The Simple Bare Necessities feat. Gratitude & Recipes

rtandon27

Oooooo - have just discovered that the smiley pear boys have a yootoob channel! Fun to watch the twins cooking up their recipes!

(Best get out of pjs before I develop a binge watching addiction! )

mcculloch29

Greying_Pilgrim wrote: »

Ay up mcculloch, talk about books is always welcomed I have been in a different library today, and funnily enough, both Jack's books were on the shelf. I have to heartily concur with you about '120 recipes', but then I guess that was a reflection of where she was in her life at that point, and the professional kitchens she was around, sooooo.......... I think she does economy cooking very well, I think she should major in her obvious forte; but publishers have different ideas I guess, and a gal's gotta eat.

I didn't know Jocasta had passed away, I knew Shirley Goode had. And I am trying to think why the Glasgow cookery book rings a bell - I've not yet followed your link, but isn't it a reprint? and why is purple ringing a bell. I must have read something about it somewhere along the line.

Well, the 'different' library yielded rich pickings for me - I've two Elizabeth Luard books to work my way through now. She's a gal who knows how to make a shilling/pesata/franc do the work of 10. By her own admission, her hubby didn't earn alot, and drank heavily and they roamed all over the world with their 4 children, living in penury, most of the time - although they seem to have had alot of fun and made firm friends wherever they landed. Her book on European Peasant Cookery is a masterclass in using up things - including all the icky bits of various fish, beast and fowl..... - and making a feast for a family with not much moola.

I agree absolutely about 120 Recipes, Jack's second book, being a reflection of where she was at the time, it still has much to recommend it.

Your memory didn't let you down, GP. The Glasgow Cookery Book was apparently known as The Purple Book in Scotland, and purple my centenary re-issue is.

Elisabeth Luard has been on the edges of my radar but never fully in it, and now I am compelled to investigate further.

European Peasant Cookery probably, seeing as it accounts for my heritage (Mum and Dad both from Baltic State farming families.)
I'm also intrigued by her other books, I think these may result in library orders - must log in to my county Library Online and see what they have.

I have a birthday Am@zon voucher from my bro and sis in law that will buy European Peasant Cookery. As for the rest, I have so many very good biographies that having read once, I probably won't read again, just because of the pressure and passage of time.
The Luard biog books may well be in that category, and realistically not an economically viable purchase.
Although if I can buy some for 1p plus postage...
(..... investigates..........)
Oh well, Recipes and Ramblings by Elisabeth Luard is now on its way! Cost 1p ...

I should really CS some of my biographies.
Newer bios in really good nick could go to the library to go in to county stock.
My David Mitchell and Gareth Malone bios met that brief, went there and were warmly received.

mcculloch29

I sit corrected on Jocasta, she died in 2013, aged 78.
Interesting woman, two contrasting pieces on her:

Guardian 2014 - her son Jason Goodwin

Daily Mail (sorry, not my cup of tea, but this piece is worth a read) - daughter Daisy Goodwin.

brizzledfw

Nice to catch up..glad alls well with the Greyings xx

hex2

Well remembered on that username GP. The others are going to annoy me till I remember.

Tilly_MFW_in_6_YRS

All this talk of cookery books has prompted me to join our library. We moved house and it's been on my 'to do' list but keeps dropping to the bottom. It's firmly up the top now and will be done tomorrow.

Thank you xxxxxx

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Morning :hello:

I've an exceptionally squirmy BG on my lap - this may well be a very short note

Yesterday was fine, but the weather somewhat pinned us indoors and so we missed out on getting a breath of fresh air and a change of scene - never to be recommended. I'm not sure that the weather will be any better today, but we must try to 'escape' these 4 walls I think.

On Sunday, we went to an area that I love, and did a walk that a chum told us about. It was the perfect length, took in woodland (saw bluebells - yay!), pasture and was a climb to the top of a hill. The weather was so good, we could see for miles - up to 50 miles in fact, as we spotted one landmark from the compass point, quite easily and clearly, and it was 53 miles to the north apparently We then took our picnic to a ruin and had a lovely time munching our butties in a lovely seated area. A wonderful day out, seeing places and things for the first time, and it cost us nowt but the diesel to get there. Although searching for a postcard, I did venture into a gallery/cafe and it was just assumed we would be eating :eek: to the prices, no wonder they were empty of customers........ They had to make do with a few pence profit from me

Tea yesterday was 'deconstructed' lentil bolognese - in that the pasta was one side of t'plate and the lentil sauce was t'other, Served with steamed brocolli. Seemed less claggy somehow, and I wasn't up for a huge plate of pasta - probably hadn't been moving around sufficiently!

