My Gran, Angèle Midgley, passed away a year ago today. I’ve thought of a number of ways to mark the anniversary and this seemed like the perfect way to mark the day. I remember her every day in a hundred different ways but for now I thought I’d focus on my foodie memories of her.
She wasn’t one of the world’s great cooks, although her father was a chef, but whenever the whole family assembled when I was a child the dining room table at her house would be crammed with food and everyone would dig in. I remember sitting at that table and learning the ‘correct’ way to eat your soup in the old soup bowls with handles. (Spoon moves away from you to scoop and you sip from the near side.) I remember picking strawberries with her at the pick your own and probably eating my own bodyweight in strawberries! I remember how, when I started to cook, I would take some muffins or scones and homemade jam over to her and we’d have tea. I remember going for drives up Nidderdale and having lunch somewhere, just the two of us.
This is the recipe that my Mum uses every year to make a Simnel Cake. This year I’ll be joining that tradition and I too shall be using this copy of the recipe, hand written by my Gran. I’ve uploaded the pdf and I know she’d be thrilled if you were to use it too.
(For anyone struggling with the handwriting, I will eventually get it typed up but I’ve been corresponding with her for years so it all makes perfect sense to me!)
Anna in the kitchen 