On the kitchen front

"Air Raid Soup, anyone??" "Carrot Flan?" or "two helpings of Lord Woolton Pie??" Well, these were part of Britain's staple diet during the war years, and with the 60th Anniversary now of the end of World War II, it may be of interest to recall some of these old favourites, which kept the Nation together at the time of rationing.

Our own very talented Chefs, who demonstrated their skills so admirably recently, might raise their eyebrows, and be even more challenged, if they had to successfully produce any of the above-mentioned offerings, which all good housewives had to put on the family's dining table during the war, served, of course to the Radio, gallantly on the air-waves, with the BBC Light programme sounding forth with "Forces Canteen", with Geraldo and His Orchestra, Henry Hall or the sultry voiced Ann Shelton. Also, so we were told anyway, being broadcast from the Savoy Hotel in London's West End, with the American Band Leader saying, in his own inimitable way, "This is Carroll Gibbons, everybody!"

Most of the Recipes had no meat in them, of course, and some of the sweet courses were very much laced up with plum jam, and"flavourings" like the believable Almond, or indeed, Vanilla, just to give a touch of class.

Our own Chefs, dashing in various exotic flavours, would have had a hard time of it, coping with these "Extracts"!!

Who could ever forget the Suet Puddings with good old Tate and Lyle Syrup or Raspberry Buns!!

Corned Beef Hash, Anyone?

Rosemary Goulding

 To help us mark the 60th Anniversary of the ending of World War II, how about some of our readers who lived through those years letting us have some of their Recipes from "Ration book cooking" that we can publish in St George's News during the rest of this year. Please send us in your contributions!