My number one passion is Roller Derby. I absolutely love it. So Rosalind and Jimmy didn’t bat an eyelid when I suggested we watch “Kansas City Bomber” with Racquel Welch playing a red hot rollergirl while we waited for Boris’s pie to cook. It is probably now my favourite ever trashy movie. When Racquel made her way from a gruelling roller derby bout to her houseboat to wind down Rosalind said, “is this based on YOUR life?” Ha ha – it did have the ring of familiarity. As we watched it Rosalind reminisced about the first time I took her to a roller derby match and one of the girls broke her leg in 4 places… That’s the way the cookie crumbles baby!
We are getting close to the perfect Boris pie. This time I used good quality steak instead of stewing steak and that definitely lifted the pie several notches. Jimmy wasn’t too keen on the whole mini onions thing but we ladies liked those. I think the only things I would change for next time would be to make a thicker gravy and to cook all the vegetable elements separately.
Rosalind made the pastry exactly to Boris’s recipe which was, quite frankly bizarre. He went against all the normal rules of pastry making by adding HOT water to lard and then adding flour. We were all very surprised by the results, very good pastry! I sympathise with Rosalind because she – like I used to – has a reputation of being a lousy cook. I remember the ribbing I used to get from Groucho about my cooking and still do from certain quarters. The thing is this. We are learning. All of us are learning how to cook. Very few of us are born to it. Some people are naturally gifted in the kitchen but most of us are learning as we go along. Same goes for me, same goes for Rosalind. We are learning and getting better.
I would just like to say that I was very, very, very proud of the pie that Rosalind and I made between us tonight. It was grand. It took us hours, I admit. But we made a very good pie. And we managed to do some hula hooping, drink some beers and roar with laughter at girls beating each other up on the banked track in between. A marvellous Bank Holiday Monday.
Your number one passion is roller derby? I had no idea!
I think you’re right about cooking being a skill, and that most people have to learn through graft and perseverance. So I say “yaay!” for you learning and improving. But I don’t know who’s been filling your head with this nonsense about not being a good cook (if I find them then there’s going to be trouble): I was privileged to be at some of your dinner parties at Valentine Street (back in the day), which I’ve always remembered as great fun served up with your excellent cooking. I suspect that you’re better than you think. And being able to hula hoop at the same time – now there’s a rare and valuable talent!
I didn’t know about your fondness for Roller Derby either but I’m not surprised, given its links to burlesque and from there to retro-vintage-Hollywood culture.
I think there are born cooks, but like any other talent, it needs practice. And practice really ends up being worth more than talent. It’s been years since I ate anything you cooked but I am sure you are now up there as one of the best. Hopefully I can try out some of your concoctions in the not too distant future.
And you are going to have to teach me how to Hula Hoop. I’ve never been able to work it out.