Celia Anne Constable Wakefield 1943-2026

JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: Dear readers, this is a post I never wanted to write. After a valiant 17-month fight with a particularly aggressive form of Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma, our dear Celia passed away. Her family had been with her, and friends had been visiting up until the last, sudden five days.

I'm a professional writer, but I can't find the words to say all that her friendship meant to me. I can say during the pandemic and the years afterwards, when she was unable to get out much because she was caring for her beloved Victor, this community was a Godsend. She felt she knew you, and that you knew her, and that broadened her world.  

The fact she was unable to do all the traveling (and mystery conferences) she had planned after Victor's passing leaves me more than a little bitter, and I know we don't swear on this blog, but Fuck. Cancer. It's taken far too many of the best of us.

She did make an appearance at last year's Crime Bake, and I thank everyone who helped plan her get-together, who stopped by, who hugged her and who gave her books or ARCs. (She loved getting ARCs - it made her feel like a mystery insider.) I leave you with her obituary, which I've annotated with links to some of her wonderful blog posts. Pick a recipe, invite friends over, and enjoy a meal together. That was the Celia Wakefield way.

 

 

 Celia Wakefield, of Limerick, Maine, died peacefully on June 27, 2026, at the age of 82. Born in 1943 in London, England, she was the daughter of Douglas and Patricia Constable. 

Celia led an adventurous early life. At six, she left London with her parents for Trinidad, where her father worked as an agronomist. After her sister and brother were born in 1950 and 1951, the family relocated to Ceylon. Celia returned to boarding school in the UK at 12. She rejoined her family in Ghana three years later. At 18, she moved back to London, lived on a houseboat on the Thames, and worked as a secretary at IBM, where she met Victor, her husband of 55 years. 

They married on May 23, 1969, and soon moved to New York City. They relocated to Chappaqua after their daughter, Olivia, was born in 1970 and they became U.S. citizens in 1993. 

Celia was a gifted costume maker, beginning with Olivia’s school productions and later bringing her creative talents to the Revels. She was also an accomplished cook and entrepreneur, founding The British Butler, a catering business, in the 1980s. Her smoked trout pâté was especially beloved. She loved music and dancing, spent happy summer weeks at Pinewoods Camp, and actively supported the Country Dance and Song Society (CDSS). 

In 1999, Celia and Victor retired to their home on Lake Arrowhead in Maine, where they enjoyed entertaining friends and life by the lake.
She is survived by her daughter, Olivia, and son-in-law, Ken Wechsler; grandsons, Aidan and Connor Lee; her sister, Ros Constable, and Ros’ partner, Sandra Jenner. She was predeceased by her brother, Andrew, and is survived by his wife, Tina Redge Constable, and their children, Ella and Luke Constable. 

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The Revels, Pinewoods Camp, Inc., or Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.  

Sunday Recipe: Making Durban Chicken with Celia Wakefield

JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: Are you ready for the debut (and maybe only, who knows, we'll see how it goes) of the Jungle Reds Cooking Show?!? Yes, you are! 

Today, we're in the expert hands of commenter and honorary Red Celia Wakefield, whose easy summer supper, lava cakes, and mock grilled ribs you've all enjoyed.  Celia has a knack for making elegant dishes simply and vice versa; you won't be surprised she was a professional caterer for many years.

I made a pig of myself eating Durban chicken at her house a few weeks ago, and when she volunteered to demonstrate how to make it for us al, I jumped at the chance. Durban chicken is an Indian dish from South Africa, spicy, but within British tastes, and SO moist and tender. Once you make this, you'll never roast a bird again. Celia's is a version of the classic recipe featured in Madhur Jaffrey's  From Curries to Kebabs.

 Ingredients: 
1 chicken, skinned whole (don't fret, Celia will show you how!)

For the spice sauce:
4 T lemon or lime juice
2 inches fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1t salt
1 t cumin
1 t coriander
1 T Trader Joes Chili Lime Blend (Celia uses this in everything, you just need to give in and buy some now.) 
Pepper to taste. 
2 T olive oil.