Tea this evening will be baked avocado. I'm hoping to make some 'sausage' rolls too, using the happy pear recipe - I made some last week with the leftover sausages, and they make great sausage rolls. I think that even meat eaters would happily eat them - not tricking them into thinking they are eating meat, they just make something nice to eat. The pastry is yet more of the pre-rolled stuff I get from h3ron at 3 for £1.

Yesterday wasn't a nsd as DH got some essentials from mrL. I've to pick up a few bits today - bananas, eggs etc and will get the TV mag too.

If i can get my act together and copy out some recipes several of my library books can go back. One was definitely a triumph of pretty pictures over substance.

Um, think that's all in an MS vein. Best vamoose whilst BG is only thinking of extending their foot towards the keyboard..........

Ta for popping in, reading, chatting and supporting your local library. All good. And appreciated. By me. Always.

Greying X

Upsidedown_Bear

mcculloch29

My European Peasant Cookery has arrived. First impressions are a bit mixed, it is Western European Peasant Cookery as it was first written in 1986, and hasn't really been updated since. So nothing from the former Eastern bloc. Nothing Polish, Hungarian or Baltics, no pirukad, roosmanna or koteletten. Tsk, frankly, on this.

Apparently, some of the recipes are very unreliable. Well, this happens, it happened in Jack Monroe's first book when one of the recipes* didn't work because it's a chemical impossibility for it to work as written.

Flicking through EPC, I can still see plenty that I would like to have a go at, and will update duly.

*Diet Coke Chicken, so you can relax GP, not likely to be on your menus. The inclusion of Diet Coke is supposed to give a sticky sauce but it needs a sugar based liquid to do that, which it obviously doesn't have in the Diet version.

Greying_Pilgrim

Good Morning :hello:

Hi Bear :wave: Hi Smilie :wave: Long time no-see, hope all well

mcculloch - I hear what you are saying, and I wonder if EPC was the book EL wanted to write, had all the research/recipes for; or whether it was the Editor's call as to what the market would bear? After all, the 1980's were as divisive as today - the 'haves' who may just have been getting into buying cookery books, wouldn't have wanted to be seen with a book with 'peasant' in the title on their bookshelves; the have-nots wouldn't have had the wherewith all to purchase cook books that involved ingredients possibly still hard to source/untried/untested. I think it's possibly a compromise 'beige' book - that would still be a revelation to many as to how to make food stretch. But of course, the most important factor in cucina povera is normally..... time.........

Gosh, I had a full on day yesterday. I made a new version of the happy pear vegan sausages - based loosely on 'chorizo style' sausages. So there was red pepper chopped up in there, red pepper flakes, fennel seed (ground up), plenty of paprika and some smoked paprika (already called for in the original recipe). The one error I did make was to forget the impact of the juicy red pepper on the mix - it was very soft...... but I did form sausages OK, it's just that they looked like..... well, let's just say dog-owners could possibly relate..... :rotfl: I'm glad I'm apt to freeze sausages, as this made it easier to put then into pastry to make sausage rolls. I ran out of time, so they weren't frozen solid, but they were good enough. The mix made something like 14 sausages plus 2 'bits' this time. I used 6 and two halves to make the sausage rolls. There is one small sausage roll missing, as the recipe needed testing....... cooks perk, what can I say? :rotfl: Anyway, picture here;



This 'new' sausage recipe is definitely a keeper for me. I'm really going to enjoy experimenting with flavours.

Tea was baked avocado, and I did take a pic, but Pbucket is slow this morning, so I'll load it another time. I will not win any prizes for my food presentation, is all I'm saying......

Right, I'm getting a rare day gallivanting to see a friend today, so picnic is packed, and I'll be loading up the car just now. I don't know what I put on the planner for tea - think it is still blank. It will depend on what time I get back as to whether we have beans on toast, or a 12 bird roast........

Best vamoose, mucho to do.

Ta for popping in. Appreciated.

Greying X