There’s a story about their mother trying to teach the girls to budget with an imagined £500 per year - Nancy immediately wrote down ‘£450, flowers’…! I must find the exact quotation - maybe in Jessica’s book? It’s brilliant.
Thank you so much! Ha, I am doing similar tonight after a supermarket sweep - despite best intentions it was the children’s leftover fish goujons for dinner. The glamour 😬
I recall interviewing Jessica Mitford when she came to London with her book. She told me a journalist had been doing a piece on SISTERS. She’d asked each Mitford sister “what do sisters mean to you?”
Nancy had said “sisters are a shield against life’s cruel circumstance”.
Jessica replied to the journalist, “well I’d say that sisters ARE life’s cruel circumstance.”
Oh so relatable.. I don’t usually comment, but I couldn’t help but chuckle at every point, from the picky eaters to the oil on the hob three days later. (And the extreme hosting, flowers and all!) Where does it all go wrong; one minute you have a happy weaning baby lapping up your lovingly prepared lentil purées and curries, and then at some point in their culinary journey they realise that they really only like cheesy pasta and fishfingers (of the birdseye variety, home-made goujons tolerated with a sigh) I look forward to hearing of any successes you may have!
Thank you so much! Yep, pasta and fishfingers, though occasionally a bit of fried tofu - today the eldest refused ‘the crunchy bits’ on the bought goujons and just wanted… the fish? Literally no rhyme or reason!
How wonderful! Welcome to Substack. I love your recipes (I have three of your books). I look forward to getting to know a little more about you, your work processes and your attempts to feed picky youngsters ☺
I’m so sorry - that’s hassle you don’t need! If you’re happy to send your email address to mine (I’m rukmini@rukmini-iyer.com) I can help sign you up from my end? Another reader had a similar problem from a Samsung, so wonder if there is an Apple-android issue - odd!
- but last week I fried onions, peppers & mushrooms on the hob, then added the spices, just diced beef brisket, tinned tomatoes and stock, then cooked it for 40 minutes in the pressure cooker before stirring through a couple of squares of 70% chocolate and seasoning 🍫
Thank you so much! Very glad you enjoyed it - that one is on the meal plan here too - down to the last bit of veg in the fridge, so a storecupboard meal beckons 🥣
This is the best news! Welcome - and yes re gardens and the (nice) Mitfords!
There’s a story about their mother trying to teach the girls to budget with an imagined £500 per year - Nancy immediately wrote down ‘£450, flowers’…! I must find the exact quotation - maybe in Jessica’s book? It’s brilliant.
Oh yes! I think it was in Debo Devonshire’s autobiography - I’m feeling like I need a re-read of all
Oh hurrah! You are here! I love your books and your writing. I would literally be dinner-less half the time without you. xx
Thank you so much! I v much enjoyed your latest post - how lovely to find everyone on here with longform writing that is a pleasure to read xx
Welcome and happy and healthy 2025! Inspired to thumb through all of my roasting tin recipe books again now 🙂
Thank you so much! Ha, I am doing similar tonight after a supermarket sweep - despite best intentions it was the children’s leftover fish goujons for dinner. The glamour 😬
Happy New Year, and great to see you here. Looking forward to your posts
Thanks so much! Happy new year to you too!
I recall interviewing Jessica Mitford when she came to London with her book. She told me a journalist had been doing a piece on SISTERS. She’d asked each Mitford sister “what do sisters mean to you?”
Nancy had said “sisters are a shield against life’s cruel circumstance”.
Jessica replied to the journalist, “well I’d say that sisters ARE life’s cruel circumstance.”
Annie
Now that is a wonderful anecdote - and how brilliant that you interviewed Jessica! (She's my favourite.) Thank you for sharing!
Yes indeed Rukmini, she was such a lovely woman! Must have been when her book THE AMERICAN WAY OF DEATH was published here.
Sounds like a great interview, Annie - maybe you'll share it on Substack one day? And welcome, Rukmini!
Made the mac and cheese tray bake, absolutely delicious!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Oh so relatable.. I don’t usually comment, but I couldn’t help but chuckle at every point, from the picky eaters to the oil on the hob three days later. (And the extreme hosting, flowers and all!) Where does it all go wrong; one minute you have a happy weaning baby lapping up your lovingly prepared lentil purées and curries, and then at some point in their culinary journey they realise that they really only like cheesy pasta and fishfingers (of the birdseye variety, home-made goujons tolerated with a sigh) I look forward to hearing of any successes you may have!
Thank you so much! Yep, pasta and fishfingers, though occasionally a bit of fried tofu - today the eldest refused ‘the crunchy bits’ on the bought goujons and just wanted… the fish? Literally no rhyme or reason!
How wonderful! Welcome to Substack. I love your recipes (I have three of your books). I look forward to getting to know a little more about you, your work processes and your attempts to feed picky youngsters ☺
Thank you so much! Attempts is the word 😂
Welcome to Substack, dear Mini. Hope you are already beginning to feel at home. Looking forward to your food and your reading recs! x
Thank you so much Matt! x
Welcome to Substack! I already love your books, so it's lovely to connect over here as well :-)
(And if you ever get a moment to enjoy a glass of wine, maybe you'd like my Substack too!)
Subscribed - look forward to reading!
I don’t seem to be able to subscribe! I’ve put my email address in and an error message comes up ‘something went wrong’ 😔
I’m so sorry - that’s hassle you don’t need! If you’re happy to send your email address to mine (I’m rukmini@rukmini-iyer.com) I can help sign you up from my end? Another reader had a similar problem from a Samsung, so wonder if there is an Apple-android issue - odd!
Seems to be ok now??!! Who knows…happy to be here and following you!
So nice to see you here!! I’m definitely going to make the Mac cheese recipe :)
Would love your chilli recipe too if you plan to post that at some point!
Here’s to a happy and healthy 2025 x
Thank you very much! Actually there is a version of it here from the Roasting Tin Around the World (which I completely forgot about when making mine last week) https://thehappyfoodie.co.uk/recipes/all-in-one-beef-chilli-with-chocolate/#comment-5448
- but last week I fried onions, peppers & mushrooms on the hob, then added the spices, just diced beef brisket, tinned tomatoes and stock, then cooked it for 40 minutes in the pressure cooker before stirring through a couple of squares of 70% chocolate and seasoning 🍫
How exciting! Saving your Mac and cheese recipe to make this weekend, and can’t wait to see what else you do here. X
How lovely! I hope you enjoy it! 💚
❤️ So good to see you Xx
How has it taken me this long to get here and find all of you! Xx
Welcome! I can’t believe I can get a delivery guy to watch my kid while I unpack things. What a hack I’ve been missing for years! 😁❤️
To be fair, I can’t claim complete responsibility – Pepper rounded him up and used her collie mind-control, she’s hard to resist 😂
Haha. Love that.
How lovely to have you here! I ate your tamarind chickpeas tonight from "Feast" - utterly delicious and so easy.
Thank you so much! Very glad you enjoyed it - that one is on the meal plan here too - down to the last bit of veg in the fridge, so a storecupboard meal beckons 🥣
Sold, lady, sold! And welcome!
Thanks so much! The writing feels easier than figuring out the formatting - will get there!