oeuvres for part 23. Well, simple winter hors d'oeuvres to begin with, pitched at beginners. More experienced hors d'oeuvres will come later. First of all Fanny wants to get something off her chest that has been bothering her. It's the Americans. They've upset Fanny by referring to hors d'oeuvres by the revoltingly inaccurate name 'Starters'. Don't the Americans know any French? Their proper name derives from 'en dehors du menu' - or outside the menu - and should correctly be 'fiddled-with savoury bits entirely separated from meals at a table which titilate your taste-buds beforehand.' No fiddling-with should occur at the table. Got it.

It's not just the Americans, Fanny is also scolding those Scandinavian scallywags who, according to her, got there 'hooks on the theme and ran it ragged' with Smørrebrød or Smörgasbörd. Fanny warns that Scandi travellers have long been left with their pants down (gastronomically) at parties when they are led to the table gorged to the gunwales for the grub proper. They find out the hard way not to blow-out on the reckless and bacchanalian Borgian Orgy. No pants down at the table. Got it.

Thanks heavens for the French, who Fanny notes (as ever) sort things out for us all. They are 'ever practical' on these matters, realising that there is economy and nourishment in a first course à la table largely composed of vegetables. They are the ones responsible for cutting down on the consumption of costly main courses with hors d'oeuvres as we know them today. Only frugal French sprees, diet-friendly debauchery and mighty merrymaking are acceptable at the table. Got it.

Fanny informs us that throughout France hors d'oeuvres feature on both home and restaurant luncheon menus, this being the main meal of the day for civilised folks. A true Frenchman will devote up to two hours of his day 'stoking himself up', safeguarding his teeth with the civilised practice of using a toothpick and then relaxing afterwards before returning to his work. Whether he's a roadmender or a muscular and tattooed lorry driver, he will be eating hors d'oeuvres we do not recognise in this country. Stoke up any muscle-bound French, tattooed workers then repose before getting back to it. Got it.

Maybe with Liptauer Cheese from Austria perhaps? Not very French at all, but Fanny insists is so very easy, and for beginners this is essential. It is immensely popular in Austria and was given to Fanny by an Austrian friend. So it's definitely Austrian. It's essentially butter whipped up with cream cheese with paprika, mustard and carraway seeds added. I add onion seeds though. Fanny also adds capers and anchovies. Eurgh. Once blended they need to be shaped into a rectangle and decorated with pretzels round the edge. Pretzels should be also handed separately too, to encourage dipping. If not a French fling, over-indulge by whipping an Austrian quickly. Got it.