Betty Neels and ebooks

Yes, I love the feel of a paperback book.
I loooove seeing stacks of books all around me.
It's my idea of interior design (I think bookstores are beautiful!).....but I hate, hate, hate moving books!!! Take it from someone who has moved numerous times.....books are darned heavy!!

So, when ebooks came out ....well, I was a mite resistant at first....I mean, the first thing I thought of was a future with NO PAPER BOOKS (shudder) only digital readers and such.
The thought was and is horrifying!
But..... I admit it , I finally broke down and bought an ereader and I LOVE it!!!!
Oh, the joy of carrying hundreds of books with me wherever I go.....oooooo...it just gives me a thrill :-D
Did I mention that my new cell phone has a Mobipocket Reader app??? Whooohooo....54 books on the cell phone....Life is Good!!!

Anyhoo, my fellow Betty lovers, of course, I had to have my Betty's in eformat.
I am happy to say that you can find Betty's books at a number of ebook sellers. The prices are vary reasonable. The most expensive ebook was $3.99.

Diesel eBook Store carries 27 Betty titles. Their books are available in a variety of formats Mobipocket, Adobe PDF, Palm, Microsoft Reader and ePub.

Barnes and Noble also has 27 Betty's available for their NOOK book.

And Amazon carries , take a guess, yep, 27 Betty books for their Kindle.

And, yes...again, they seem to be the SAME 27 books.

While I appreciate the fact that they have ANY Betty Neels available as ebooks, you would think that they could come up with a little more variety.

And I am not even going to mention the fact....hmmm.... apparently I am going to mention it.... that Ms. Betty wrote 134 books!!!  Yet, they only carry 27.... amazing!

But, looking on the bright side, at least they have a few of them and maaaaaaybe someday, if we're good,  they will come out with all 134 books!

Sigh.... a woman can dream.......

What the heck is an Aga?

from  Only By Chance

He had inherited the house from her, and had altered nothing save to have some unobtrusive modernising of the kitchen. He disliked central heating, but the house was warm; the Aga in the kitchen never went out and there were fires laid in every room, ready to be lighted.

Okay, was it just me? or did others wonder.....What the heck is an Aga? Betty mentions Agas in a number of books and while I figured out generally that it was a type of stove, I eventually had to go look it up.
Sooooo, for anyone that has been wondering, check out these pics and links....and of course, there's a Youtube vid!

According to Wiki:
The AGA cooker is a stored-heat stove and cooker invented in 1929 by the Nobel Prize-winning Swedish physicist Gustaf Dalén (1869–1937

How an Aga Works ...

More Aga info and pics...

A Valentine for Daisy

A delicious excerpt from A Valentine for Daisy ( in this case the valentine happens to be the doctor whose first name is actually Valentine)

Presently Trim led her to the table. At the sight of the damask and silver and crystal, for all the world as though the table had been decked out for a dinner-party, Daisy exclaimed,`Oh, but you shouldn't have gone to all this trouble! I could have had something on a tray.'`The doctor wished it, miss,' said Trim, `and I must add it is a pleasure for us. Mrs Trim has cooked a meal which she hoped you will enjoy.'He disappeared and returned presently with vichyssoise soup, and Daisy's small nose wrinkled at its delicious aroma. It tasted good too-this wasn't something out of a tin, it was the real thing, made with cream and eggs and chicken stock nicely mingled with the creamed leeks. It was followed by a perfectly grilled sole, sauted potatoes and braised celery, and when Trim offered her white wine she accepted, quite carried away by the unexpectedness of it all.

`Mrs Trim's special sweet,' murmured Trim, removing her empty plate and offering a chestnut snuffle with chocolate cream, `and I shall serve your coffee in the drawing-room, Miss Pelham.'

When she hesitated again he added, `The doctor hoped that you would keep Belle company for a little while.'
`Well, just for a short time,' said Daisy, `and do please thank Mrs Trim for that delicious meal.'

 Hmmm....I wonder if that was a typo? Anyone ever heard of a Chestnut Snuffle?????
This recipe for Chestnut Souffle with Bittersweet Chocolate Sauce is as close as I could get to the dessert that Betty mentioned. It sounds delicious although I'm not sure I want to tackle a souffle.
Both recipes were found at Epicurious.com
(Psssst! if you click the highlighted words Vichyssoise Soup, they will take to a previous post with three recipes.) Happy Valentine's Day!!

