good cateress newsletter nov/dec 06

good cateress, newsletter. Nov/Dec 06



When I started to write the newsletters I knew the November and
December would be the hardest to write, as they are my busiest months.
So I have decided to combine them. As a caterer any sense of joy for
the Christmas season is lost, but in my teen years I still had it.

I need to write a little explanation here, about where I am writing
about. For the most part it will be the Isle of Wight, and in
particular the River Medina area from Cowes up the river to Newport.
My cousin Diana, an archivist, has traced my mothers family back to
the 14th Century; we are all christened, married and buried in the
four parishes along the river, Cowes, East Cowes, Northwood and
Whippingham. It is still for the most part a beautiful river valley
although Cowes and East Cowes ccontinue to grow along it, but much of
it is unchanged for centuries. Pastoral farm land the most part, with
a public footpath that runs along the East bank. As I write this in
my office in Harlem I can look up at the wall above my desk filled
with Victorian prints of the river, Whippingham Church, Uncles house
in Cowes, but mostly the river from different angles and I am
transported back to my roots.

My parents, my aunt Janette and uncle Murray in a variety of
partnerships and singly had the pub called The Folly Inn on the river.
Originally, The Polly, a working barge in the 17th Century which had
been swept aground in one of our notorious sou’westers, presumably
during the equinox high tides and it had never been able to float
again. At some point it had become an Inn and so it remains. When
Murray and Janette had the Folly in the 60’s, while doing some
renovations they had discovered that the original hull was still
fairly intact and had installed Plexiglas in the floor so you could
see it. Further renovations had removed all that, but in the attic
there were still parts of the original deck.

Also living on the river were the Cundall family. Pam and Allan with
their sons, Robert, Colin and Philip ran sailing holidays on their
boat the Rene Phillippe. The Rene was a large wooden motor boat, I
thought she went to Dunkirk, but everybody tells me I am wrong. People
came from around the world for the sailing holidays and Pam's amazing
cooking.

It was a wonderful life for all of us, particularly the children. We
lived on a tidal river, played around on boats, Simon fished and so
dug for rag worms for bait in the river silts st low tide he was
always being rescued from the gooey sucking mud. There was a copse
behind the Folly for us to play in, during the Spring there were
primroses and wild daffodils, Blue bells in May. We went to sleep at
night with the Halyards beating tunes on the masts and the night
wading birds chirping to each other as our lullabys.

Come early December their would be an invitation from Pam to help her
make sweets/candy as Christmas presents. Some years the Rene would
be tied up along the jetty, but one year I do remember rowing out to
the Rene. Pam and Lucy, my mother would have worked out all the
ingredients ahead of time, and of course, what I would be doing, my
job was to show up. I always showed up I loved this day. One of my
favorite things, was candy making.
Fudge, coconut ice, truffles, marzipan fruits, chocolate corn flakes.
Anything with sugar and butter.

We started with fudge. As the sugar melted into the condensed milk,
the tangy air of the river faded as the sweet smell pervaded the boat.
I had to stir almost continuously to stop the sugar from burning on
the bottom of the pan; something that with Pam's gentle reminders
never happened, but when I was alone frequently did. This was a job
that called for patience, something I didn't have much of, as I
stirred and watched, stirred and waited for ‘soft ball’ phase to be
reached. Pam would talk to me, distracting me from my impatience with
a small chore here and there that could be done during the stirring.
Then without warning we were there. The smell would change. It was
exciting pouring the molten mixture into trays to cool, ready to be
cut into squares. Of course, I wanted to try it hot from the pan,
burnt fingers and certainly scalded tongue followed.

My next sweet was coconut ice. I enjoyed making it but I could never
quite get my mind around laying the pink and white on top of each
other, I wanted them to be side by side.

Chocolate and cream turning into ganache for truffle, with each year a
different flavor. Sometimes chopped apricots, always some liquor. It
was put away in the fridge to solidify ready to be scooped with a
melon baller and rolled in cocoa.

By now the portholes were running with condensation from the steam.
The water lapped against the boat as the tide turned.

The following week we would get together again. Pam was very creative
and had found small trays to pack our sweets on, with colored doilies
as a liner and sprigs of holly with berries from the copse. It looked
and felt like Christmas.

I really enjoyed these times, but one year I stopped helping Pam, I
forget why, I was a teenager and it probably seemed unimportant. But
I never stopped making sweets. For a brief moment in my early
twenties I decided that was what I would be a sweet maker. After all
I would make fudge, coconut ice and sell it to my friends. My then
boyfriend, older and wiser than me, said the words that I have
subsequently used on many occasions. “You will have to make an awful
lot of sweets to make any money,” Its true but homemade sweets, jam,
cookies and cakes are really the nicest gift to give and receive.

Old fashioned Vanilla fudge

1lb Sugar 2oz butter 300 ml Magnolia vanilla essence

Grease a tin 6inch x 6inch

Put the sugar, butter and magnolia in a large heavy based pan, heat
gently until the sugar has dissolved and butter melted. Bring to boil
and boil steadily to 240 F or soft boil stage, stirring frequently.
Remove the pan from heat to cool surface, add the essence and beat
until mixture becomes thick and creamy and grains form - minute
crystals. Pour into tin. Leave uintil nearly cold and mark into
squares with sharp knife. When it is firm cut into squares.


Merry Christmas Happy Hannukah
Beautiful New Year

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