Peel the garlic cloves and ginger. Mash the garlic with the side of your knife and cube the ginger. Put all the sauce ingredients together and pour into a blender, food processor or grinding mill (Celia uses a Prep Master.) Blend until it's well-integrated. Pour it back into a bowl so it's easy to scoop up and smear on the bird.

 Now, let's get to work peeling the chicken! First the breast:




....and then the rest. Snap or cut off the ends of the wings; you can save them for stock.



After you've denuded the chicken, make three deep cuts in each breast, and also in the meaty parts of the legs. Place the bird in a tinfoil-lined pan - you're going to wrap it, so make sure you have plenty of foil!  Rub generous amounts of the spice sauce into the cuts and surrounding meat, and pour anything left on the breast.




Set the oven on 425 F. (220 C) Roll and crimp the foil, first the long way across the breast, then on each end. You're making a tight packet for the chicken to cook in - just like when you made camping food in the Girl or Boy Scouts! Bake for 1 hour.



After an hour, open the foil and baste with the juices. Try not to faint from the heavenly smell. Test if the chicken is done with a meat thermometer; if necessary, return the bird for another 15 minutes or until the interior temperature reads 150 F (75 C).



It sounds like a lot of work, but really, it worked up very quickly. Celia served the chicken sliced off the bone atop a bed of coconut rice with some seasonal veggies on the side. So good. If it weren't for the fact I want to be invited back, I would have eaten it all.

What do you think, dear readers? Will you try it? Do you have a recipe to share? And how do you like our video presentation? Should we do it again some time?

The Best of Summer Recipes from Celia Wakefield

  Hilary Flanagan, Gillian B, and Kathy Boone Reel are the winners of MURDER AT CAPE COSTUMERS! Please send Edith (edith@edithmaxwell.com) with your snail mail address to claim your book!

 

 

JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: Our dear Celia Wakefield is taking a well deserved rest, so I thought I'd share some of her best summer recipes, for you to revisit or to discover for the first time. Why Friday instead of her usual Sunday? Because it's the start of Labor Day weekend, and chances are good you'll either be entertaining or taking a dish to someone else's dinner/ cookout/ pot luck. 

All of Celia's recipes elicit ooos and aaahs and look like you worked for hours in a hot kitchen (but you won't!) And i can personally vouch for how very good everything tastes.

And if you're not part of a crowd? We've got you covered - you can relax, kick your feet up, and enjoy the last lazy days of summer with a Pimms Cup.

 

First up, a simple summer meal of marinated shrimp, green salad and a deconstructed strawberry shortcake, featuring shortbread cookies, strawberries, and - yum! - Grand Marnier. 

 

Not feeling like shellfish? Need a dish that will travel well? Not to worry, you'll be happy with the alliterative Fresh Pea Pesto for Pasta and a Fourth of July mess for pudding (or call it Red-White and Blue dessert.)  

 

If you're overloaded with gorgeous fresh tomatoes, first of all, congratulations, and secondly, the cool and easy Tomato Tonnato is made for you.  

 

Since the tonnato doesn't come pre-loaded with a dessert, why not try some British Summer Pudding, bursting with fruits and berries.  

 

And as promised, the perfect Pimms. If you make one, please raise you glass and toast the founder of all this summery goodness, our own Celia!   

Easy and Elegant Summer Supper plus Birthday Wishes!

JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: Sometime you have to entertain, even in hot weather. You want to impress your friends, but the last thing you need is to slave away for hours (or when it's really hot, minutes) in the kitchen. You could get take-away, but that's the culinary equivalent of giving someone a gift still in the bag from the store, with receipt attached.

Recently, my friends Celia and Victor Wakefield had me over for a pre-concert dinner - we were going to see the second performance of the Portland Chamber Music Festival. We had shrimp, a green salad with vinaigrette, bread, and a perfect dessert of marinated strawberries with whipped cream and shortbread cookies. It felt very posh, and when Celia - who comments here! - told me she the whole thing took about 20 minutes of oven-free preparation, I was sold. You will be, too.

