Cherished Recipes

Early morning and yet again no sleep so think it is time for root among my cookery books. I really enjoy reading cookery books. I especially enjoy learning where the ideas for recipes have come from.The most delicious recipes are very often those recipes which have been handed down through generations, with every generation adding a slight tweak.I started to flick through some of the cookery books and immediately I was transported back to when I had bought them.  Wow I had totally forgotten I had the Food Aid Book.Do you remember Band Aid in 1984? It was founded by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to raise money for the fight against famine in Ethiopia.   On November 20th the single “Do They Know It’s Christmas” was recorded and five days later it was released.In 1985, while watching Live Aid Delia Smith got the idea that the food industry including chefs could also give or donate to the fight against famine.  The seed of an idea for a cookery book grew.   Together with Sir Terry Wogan and within two months the book was selling off the shelves in 1986, having been published by the BBC. The book  however, was different form the norm in that it is made up of cherished recipes donated by the people both famous and not so famous.   Some recipes were sponsored by food industry with the recipes themselves being wide and varied.The first recipe was provided by Dian Princess of Wales.   However, the majority of recipes are from ordinary individuals willing to share a cherished recipe.My favourite recipe is a recipe for a ham sandwich devised by the comic Ronnie Barker and which finishes "Place £5 in envelope and whisk off to Food Aid .   Enjoy sandwich knowing that someone will eat with that £5 note."My recipe for soda bread was given to me by my Aunty Mary Dan and hasn't changed. Our Christmas Pudding Recipe has changed from the heavy dark pudding of childhood to a lighter pudding which at this stage cannot be altered or it is no longer "our" Christmas pudding. Of course we have "drinky" biscuits, so-called because our son would have half the batter drunk before the flour had been added to make it into biscuits.Do you have any cherished family recipes or new ones which you have devised and are now part of the family repertoire?