Two Fat Ladies, Vol. 3 (Lunch, Cocktail Party, Afternoon Tea) and Vol. 4 (Picnic, Breakfast, Dinner) Vegetarians and the faint of heart, beware! But for everyone else, the Two Fat Ladies are back, and they are simply spectacular. In volumes 3 and 4 of their British television series (each tape contains three episodes), Jennifer Paterson and Clarissa Dickson Wright cook for a lunch, a cocktail party, an afternoon tea, a picnic, a breakfast, and a dinner. The two women travel (by motorcycle and sidecar) to a different location in each episode to cook a requested meal–usually laden with cream, butter, and meats (Jennifer notes of one tartine: “Delicious, despite its vegetarian overtones”). Yes, this is a cooking show, but with Jennifer and Clarissa’s patter, it has the feel of a comedy. As they whip up Loin of Pork Stuffed with Mushrooms and a pot of Clam Chowder, the Two Fat Ladies sing the praises of bacon (Clarissa hints at a risqu past when she notes that bacon is a great hangover cure; not that she gets hangovers anymore. Other allusions to falling off barstools and beer for breakfast are dotted throughout). The meals look sumptuous–salmon soaked in wine and topped with orange rings, Brazilian bean fritters, fruit tartlets, vichyssoise, and so much more–and it’s terrific fun following the women as they go sightseeing (a motorcycle rally, watching a male choir, on a quest for the perfect drink at the Brazilian embassy, at a brewery, picking strawberries). Jennifer is likely to break out in song or rhyme, and Clarissa tells interesting facts and gossip from her life. They chitchat about tips for picking up men, the fact that nutmeg is a hallucinogenic, the beauty of British military boys, how you can’t get crackling in Scotland or France. So, be prepared to learn how to core a kidney (and who knew kidneys needed coring?), make cracker crumbs, and laugh along at the antics of these two rather large women. The Two Fat Ladies are destined to become a cooking classic. –Jenny Brown

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Factory-Reconditioned Cuisinart ICE-20FR 1-1/2-Quart Automatic Frozen Yogurt, Ice Cream & Sorbet Maker, White This all-purpose frozen dessert maker handles most people’s healthy or decadent cravings for homemade ice cream, yogurt, and sorbet–with no crank to turn or salt to pour. In a 20-minute time frame, Cuisinart’s frozen treat maker automatically makes a variety of delicacies–using ingredients ranging from fruits and chocolates to candies and nuts. Just insert the ingredients into the top spout, hit the “on” switch, and the mixing arm takes over. The freezer bowl’s cooling liquid freezes desserts evenly. Once you’re finished, hand wash the inside bowl and snap back the retractable cord for easy storing. –Madeleine Miller

Editor’s note: This is a reconditioned small appliance. Reconditioned generally means that the appliance has been returned to the manufacturer, who brings the appliance back to like-new condition. Some appliances may contain cosmetic blemishes. Includes a 90-day warranty.

This entry was posted on Saturday, May 5th, 2007 at 9:02 pm and is filed under Recipes. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.