Celia Wakefield's Simple Shrimp for 4

1 1/2 lb pre-cooked frozen shrimp (yes, this actually works better with the less-expensive shrimp!)

Marinade:

Large clove of garlic, chopped

4 Tbsp olive oil

2 Tbsp lemon juice 

1 tsp sweet paprika

1 tsp + Trader Joe’s chili lime seasoning, or chili to taste 

Salt to taste 

Cover a rimmed cookie sheet with foil.

Four hours or so before serving, place the frozen shrimp on the cookie sheet and spread out as much as possible.

Pour the dressing over the shrimp and mix, then cover with plastic wrap.

The shrimp can sit out if the weather isn’t too hot, or place in fridge.

Before serving put shrimp briefly under a broiler to warm.

Celia served the shrimp with bottled tartar sauce she had thinned with a dribble of water and cream (she's English...) and to which she added a shake of the Trader Joe's chili-lime mix.

Celia's Easier-Than-Strawberry-Shortcake

Strawberries

Brown sugar

Grand Marnier

Whipped cream (let's face it, homemade is best, and doesn't take too long)

Shortbread fingers straight out of the box

This is also best if started about 3-4 hours before the meal.  Sprinkle enough brown sugar to make a fine layer on a rimmed plate, then add enough Grand Marnier to create a shallow pool. 

 Slice the strawberries lengthwise and lay them cut-side down in the liquid. Cover and let rest out of the way on the counter. (If you need to keep them in the fridge, bring them up to room temperature before serving.)

You can serve it in individual bowls, or bring out the plate, the whipped cream, and the shortbread and let guests assemble for themselves.

I know many readers have been following along as I write about my kids growing, heading off to college, joining the navy and otherwise getting their start in the world. Today is a big day, because Youngest - Virginia - turns 18 and will be off to university in two weeks. Please join me in wishing her a Happy Birthday, and remind her that even though she's technically an adult, she should probably still listen to her mom.

Reflections before Resolutions: a guest post by Celia Wakefield

JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: New Year's mean resolutions. Since I've had great help with my goal-setting from Friend of the Reds Celia Wakefield, I asked her to share some techniques for discerning resolutions. "Not so fast!" she said (more or less.) Before setting goals, first you need to sit and think for a while...

New Years Resolutions

First, a happy, healthy and peaceful 2020. I am most grateful to Julia for inviting me to talk with this truly wonderful community and the talented authors whose imagination adds so much to our literary lives. No recipes today. as I am wearing a different hat;the one which won a copy of Hallie’s latest book ‘Careful What You Wish For”, all about the trials of Emily Harlow, Professional Organizer. Yes I was / am a P.O. So it is in the spirit of getting organized around new years resolutions that Julia invited me to offer some thoughts. You might say, “well why not a recipe?” Celia has good food ideas, but that is not what Julia wanted.

In the spirit of true confession I need to add that I no longer make New Years Resolutions. For several years Victor and I would meet with friends in Brooklyn, enjoy a NY Resolution brunch with great food, (there I go again) and lots of bubbles. Then we would settle to the important work of deciding what we had achieved since the last brunch and what we wanted for our futures. There were some high flying thoughts and many unacheived goals despite our efforts to live up to our picture of the perfect us.

I could offer tips and strategies such as SMART goal setting (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, Timely). It’s really more suited for sales forces. But the conversation over brunch today with my daughter (ham, veggie and cheese frittata) gave me some thoughts to share. Olivia, with her consulting and corporate background, suggested she did not like the term ‘resolution’; it's too hard, with not much maneuverability. My daughter would prefer me to reflect.

