I think I mentioned in my very first post that I was on a steep learning curve with learning how to use this blog.  It now appears I forgot to push the ‘Publish’ button yesterday.  Sorrreee.

I’m having a lot of fun with my week of wartime eating and would like to acknowledge a few sources – in addition to my Auntie Anne – which have provided me with a lot of information.

The first is Marguerite Patten’s book  ‘We’ll Eat Again‘ based on wartime recipes. Most of the meals I’m eating this week are taken from her book.

The second comes from The 1940s Experiment.  This is a fabulous website and contains not just recipes but videos and stories of life of the Home Front.

Also, check out Foyle’s War.  Not only is it a great drama, but it addresses the challenges of daily life on the Home Front, including issues like rationing, food shortages and the Black Market.

As for today’s meals – except for my usual breakfast of porridge – it’s been a very ‘red’ day.

Lunch –  Borscht , a slice of bread and some fresh strawberries.

Dinner- I haven’t eaten three courses in one meal for ages, but tonight I was hungry, so I had Borscht, Cottage pie  (left over from last night) and Broccoli, followed by Rhubarb Crumble. The crumble was excellent and it was wonderful to have something sweet.

Some thoughts on sweet wartime treats from Anne:

Sweets and chocolate had their own coupons, for which I was quite grateful because I had ‘grown out of’ them at a fairly early age and so was able to sell them (big Black market dealer, me) and buy myself a treat in a cakeshop.  Similarly with clothing coupons (which also covered cloth and household linen).  I couldn’t afford much in the way of new clothes except for what Mother made, so got a good price from wealthier friends.

Much more than sweets, I missed the Italian ice-cream shops with their tiled floors and little booths with marble-topped tables with iron legs – I’ll never taste ice-cream like that again.  They all closed down when their owners and families were interned.  I understand that the majority were released after a few months when ‘investigations’ were completed.  There was an interesting TV programme last year about internees: many/most? were taken, along with Austrians, to the Isle of Wight and housed in what had been boarding houses.  They had left a lot of their art behind.  Apparently they had only been there for days before ex-professors and teachers among them were holding classes in everything you could think of, and people were sketching, painting, learning maths, new languages, singing – you name it.