Comments on: Do-Ahead Dinners is out today!

By: Magnolia Verandah

Magnolia Verandah — Wed, 21 Aug 2013 12:05:18 +0000

Congratulations Ellie, Michael and Banoffeesky – I am very very jealous.

By: jamesramsden

jamesramsden — Wed, 21 Aug 2013 08:00:23 +0000

Thank you so much, everybody, for these wonderful stories. The secret judge and I had a difficult time picking three favourites, brilliant as they all were, and so names went in a hat and the winners were:
……

…….

Ellie!
Michael!
Aaaaaaaaand
Banoffeesky!

I’ll be in touch to get your addresses, and thank you again to ALL of you who entered.

J x

By: jamesramsden

jamesramsden — Mon, 19 Aug 2013 16:41:20 +0000

In reply to Michael. That is absolutely superb. Well done.

By: Michael

Michael — Mon, 19 Aug 2013 16:27:15 +0000

Years ago, I had been seeing a girl for a few months and enjoyed some great meals with her at some good restaurants so I decided to take things a step further and invited her to supper at my house. I really pushed the boat out and made an amazing looking seafood platter, full of langustines, crab and prawns. Naturally, I provided a small bowl with some warm water and a couple of slices of lemon so that we could clean our hands when we needed to. Unfortunately, she didn’t really grasp this concept and after I had washed my fingers in there a couple of times, she proceeded to drink the contents of the finger bowl. Half way through drinking the murky, warm, lemony, fishy water, I think she realised that she had made a mistake as she gently put it down on the table and then ran out into the garden and tried to quietly spit it out everywhere. It wasn’t quiet and I never saw her again (not my choice, I think out of her own embarrassment!).

By: jamesramsden

jamesramsden — Sun, 18 Aug 2013 06:24:36 +0000

In reply to Franziska. Excellent, well done little sister!

By: jamesramsden

jamesramsden — Sun, 18 Aug 2013 06:23:35 +0000

In reply to Colin. What a lovely story. I love those elusive family dishes that only one person can get right.

By: jamesramsden

jamesramsden — Sun, 18 Aug 2013 06:22:27 +0000

In reply to Charlotte Brennan. Rene Redzepi, of Noma, has served ants in his restaurant. Seems this mad old bat was something of a visionary!

By: Franziska

Franziska — Sat, 17 Aug 2013 11:34:36 +0000

My mom was throwing a dinner party (making her wonderful coq au vin). My sisters and I got a big talk about how we were to be on our best behaviour as my mom’s friend was bringing her husband who thought kids were more of a nuisance than filling out tax refund forms. Aside from his dislike for kids, the guy also fit all stereotypes that come to mind when thinking about middle-aged German men. It was questionable whether he had ever had a proper laugh and it can be said with almost certainty that he had a stick up his bum.
Now my little sister is quite the entertainer. Because she was only around 10 at the time she must have forgotten about the whole being on your best behaviour thing and was up to her normal antics.
As it was the 90s and interior design choices were questionable at best, we had a beige cloth covered lampshade hanging over our dining table. My little sister told one of her stories and caused the no-laughs-stick-up-his-bum guy to spray a mouthful of red wine on said already ugly looking lamp in a fit of laughter.
To this day whenever my mom makes coq au vin we talk about the guy ruining the lamp (not really such an unfortunate thing as it turned out) and how at the very least, even though we may not have always behaved as kids at dinner parties, we never sprayed red wine across a table.

By: Colin

Colin — Fri, 16 Aug 2013 13:03:49 +0000

Every Wednesday, during the school year, from the age of 7 to 17 I went to my granny’s house for dinner after school. It was always a pleasure as she was a wonderful cook & a joy to be around. My favourite part of her meals was her gravy. It was perfect each & every time. She used the same pan for her a lifetime it seemed.
After she died, when I was 17, for years we would reminisce about her life and of course her gravy. I assumed I’d never taste it again as no-one could make gravy like her.
When I came home to my folks home one weekend I opened the front door and couldn’t believe it. Immediately I smelt my granny’s gravy wafting from my mother’s kitchen!
I ran in and straight to the pan to taste it. It was exactly the same. The smell. The flavour. The texture. “You did it Mum!”
It has never happened since then but it’s a fantastic memory and of course I am always trying to get even close to granny’s gravy.
🙂

By: Charlotte Brennan

Charlotte Brennan — Fri, 16 Aug 2013 11:09:35 +0000

In reply to Charlotte Brennan. Full version is further down the page...Opps!