• 1 7.25-to 7.41-ounce jar whole steamed chestnuts or vacuum-packed roasted chestnuts*
• 2 tablespoons water
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature, divided
• 1/4 cup sugar (for coating soufflé dish) plus 14 tablespoons sugar, divided
• 2 cups whole milk, divided
• 4 large egg yolks
• 3 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons Armagnac, Cognac, or other brandy
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup egg whites (about 8 large)
• 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar

Preparation

Blend chestnuts, 2 tablespoons water, and 1 tablespoon butter in processor until paste forms. Transfer mixture to small bowl. 

DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate.

Coat inside of 14-cup soufflé dish (about 8 1/4 inches wide and 3 3/4 inches deep) with remaining 2 tablespoons butter. Sprinkle dish with 1/4 cup sugar and tilt to coat bottom and sides evenly.

Whisk 1/4 cup milk, egg yolks, 4 tablespoons sugar, cornstarch, and salt in medium bowl to blend. Bring remaining 13/4 cups milk and 4 tablespoons sugar to simmer in heavy large saucepan. Gradually whisk hot milk mixture into yolk mixture. Return custard to same pan. Stir over medium heat until custard thickens and boils, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Add chestnut paste, Armagnac, and vanilla and whisk to blend well (some small pieces of chestnut paste will remain).

DO AHEAD: Soufflé base can be made 2 hours ahead. 

Press plastic wrap onto surface; let stand at room temperature.

Position rack just below center of oven and preheat to 400°F. Beat egg whites and cream of tartar in large bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining 6 tablespoons sugar, beating until stiff but not dry. Fold whites into soufflé base in 3 additions. Transfer batter to prepared dish. Place souffléon small baking sheet. 

DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 hour ahead; let stand at room temperature. Bake soufflé until puffed and just firm to touch in center, about 50 minutes. Serve immediately with sauce. 

* Peeled cooked chestnuts; sold at some supermarkets and at specialty foods stores.

Bittersweet Chocolate Sauce

• 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• 1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
• 2 tablespoons Armagnac, Cognac, or other brandy
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

Preparation

Combine chocolate and butter in medium metal bowl. 

Place bowl over saucepan of simmering water; stir until melted and smooth. Remove from over water.

Bring cream to simmer in small saucepan; gently stir into chocolate. 

Add Armagnac, vanilla, and salt and stir to blend.

DO AHEAD: Can be made 3 days ahead. Cool, cover, and chill. Rewarm over low heat before using.

Treacle, Treacle Little Tart.....about the frequently mentioned dessert in Betty's Books

What is treacle???
According to the folks at wiki:

Treacle is any syrup made during the refining of sugar cane and is defined as "uncrystallized syrup produced in refining sugar". Treacle is used chiefly in cooking as a form of sweetener or condiment.
The most common forms of treacle are the pale syrup that is also known as golden syrup and the darker syrup that is usually referred to as dark treacle or black treacle. Dark treacle has a distinctively strong flavour, slightly bitter, and a richer colour than golden syrup, yet not as dark as molasses. Golden syrup is the main sweetener in the Treacle Tart.

In popular culture

In chapter 7 of Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, the Dormouse tells a story of Elsie, Lacie and Tillie living at the bottom of a well, which confuses Alice, who interrupts to ask. "The Dormouse again took a minute or two to think about it, and then said, 'It was a treacle-well.'" When Alice remonstrated, she was stopped by the Mad Hatter's analogy: "You can draw water out of a water-well, so I should think you could draw treacle out of a treacle-well." Alice said very humbly, "I won't interrupt you again. I dare say there may be one." This is an allusion to the so-called "treacle well", the curative St. Margaret's Well at Binsey, Oxfordshire.
In Series 3 episode 6 of Jeeves and Wooster, Bertie Wooster, while trying to make off with an unsightly painting, attempts to use treacle and brown paper to muffle the sound of broken glass. He is foiled, however, by the treacle's stickiness.
Harry Potter also often eats treacle tart in the Harry Potter book series by J.K. Rowling. Treacle tart is also mentioned in Agatha Christie's murder mystery novel, 4:50 from Paddington , as young Alexander Eastley's favourite dessert

Hmmmm....all this interesting Treacle information. They even mention treacle in popular literature BUT they managed to miss the appearance of treacle tarts, frequently, in our dear Betty's books. A horrible oversight!!!