REFLECTION: A quieter, calmer process with less of the naughty or nice attached to it. This, I believe, is achievable. Consider what did I do that was really successful, fun, different? What pitfalls would I like to avoid in the future including the ones that I accidentally fell into? Did I learn from these experiences? Then there’s space to cast forward. What must be done because - write reasons -. Once the ‘must’ has been cut down to size, there is room for dreams, new experiences and projects to try. Now this may sound a lot like the old resolution thing, but I invite you to consider the how. How can also be seen as time lost or wasted. This digital age has crept into our lives, stealing attention with memes, selling stuff at bargain prices; stating that we are no longer the boss of us. As my younger grandson stated at an early verbal age, “You are not the boss of me, granny”. I can think of several things that are bossing my time, and which I probably would never miss if I was honest with myself.

Now it may be that this seems harder that just tossing out a few ‘good’ resolutions, when asked by a friend but I believe that the end result may be far more satisfactory and hopefully add joy to our lives. However I must do my due diligence first. I went to Google and found just under 200.000.000 hits. How to choose? I couldn’t even use a pin, but I was intrigued by this, written last year in The McGill Tribune: “New Month, new me: Keeping New Years resolution's for February and beyond”. First, I love the cartoon and that is what caught my attention; secondly, Jason is a student and I find it helpful to read what people a lot younger than me are thinking; usually in a new and interesting way. Then I found this fascinating header in my email: “Where Are You Still Using Single-Ply?” “Oh”, I thought, “someone sent me some knitting help”, It turned out to be more interesting than knitting, which I am unlikely to be voted most expert, evah! So I am passing it on too.

But for an easy start, here’s my reflection recipe:

INGREDIENTS: Quiet time - alone. For us New Englanders that means no trying to write while watching the Pats edge their way to their XXXX Super Bowl.

Pen and paper; a tablet is allowed for dates or searches within reason. Don’t get distracted.

METHOD: Block out quiet time, sit comfortably with space to write. While the PC is the best invention to come into my left handed life, I find that lists and thoughts are best done by hand which engages a different area of the brain.

Don’t try to organize thoughts, jot them down as they flow. Reflection allows that changes are part of the process.

Don’t take too long unless you are really getting somewhere. If the muse won’t play the first time around, try later, but do give yourself a deadline to at least achieve some thoughts.

Let us know how it goes and along with that I would be happy to be in touch with anyone who wants to explore this further with me. Please email me at wakefieldpro at gmail dot com.

JULIA: Pen and paper out? Good. Tomorrow we have the marvelous J.P. Smith as our guest with his psychological thriller IF SHE WERE DEAD, and the day after that, Saturday, we're going to share our resolutions for 2020! In the meantime - do you like reflecting on yourself? Do you find it stimulating, thought-provoking, or scary? Do you have suggestions you can add to Celia's? Let us know in the comments.

Millionaire Pie and Apple Mint Chutney, a recipe repeat with Celia Wakefield

Our dear Celia was working on a fascinating blog for us, when, unfortunately, her health intervened.  Instead, I'm rerunning our only previous April recipe, from 2024. This is also the only time I made something from my own - well, my grandmother's - recipe. Dear readers, if you could have seen the look of horror on Celia's face when I pulled out canned pineapple chunks and bottled marischino cherries (I don't think she had ever seen one except in a cocktail. When I popped open the Kool Whip, I thought she was going to faint.

I hope you enjoy this blast from the past - I promise, the pie tastes great! - and please keep our friend in your thoughts.

 

Millionaire Pie and Apple Mint Chutney, or, Celia and Julia's Easter Treats

JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: This remembrance and recipe by our own Celia Wakefield starts in the past - Thursday, April 4th, when most of our state was without power. I got mine back by Saturday, but poor Celia went for six days without exterior power (she and Victor sensibly have a wired-in generator) and a full week without internet! Which has nothing to do with the substance of today's post, other than to show she's a trooper.

 

 

 

This may be THE bright spot of Thursday, April 4, writing to you, my dear JRW community, as we are being blanketed with snow and the power lines, internet etc have all surrendered. My bright spot is that I still have a working generator and my computer is fired up. 

