Cooking in the army is a key job and a skilled one...

Taken from "Woman in Uniform" by D Collett Wadge (1946 - Page 126)

"Cooking in the army is a key job and a skilled one.  Complete and first class training is given under qualified experts and the intelligent, physically fit woman, even if she is a beginner, is accepted for this work.  The training at her cookery training centre starts with lectures and practical experience in making a few simple dishes and then goes on to teach her how to cater and cook for large numbers.  At the end of this course students pass out as classified cooks and are entitled to additional pay according to their qualifications.  Qualified cooks now wear a distinguishing badge on their right arm of their tunic - a "C" in a wreath".

Mock Mayonnaise or Salad Cream

2 qts white sauce (fairly thick)
1 tin milk
1/2 qt vinegar (? could be half pint)
2 oz mustard
Salt and pepper to taste


Method
 Make a white sauce and cool, well mix the mustard, salt and pepper with the vinegar, slowly mix in white sauce, lastly adding the milk.

Porridge

7 lbs rolled coats or oatmeal
Salt to taste
8 galls water
(4 tins milk diluted
3 lb Sugar - serve separately)


Method
Boil water, add salt, sprinkle in oats or oatmeal, stirring well to prevent lumps.  Rolled oats require 20 mins cooking, oatmeal requires 1 hour.

Batter for Fish Frying or Meat or Bread Fritters

1lb Flour
1oz Yeast
1 oz Brown sugar
1 oz Salt (? unit for amount is difficult to read)
Water as required


Method
Sift flour, salt and sugar, dilute yeast in a little water (tepid).  Add to centre of flour, sprinkle with flour, cover with a clean cloth, allow to prove in warm place app. time 30 mins.  The mix all ingredients with sufficient water to make a paste to well coat the back of a spoon.

Before the War

Jose was working as a cook before the onset of the war in 1939.  She worked for the socialites Lord and Lady Docker, who resided in Coleshill House in Buckinghamshire.  It was in Coleshill where she met Sidney Brackley, my grandfather.

Update 2010

I will be continuing, after a long period, to complete this blog over the next few months.  There is still plenty of material left in my Grandmothers training note book for many more posts.  I have also decided to try out a number of the recipes.  Many of the cakes were regular Sunday tea treats, so it will be a trip down memory lane.