Today we are celebrating 100 years of the wonderful Marguerite Patten who sadly passed away only very recently, in June of this year.
An acclaimed food writer and broadcaster, she was the 'celebrity chef' of her era and a saviour to any housewife cooking in the 'modern age' of the 1950's, 60's and 70's.
Marguerite presented her first cookery program live on BBC television in 1947 having previously presented via radio during world war 2 when she worked for the ministry of food. Her radio broadcasts were advice to the war time housewife on how to make the best use of rations!
She also spent some time after the war demonstrating cooking appliances in the world famous London store, Harrods.
Broadcasting was only one small part of what dear Marguerite got up to, she toured the world giving cookery demonstrations and produced 170 cookery books over her lifetime, going on to sell millions of copies. rarely was any home without one!
Today I am the proud owner of one of her earliest and also one of the first cookery books produced in the colour medium.
Her 'Cookery in Colour....A Picture encyclopaedia for every occasion' was released in 1961, before I was even born! and she described it as 'the perfect companion for the busy modern housewife'.
It contains a phenomenal number of recipes.....over a thousand of them.....and I have read them all! There are some amazing colour photographs that belie the number of hours taken to produce such dishes........it really is a book with recipes for every occasion, from hors d'oeuvres to casseroles, from lobster dishes to meringues. I have cooked many a dish from this book over the years and have even had the temerity to adapt a few of them for our 'modern' times, but still the essence of Marguerite is there.
Marguerite very deservedly received an OBE (1991) and a CBE (2010) from the British queen for 'Services to the Art of Cookery'.
Having spent a lifetime in the pursuit of fine food she humbly denied the title of 'chef', insisting she was, and always would be, a 'home economist'.
I rank Marguerite alongside the greats, which include the interesting and eccentric Fanny Craddock, and the wonderful Julia Child, as one of those women who made everyone believe they could cook regardless of their abilities!
I can just imagine them all sitting down to dinner in the hereafter and comparing notes on cooking advice for today's housewives.........but as long as I continue to cook from her books Marguerite will always remain very much alive.
So thank you Marguerite, dining with you has been such a pleasure.
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