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Molly Keane's Book of Nursery Cookery and Childhood Reflections

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This is a delightful and enchanting autobiographical cookbook. Born in 1904, the brilliant Anglo-Irish author, Molly Keane, reflects later in life on the nursery slop she and her brother, Charles, were served by the ferocious Irish cook, Mrs. Finn, who ruled her family's distinguished household in Co. Kildare. As young children, they were held both at the mercy of their bitter nanny and cold spinster aunt, Marjorie, while their elegant and aloof parents sat at the opposite end of the long formal dining table at meals, oblivious to "The Nursery". Aunt Marjorie was the guardian of the kitchen garden and kept a protective eye on the raspberry patch as she roamed her territory always on the watch-out for possible raids and infractions from her young hungry nephew and niece. Waiting to pounce on them if discovered out of bounds, she would on occasion and on her good days, place her gold watch in hand, allowing them less than five minutes to cram as many berries as possible into their anxious little mouths. Meanwhile, the temperamental Mrs. Finn, the dancing cook, was at raging war with their acrid nanny, and breakfast was sent up daily to the nursery on "traveling trays" with bowls of tepid and revolting lumpy porridge labeled with Scotch mottoes: "Keep your breath to cool your parritch". Molly and her brother soon grew "weedy and green and forever greedy" from such wretched fare, and took to bolting from their ice-cold nursery, dashing down the backstairs to Mrs. Finn's realm, the main kitchen and hearth of the house, to assess her mood and placing tiny kisses on her bristly chin in exchange for treats. Once outdoors, they would rush about on an intense and arduous scavenging expedition in search of food, visiting the domestic animals, favorite haunts and hidden supplies of edibles, using ingenious methods to feed themselves. Mrs. Keane's descriptions of what they found on these forages are priceless, and the bond between her and her brother is wonderful as they make a great and loving team. The author writes in an elegant, lovely and amusing way that evokes the warmth and flavor of what one might describe as "delectable edible velvet". After the sudden tragic death of her young husband, Mrs. Keane was left in reduced circumstances, and readers will feel both her sorrow at the time and her determination, in the midst of this transition, to bring up her two daughters with a far healthier and nourishing diet. Her book of "Nursery Cooking" takes the readers back not only to her childhood or her ways of bringing up her girls in a happy and creative manner, but shows how a bright woman knows how to teach children the art of enjoying simple and nutritious food in rewarding and imaginative ways while paying attention to their welfare. Molly Keane, always witty and highly original, was inspired to write this little charmer in the mid-1980's. No lengthier than 200 pages and illustrated in a "gentle" way, the recipes of soups and stews, finger sandwiches, savories and puddings, cakes and biscuits and food for special occasions are easy to make, using perennial and inexpensive staples made with natural ingredients and the occasional use of tinned goods, suitable not only for the very young, but people at a later age who may have a fancy for framed eggs, pigs in blankets, a delicious smoked haddock or cod fish pie with pease pudding, or simply be in the mood for some perfect rice pudding. Wonderful titles of offerings and favorites such as "baked tipsy cake", "melting moments", "thunder and lightening" and "broken glass" pudding are just some of the culinary mysteries that are mentioned here, and are found in detail in the the author's cookbook. Molly Keane ends her literary cooking gem with a final chapter "Tailpiece", setting aside for the readers helpful tips as to the the care and health of the furry toddlers in one's family, stating: "A dog's happiness and nervous disposition depend very largely on its diet...", and referring to other expert care-givers in this field along the lines of: "There is a certain race of people with an instinct, an extra sense, a deep understanding, a collaboration with dogs...They are the prophets we should respect and follow". "Molly Keane's Book of Nursery Cooking" is a delightful and moderate gift for oneself, a favorite relative, a friend, for those with an affinity for children, and really people of all ages who relate to delicious, comforting and healthy food. This little cookbook, rich at heart is a treasure trove of good sense and fun. One of a kind, it is a keeper and Mrs. Finn would be pleased to know that today her "foolproof omelette" is a rival to those found in many fine dining places in town.