Wednesday 19 October 2011

I Love Loose-Bottomed French Tarts!

michael barry

When I was a young Mum, at home all day with two little ones, I used to enjoy watching Pebble Mill At One. I remember one programme where the cook Michael Barry [who sadly died a couple of months ago] said he had received a letter of complaint from a viewer.

The lady had objected to him referring to “Loose-bottomed French Tarts” on daytime TV. She felt it ‘lowered the tone’! He had to explain that he was referring to the type of tin in which these pastries were cooked – and that he loved them because it made it easier to serve the finished dish. I have a pair of rectangular tins like this. When I am ready to serve, I stand the tin on a couple of small jars and the outer edge falls down, and I can lift the tart [plus thin metal base] onto a serving dish. Like this…

tin

Tonight I made a quiche – we ate half with salad and will have the other half tomorrow. I have now put the second half into a smaller dish. I did all the proper Mary Berry stuff – baking blind [the pie crust that is, I don’t mean I did it with my eyes shut!] and trimming the overhanging pastry afterwards to give a neat[ish] edge. And I did not have a Soggy Bottom either.

quiche

Of course if we are leaving loose bottoms and moving onto soggy bottoms, that takes us to “O Brother Where Art Thou?” and the singing of George Clooney and his crew.

I love this film!

5 comments:

  1. I hadn't heard that Michael Barry had died. I always liked his programmes on Good food, and only recently made one of his delicious apple cake recipes.

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  2. I just love that movie and we went to see a concert that included many country singers who sang all the songs from the soundtrack just marvellous.

    Love quiche also, and I have one of those pans somewhere.

    Gill in Canada

    http://thatbritishwoman.blogspot.com

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  3. I haven't seen Oh Brother! But I do remember Pebble Mill at One- I think I was a sickly child! One much at home at 1pm!!

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  4. So funny! You're very scatalogical today, A, but your quiche looks yummy!

    xofrances

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  5. Thank you for reminding me about the "Oh brother" film. I think we have the DVD somewhere - or it might be on and old VHS tape - must fish it out and enjoy it again.

    I hadn't heard that Michael Barry had died. That's a shame, I enjoyed his cookery slots on the telly. That snippet about objecting to "loose bottomed tarts" really made me laugh.

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