Reunited with an Old Friend

For a while now, I have felt a sense of loss. The one and only cookery book that I owned, when we first moved into a flat of our very own, had for one reason or another been lost to either the charity shop, or worse, the rubbish bin.

The book in question was The Josceline Dimbleby Collection, a good selection of recipes from the Sainbury cookbooks. 

When I left home, my Mum gave it to me to start my personal kitchen library. Both she and I had cooked several recipes from it, testing them out on my Dad and my sister. It was a brilliant book for me as a young homemaker wanting to explore different types of cooking. In fact, one of the recipes featured from another book my Mum had in the kitchen cupboard, made a tempting birthday treat for my boyfriend's 18th. I gave him Persian Honey cakes, presented, probably slightly indelicately, squashed into a Tupperware box.

Although we suffered some teasing from our college mates, it must have been a good gift, because my boyfriend is now my husband!

As to the loss of my favourite recipes, I used to copy them on to a piece of paper, store them in a file and get rid of the book. Then, when I got my laptop I transferred them to it, but stupidly didn't backup my files, so when my computer decided to die, I lost them - very stupid, I know.

I had been searching everywhere to find the book, but as it's now out of print, it seems to go for a silly high price, then just by luck, my husband found it for 50 pence at our local second hand bookshop. It doesn't even look like it's been used, mine was dog-eared and food-stained.

I'm so happy now and I still can't believe that I've got it back!

With warm feelings of nostalgia I shall be revisiting those 80s recipes – Persian Honey Cakes, Golden Christmas Cake, Glazed Goose with Apples, Ginger & Green Chilies, Roast Pheasant with Apples & Fennel, Breast of Chicken Coriander, Honey Pork with Rosemary & Raisin Stuffing, Golden Duck with Lychee Sauce, Cinnamon Chicken with Sweet Onion Sauce, Cardamom Fish Curry, and Turkey Balls with Lemon & Cardamom.

I may even attempt some of the dishes that I overlooked or was too apprehensive to make, all those years ago!