Graham Crackers are in the house WHOOP WHOOP! The lovely Moya is here from NYC and brought me some in her handbag. I am very excited and have all kinds of plans for them. It was so great to see her, probably about 15 years since we’d caught up and she looks exactly the same. We reminisced about all the old crowd and wondered what on earth she was doing with a baking tray on her head in the photo I’d found of her in the garden of Cedar House. Good to see Sid and Kate too, again a donkey’s age since we caught up. Seems like only yesterday when Sid told me Kate was pregnant and I put my head on the pub table, now Joe is SIXTEEN. Bloody time flying.
Tonight I am test cooking Cary’s Tuna Pie. I didn’t have the wherewithall to make the biscuits to go on top so I’ve just bunged some cheese on instead. I shall be eating Tuna Pie all week by the looks of it…
I am very pleased to announce that tonight I have also fitted a new loo seat – all by myself. First bleeding radiators, now affixing furniture – I’m getting to be a right do-it-yourselfer ! Someone at my party bust the original one but it was a horrid nippy plastic one anyhow and I have replaced it with a splendidly sturdy pink glittery one. Who said that I wasn’t handy?!
Cary Grant’s Tuna Fish Pie
200g* / 1 cup tuna
140g / 1 cup diced carrots
150g / 1 cup peas
140g / 1 cup diced potatoes
35g / ½ cup mushrooms
4 tbsp butter
3 tbsp flour
475ml / 2 cups milk
2 hard boiled eggs, sliced
¼ tsp pepper
½ tsp salt
½ recipe for baking powder biscuits (see appendix)
Flake the tuna fish. Cook the carrots, peas, potatoes and mushrooms separately in small quantities of water for 15 minutes. Melt the butter, add the flour and blend well. Add milk, mushrooms and stir, cooking gently, until smooth and thickened. Add seasonings. Combine with cooked drained vegetables, eggs and fish. Pour into baking dish. Roll out biscuit dough to ½ inch thickness, cut with small cutter and place biscuits on top of fish and vegetables. Bake in hot oven for 12 to 15 minutes, or until biscuits are brown.
Note: I usually add some extra seasonings such as 1 tsp celery salt in place of the salt and one tsp dried dill to joosh up the white sauce.
* A 200g tin of tuna yields about 140g tuna which is about 1 cup.
Oh Jenny, it was so lovely to spend time with you. I wish we’d been able to talk and laugh for longer. Now I will be able to envisage silver screen suppers towers and its kitchen when I read about your culinary and other adventures. I will call you soon from the USA. And Evan and I will be sending you a care package soon. I’ll email you to get your address. And congratulations on installing the loo seat!
And, yes, Sid hasn’t changed–and nor have you. I was looking at some great photos of you at Tim’s on Sunday–including one of you in a cook’s apron. Where did those years–nay decades–go?
Aw sweetie, wish you’d been able to stay for longer – next time doll! You haven’t changed one iota baby. We will be young for ever….
I am THRILLED to know you now have a glittery pink loo seat! As a very swish fella man in West Hollywood said to me while I was changing my car’s oil one day, “You go, girl!” Here’s to all us women who do our own home repairs! Hoorah!
Thank you ducky face – only just seen this amongst tonnes of spam. Going to email you properly to ask you to forgive me. It’s blowing a gale from Siberia in my bedroom today – I am ashamed to say that I still haven’t got around to hairdrying the plastic!