 

First my thanks to Julia’s graciousness in inviting me. Any comments? Please address them to Julia, ha, ha. But we are snowbound, power denied and WiFi too. Oh we so rely on our link in the ether to the world. But for those of you writers with no power, I hope you are writing as the authors of old with pen/pencil and paper to give you that nostalgic view point.

I had big plans for what I could bring to Julia’s Easter luncheon, which would also give me a great recipe for the Sunday blog. But alas the rhubarb was covered by feet of snow etc. so that will have to wait until another time. However, Julia decided to make her favorite dessert. 

 

As many of you may know, Julia and Ross gave great parties. This was confirmed by a dear friend at Ross’s funeral who spoke eloquently saying that Ross and Julia would be counted on to be late for most things but never for a party. Aren’t those words to live? Though I was injected with the punctuality vaccine when born, and I do wonder sometimes, was punctuality a gift? Or a curse? 

However back to the Hugo-Vidal party train. This year Julia was hosting her annual Easter Luncheon which had been on a part-time hiatus over the past several years. She was kind enough to invite us and as I have access to locally raised lamb, I brought the lamb. There was a ham, scalloped potatoes, southern style sweet potatoes but without marshmallows in them, plus more asparagus than I have seen outside the supermarket and a HUGE salad made by another guest. I am sorry I didn’t take photos. 

I made apple and mint chutney to accompany the roast lamb, which I had covered with a fresh breadcrumb, garlic, herb and butter paste. I spread this mix over the large lamb leg, weighing five and a half pounds, and roasted it on 325F to an interior reading of 145 degrees in the thickest part. 

 

But the piece de resistance was Julia’s dessert. She made her southern grandmother’s recipe for Millionaire's Pie. She actually made it here in my kitchen and for once I was videographer which was fun. Julia’s grandmother would sing old Baptist hymns while mixing and Julia treated us to a few lines which she may or mayn’t share. I hope she does. (ed. note: she does.)

Now I was very interested in the Millionaire’s Pie as this is a truly American dessert and I can’t think of anything like it when I grew up. But there was one ingredient that was very popular in my family - condensed milk. Yes that small can or tin, if I’m talking, full of a creamy sugary sticky confection just asking, begging in fact, for you to grab a spoon and tuck in. At least that’s what I believed as a child  monitoring my mothers strange addiction to condensed milk. 

 

 

 

My mother was enamored, or perhaps in undying love with condensed milk. Sugar was rationed in the U.K. during the Second World War and for several years after. Coupons for sugar were guarded jealously and spent with careful consideration. So my mum and her best friend, my godmother, Auntie Winifred, would hoard their coupons and when they had enough to splurge, would buy a tin of condensed milk and sit with a spoon each taking turn and turn about until satiated. 

 

My mum's favorite afternoon snack throughout her life, was to keep a tin of condensed milk in the fridge handy for a small snack, think Winnie the Pooh size. Woe beware any of us who helped ourselves too liberally from her tin. I think that Julia’s pie would have been most popular with my mum. In fact, I wonder whether she ever tasted it when she visited the United States in the thirties. Her hostess, a close friend of my grandmother, was southern and I know they spent time in the South. I am sure she would have loved the pie as did all of us.

 

Now I can’t hand over for Julia to add the millionaires recipe without adding my recipe for easy Apple and Mint Chutney which is at the end of Julia’s delicious dessert. 

JULIA: Surprise! It's me with a recipe! As with all my faves, this is fast, easy and made with pantry (and freezer) basics. My grandmother Spencer used to make this pie when I was a kid, and it's replete with '60s no-bake goodness. You'll notice all the ingredients are straight from the Space Age kitchen; all convenience, very little nature. I think this may be the first time in her life Celia's had Cool Whip. 

 

Whether you call it Million Dollar Pie, Millionaire Pie or Millionaire's Pie, this classic southern icebox dessert will take you back to Sunday dinner at Maw Maw and Paw Paw's house - with the bonus that it still stays cool while Paw Paw goes on and on with the blessing.

