There really was a Fannie Farmer. She was director of the Boston Cooking School in the 1890s. Her real claim to fame, though, is what she brought to the art of cooking: standardization.

Until Fannie came on the scene, most recipes were "a handful of this, a bit of that". She changed all that by insisting on careful measurements, using
standardized utensils. Fannie went on to write a cookbook, still in print, though revised over the years to meet changing tastes.

She also founded her own cooking school, wrote for magazines, and gave lectures on food preparation, including talks to medical students on preparing meals for patients.

We all owe Fannie a big thank you for bringing great cooking within the reach of anyone!

The good thing about rice is that it's versatile. So when you have a bit left over from dinner, make it into rice pudding! Just beat together one egg, a cup of milk and a 1/4 cup sugar. Add 3/4 cup cooked rice and 1/4 cup raisins. Pour into a shallow baking dish, sprinkle with cinnamon, and bake at 325 degrees for about 35 minutes or until set. Serves four, and wasn't that quick?

Feel like you're in a race against time, and time is winning? Modern living seems to be rush-rush-rush every day.

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In the mood for some luscious fresh muffins? Good! Here's a recipe you'll like.

2 cups sifted flour
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup milk
1/2 cup melted butter
1 cup peeled, chopped apples
1 cup chopped pecans
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Oven: 375 degrees

In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, half-cup sugar, salt and baking powder. Combine the egg, milk, and a quarter-cup butter. Add to the flour mixture along with the apples and pecans.

Stir just enough to moisten dry ingredients. Spoon batter into twelve greased muffin cups, filling them about two-thirds full. Combine remaining butter with the two tablespoons sugar and the spices. Sprinkle the top of each muffin with the butter mixture. Bake for thirty minutes. Serve hot. Makes 12 muffins.

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Sometimes, when you're going to cook (or marinade) steak, the recipe calls for the meat to be first cut into slices, strips, or cubes. Raw meat can be hard to cut, so put the whole piece in the freezer, for about 15-30 minutes. The steak will be much easier to trim and slice. Set a timer so you don't forget!

The ginger and garlic must be chopped *very* finely, and cooked longer than you may expect, since we are cooking them in water rather than oil!

Serves 2

1 medium aubergine (eggplant) - about 300g (10-11oz)
1 tsp finely-chopped fresh garlic (about 2 cloves)
1 tsp finely-chopped fresh ginger
1 tbsp hoisin sauce
2 spring onions (green onions, scallions, gibbons), finely chopped
1 tsp dark soy sauce

1. Peel the aubergine if you hate the skin, or leave it on if you like the texture and think it looks pretty. Cut lengthways into oblong pieces about the size and length of 2 fingers side by side.

2. Boil 1 cm (1/2 inch) of water in a wide frying pan, then add the aubergine and cook, stirring occasionally and adding more water as needed, until aubergines are softened to your satisfaction, and very little water remains (about 7 minutes for me).

3. Remove the aubergine to a bowl, then heat another 1cm water in the pan. Add garlic, ginger and hoisin sauce, then simmer briskly for 10 minutes, stirring and adding more water as needed.

4. Add the soy sauce and spring onions to the pan, then add the cooked aubergine, with a little more water if needed. Cook over a low heat for 5 minutes, stirring to coat the aubergine with the sauce.

5. Serve hot or at room temperature.

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