My life on a plate: Mary Berry

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Posted at 11:07AM, 19 August 2011 by Caroline Hire - Food editor, bbcgoodfood.com

Great British Bake Off judge Mary Berry talks to us about her earliest food memory, best-loved cookbook and what she'd do if she had her time again...

My earliest food memory is keeping hens. I can remember collecting eggs and mum saying, 'Shall we make a pudding?', picking apples for it and making Eve's Pudding. With children I believe in making things that they enjoying eating, they can lick the mixture and get their hands in. I used to do a lot of cooking with my mum.

I'm a great one for knowing the seasons and buying within the seasons. It's so difficult for people now when they go to the supermarket and produce is available all year round.

If I was on a desert island I would take full advantage of all the fish and I would serve it very simply. I'd hope there'd be a bit of butter about. Butter, lemon and fish go well together, with a dash of black pepper.

I don't like gnocchi. I avoid it like the plague. I find it very stodgy and horrible.

My guilty pleasure is my breakfast. I have the very best bread - Paul Hollywood's seeded loaf - a thick slice, lots of unsalted butter and homemade marmalade. I always feel guilty that I ought be to be having something better for me.

My secret ingredient - which no one will like - is gravy browning. When you're making gravy or a sauce and you want it just a shade darker and you haven't time to brown something or your stock is a weak colour, a little browning perks its up. My family will say how rich, dark and delicious it is!

My most-thumbed cookbook is Rosemary Hume's Cordon Bleu Cookery. When I first started out having just qualified - I did a catering and teaching qualification - that was my reference book, it's quite long-winded but gives the correct method.

If I had my time again I'd be involved in gardening. Once the children left home I started to re-plan my garden, take an interest in it, improve it and now I'm besotted. It's a huge relaxation. I enjoy trying to get colour in the garden. I want something to pick all year round and I've just about achieved it.

You can see Mary on Great British Bake Off now showing on BBC2, on Tuesday at 8pm.
Her new book Mary Berry's Family Sunday Lunches is coming out on September 1st, 2011.

Comments

Linda

21 August 2011, 12:03PM
Linda

I watched the T V programme and enjoyed it but try as I might I can't come to terms with putting buttercream in a battenberg cake. Buttercream and marzipan togther!just the thought of it makes me feel ill.

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hadassah

25 August 2011, 7:49AM
hadassah

Love the bake off. Zillions of new baking tricks to learn. Love it.

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sweettreat

25 August 2011, 4:25PM
sweettreat

I love the bake off. I have only recently gotten into baking and i love it!

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Goodfood

27 August 2011, 9:51PM
Goodfood

Tarte au citreon..my favourite..was lovely to see this dish on the programme

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Nora

30 August 2011, 9:29PM
Nora

The bakeoff is amazing. I'm working my way through the recipes!

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port picks

31 August 2011, 11:30PM
port picks

I'm really enjoying the series, from the presenters to contestants! loved the bread baskets and variety of flavourings!

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LouiseV

21 September 2011, 6:36PM
LouiseV

I have 2 Mary Berry cook books and find them the best and most acurate recipies i have ever tried. These books are so well used that the covers have disappeared and all the pages are loose, which is a good excuse to buy another. Mary has the best straight forward and easiest recipies to follow but the result looks very professional. Her books are a must.

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Claire

27 September 2011, 12:08PM
Claire

My very first cookbook was a Mary Berry. Even though my shelves are now groaning with different books, I still go back to my trusted Mary Berry! p.s totally agree about gnocchi - bleugh.

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sunshine-fairy

31 October 2011, 4:46PM
sunshine-fairy

Gosh, nothing wrong with a bit of gravy browning, especially if the gravy already tastes wonderful despite a lack of colour. I find a teaspoon of bovril does much the same thing and adds a tiny bit of extra flavour too.

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