OFM's Vintage Cookbooks

[Pepper Pig]

First in a new series, Margaret Costa.

http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle ... okery-book

Ever since this article appeared yesterday I've been reading my copy which had been neglected for several years. Am enjoying it immensely.

[StokeySue]

My Mum is a huge Margaret Costa fan, as is the friend who ran a local wine bar/restaurant for many years

But for some reason I have never owned one of her books, though some of the handwritten recipes I brought with me when I left home I'm sure are hers (unaccredited)

[StokeySue]

I've just found her Obituary (August 1999(

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/obituary-margaret-costa-1111633.html

This rang a chord
She confounded readers of the magazine [The Sunday Times] by devoting a whole column to salt, pepper and mustard - and thus introduced a generation to something called black pepper.

I think we may have got our first pepper mill that week!

[Ratatouille]

I have a copy among my most used cook books in the kitchen.

It is signed by the lady herself. I got it when, Mr Rats took me to London after we returned to the UK and we went to Lacey's. She came out to talk to customers and we got on very well. She disappeared and came back with the signed book. There are several recipes, especially in the cake section i wouldn't be without, favourites are the gingerbread and banana bread.

[miss mouse]

I too love Margaret Costa's book and use it a lot.

[earthmaiden]

I had forgotten all about her!

[Seatallan]

Worse than that, honesty compels me to admit I'd never so much as heard of her...

[StokeySue]

As her main book came out 1970, it would predate your own cooking Sea

Mum & I followed her columns in the Sunday Times magazine, I suspect people who didn't take the S Times or follow cookery book releases closely didn't know her as she wasn't a TV cook

Fame was a little more restricted pre internet

[Seatallan]

Fame was a little more restricted pre internet

Indeed. She's not even in Wikipedia...

Thanks Sue- as you say, somewhat before my cooking time. My parents didn't read the Sunday Times either.

[capricornbcaroline]

I think she had a column in the Farmer & Stockbreeder when my Dad was editor. Perhaps Farmers Home, mentioned in the obit, was part of it. I have her Four Seasons following a recommendation in one of Simon Hopkinson's columns in the good old days when he wrote for the Independent.

[miss mouse]

As her main book came out 1970, it would predate your own cooking Sea

Isn't it her only book?

[StokeySue]

As her main book came out 1970, it would predate your own cooking Sea

Isn't it her only book?

I thought I'd seen a collection of her Sunday Times stuff, but it might just have been a S Times giveaway 0 Amazon only list 4 seasons

[4dogsagain]

Pardon my ignorance, but what does OFM stand for?

[StokeySue]

Pardon my ignorance, but what does OFM stand for?

Observer Food Magazine
Once a month you get a food magazine included with the Observer Sunday paper - often quite good

[4dogsagain]

Thank you.

[Pepper Pig]

I wondered when the second would appear. I have heard of Patience Gray but never read anything by her.

http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle ... rom-a-weed

[Ratatouille]

Another favourite of mine and used even more once I settled here in Provence.

[Pepper Pig]

Never heard of this one. Lulu's Provencal Table.

http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle ... hard-olney

[StokeySue]

Never heard of this one. Lulu's Provencal Table.

http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle ... hard-olney

Me either, though the name of Richard Olney rings bells
Here's a short bio of him

http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2010/dec/12/richard-olney-french-cooking-provence

[Ratatouille]

Another favourite which sits on my book shelves. Mr Rats bought me a copy when we went to buy wine in Bandol. I was so terrified with the drive to the place that I was shaking like a leaf!.

The whole book sums up the essence of simple food as cooked and served round these parts

PS I don't approve of the pissaladiere recipe though

[karadekoolaid]

So when will we hear of Jane Grigson´s " Good Things" and Gail Duff`s " Vegetarian Cookbook"?

[Ratatouille]

Good question KK. Or JG's Cooking of the british isles and Robert carrier's Great Dishes of the World.

I am wondering if the books mentioned are all going to be by cooks/chefs who have written in the Observer?

[Pepper Pig]

Marcella Hazan's "The Classic Italian Cookbook".

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyl ... n-cookbook

I adore Fergus. Anyone else eaten at St John? I haven't been for some time. I must remedy that. All Marcella's recipes look wonderful.

[Badger's mate]

Anyone else eaten at St John?

Never have, but been to Bread & Wine several times. Probably my favourite restaurant.

[StokeySue]

We have proposed meeting up at St John, but never organised it

I've never been as the couple of friends I tend to eat out with it don't fancy it, I'd really like to go before it declines, it's quite near to me

Not been to Bread and Wine either, for similar reasons

[Badger's mate]

I like the food at B&W, very similar to St John (looking at the menus online), but prefer the informality. Also it serves more small plates and hence sharing gives more of a selection. The bread is lovely of course. It's also very handy for Liverpool Street station...

