A fruit and nut case.

I've had a bit of a nutty weekend. I'm going through a cupcake phase at the moment. I know, I know I should have moved on to Whoopie pies by now but I'm a sucker for a patterned cake case and I have a cupboard full of them to use up.

As it's Autumn I decided on apple and hazelnut cupcakes. Full of apple puree with home made shards of hazelnut praline on top they were a fantastic antidote to the huge quantities of food I consumed at a Diwali banquet on Saturday evening.

Still on the fruit and nut vein, and as a direct result of my self inflicted gluttony on Saturday salads are in order for the next few days. Waldorf salads all round. I might just have to have a square of fruit and nut for afters though!

Fawlty Towers (Series 1 1975, Series 2 1979)

Waldorf salad

“I think we’re just out of Waldorfs.”

Some of you may find this hard to believe but in the days before t’internet finding an hotel for the night involved trips to the library, membership of a motoring organisation and long distance phone calls made before 5pm, as the receptionist went home then.

Mr and Mrs Hamilton faced exactly this dilemma when booking a night at Fawlty Towers. Add to this the American couple’s expectations of customer service, the fact that it actually existed for a start, and you know Basil is due for a spectacular meltdown with Sybil willingly fanning the flames.

Service at dinner had been fraught, the prawns were off and the chef had to leave for a date at 9pm. Basil’s truculent nature wasn’t about to let these Americans swan in and order food just because they had had a long journey and were hungry. Couple with this the fact that Basil has no idea how to make the dishes and drinks they order and he wasn’t in the mood for a cooking lesson from foreigners!

Mr Hamilton kindly lists the ingredients for us should we wish to recreate the dish. As for the steaks, the screwdrivers and the tale of the ten taxis then perhaps you had better watch the episode to find out if they ever did get that meal. You also get a bonus recipe, for a Ritz salad but surprisingly as it was an invention of Basil’s own there were very few takers.

Mise en scene

1 tart red apple cored and chopped

1 tart green apple cored and chopped

1 handful of walnut halves

6 sticks of celery chopped

1 handful seedless grapes, halved

2 tablespoons of good mayonnaise

Lemon juice

Salt and pepper

Its all in the edit….

1. Check the kitchen cupboards are you lucky, do you have Waldorfs?

2. Core and chop the apples into bite sized chunks. Place them in a bowl and squeeze over some lemon juice. Toss the apple pieces well in this juice as it will prevent the apple from browning before it is eaten

3. Add in the mayonnaise, the chopped celery and halved grapes. Combine well and make sure all the ingredients get a little slick of mayonnaise.

4. Scatter over the walnuts giving them one quick turn around in the bowl. I like my walnuts to remain reasonable mayo free but it’s up to you.

5. Taste and season, this will depend on the tartness of the apples and also the seasoning already in the mayonnaise.

6. Serve with a screwdriver, a steak and a large side of animosity courtesy of your host.

Voiceover

Mr and Mrs Hamilton had to settle for vodka and freshly unscrewed or even ring pulled orange juice, it was the 70’s remember. A decent screwdriver is 1 part good vodka to 4 parts freshly squeezed orange juice. Have a nice day!