A Cook Book

lloyd · A Cook Book

Some of you will recall a while back in a different forum, I started posting my grandmother's wartime recipes. Well, I'm planning to write a book of them, with photographs of her, articles from the war years that are relevant, as a country cookbook and memorial to her. does everyone consider that there would be the demand or interest? Confused

Any advice welcome.

Haize

I think that sounds like a great idea, Lloyd!

A lot of information seems to have skipped a generation or so, and so some people don't have the resource of gran's cookbook to learn from.

Leonie2

yes, I would love to buy a copy if you are successful with putting it all together. good luck Lloyd Very Happy

Jamanda

I'm sure schools would use it. Our history lot make some sort of pie (the name evades me) out of carrot and potato when they are doing WWII.

nanny

there is always a market for that sort of thing i think

some of the old recipes are still good enough to use and very thrifty

Pilsbury

definatly have a copy for work, in the home i am always looking for old time recipes to remind the old folks of their historys

Cabbagepatch

Its quite stunning, an old exercise book, full of handwritten (in ink) recipes with littles notes added over the years.

All sorts of ideas for nettle soup, homemade wines, pies etc etc etc.

Can't help wondering whether the market is already full of such tomes but worthy of a thought or two anyway..

agapanthus

Go for it!!! Sounds a great idea. May I have a signed copy please??

lloyd

Very early stages as yet, but with me being off sick ths week, it may be a good time to start it. The recipes are not always allthat "healthy" by todays standards, (in those days the daily lifestyle burned off the cholesterol, etc), but in all cases very thrifty. I could post a few in here if anyone is interested.

agapanthus

Yes please Lloyd:)

agapanthus

Thinking about wartime, I have 5 or 6 of my fathers diaries of his time in the war. He was stationed in Egypt...they make interesting reading. Always wanted to type them up.

lloyd

You should, Aggie. CP is reading a library book right now which is a synopsis of diaries from a woman who started writing aged 13 in 1904 and ended aged 85 in 19.....whatever. All good stuff.

muntjac

i have the ration book cookery recipes and history book ,by english heritage ,great little read ,and i do use the recipes in it as my mom did ,it needs writing down mate before it is all lost

lloyd

That's how I feel too, we have a generation who lack this info, and I think there's a market for it as society is now trying to become more self reliant, and make their own rather than buy their own.

n

If it's all in an excercise book, and in handwriting, maybe a facsimile, rather than a typed copy?

n

lloyd

I'm thinking maybe a mixture, some facsimilies, some typed, (her handwriting was a wee bit shaky toward the end) interspersed with the anecdotes, pictures, photographs, articles, etc. Whaddya reckon?

Bovey Belle

Sounds good to me - just the sort of book I'd buy. Go for it lloyd!

alison

LLoyd

Do you ever go onto A Country Life.net.

Carolyn , the owner is really interested in this period of cooking and may be able to help you with some ideas.

redwillowrose

I would love a book like that, ita really good idea Very Happy

Jamanda

Cabbagepatch

Ahem, recipes can be viewed when the book is published and you buy a copy!! Laughing

Lloyd, get writing..........

Jamanda

Cabbagepatch

I know, the poor chap, but its time I was kept in the manner to which I ought to be accustomed to by now Wink

nanny

will this man be the next gary rhodes?

the next hugh fearnley?

ah

perhaps he will be the next mrs beeton

not that she was the lovely cuddly lady we thought she was apparently and we have only CP's word that lloyd is

you'll have to have a nom de plume lloyd...............

danielle steel's name is probably fred burford or something really ordinary

Beadgarden

Absolutely.

My sister and her family spent a whole month living according to wartime rations and they loved it. They got a load of books by Marquerite Patten and details of the ration totals at the time and they stuck to it and felt healthier, and the food was nice.

I quite like watching Nigella cooking her grandmother's recipes and showing the recipe books that were made by her grandmother and passed to her.

I also have a book called Falling Cloudberry's which covers both sides of the author's family and their recipes. Its a good read.

I wish that my grandmother had left me recipes, perhaps I can buy your book when it comes out and "borrow" your granny?

lloyd

Thanks for jogging me on this, Beadgarden. Must get it restarted! Embarassed

lloyd

Okay, breaking a personal rule, and just for fun, here's one.....

Welshcakes ( My Great great Auntie Dora's recipe )

Having just done it tonight, I've modified it a bit to fill in the blanks in her recipe.

Mix together
8 ounces of self raising flour
4 ounces castor sugar
4 ounces of margerine
1 ounce lard
1 egg
a handful of currants
2 teaspoons of mixed spice
a pinch of salt.

Mix thoroughly and then roll on a lightly floured surface until about a quarter of an inch thick. Use a cutter to create circular cakes about two and a half inches across.

Warm your griddle, skillett or a dry frying pan over a low heat. Controlling the temperature is important as you want these thin biscuits to cook through but only brown lightly on the outsides. As they are done, lift them off onto a cold plate and store, or eat.

Kathy

I've been reading some of the old posts and found this.

Did any of the book get done CP?

Cabbagepatch

Errr, its a work in progress Kathy...........

very slow progress Laughing

Kathy

Ahhh, one of those! Laughing

lloyd

I must admit it's something I fully intend to do, but there's always too much else going on. This evening for example, we've just got in from shooting pigeons and chasing / photographing people thieving on the P-Y-O farm where I shoot.

Thanks for the reminder though, I shall have to try and put aside a certain amount of time each evening to devote to this book.

Libby

nudging this, as another reminder, as I got the book that muntjac mentioned from a charity shop and it makes for a fascinating read!

lloyd

Thanks, Libby. Helping keep it in the back of my mind. Still ridiculously busy, no need to bore you with details, but we've both finally just stopped now, at eight thirty, yet again.

All the source material is safely stored though ready for the moment........ Very Happy

Libby

Make sure its all stored in acid free files as the writing deteriorates otherwise. How do I know, well hubbys family emigrated to Rhodesia (as was) his grandmother wrote down into exercise books, all the letters his mother sent back to her, he has about 8 of them and some of them are sadly illegible now. He is writing up the others plus his memories as they are jogged by the letters!