INGREDIENTS

1 graham cracker crust, store-bought or homemade. Celia and I made ours, but you probably already have a recipe for this three-ingredient crust, so I'm not adding it here. If you make your own, chill for 15 minutes before adding the pie filling.

1 15.5oz can crushed pineapple, VERY well drained. If you're not a Baptist,         use the juice for a Pina Colada later.

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1 cup sweet flaked coconut

1 cup Maraschino cherries, chopped, plus some for garnish

1/2 cup chopped pecans

5 T lemon juice - very important to help firm the pie up 

1 1/2 cup Cool Whip - this is half the usual size container

optional - 1 T cherry juice, if you want a more pink pie

 

 

INSTRUCTIONS

 

In a large bowl, combine well the drained pineapple (as dry as you can get it,) the condensed milk, the coconut, chopped cherries and chopped pecans. Add the lemon juice (Maw Maw used the little plastic lemon for hers) and, if you prefer the color, the cherry juice. Gently fold in the Cool Whip.

Pile it in the graham cracker crust and slide it into the fridge for at least an hour. It can be made up to a day ahead. Garnish with halved pecans, and/or Maraschino cherries, or, it the pastor's coming to dinner, pipe on whipped cream and sprinkle with toasted coconut.

CELIA: Apple and Mint Chutney

Chutney is usually thought of as an accompaniment to Indian foods. But in the UK it was also a way to preserve damaged or bruised fruit which was not good enough for jam or for the table. It was eaten with cold meats or in sandwiches. I love a cheese and chutney sandwich on good bread. My Constance Spry Book says “The prescription is fruit or vegetables, sugar, vinegar and flavoring ingredients . . .”, Spry also recommends using a wooden spoon to stir.  So your chutney might have garlic or ginger, and mustard seed, chilies are another favorite. The seasoning is your choice and this recipe is my choice.

Recipe makes approximately 4 Cups 

3-4# Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and chopped 

2 large onions (I like sweet onions), peeled and chopped small

4 Cups good vinegar (I used apple cider and Braggs mixed)

1# approx brown sugar 

1Tbsp ginger

1tsp cloves

Use other spices such as nutmeg or even cardamom if preferred

1/4 Cup chopped fresh mint

• Choose a large heavy pan (not cast iron as that may react with the vinegar). I used a stainless Dutch oven with a heavy base which helps the long slow cook process. No lid needed, it’s all about the slow evaporation of the fruits and veggies
• Add the chopped onions with 2 cups of the vinegar, stir intermittently, and cook over a low heat.
• Once the vinegar is heated, add the apples with the spices (not the mint) and an additional 1 cup vinegar if needed. Cook on low, stirring often so that nothing sticks on the bottom. 
• Measure the 3/4 of the sugar into a bowl and pour 1 cup vinegar over to help melting.
• After the sugar has cooked in, taste to see if it is sweet enough. 
• Once the apples are softened add the sugar, stirring well to mix all ingredients and keeping the heat low.
• It will cook for another 2 to 3 hours to reach a consistency of jam or good yogurt. Look for the liquid to be almost completely steamed away. 
• But if you’re planning to keep the chutney for a period. (For example to give as holiday gifts). Leave the mixture with a little liquid as it does dry out over time and become more solid. 
• Also follow good practices for bottling and keep it refrigerated once opened. 

This was so easy to make I am wondering why I haven’t done it more recently. I hope you enjoy it with some delicious cold meat or in a good veggie sandwich. Or my all time fav cheese and chutney sandwiches which is very popular pub fare and forms the basis for a ploughmans lunch.

Celia Wakefield's Lava Cakes

 JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: As many of you know, our dear Celia is in treatment for cancer, which means at times she's not feeling up to writing. (I often feel that way, and I don't even have any health excuse!) We're just after Valentines Day, and Fat Tuesday will be here in just a few days, so I went back into the archives to bring up a rich, indulgent, chocolate recipe, perfect for rounding out a romantic interlude or celebrating before the start of Lent. 