Yes, fellow Betty lovers, I am sure that you have noticed the frequent whipping up of a quick treacle tart or as is mentioned in A Small Slice of Summer, the eating of the tart because it's ....well dare we say it, cheap and filling....

Letitia wandered along the counter with her tray, looking for something cheap and nourishing. She had bought a dress on her last days off and her pocket was now so light that buying her meals had become a major exercise in basic arithmetic.
She chose soup, although it was a warm june day, a roll to go with it and a slab of treacle tart, because starch was filling and even though it was fattening too she was lucky enough not to have that problem, being possessed of a neat little figure which retained its slender curves whatever she ate. she paid for these dainties at the end of the counter and went to join her fellow staff nurse, Angela Collins, who cast a sympathetic eye at the contents of her tray, said fervently,  "Thank God, it's only a week to pay-day," and addressed herself to her own, similar meal.

 Now, dear Bettys. we ask..."What is a treacle tart?"
According to WiseGeek  (I thought I would change up authorities to keep you on your toes):

Treacle tart is a popular dessert in the UK. It has become somewhat of a curiosity in other countries due to its frequent mention in the Harry Potter books. Treacle tart is in fact, Harry’s favorite dessert.
For most anyone not British, great misunderstanding exists about treacle tart. Many assume that it is made with molasses, which is often called treacle in the UK. Actually treacle tart is made with golden syrup, a by-product of sugar making, like molasses, but more similar in taste and texture to honey. Golden syrup may also be referred to as treacle in the UK.
One may find golden syrup in the US in international food stores, and it can be purchased on the Internet so one can make the perfect treacle tart. If one cannot obtain golden syrup, honey is a close alternative ingredient.
Most treacle tarts begin with a very rich shortbread pastry as a base, usually containing butter, flour and an egg yolk added so that the pastry crumbs adhere to each other. The golden syrup is combined with breadcrumbs, lemon juice, and occasionally spices like ginger to form the filling of treacle tart. The tart is then topped with several strips of the pastry to give it a rich, crispy finish.
The treacle tart bakes for about 45 minutes, and temperatures may vary according to recipes. A treacle tart may be baked in small tins for individual tarts, or it may be baked in a larger pie tin to serve in slices.
Treacle tart has a consistency similar to pecan pie, though it usually does not contain eggs in the filling and is less gelatinous. It is slightly stickier. It can be served hot, warm, or cold, and may be garnished with whipped cream, or ice cream. It is a very sweet dish, and those unaccustomed to such sweetness may find it overly sweet.

 This is celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay’s recipe for treacle tart. It comes from his cookbook Gordon Ramsay’s Great British Pub Food .  I am told that the tart tastes even better a day after baking, when the breadcrumbs have had time to absorb the filling. Serve slices with whipped cream or crème fraiche.

Gordon Ramsay’s Treacle Tart – Recipe

Ingredients

• 300g sweet flan pastry (see below)
• 450g golden syrup
• 85g white breadcrumbs
• Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
• ½ tsp ground ginger
• 60g butter, melted
• 3 large egg yolks
• 70ml double cream
• ½ tsp black treacle

Ingredients to make the sweet pastry – (makes about 500g-you can freeze any excess for a day or so)

• 125g unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 90g caster sugar
• 1 large egg
• 250g plain flour
• 1 tbsp ice-cold water (if needed)

Method
To make the sweet pastry:

1. Place the butter and sugar in a food processor and whiz until just combined. Add the egg and whiz for 30 seconds.
2. Tip in the flour and process for a few seconds until the dough just comes together. (Do not over-process or it will become tough.) Add a little cold water if the dough seems too dry.
3. Knead the dough lightly on a floured surface and shape into a flat disc. Wrap in cling film and chill for 30 minutes before rolling out.

To make the treacle tart:

1. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface to a large round, the thickness of a £1 coin. Use to line a 23-24cm round shallow tart tin, with removable base, leaving some excess pastry overhanging the rim. Leave to rest in the fridge for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 190°C/Gas 5.
2. Line the pastry case with baking paper and dried or ceramic baking beans and bake ‘blind’ for 15-20 minutes or until the base is cooked through. While still warm, cut off the excess pastry to level with the rim of the tin. Lower the oven setting to 140°C/Gas 1.
3. For the filling, gently heat the golden syrup by immersing the bottle or tin in a bowl of hot water for a few minutes. Mix the breadcrumbs, lemon zest and ground ginger together in a large bowl and make a well in the middle.
4. Pour in the warm golden syrup and add the butter, egg yolks, cream, treacle and lemon juice. Stir well to mix.
5. Pour the filling into the pastry case. Bake for 30-40 minutes until the top has just set, but the centre is slightly wobbly when you shake the tin gently. It should still feel slightly soft in the centre.
6. Let the tart cool completely before slicing and serving, with cream or crème fraiche.

recipe found at Suite101: Gordon Ramsay's Treacle Tart Recipe: How to Make Traditional English Pastry 

Happy Belated Birthday Betty!!!

