Entertaining by Frances Bissell

Frances Bissell has a league of fans who were horrified when she was dismissed most unceremoniously from The Times and thought that life would never be the same again. As we mourned our loss on Saturday mornings, the world didn't stop turning for Frances who worked apace, hot footing it around the globe, cooking as guest chef at some of the world's finest hotels and British Embassies.

Her latest book, Entertaining, has been thirty years in the making. Long before she became a food writer, she had been methodically taking notes on a daily basis of every meal she has cooked, whether it be a meal for herself and Tom, her husband, or a full-blown dinner party. She notes down costs and all ingredients used. This record acts as a useful reminder and means that her guests will never be served the same dish on another occasion.

The Introduction is instructive, drawing on her experiences of successes and averted disasters on how to give a party. Frances is strong on viniferous memories and her writing is punctuated with a vintage bottle of Bolinger here, a bottle of 1934 Chateau d'Yquem there, preceded by a Montrachet. Frances and Tom enjoy their food and wine, to the tune that the recipes in Entertaining will let you spend time with your guests, rather than sweating it out over a hot stove. Together with her unflappable and calm approach to potential disasters, we can all learn a thing or two.

Frances' loyal band of followers will love Entertaining. There are no pictures, no photographs just Frances' writing which is a pleasure to read. Even though there are recipes that you will know like the back of your hand, shepherd's pie, steak and kidney pie, a recipe for scones, you will come across many inspirational dishes and ideas, all gleaned from a lifetime's work in the food world.

Read it from cover to cover first and get the true measure of its worth, distilling its contents and earmarking recipes that you like the look of. Chapters take account of various meals throughout the day, from breakfasts and buffets to special occasions and themed parties.

As we all ponder the British summer, Frances has come up with the answer as to what to serve. We have a summer but very rarely the weather to go with it and what could be better than hot and spicy food: refreshing if sultry, yet comforting if cool. This is one of the strongest ideas that comes out in this book and is certainly worth taking up.

She is a keen advocate of salsas, and she claims ‘Once you've made salsa yourself, you'll never buy a jar again', which are full of stabilizing gum and thickeners. The three main elements of salsa are a sharp fruit, such as under ripe mango, pineapple, kiwi fruit or tomato. Onion, red or spring onion or shallots provide the savoury element and finally the sweet is the addition of unrefined sugar. Salt is an essential prerequisite, along with herbs, coriander and mint being a must. The book is interspersed with salsa recipes for winter and summer eating (cranberry, chilli and clementine for Thanksgiving or mango, to serve with quesqadillas).

Frances is enthusiastic about the inclusion of lavender in today's cooking, something which our forebears were good at. To give a fruit fool a twist, simmer summer fruit (apricots, blueberries, gooseberries, raspberries or plums) with two spikes of lavender and some honey until soft. Liquidise or sieve and allow to cool. Stir in Greek yoghurt and you have a pudding fit for a banquet.

She also uses lavender vinegar in dressings, which she makes herself. Put three or four spikes of lavender in a bottle of white wine vinegar and leave. As you use up the vinegar, top up the bottle with more.

Pick over interesting combinations of flavours, such as spiced carrot and Seville orange soup or pickled walnut butter for making potted pheasant sandwiches. Skewer chunks of fish with quartered apples, marinated in apple juice and sesame oil.

Try her crab cakes, which are more akin to the traditional English fishcake, rather than the dry and sometimes rubbery Thai crab cake. These are made with a generous helping of mashed potato. But the trick is to serve these with a cucumber salad with an oriental flavour. This recipe originates via Ken Hom but Frances has put her stamp on it. Peel and thinly slice a cucumber. Sprinkle with salt and leave to drain for an hour. Rinse and pat dry. Make a dressing of sesame oil, soy sauce, fish sauce, lime juice and sugar and pour over. You can improvise the fish sauce by using a couple of ground anchovies.

Along with useful advice, for the scone makers out there, make use of this tip that Frances learned from her mother. Space scones close together on a baking sheet, which means that when cooked, they have tender edges. Or from the Kitchen Counsel, learn how to stop candles dripping. Soak new candles in very salty water for an hour. Remove and allow to dry before using. In hot countries, keep candles in freezer.

As you can see, the breadth that Entertaining covers is wide and there is sure to be something here which appeals to everyone. For lovers of food and wine, we know who to turn to. Frances Bissell.

Publication Details:
585 pages.
Published by Macmillan. £20
ISBN 0333741293
2002

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