I hope you'll enjoy this rerun, and be inspired to tackle these delicious Lava Cakes. I'm sure Celia will be popping into the comments if she has the energy, so feel free to leave her a message!

 

 

You may remember Celia's delicious, impressive and easy summer dinner. Her lava cakes are the same way. It's a scrumptious 'restaurant' kind of dessert, but it turns out the only special thing you need to have on hand is not that special - individual ramekins. I got a set of six for $6 at Dollar  Tree, and you can probably find deals as good at the Christmas Tree Store. (Why do they have so much stuff unrelated to Christmas? I have no idea. But I've found it's a great place for low-cost glassware and, surprisingly, lamps.)

Celia suggests doing each step all the way through, and don't try to do more than one  thing at a time. To that I can add, focus, focus, focus. The second time she made this when I was a dinner guest, I was in the kitchen "helping" (ie, we were both talking nonstop and enjoying rather stiff drinks) and the inner part of the cake didn't remain gushy. This is a recipe that demands strict attention to the measurements and mixing. Celia is British, so she even includes grams for our Canadian and continental readers.

Molten Chocolate Lava Cakes For Two

These Molten Chocolate Lava Cakes for Two are the perfect small batch dessert! These lava cakes are incredibly easy to make and ready in less than 30 minutes. I found that the mix would fill three ramekins and still be a good size. This recipe can be doubled for 6 people.

 Prep Time10 minutes

 Cook Time  10 -14 minutes (at 10 minutes start checking)

INGREDIENTS

1/4 cup (60 grams) unsalted butter
2 ounces semi-sweet or bitter chocolate chips

1/2 cup (60 grams) powdered sugar
1 large egg
1 egg yolk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup (32 grams) all-purpose flour - spoon out then level
1/2 teaspoon instant espresso powder (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Spray two or three 6-ounce ramekins well with nonstick cooking spray and place on a baking sheet. Set aside.

Cut the butter into pieces, and add with the chocolate to a large microwave safe bowl (Pyrex or other glass works well).

Microwave in 30 second increments, making sure to stir well after each increment, until melted and smooth. (Do not over cook, recommend taking out after 30 seconds and working the chocolate into the butter with a spatula. It’s a better result for the chocolate).

Whisk the powdered sugar  into the chocolate / butter mixture until well combined.  Mix the eggs and vanilla together, then fold gently into the chocolate mixture until  combined.

Fold in the flour and espresso powder gently; do NOT over mix the batter. Evenly divide the batter between the prepared ramekins.

Bake at 425° for 12-14 minutes or until the edges are firm and the center is slightly soft (the center should look soft and won’t rise). 

Remove from the oven and allow to stand for a minute. Cover the ramekin with a small plate or bowl and invert. Careful, the ramekin is very hot. Add whipped cream or ice cream, serve, and enjoy!

Spicy Tomato Coconut Soup by Celia Wakefield

JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: Once again, Sunday means our own Celia Wakefield, here with a tale of her brush with royalty, and a delicious, warming soup for a cold February night.

 

Here I am on Valentine’s Day thinking of all the delicious things that can be made from chocolate. My hope is that you haven’t finished your lovely box of chocs yet. As I age I find that stretching out the pleasure becomes a pleasure in itself, so I shall be miserly with my box and enjoy its delights very slowly. 

Having tempted your taste buds, I need to confess I have not made a chocolate recipe this time; but while we are on the subject of chocolate, did you know that Ghana is the world's second-largest cocoa-producing country? (Côte d'Ivoire is the largest).  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I was sixteen when the Duke of Edinburgh (married to Queen Elizabeth II) came to visit Ghana and declare open the University of Ghana where my father worked. The University had been open for many years, but had been accredited to the University of London for the degrees bestowed. Now London had accepted their academic standards were comparable to London University and therefore Ghana could grant their own degrees. The buzz in town was HRH’s visit and the Convocation in the new hall atop Lagon Hill. I was very excited, as my father had a ticket for me as well as for my mum. I had a new dress and a hat, of course. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We arrived in the forecourt to see several Chiefs, dressed in kente cloth robes, seated on their ‘stools’ with their courts around them. We found our seats in the hall and waited. Finally the academic procession with HRH arrived with ceremony and after the usual introductions the Duke rose to address us. He cast a careful and deliberate look around the new hall, and said, “Isn’t it a good thing that the world loves chocolate.” 

