My mum’s oldest sister, Audrey was the last of the three sisters to marry, and although she had a step-son, she had no children of her own. However she was a very kind aunty to her younger sister’s four children, and her youngest sister’s two – me and my sister.my sister and me. From us being young she would have little parties, but the best was her Christmas party, which continued every year until sadly she succumbed that curse of old age (and sadly earlier too) Alzheimer’s disease when she was in her seventies. Her Christmas parties were the time when all her nephews and nieces got together, from wherever they were living – and for me i was in Manchester. Every year, without fail, Father Christmas would visit! He never forgot us, it was amazing – he would arrive,, sometimes accompanied by a Christmas tree and a snowman, to deliver presents to all the good boys and girls. He still continues to visit, even though we are all grow-up and my cousins all have children (and some grandchildren of their own.
As well as Santa’s visit, and the party games we played, there was a most wonderful spread – Audrey was a very keen cook, and she herself had a very sweet taste so cakes, buns, desserts, pies and puddings were her speciality. She also enjoyed going to a cookery class each week, and would cook a variety of different dishes, savoury as well as sweet, cakes, main meals, soups and starters – a selection from across the world. Each week she received a recipe,, and she kept these, and I have inherited them. They offer a glimpse into the dishes and meals, food and cooking from the 1960’s onwards.
I’m sharing a recipe of hers, which in a way is quite dated (of course it is, it’s from forty or so years ago!!) If you do feel tempted to try it, you may need to update it – vegetable oil instead of lard, and for example there is a lot of liquid in the preparation of the vegetables. If I were doing it I would strain them and add vegetable stock as needed. I wouldn’t use sprouts in the curry, although I suppose they could be sliced and quickly and lightly fried in a minimum of oil and sprinkled on top as a sort of weird garnish.
Here is Aunty Audrey’s curry of mixed vegetables:
1 lb vegetables (sprouts, celery, cauliflower, peas, beans etc.)
1 dessertspoonful flour
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 oz lard for frying
1 onion
1 apple
1 tablespoon curry powder
1/4 lb tomatoes (can use tomato purée)
1 tsp salt
1/2 pt stock or hot water
1 tsp coriander seed
1 tbs chutney
(can add 1 oz sultanas, i oz coconut (*presumably dessicated)
rice – 2 oz per person
lemon juice for rice, chopped parsley and red pepper for garnish
1.prepare vegetables, remove outside leaves of sprouts, cut up middle, put in cold water
2 cut up cauliflower into small pieces one and half inch square
3 cut celery into pieces 1″ long
4 peel and half onion, slice in rings and then across into small pieces
5 slice tomatoes
6 put flour on plate, add turmeric, mix. Roll cauliflower, celery, sprouts, peas, beans etc in flour so they are coated, adding more flour if necessary
7 melt lard in saucepan until bubbling. Fry apple and onion, then add other vegetables and fry for a minute or two
8 add just enough stock/water to just cover vegetables
9. add salt, coriander seed, chutney and tomatoes, stir thoroughly
10. gently bring to the boil, then simmer until vegetables are soft
Patna Rice
1. add to boiling, salted water
2.add a few drops of lemon juice to keep the rice white, boil for 10-15 mins
3. boil for 10 mins
4. strain, rinse with boiling water, strain
5. put on serving dish and put in oven for 30 mins to dry
6. before serving garnish with chopped parsley and red pepper to garnish
My featured image is of the three sisters, Beryl, Audrey, Monica (my mum) They would have been in their late teens I think.
