It's all in the detail, they say. And when it comes to food appearing in fiction I couldn't agree more.
Take Wickham Hall (Part 3) by Cathy Bramley. As you know I'm a huge fan of Cathy's writing. And there is a scene within this ebook serial which perfectly encapsulates why.
Holly and Ben are getting on well. Well, when I say that, I mean Ben has gone off painting leaving Holly to run the marketing department on her own. Then Ben returns and he takes Holly out on a date. On this date there are canapés. Beautiful miniature Yorkshire pudding canapés. (I mean, that's my type of canapé. You can keep your foie gras and caviar. Give me a Yorkshire pudding any day.)
And it's just not a Yorkshire pudding canapé. As Cathy describes: "Each Yorkshire pudding has a wafer-thin curl of roast beef in the centre…" Holly hasn't eaten in ages. They are too much to resist. Yum, she thinks, as she pops one in her mouth. She takes a second one from the waiter before her brain has registered what else is in the canapé. Her eyes start watering.
Then follows a beautiful scene of misunderstandings which I won't spoil for you by describing here. All started by a simple Yorkshire pudding.
Now I'm with James Martin when it comes to Yorkshire pudding. No faffing, no bits of this or bits of that. Just flour, salt, milk and eggs. This is his recipe.
To make canapés you need a bun tin with as many holes as possible. I have a 24 hole bun tin (or mini muffin tin) which is perfect.
Make half of James Martin's recipe (half pint milk, 100g flour and 4 eggs). Put the fat in the holes and pop in the oven to get nice and hot. Pour in the batter and cook at 200 fan for ten minutes then turn down to 170 fan for about eight minutes. Add thin pieces of beef and some hidden mustard or horseradish. You know, just to startle your guests.