Sweet Memoirs

A Chorus of Rhubarb! March, 2011

The British have always had a poor reputation when it comes to vegetables and how to cook them. During the Second World War everyone read ‘Twenty-five Ways of Serving Carrots‘ and people believed that eating carrots would help them see in the blackout. Rationing made every meal a step on the road to Victory, yet veg were often cooked to oblivion. At my boarding school even in the late 50s, winter sprouts were put on to boil at 9am and lunch was served at 1pm. Swedes were turned into lumpy mash. Meat was unrecognisable. Stringy, over-cooked rhubarb was served for dessert.

A Craving for Marmalade February, 2011

We have always loved the signs of spring, those incontrovertible indications that the winter will not be here forever. And there in the shelter of a Cotswold wall, looking aghast at its own presumption, I spied the year’s first primrose.

Zuppa Inglese January, 2011

In Franco Zefferelli¹s film "Tea with Mussolini" the formidable ladies known as the "Scorpioni" - including Lady Hester (played by Maggie Smith) the doyen of the group, ambassador¹s widow and fearless defender of tradition, with more than a sneaking admiration for all things 'Il Duce'('He made the trains run on time, don¹t you know,) would meet every afternoon for a cup of Earl Grey Tea and a portion of Zuppa Inglese, or perhaps, a slice of Torta di Limone at the Gran Caffé Doney in the Via Tornabuoni, near the British Consulate.

Fit for a King (or Queen) December, 2010

Ever since 871AD when Alfred the Great, King of Wessex, preoccupied with the problems of his Kingdom, burnt the cakes, royalty in England has been associated with various dishes - some good, some bad. Although history does not relate as to what sort of cakes Alfred burnt, they looked to me like Rock Buns judging by the picture in my primary school history book. Delicious served warm, straight from the oven, rich with sultanas and sprinkled with Demerara sugar, this was one of our favourite tea-time treats.

I Should Cocoa November, 2010

There really is nothing quite like chocolate. I dream about it. Perhaps I should get out more. It is the one food that melts at body temperature. Pop it into your mouth, relax and enjoy that warming sensation; that splendid transformation from solid to smooth, melting bliss. Today a new generation of chocolatiers are producing chocolate from named origins, like wine, and making blends to reveal the exquisite flavours of the beans.

Dinner Date October, 2010

Oh look, it’s October. Summer’s well and truly over. But there are some reasons to be cheerful. Forget the Sauvignon Blanc and endless salads, now is the time for Claret, home made soups, warming stews and puddings - all looming on the horizon. And those Sundays after a dinner party the night before when it’s pouring down and freezing, and there is no earthly reason for you to do anything other than snuggle up on the sofa with the papers and watch telly.

Seeing Red September, 2010

It is the end of summer and we are back after the Bank Holiday weekend to dreary, drizzly, grey London. Why do I feel so grumpy when we have had such a marvellous vacation? The descent into autumn/winter/oblivion with not a single public holiday looming until Christmas is depressing. If I close my eyes for a holiday memory I don’t so much see places that I visited but plates of food that I have eaten. I have devoted entire postcards to the delicious hot chocolate we had in Seville; the wonderful bombolini doughnuts in Bologna.

Glorious Gooseberries August, 2010

Sun, Sea. Sand. Shingle. Oh we do love to be beside the seaside! Usually we prefer the South of France, Italy, Spain, or Greece – anywhere but a UK beach, but faced with a recession, air strikes, train strikes and volcanic ash, suddenly marvellous Morecombe, heavenly Holkham, wonderful West Wittering are the places we want to be. Time, then, to discover the joys of British beaches… and this summer we are in luck; the weather has been unusually warm and sunny.

Picnic Without Tears July, 2010

Eating outdoors always seems rather exciting to us in the same way as painting en plein air did for the Impressionists - a touch European perhaps but, with our climate, always a bit of a risk. And yet when offspring and good weather coincide, there’s little that beats a picnic - even an English one.

Green Tea & Toast June, 2010

When I was a child my favourite colour in my Windsor & Newton paintbox was a wonderful greeny/blue. Like no other green ever seen in nature - not emerald, not sea, not grass, not Thames. I have never seen it since. Not Racing, not Lincoln, not in fashion, not on Farrow & Ball’s colour chart, and certainly not in food. It plopped onto the brush thickly; it coated the paper well. It was a killer colour. It dominated all my early paintings. The nearest I can get to it now is Pantone 3275c.

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Sweet Memoirs