Everybody

'The best way to become acquainted with a subject is to write a book about it.'
Benjamin Disraeli (1804 - 1881)

They say everyone has a book in them, I tried to find out who ‘they’ were, but failed so I decided to quote a once UK Prime Minister instead, the quote seemed fitting.

I have wanted to do something to remember Muv for a while. I thought about a sunflower tattoo, but decided against it, when I couldn’t come up with a design I liked. I starting collecting copies of The Scarlett Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy because it was one of her favourite stories (I have eight editions now). Recently I have been cooking.

I have decided to write a book about The Things Muv Used to Make. I’ll self publish because I will include anecdotes about her and words of wisdom that I carry with me. So far on the list:

1.Bread and Butter Pudding
2.Steak and Kidney Pie
3.Prawn Vol-a-vont
4.Salmon and Sweetcorn Quiche
5.Asparagus Quiche
6.Parma Ham/Cheese/Fig Pasta
7.Cottage Pie
8.Shepards Pie
9.Lemon Butter
10.Good Cuppa Tea
11.Tea Cosy
12.Gin and Tonic
13.Coffee Cake
14.Rum Truffle
15.Stew and Dumplings
16.Prawn Wontons
17.Chicken Liver Pate and Melba Toasts
18.Christmas Pudding
19.Fruit Cake
20.Almond Slice
21.Banana Custard
22.Soups (Leek and Potato etc.)
23.Sherry Trifle
24.Rhubarb Crumble
25.Lemon Meringue Pie

This is a brain dump, so it is in no particular order or preference, it may also be added to and have thing taken away. I will more than likely divide it into one of the following categories. WD and AD which stands for With Dad and After Dad, her cooking expanded into the more exotic after the divorce, or the classic, Starter, Main, Dessert and Seasonal. As this is a work in progress, this will be decided later. Of course, I may even decide to just make it completely random, just like her cooking style.

I have signed up for an account with www.blurb.com.au to put the book together and as yet there is no release date as I have to somehow figure out how to make these things considering there are no recipes. I’ve come up with a few, I remember a few, but some things elude me, such as the spongy bit on the almond slice and the binding agent on the Bread and Butter pudding. Barb-a-rub Crumble may be a challenge as I don’t think I’ve seen rhubarb for sale in Sydney.

I look forward to the challenge, after all I don’t have any at work at the moment.