It’s not often that a man of my advancing years gets the opportunity to go all quivery of knee but last night was onesuch, You see, I got to meet a real-life star of the airwaves, Bidisha.
Her BBC World Service programme The Word has a global listenership of 95 million people. Yes you did read that correctly. 95 million. And as if that wasn’t enough she also presents BBC Radio 3’s Nightwaves that will be featuring co-blogger Suzi Feay in the very near future. In addition to her broadcasting career she has also written the novels Seahorses and Too Fast To Live and was one of this years judges for the Orange Prize for Fiction.
But those are only her day jobs, for Bidisha has a secret talent that was only revealed last night in the green room of the London Literature Festival.
When Antonio, our superb green room waiter, came around with dainty little meringues on a tray with a bowl of cream and fruit puree and then spooned the mixture onto the crisp little peaks as we took them, someone – possibly Rachel Holmes or Rosie Goldsmith or Suzi Feay – said “Oooh look, it’s like Eton Mess… but without the mess.” Quick as a flash someone else – possibly me, possibly not – then said “So Eton Tidy then.”
A mild titter wafted around the table and just as all was about to become tumbleweed silent it was Bidisha who, with a calm, considered tone, looked up and said “Eton Neat, I think you’ll find.”
Now that’s talent. That’s what gets you 95 million listeners. In fact that what gets you 95 million listeners and a grey haired, literary chair as a fan. Damn she’s good.
Eton Mess Recipe
Ingredients: STRAWBERRIES, CREAM AND MERINGUES
(Serves 4 to 6)
Preparation time: 10 mins
800g fresh ripe strawberries
Kirsch, berry liqueur or Cointreau to taste
1 tbsp icing sugar, sifted
200g fresh cream for whipping
200g thick Greek-style yoghurt
6 plain meringues or meringue shells
METHOD
Wash and dry the strawberries and then hull them, cut in half or into thick slices. Place all but 200g of strawberries in a bowl and sprinkle with 2tbsp of liqueur. Dust with icing sugar and chill for an hour or two. Whizz the remaining 200g of berries into a purée, adding a dash of liqueur to taste, and chill.
Whip the cream lightly, fold in the yoghurt, and chill. Crush the meringues into bite-sized pieces and when you are ready to serve, gently toss the cream, meringue and strawberries and pile the lot into a glass bowl. Drizzle with the strawberry purée. Toss once and then serve.
Filed under: London Literature Festival 2009 | Tagged: Antonio, Bidisha, Eton Mess, Rosie Goldsmith, Strawberries and Cream, Suzi Feay | Leave a Comment »