Oh my goodness - half a century since the dawn of The Two Ronnies!
I can hardly believe that it's been fifty years since The Two Ronnies was first seen on British TV back in the spring of 1971. Whatever the expectations may have been from that first episode, I wonder if anyone could have guessed what an absolute institution this comedy sketch show was to become featuring some iconic and much-talked about sketches with Ronnie Barker and Ronnie Corbett going on to become two of Britain's best-loved entertainers. Four candles, anyone?
I often say this here but comedy really was a big deal in our house. My mum loved her soaps, my sis and I loved everything as long as it was on the telly (but not sport!) and if there was any comedy on, you could bet your life my dad would be watching it! And boy did he love The Two Ronnies. I can still see him lounging about on the floor in front of the TV, absolutely howling with laughter and thumping the floor. Goodness knows what the neighbours made of all that but The Two Ronnies was definitely essential viewing in our house. You knew you were in for a fun evening when Mr. Barker and Mr. Corbett were on the box!
Like most people, I had my favourite and not-so-favourite parts of this iconic comedy sketch show. I loved the spoof serials such as The Phantom Raspberry Blower and The Worm That Turned but I really didn't like 'Ronnie Corbett in the chair' (as I called it!) segment. I thought it was very boring having Ronnie just sitting on a chair talking to the audience. But it was only as I got older that I got to appreciate these monologues, Ronnie's stories, and his witty delivery much more than I had done.
But my favourite ever sketch ever has to be the sheikh in the grocery store. I remember the first time I saw that and I thought it was hilarious (Chocolate mouse, steak and kidney pee!) Fast forward many years later, and as an EFL teacher, I've encountered many similar situations due to students mispronouncing words which has provided many moments of hilarity. And my years in retail have meant that over the years, I've met my fair share of Mr. Four Candles and Ronnie Corbett's Pink Gobstopper man!
Check out our post about these two bespectacled comedy legends and their amazing show.
Did anyone know that there was a National Chocolate Mouse Day? Neither did I but it was on 3rd April. Why there wasn't more fanfare about this day, I don't know. But in an ode to my favourite Two Ronnies' sketch, our Comfort Food feature is all about the sublime chocolate mouse, I mean - mousse!
This deliciously light and airy dessert is one of my absolute favourites. In fact, I'd like to think I was something of a chocolate mousse connoisseur - I'm not sure if there's a chocolate mousse or variation I haven't tried. And for me, this dinner party classic really was comfort food. I used to turn to the chiller cabinet in the supermarket for chocolate mousse during exam time when I was stressed out or if I just needed a bit of cheering up. Women's magazines in the eighties and nineties always featured recipes for some kind of variation on this dessert. And I remember when my tinier-than-I-am-now self was watching BBC's Breakfast Time while getting ready for school, and I saw Frank Bough and Debbie Greenwood tucking into a delicious chocolate mousse made with rosewater - how amazing does that sound??? Oh by the way, The Breakfast Time crew were deep in chocolate mousse because the cooking segment had just finished and they were sampling the end result - not because they were feeling a bit peckish while on air.
So is it any surprise that our chocolate mousse recipe has taken inspiration from Breakfast Time and is made with rosewater for that subtle, sweet flavour and aroma I'm a big fan of.
Have a go at making it and tell us what you think.
These last few days have been marred with sadness as a few people in the public eye have passed away. Actor Paul Ritter; Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh; rapper DMX, and Big Brother's Nikki Grahame are all no longer with us. I sincerely hope there wil be no more bad news.
May they rest in eternal peace x
Photos: YouTube
Word Cloud: Angel Noire