Mother's Day: Mary Poppins in the Kitchen

By JULIETTE ROSSANT As Mother's Day approaches, it is good to know that Mary Poppins is in the kitchen. No, not the Julie Andrews' character in the 1964 movie, but P.L. Travers ' Mary Poppins in the Kitchen: A Cookery Book with a Story (Harcourt, 1975, redesign 2006). The story starts with the cook receiving a letter that her sister's four children have the measles and announcing she has to leave to help. The housekeeper, Ellen is sick with a cold, and Mr. and Mrs. Banks are supose to leave for a week's stay in Brighton. That leaves industrious Mary Poppins to save the day, with the help of the four of the five Banks children, (little Annabel eats barley sugar in her high chair) and their neighbors and Mary's relatives. On the first day, Monday, Mary gives practical advice and dispenses invaluable rules when the occasion call for it: "Where shall we begin?" said Jane. "At the beginning," said Mary Poppins. "First of all wash your hands, and then you remember three useful things. Always let me switch on the stove, keep away from steaming kettles, and never use the sharper knives unless I am standing by." (p. 12) The children help by mixing dough for gingerbread cookies from a recipe by neighbor Mrs. Corry, while a roast beef and Yorkshire pudding cook in the oven, a glorious British meal. The following day, the children along with Admiral Boom make Shepherd's Pie (which uses the remains of the roast beef) along with carrots, mashed potatoes, and an apple charlotte. The Admiral helps the children make the Shepherd's Pie while singing to them: There we are, that's all shipshape. We'll screw the machine to the edge of the table and chop up the meat and put it in. Follow the fleet and fly with me, Far away to the foaming sea (p. 17) Mary Poppins dishes out more aphorisms and then invites the Admiral to stay to eat, which he does, and he leaves wearing the cook's apron. Characters familiar to children from the movie, like Cousin Arthur and the Bird Woman (who brings breadcrumbs for a bread sauce, and herbs for a roast chicken) make appearances to help cook and eat the dinners and picnics. The second half of the book is Mary Poppins' Cookery Book from A to Z (p. 39). There are wonderful British nursery recipes with prosaic names like Kings' or Twelth Night Cake (p. 55), Lancashire Hot Pot (p. 56), and Very Plain Cake (p. 71). Start a perfect Mother's Day tradition by reading this book to a child and then go make a meal together, just as Mary does. Previous articles: Mother's Day: Perry's Mother's Day Gift: Finding Betty Crocker [Kids Cookbook Reviews - complete] [Cookbook Reviews - complete] Technorati Tags: superchefblog, Juliette Rossant, super chef, celebrities, chefs, food, restaurants, cooking, branding, cuisine, blogging, food blogging, Mary Poppins --> back to Super Chef