AVENGERS ASSEMBLE! - LETS DO LUNCH!

Went to see the new Marvel Superhero Blockbuster yesterday....Avengers Assemble!..Fab!
Great action, tons of laffs, a few things disturbed me though...
1) When did Nick Fury become black?
2) Where did Black Widow come from?
3) Hawkeye was Terrible..Wooden, Skinny, a non-uniform & boring arrows.
4) I was nostalgic for The Wasp, Ant Man AKA Giant Man AKA Yellow Jacket, Quicksilver
& Scarlet Witch.
5) In saving Manhattan & errr..the World from delinquent Norse Gods & flying aliens, they
expended a hell of a lot of energy! Hope they had a hearty breakfast!

PHEW! No need to worry about No.5 Ive got THE MIGHTY MARVEL SUPERHERO
COOKBOOK ( SIMON & SCHUSTER NEW YORK 1977 ) Those dudes really are getting
enough vitamins, minerals & complex carbs to keep our planet safe!
Lets start with that hearty breakfast.....

Not sure 3 'streaky' bacon rashers, 3 eggs & 11 fries will satisfy The Incredible Hulk!

Ah! The original Hawkeye - now thats what I call a uniform! Rubbish recipe though!
Ok Lets do Lunch now....

They have tins of soup on Asgard? Do Demi-Gods like soup? This is throwing up a lot of questions!

MMMMM HULK LIKE CAKE....MMMMMM......CAAAKKKEEEE......!!!

As a 'thaw & serve' Superhero, Im guessing that cupcake was formerly frozen too!

Unlike the other tin-opener recipes...the cookie recipe is pretty good! Use butter though...
Cake flour is just plain flour here in Britain....
THANX FOR SOME GREAT COMIX STAN LEE....NUFF SAID!

ALL SAINTS

As all us chefs know, Saint Lawrence of Rome & Saint Martha are our patron Saints???
If you're a pastry chef or confectioner its Saint Macarius the Younger....
Heres a charming tale of Saint Zita - A typically overworked caterer! She put the bread
in the oven, then forgot about it....thankfully the Angels remembered it & even enriched it
IF ONLY! Its her feast day in a couple of days....

After the 'Angelic bread' her employers learned to love her- IF ONLY! Happy Saint Zita Day!

CRIMES AGAINST VEGETABLES

Culinary harridan from way back- Fanny Cradock & her highly opinionated notions of vegetable cookery was commissioned by the Gas Board in 1959 for a book(s) on vegetable cookery 'MR THERM'S ENCYCLOPAEDIA OF VEGETABLE COOKERY' was the result.

'TOUGH LOVE' was possibly the approach running through Fannys head, as in the introduction she declares: 'In general, the British housewife's approach to vegetable cookery is so extraordinarily casual & so fundamentally slap-dash that it could well be summarised Assault on Good Vegetables'.
Fanny does have a point, Britain didnt have a brilliant reputation for vegetable cuisine!
However her nagging style, convoluted methods & bizarre combinations contributed to another couple of decades of VEGI-OUTRAGES!
Here are some colour plates from the book - enjoy! (your veggies)

Top: For the beetroot connoisseur: Whole Beets, Sliced Beets, Beetroot Wedges & Diced
Beetroot! Photographed on a green towel.
Bottom: Cold, cream cheese (Fanny says 'make your own'!) Stuffed Beetroots with tinned
peas & lemon twists..on a blue towel.

    Top: More lemon! More peas! Raw mushrooms look on in horror!
    Bottom: Turnips stuffed with overcooked spinach, served with tinned mixed veg &
    little mounds of grated veg....GAS!

Fanny loves that Spinach.....Its tinned by the way...flavoured with cinnamon!

Top: Green beans restrained by perky pasta.
Bottom: Broccoli with a dip made from..you guessed it - SPINACH! Pink towel in overdrive!

Fanny Cradock loved a piping bag....her miscellaneous extrusions grace 6 platters, below:
jacket potatoes stuffed with GASP.....LEFTOVER MEAT!

This is a cucumber...this is cucumber when Fanny dips it in batter & deep fries it....ewww!

Top: Oh Dear! Gassy sprouts with mushrooms & a rice,egg & sultana ring served in a comode seat?
Bottom: Blood transfusion celery.

The Stuffed Tomatoes were served with whole tomatoes & tomato salad..& those pesky lemon slices.
Tinned mixed veg in a jellied mayonnaise ring...piped mash garnish....
More stuffed turnips...mmmm piped green coloured mash garnish...
Loadsaveg...

Lastly Fanny's corned beef hash, included here because she makes it with cabbage &
excessive amount of parsley!
Interested in Fanny Cradock?....Fascinating story....just Google her name....loadsa stuff on there.
Theres a couple of 'Fannys' on Twitter or you could try www.fannycradock.com
Yes! I did consider calling this post 'May all your vegetables look like Fannys'!

AN OLD FASHIONED EASTER?

Easter Holidays are coming! Bored kids, chocolate stains, Easter Bunny vs Jesus...
Why not catch 'EASTER FEVER' & dress it up with various retro 'happenings'.
To begin, a downloadable game to keep the kids quiet from traditional Polish chocolatiers Cadburys..make some counters from excessive Easter egg packaging!

Suprise the family with an Easter themed breakfast! Tell the kids its a
'Limited Edition' breakfast if theyre a little uneasy that the usual half empty
box of Coco Pops isnt present!

Those 'Jiffy Hot Cross Buns' dont look very 'Jiffy' all that involved yeast

stuff...heres a quick non yeast risen Hot Cross bun from a 30's(?) Bero

flour cookbook....get the girl children only doing these buns for a real

retro touch....

It doesnt specify but the flour is self raising flour & you could replace the lard

(AKA Pig fat...see 'Bringing Home The Bacon' below) with butter or marg....

Youre on a roll now....what about some Easter Bonnet Biscuits (YOUWHAT?)

'No little girl will be able to resist these coloured biscuits that look like
hats' hmmmm...Tell you what... just get out the house!..Happy Easter!

Dont forget click on each of the images for a larger view!