Cookbook Book Club -- Mary Berry Edition

The Cookbook Book Club met at Linderhof last night

The theme:

Mary Berry

because

a) I really like her on Great British Bake Off

b) I am an Anglophile

The dining room all set up and waiting for company:

I tried for an English look

Spode (of course)

instead of a tablecloth, my English cork bottom placemats

Whenever we've traveled to England and stayed in B and B's, they always had a "bare" table and these mats for plates.

Alas, I didn't bring mine home from England

because everyone else does and you can find them still in the boxes at flea markets and antique malls

for pennies on the dollar.

Mine are English in origin but all bought here

Dessert service set out the "English" way at the top of the plate.

Our food:

Appetizer:

Liz

Parma ham, goats cheese and rocket canapés

https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/parma_ham_goats_cheese_13654

Main Course:

The Hostess always provides the main course!

Quick Chicken Curry

https://thehappyfoodie.co.uk/recipes/quick-chicken-curry

Go Withs:

Angela

Spanish Tortilla

https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/spanish_tortilla_78863

Michelle

Carrot and Poppy Seed Salad

https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/carrot_and_poppyseed_72665

Donna

Roasted vegetables with herbs and feta

https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/roasted_vegetables_with_29823

Bread

Sara

Little Cottage Rolls

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/little-cottage-rolls-qr0q087xjgd

Soup

Donna

Butternut Squash Soup

https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/roasted_butternut_squash_10281

And the most important of all!!!!

Dessert!!!

 Belynda

Baked Berry Cheesecake

http://www.maryberry.co.uk/recipes/desserts/baked-berry-cheesecake

Absolutely delicious and one that, I think, will find it's way onto

our tables in the future!

We have cooked "English" before.

Jamie Oliver

But Mary Berry is more traditional, and definitely more well known in Britain than in the US

We learned a lot from cooking with Mary:

1 - there are no appetizers in Britain -- they're either canapés or starters

2 - many of the recipes were British measurements which meant grams rather than cups

3 - biscuits are really cookies

4 - Aubergine is really eggplant

5 - Courgette is really zucchini

6 - there were several ingredients that were not available here

(so we did some creative subbing)

7 - the food was all very good

We had a grand time and who knows, perhaps will visit the British Isles again in the future!