[earthmaiden]

We should do it! I would love to see what it's like. The menus for both shown online don't seem to have the things that many find distasteful any more. I am sure we all have our likes and dislikes but can work round them, just as in any other restaurant.

[Badger's mate]

The food's of a particular style; quite stripped down and basic, which doesn't appeal to everyone. There's bound to be the odd squiggly or dangly thing on the menu, but other stuff too.

[StokeySue]

The food's of a particular style; quite stripped down and basic, which doesn't appeal to everyone

It's the no frills rather than the offal that has put off some of my friends

After all, if you go nose to tail, you get all the bits in between, including the ones you'd normally eat!

[suffolk]

Marcella Hazan's "The Classic Italian Cookbook".

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyl ... n-cookbook

I adore Fergus. Anyone else eaten at St John? I haven't been for some time. I must remedy that. All Marcella's recipes look wonderful.

I bought her Classic Italian Cookbook when it was first in paperback when I was a very young newlywed, and followed it up with her Second Classic Italian Cookbook shortly afterwards - they've been all I've ever needed in order to cook and enjoy a wide range of Italian food - I remember spending a couple of weeks in Tuscany and hardly eating any pasta, as she'd given me the confidence to talk about Tuscan cuisine to the English speaking Italian chef-patron of a wonderful restaurant near our villa, and he rustled up a huge range of food for me, rather than the pasta pasta pasta that he said every other English visitor wanted.

Yes I've been interested in St Johns ... it's the bdooly train fares as does it - we don't visit London anything like as much as we used to

[Badger's mate]

Yes, there are plenty of recognisable things on the menu and (at B&W at least) several extra dishes on a specials board , but it's not always clear from the description how they'll be prepared. The staff are happy to tell you of course. A dish of Wigmore and potatoes is just that - a piece of cheese and some new potatoes. Doesn't appeal to everyone.

Some people find the small plates offputting. One friend won't go to our excellent local tapas bar because "they do bits and pieces, you can't get a proper dinner". This objection wouldn't apply to St John itself of course.

Apologies for going off topic!

[suffolk]

Badger ... (can I call you Badger? ) we tend to meander around our threads on here ... we're pretty good at getting back on track when needed and no one takes umbrage

[Badger's mate]

no one takes umbrage

I remember it wasn't always like that in the old BBC days...

[suffolk]

Why do you think we came here Riocaz imposes flexibility, tolerance and good humour with a rod of iron

[Badger's mate]

Riocaz imposes flexibility, tolerance and good humour with a rod of iron

If there's one thing I can't stand, it's intolerance

[suffolk]

[Seatallan]

[scullion]

have you looked at the prices for the norwich to london trip on a megabus , suffolk?

[StokeySue]

Some people find the small plates offputting. One friend won't go to our excellent local tapas bar because "they do bits and pieces, you can't get a proper dinner". This objection wouldn't apply to St John itself of course

Yes I've come across that one
Also a couple of friends who insist that that they will not share, it's not "correct" which makes going to a decent Chinese / Indian / Tapas / Mezze restaurant something of a waste

I have also come across one or two who are a bit over precise on the divvying up, school dinner style; "that's not your prawn!" but I can live with that as I don't loose out

[Badger's mate]

We have got a couple of friends like that. Recently in a tea room, a slice of cake they were sharing was reduced to a pile of spongy rubble because each attempt to cut it in half was deemed unfair. Each half therefore had to be cut in half, with the same verdict....

[scullion]

why people don't just follow the 'one cut the other choses' rule over things like that is a mystery!

[Busybee]

Easy answer that every mother knows - one person cuts and the other chooses which piece to have. Ensures no one cuts a bigger half!

BB

[Busybee]

Cross posted Scully.........

BB

[StokeySue]

why people don't just follow the 'one cut the other choses' rule over things like that is a mystery!

As an only child not come across that one

[Badger's mate]

why people don't just follow the 'one cut the other choses' rule over things like that is a mystery!

In this case because the cutter would have regarded it as unfair to be 'punished' for well-intentioned but incompetent cutting

[scullion]

well, i think they should either grow up or learn to cut better - or take it in turns to cut if they're both rubbish at estimating an equal half.

[earthmaiden]

Astounded at all this! Surely good manners once one has left the nursery is to let the other person choose, even if you really, really want the prawn!

As for not being 'correct' to share ... surely it's ok as long as you haven't licked the serving utensils?

I was thinking National Express which is a cut above Megabus and still much cheaper than train. I always drive to the outskirts of London nowadays and get tube/bus/train the rest of the way - still not that cheap!

[Luca]

We really should get to St John this year even if it can only be a mini meet.

[Badger's mate]

We're on the road a bit, but tend to be about more in the growing season. I'd be happy to go if available.

[Luca]

Great - Anybody who is interested and is at the meet next week - let's discuss!

Badger's mate - which months would be best for you so we can tentatively start arrangements.... we've been talking about it so long I think action is needed!