Jane Asher’s Salmon Fishcakes and Joanna Lumley’s Bean Pâté

I think a New Year Resolution for 2023 will be to write up movie star din-dins experiences IMMEDIATELY after I have had them.  Because I am sitting here racking my brains about a dinner party we threw in January and the brain is not being very forthcoming.

I know that it was hilarious, because we were hosting much beloved David and Katy.  We four always laugh our heads off from the minute we get together to the minute we part.  I am not sure who else we could have asked to a Heinz themed dinner party…

But those two are good sports and even arrived with a Heinz related gift.

This was fairly soon after me and Mr Rathbone had pledged to eat 57 meals involving Heinz products in our 57th year (how did we get to be so old?) and I’m working on a round-up post to see how many we have left to pack in before 1st January 2023 (Mr R’s birthday) that will be coming soon.  We’ll have to think of something SPECIAL to eat as the very last thing (if we make it to 56 meals by then).  I’m pinning my hopes on this book to suggest something…

What I DO remember about this Heinz dinner party was that I thought it was probably the best dinner party I have ever thrown.  This is partly because I’m a much better cook these days thanks to all the movie stars teaching me the ways of the kitchen, but also partly because I really planned out what we’d have way in advance.  On the day it took a long time to get it all together, but me and Mr R worked away at it with JOY in our hearts as we knew we’d be getting a few numbers chalked up on the Heinz 57 board.  So here’s what we had.

Joanna Lumley had furnished us with a Bean Pâté recipe (in the aforementioned Celebrating the Best of British book), naturally containing Heinz Baked Beans.

and this was really good to eat standing around in the kitchen while we got everything else together.  TA-DA!

Starter was a classic 1970s style prawn cocktail – this wasn’t a film star recipe, but we used some of the French Style Cocktail Sauce Mr R managed to score on the internet to make it Heinzy (not available here in the UK as far as I know).

Very dainty!

Our main course was Jane Asher Salmon Fishcakes which contained Heinz Salad Cream

– and as you would expect from Jane Asher, they were delicious.

We served these with a delicious Roasted Red Pepper Salad from the Heinz Tomato Ketchup Cookbook which contained you-know-what.

When I served the pudding I asked our guests what they thought it might be and before she even put her spoon in, Katy said, “baby food”.

Yes!!  Some chocolate pudding stuff for toddlers with some little kiddy biscuits on the side.  It was a bit weird but it all got eaten!

I am stupidly proud of that dinner party.  It was a hoot to plan, execute and enjoy with chums.  Perhaps we should finish the Heinz 57 project with another big Heinz extravaganza?!  If only Mr R liked liver, because I still have a Charlie Drake liver recipe up my sleeve so to speak…

I didn’t know when I made these two dishes that these two dishes had been on stage together in Blithe Spirit…