Annie Gray
@dranniegray.bsky.social
6.5K followers 460 following 610 posts
Food historian, mainly British food ca1650 on. Writer, consultant, speaker. #BBCTKC panellist. Author of many books - the latest The Bookshop, the Draper, The Candlestick Maker: a history of the High Street. Also grows vegetables, often badly.
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dranniegray.bsky.social
Anyone who has written cookery books (or published recipes where people can comment) will now be nodding furiously and saying uh huh, and 'that's a very measured response'
maladroithe.bsky.social
Eggless egg custard tart what could go wrong
MOIRA ROSE-VALANTINE
posted: 4 months ago
hi x this didn't work me me and my husband are non gmo gluten free vegans and cannot use egg so I substituted this for massed banana and it just would not set I followed all of the instructions so I think it may be my oven unfortunately that cannot maintain temp and in the end it was really runny and tasted quite bitter so not sure what happened but I won't be trying this again im sorry what a waste.
IN -90
REPLY
SARAH
AUTHOR
posted: 4 months ago
Hi Moira, an extreme substitution like using mashed banana in place of egg for an egg custard tart is not always going to work. I'm sorry that it felt like a waste of time, but sometimes one just has to acknowledge that a banana isn't an egg, you know?
80
REPLY
dranniegray.bsky.social
A rather wonderful jolly to Jersey for Jersey Festival of Words. Great food, a chilly but highly invigorating swim, live music and a really engaged audience. Books and book people are wonderful.
A plate of sliced raw sashimi style fish dressed with a pink red sauce sits in the foreground, a plate of pommes anna (but with duck fat) in the background. Wooden table. Water glass. A chilly looking beach with the sea, a grey sky and a cobbled boat ramp leading down to the sea. Rocks strewn with clothes. A table of books, with my very own high street, Greedy Queen, victory in the kitchen and at xmas we feast taking pride of place
dranniegray.bsky.social
Thank you for coming. I really enjoyed it.
dranniegray.bsky.social
Yes! Utterly wonderful. We were recommended (and loved) Restaurant Pri Škofu. Get there early (or book) as it isnt very big. Lots of good places around there inc a rather lovely print studio.
dranniegray.bsky.social
I have a mini programme of talks to celebrate as well - Jersey this weekend, Petersfield and Ipswich next week, Cirencester and Stratford later next month. Come! Join me! Ask stuff.
dranniegray.bsky.social
Happy paperback release day to me!

This beauty is now out, and available in all good bookshops and also some which you really should avoid because, especially given the topic, your best bet is to toddle off to your (or someone else's) high street to shop at an actual shop.
A luscious paperback book sits on a stripy chair. The book is The Bookshop,The Draper, The Candlestick Maker: a history of the high street by Annie Gray. The cover features illustrated shops.
dranniegray.bsky.social
Seconded. Also Claire Tomalin and another shout out for Alison Light.
dranniegray.bsky.social
Is the really good pizza van still there though? Tis the question (do not be tempted by the pizza vending machines. Worth it only to say you tried it).
dranniegray.bsky.social
They don't do a decent soles on the women's (yet), annoyingly. I like their stuff a lot.
dranniegray.bsky.social
In the Liminal Zone...! Cool boots.
dranniegray.bsky.social
I quite liked mine, but the skins burst like a beast. I need natural casings.
dranniegray.bsky.social
Patrick Grant's book, Less, has a very helpful list of interesting companies doing similar things.
dranniegray.bsky.social
I nearly came out with 4 pairs. Happily a combination of one pair being too small and someone else nabbing a pair I was being indecisive about stopped me (yes, this means I do have two 🫣 but I live in leather boots). And one pair is for what passes as formalwear for me.
dranniegray.bsky.social
Unlike DMs they are pretty much wearable out of the box. Also, they are gorgeous. And will last, as they are repairable and have decent uppers and soles. Also - there's a factory shop. Just saying. /end
dranniegray.bsky.social
Solovair (the correct spelling, oops) aka NPS shoes were founded in 1881, part of what was an enormous shoe-making industry in the area. They were the original makers of DMs when they - & the airwair sole - were invented and now that DM production has largely left the UK, make their own version 2/
dranniegray.bsky.social
One of the effects of writing The Bookshop, The Draper... is that I've become even more anti-shopping and even keener to support businesses keeping quality craftsmanship alive and doing very nice things very well. Bye bye my beloved Doc Martens, hello Solevair, based in Northamptonshire. 1/
A pair of rather spiffing brown brogued leather boots on my feet.
dranniegray.bsky.social
Oh, good call. Having just got back from Vancouver without managing to find a bloody Nanaimo bar.
dranniegray.bsky.social
Either way, clafoutis of the food of the gods and I always make a portion for 10 and then eat chunks of it cold for breakfast. I mean, it's essentially solid custard with fruit in. What's not to love?!
dranniegray.bsky.social
The two are verrrry close - my mirabelle is the classic yellow one but there are red ones. I *think* - that mirabelles tend to be sweeter. So I'd call mirabelle, but I'm much better at cooking than growing (!)

This is not unhelpful www.orangepippintrees.co.uk/trees/mirabe...
Buy mirabelle and cherry-plum trees for your garden
Mirabelles and Cherry Plums are both species of plum, mainly used in the kitchen. We can advise on all aspects of planting and growing them.
www.orangepippintrees.co.uk
dranniegray.bsky.social
All the bloody time.
Reposted by Annie Gray
culturalclare.bsky.social
A few online spaces are still available on the what can be done to help save our #pubs event.

Event is free & open to those who work in pubs, those who campaign for them, or anyone who is passionate about #pubs.

Contact me for more details
culturalclare.bsky.social
I don’t drink alcohol so why am I passionate about #ukpubs. The answer is because they provide communities with unique social spaces. They are economically, socially and culturally important. They are sites of our national and local history and heritage
dranniegray.bsky.social
Oh wow, that IS big news.