 

 

Much applause. I have no photos from the event unfortunately. Imagine how his remark would be received today with everyone reporting on Social Media.

Now before I go further, I have a book to give away. Decluttering is one of my goals for 2024, and I have started. Slowly but determined is me. Finding I have two copies of Ruth Reichl’s memoir of her time at Gourmet magazine, Save Me the Plums, it seemed the right thing to offer it to you all. If you missed it, the title alone makes one want to open the book, and the poem in the frontispiece by William Carlos Williams draws one further in. I have loved Ruth Rechl’s writing ever since I picked up Tender at the Bone, and was fascinated by her stories of her mother. Ruth’s tenure as Editor at Gourmet ran the gamut from great successes, through witnessing the collapse of the Twin Towers to the unexpected closure of Gourmet Magazine. It’s a great story. The copy that’s up for grabs is signed by Ruth. I didn’t mention that did I?

But what about the recipe you cry. Where’s my soup? Soup has certainly been our go to as the recent temperature in Maine fluctuates greatly. This is another grab what you have and cook with very few weights and measures. A few weeks ago I found Roma tomatoes in the local supermarket. I know they are wonderful for sauce so I bought a dozen home and thought, now what? I hope you will try my tomato, coconut soup with shrimp, or chicken or whatever takes your fancy.

Ingredients and Directions for my tomato, coconut soup with shrimp:

Preliminary directions:

I cut the tomatoes in half, drizzled them with olive oil fairly liberally and roasted with sliced onions and garlic in a low oven, 325F degrees for about an hour and a half till they were jammy in texture. 

I left the veggies to cool then put them through a food mill. See the photo of the amount of lovely tomato left on the underside of the plate to be scraped off into a measuring bowl.

Ingredients:

1 medium onion chopped in small pieces

 

Seasonings: I know several of you have spoken about my recipes which use curry spices. So does this one, but I see no reason to use other seasoning that is enjoyed by your family. Taco or barbecue seasonings, Old Bay or other mixes. Use and adjust to your preferred taste.

I am using a Patak Tikkka Masala Spice Mixture which contains: turmeric, paprika, canola oil, salt, corn flour, tamarind paste, cumin, fenugreek, cilantro. But for the future and my very low salt eating, I shall make up my own masala mix as I have all the spices in house, but the spice mix 

is convenient which is what the soup is all about.

 

2 Tbsp Masala spice mix

1 Tbsp pink garlic powder

1 Tbsp spanish paprika

 

1 cup tomato mix, see above or use a cup of drained canned pureed chopped tomatoes

2 Tbsp tomato paste

2 Tbsp red miso mixed into 3 Cups of water or salt free stock

1 can unsweetened Coconut cream (I bought sweetened coconut cream in error it tasted really good and Julia loved it. But if one is trying to watch calories unsweetened would be best).

1 can Coconut milk

 

1-2 Cups small frozen shrimp or cooked chicken, tofu, whatever protein you enjoy

2 Tbsp Oil, Canola or Safflower 

Directions:

Heat the oil in your soup pan to medium (I use a Le Creuset dutch oven)

 

Add spices including the garlic powder and saute gently

 

Add onion pieces and cook till translucent

 

With the heat on low add the tomatoes and saute mixing everything well

 

Add the tomato paste and taste to see if more seasoning is needed

 

Add the water and miso paste and cook gently

 

Add the Coconut cream and milk and stir to mix well

 

As it comes to a gentle boil, cook for a couple of minutes

 

Taste for seasonings again

 

Add the shrimp and bring to a gentle boil checking that the shrimp are cooked

Serve to appreciative guests with some bread for mopping up.