I can't believe I missed it!!!
Wednesday, September 15th was the 100th Anniversary of Betty Neels Birthday!!!
How could I miss such a fabulous occasion?? I am so putting this date on my calendar for next year.
This probably explains why I have been thinking about Betty and her books all week.
I just read a wonderful blog post about Betty Neels and her writing. The author of the post brings up a lot of interesting points about Betty herself and the type of books she wrote.
Check out the post at  Promantica.com Bettysday

I have reprinted below just a little piece of the blog because I love it:

In preparation for Bettysday, I had two t-shirts made.  The first reads:

Betty Neels:

1910 - Born in Devon, England
1930s - Trains as a nurse & midwife
1940s - Serves in WWII, marries Dutch patriot
1950s - Works as a nurse in Holland
1960s - Retires from nursing; writes first romance novel
1970s-90s - Writes 133 more romance novels
2001 - Dies peacefully in hospital

Bettysday 9 - 15 - 2010 

The second one seems more personalized; it reads:

Betty Neels was 59
when she wrote her
first romance novel.

I still have time

Bettysday
9/15/10

 excerpt from promantica.com Bettysday post


OMG!! I totally want and gotta have that second t-shirt!

Hmm...maybe I need to make my own t-shirt???
How about:     Get your Betty on!!
                        There's still time!
Just a thought...Peace, Love, and Betty, y'all!

For more info on Betty Neels check out her Wiki page  and her Squidoo page (I love this page because it has some of the original artwork for her books)

"Vichyssoise" (mentioned in The Quiet Professor).....3 recipes take your pick!

 Good Grief!! There are tons of recipes out there for vichyssoise and each is just a tad different than the other. So I picked these three which are similar but have some obvious differences. I say we make all three and see which we like better!

(if you're wondering why I'm looking for Vichyssoise recipes check out my "A Meal with The Quiet Professor" post) 

Vichyssoise (recipe found at allrecipes.com)

Ingredients

• 2 leeks, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3/4 cup thinly sliced potatoes
• 2 1/3 cups chicken stock
• salt to taste
• ground black pepper to taste
• 1 1/8 cups heavy whipping cream 

1. Gently sweat the chopped leeks and the chopped onion in butter or margarine until soft, about 8 minutes. Do NOT let them brown.
2. Add potatoes and stock to the saucepan. Salt and pepper to taste; do not overdo them! 
3. Bring to the boil, and simmer very gently for 30 minutes.
4. Puree in a blender or food processor until very smooth.
5. Cool.
6. Gently stir in the cream before serving.

.... this version of Vichyssoise is from about.com I picked it because it used premade items and had a little twist:  Vichyssoise is a classic French cold soup, made quicker and easier with frozen potatoes. And a sweet potato adds a little extra color and nutrition.

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup butter
• 2 leeks, white part only, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1./8 teaspoon white pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
• 1 (16-ounce) package frozen hash brown potatoes, thawed
• 1 cup chopped canned sweet potato, if desired
• 2 cups water
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup tiny frozen peas, thawed and drained
• 1/4 cup chopped chives

Preparation:

Place butter in a large soup pot over medium low heat.

Immediately add the leeks, onion, and garlic. 

Sprinkle with salt and pepper. 

Cook, stirring, until vegetables are soft; do not let them brown. Add thyme, potatoes, sweet potato (if using), water, and chicken broth and bring to a simmer over medium high heat.
Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for about 10 minutes.
Using an immersion blender, puree the soup.
Pour into a large glass pitcher or glass bowl.
Stir in heavy cream, cover, and chill until cold, at least 6 hours.
To serve, ladle into chilled bowls and garnish with peas and chives.
Serves 8



 My final recipe is by Cooking Mama. I found it at Delish.com . 

POTATO, LEEK AND FENNEL SOUP
Your chopping technique doesn't matter here—you are going to puree this soup. And don't be put off by the pungent, black-licorice-smell of the raw fennel.  When it's cooked, it mellows and adds a nice sweetness to the soup.

