Pork and Beans

Brandade of Tuna Fish and Haricot Beans

I spent all my money taking trains from London to Croatia and back, in August – a wonderful, unforgettable experience. The souvenirs acquired on this holiday include a t-shirt with a stupid wolf on, a tea towel that doubles as a handy map of the Croatian islands, and a hilarious degree of poverty, so for my dinner the other night I turned to The Pauper’s Cookbook by Jocasta Innes (1971) and fashioned this brandade recipe. I had no idea what a brandade was, and turned to wikipedia, whose entry on the subject describes something that’s not at all like what I cooked.  Here’s the recipe:

Curried Lentil Soup

Penguin Books have put out a lot of books in their Cooking and Dining range, and this post’s recipe comes from The Pauper’s Cookbook, first published in 1971 (this edition is from 1973). By Jocasta Innes, it’s aimed at those who cannot afford to be extravagant in their cooking and spending, and features various tips on thrifty cuisine, including guidance on kitchen utensils, larder staples and using ovens. Although with the best intentions it sometimes makes frugal living seem like a terrible indignity and embarrassment – this is from the blurb:

“Here’s how to live up in your own squalid tenement without recourse to poaching, rustling, gudding, scrumping or shop-lifting”