While the rice is cooking, add the saffron to the stock.

{Kept in memory.}

I have a recipe book in my hand that belonged to my grandmother Beatrice. Held together by aging yellowing tape, with wooden cover and painted image, it houses recipes for making your own ginger beer and lemon creams. Some are written in her neat hand, on lined paper cut to size and glued to existing page. Others are, like all of similar ilk, pulled from newspaper or magazine, reflecting the eating habits of the age. To make a Cornish pastie you’ll need six shakes of pepper. To make peanut cookies one cup of brown sugar is required. Some recipes are written on the back of small pieces of cardboard cut from the box of a Puffin one-step sponge mix, others appear by foreign hand, letters sent to her from friends. Bernice penned her recipe for Cheese Daisies and signed her name in the bottom right. One is from her mum, my great grandmother, ‘…a recipe for ginger biscuits, not nuts, which I used to make. They need no rolling…’ signed Mother and accompanied by three neat kisses symbolised by an X thrice repeated.

 

Gingerbread, pumpkin scones, frangipanni cake, there are all manner of dishes I have yet to cook.

+ Put two and two together and Yet another view, page details from This evening, however, I am thinking of things past.
+ Turning this way, turning that way, Leah's words draw a smile to my face.

Comments

[louise]

Are you going to try a bake those cookies again? Please do. xo lj

[amy]

what a treasure!

[Tamara]

wow you are very lucky to have this cook book - what a treasure

[Tamara]

ps love your banner

[katrina]

homemade pumpkin scones and lemon creams sounds absolutely delightful. yum.

[gracia]

The longer process of cooking from scratch, guided by recipe, makes for a tastier reward, I agree. Lemon creams tackled and perhaps not mastered, yet, pumpkin scones cooling on the counter, there are few who can resist such home-cooked delights. Perhaps one day soon I will try a few of these recipes, and when I do, you are all invited.

be well, g xo

[danica]

your grandmother beatrice's cookbook. amazing! and so loveworn!

[Mandy]

Hello - how lovely to make your acquaintance - I am looking forward to exploring your blog - there are some fabulous things here.

[Jacinta]

Thanks Gracia - loved the class with you both last night and now feeling motivated once more. Your zines have also left me feeling inspired. A lovely way to spend an evening after a long hot day.

I love the photos of the cookbook. I have a similar book myself. Something well worn through my Grandmother's love of cooking. Her sponges were AMAZING!

Regards, Jacinta

[shari]

it must be so nice to have your grandmother's favorites at your fingertips. one day i hope to have some recipes memorized. in the meantime, i'll happily join you for a ginger beer. xo

[nathalie et cetera]

seems like collage runs in your blood.
pancake day! but of course!

[Thereza]

how wonderful, ypur nan recipe book! the cover is marvelous too :)