• 1/2 stick unsalted butter
• 2 glugs olive oil
• 2 leeks, white and light green stem only, cleaned and chopped (reserve dark green leaves for stock)
• 2 fennel bulbs, white bulbs only, outer layer removed, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic
• 4 medium waxy potatoes, scrubbed (peeling optional, I don't)
• 1 box free-range chicken broth (+ more to thin soup if desired)
• half and half, at least a quart (you'll use a pint plus a little more to taste)
• salt and pepper
• creme fraiche and chives for garnish

In a heavy-bottom soup pot, melt butter and oil over medium-high heat.
When butter is foamy add the leeks, fennel, and garlic plus a pinch of salt.
Let the veggies sweat until they are softened, about 10 minutes.
Stir occassionally and if butter starts to brown, reduce heat a touch.
Meanwhile, chop potatoes into 1-inch cubes.
Add potatoes to the pot along with the box of chicken broth.
Bring to a boil and then reduce heat, cover and let simmer until potatoes are cooked though, about 20 minutes or so.
Remove from heat. Stir in a pint of half-and-half and then puree the soup completely with a stick blender.

Important: If you use a regular blender let soup cool completely first.

If the soup starts to go all gluey as you puree it, keep adding splashes of half-and-half (or milk or water or broth or a combination) until soup returns to a velvety consistency.
Taste for salt and pepper.
Refrigerate.
Serve very cold in chilled bowls with a dollop of creme fraiche, Greek yogurt or sour cream (if you like) and snipped chives.

A meal with The Quiet Professor

I don't know about y'all but I swear I get hungry every time I read a Betty Neels book. Not that she talks about food overly much but ...hey, we all have to eat and when she tells about a meal she often goes into more details than other authors seem to. Not in describing tastes or anything but just telling exactly what they are eating. And it always sounds soooooo good! Check out this passage from The Quiet Professor  (which I happen to be reading, AGAIN, at the moment):

 "I asked Mrs. Thrumble to pack up an easy meal."

Megan stood in the doorway since there was barely room for them both in the kitchen.

"How kind," she said, not quite sure who was being kind, he for ordering the food or his housekeeper for packing it up.

"If you'd like to sit down I'll unpack it."

He reached past her and put the wine in the fridge and went and sat down with the cat on his knee as she took the lid off the box.

"Heavens this is a comu..." She tried again.

"A corn..."

"Cornucopia, the horn of plenty. Good, I told Mrs. Thrumble that we were sure to be hungry."

There was cold vichyssoise soup in a container, a raised pork pie, jellied chicken, hard-boiled eggs, potato salad, straw potatoes and a salad of tomatoes and apples with a garlic and walnut dressing, each in covered containers, and wrapped in a white napkin an apple pie with a pot of cream beside it. There were little crusty rolls too and a small crock of butter. Megan unpacked everything and laid the food out on plates and dishes.

"When do you want to have supper?" she asked, her mouth watering.

"As soon as it's on the table. Shall we have a drink first?" He came into the kitchen and took a bottle from the fridge.

"It's probably not cold enough, though Thrumble chilled it well."

"Champagne," exclaimed Megan, 'that's for birthdays. "

"Celebrations, too." He smiled at her. "Fetch two glasses, there's a dear girl."

She had no champagne glasses, only the all-purpose wine glasses she had brought from Woolworth's.

"Celebrations?"

"A new job, a new start in a new country there's every reason to drink to that." He eased out the cork, filled their glasses and handed her one. Megan touched his glass and sipped.

"I don't know much about wines but this one tastes lovely."

 He agreed blandly; Bollinger 1985 was an excellent vintage champagne but he had no intention of telling her that. It was enough that she enjoyed it.

 See what I mean?
Btw, it must be nice to tell  your cook/housekeeper that you need a meal to go and they come up with that little feast. Listed below are all of the elements of the meal above. I'm going to find a recipe for each highlighted dish and link it to this page. That way we can all eat like a Betty Neels character!

cold vichyssoise soup in a container,
a raised pork pie,
jellied chicken,
hard-boiled eggs,
potato salad,
straw potatoes and
a salad of tomatoes and apples with
a garlic and walnut dressing, each in covered containers,
and wrapped in a white napkin an apple pie
with a pot of cream beside it.
There were little crusty rolls too and
a small crock of butter.