Thanks for the Tools of the Trade

Fanny Cradock encourages us to 'take time off from cooking' with the arrival of Part 24 of the Cookery Programme. She's not suggesting we just sit back, kick off our carpet slippers, pour a glass of sherry, watch some TV and order in some take-away you understand, it's time to grab our clipboards and do a stock-take in the kitchen. How do our tools of the trade match up to Fanny's high standards?

Fanny recognises that we won't all have the array of implements that she has in her dream kitchen, but we need things to aspire to naturally. Fanny says she is 90% certain that all her readers started to cook with the most basic of items, as she herself did, including a jam jar for a rolling pin. she doesn't know but I used an empty lemonade bottle, glass of course, for many years. Although Fanny displays page after page of equipment, she knows she can only show a fraction of those that are used by professionals, a grouping to which she includes herself. Otherwise Part 24 would be an extended 20 part catalogue she tells us. Diane lends a hand by showing how to make her own felt roll for her butchery knives, keeping them safe from temptation harm. Wouldn't want any nasty 'accidents' in Fanny's kitchen.

Fanny discusses all kinds of 'gear' - casseroles, stockpots, rings, tins and assorted home baking equipment, jelly moulds, icing equipment and lastly, not as expected, salad bowls. Her own wooden bowl came courtesy of some Australian friends and a 300 year old tree, how does yours measure up? Fanny is well aware that most readers will have come from families who have to make-do in culinary terms through lack of funds. Fanny is keen to make readers aware that both her and Johnnie came from backgrounds of great privilege and had exceptionally spoilt childhoods as a result.

However, in an attempt to connect with the readers, Fanny states that mercifully for both their characters they lost it all and hit rock bottom. It was this devastating loss and brush with poverty that spurned Fanny and Johnnie to success you see. When she began to earn money, without any training whatsoever, except in how to be a debutant, Fanny had her trustee jam jar for a rolling pin, frying pans without handles which other people had thrown away, tea towels made from cotton garments too shabby to wear and a junk shop piece of marble for her pastry work.

She got by though, and hopes that even the poorest of readers will be inspired to do the same, by scrimping, saving and working hard, like she and Johnnie have done, to have such a gorgeous kitchen. Fanny leaves us with a thank-you, as she spends another happy hour looking at all her things she is reminded that if it wasn't for her readers she would have none of it. So, in many ways she believes it really is OUR kitchen too, as we have enabled it. So, no need to buy all the things at all, just pop round and share in Fanny's super-ness. I'm sure she wouldn't mind. Now, back to the cooking, Fanny has more earning to do!