Live webchat with Mumsnet Best Award winner and actress Fay Ripley - Friday 11th Feb 12.30 - 1.30

[RachelMumsnet]

Our week of foodie webchats and Q and As ends with a live webchat on Friday lunchtime with Fay Ripley. Fay's cook book Fay's Family Food was recently voted the best cookery book in the Mumsnet Best Awards 2011.

Fed up with cooking separately for her one-year-old, then her five-year-old and then, with the kids in bed, finally thinking about cooking something to enjoy with her husband, she started working out meals that all of them could eat together. Fay's book is full dishes that everyone can enjoy, without having to spend hours in the kitchen. Fay says; 'Food brings people together. I am not suggesting that a moist muffin turns a mad, dysfunctional family into the Von Trapps, but food makes us happy, healthy and... full. The idea is to cook food from which you can remove your babies' and kids' portions if needs be, before adding the more challenging ingredients for yourselves; or better still, all tuck in together.'

Join Fay on Friday lunchtime at 12.30 or feel free to post a question to her in advance here.

@SameOldJollster

me again - can't be around at lunchtime alas, but wanted to ask regarding your other job. Really enjoyed Perrin and thought you and Mr Clunes worked really well together.

Can I ask
What will we see you in next?
Who has been the easiest (as in must fun to work with) actorrrrr to work with?
Who would you love to work with that you haven't yet?

(Know that's cheeky as it's lots of qs, but you know what they say, if you don't ask, you don't get )

cheers

Hello, you're my first! So, just finished filming a gritty northern one-off drama "Moving On" for the BBC, with 'Cutting it' Ben Daniels, which answers the next question, the easiest and most fun actor to work with. I laughed until I weed, literally! Two children, doesn't take much!

Would like to work with my husband again (last time was 10 years ago).

@saltyseadog

Just popping in to say I love your book Fay - the recipes are really simple to follow, not to mention tasty!

Thank you!

@ginghamgiraffe

at ohforfoxsake name. I didn't think of it first.

Hello Fay
We have swimming at lunchtime but I wondered if you did Baby led Weaning on your LOs?

I didn't do baby led weaning, mine are 4 and 8. It wasn't really around then, but sounds a sensible option. I was a Gina Ford/making it up as I go along mix in terms of weaning.

@redstripybabygro

Haven't seen the book and didn't watch Cold Feet so only know you off the Tesco ads. Do you shop there?
What is your favourite biscuit?

I certainly do shop at Tesco!
The biscuit question may be too big to answer, but with a gun to my head, plain chocolate digestive. (Had 3 before I got here)

Hi Fay, does your family have a tradition of passed-down-the-generation recipes? Are any of them in your book?

And are you a tiny weeny bit jealous of Hermione Norris's career in Spooks etc?

Thanks :)

@Ohforfoxsake

That's not your kitchen, is it? I'm sure I saw it in a magazine a while ago .... nice though.

Reluctant as I am to like your book purely on the basis that you are a 'sleb', it is really good, and your cup cakes are the best - and I have tried many, many recipes.

Sort of a back handed compliment as opposed to a question really.

We only did the kids' day in my kitchen, on pages 194 and 195 of the book. But you can't really see it.

@personanongrata

Hi Fay, does your family have a tradition of passed-down-the-generation recipes? Are any of them in your book?

And are you a tiny weeny bit jealous of Hermione Norris's career in Spooks etc?

Thanks :)

There are some in the book, yes. Loads of them from my mother in law, who is Australian but lives in Tuscany. Makes visiting the in-laws a bit more bearable.

Have no burning questions just wanted to say looking forward to seeing you on tv again, and I think you are very lovely.

@stepawayfromthebiscuits

Fay - I'm also a huge fan of the book - pasta bake and brownies are the favourites, and my DS only started eating sausages after tasting the made up Tuscan sausage stew - have you got plans for another book?

Can I ask - what's your absolute emergency stand by meal - the one you make when you've got the kids in from whatever after school activity has gone on, the toddler's whining and tea needs to be on the table in 15 minutes tops. I'm struggling for inspiration so that my lot don't get cheese on toast too often!

I will often boil some rice, chop up some leftover veg and flake in some smoked mackerel. Then dress it. Takes 10 minutes, kids love it. Other quick option is breadcrumbs mixed with pesto, on top of any fish baked. Failing all that, hummus is a great standby.

Tuscan sausage stew for mine tonight!

@bluesky

Hi Fay, love your book. Our favourite family recipe in it is the Sweet Marinated Pork Fillet, so delicious. The photos are excellent.

Looking forward to Book No2, please tell us you've started it!

Is there anything you avoid cooking, ie too nervous, it's always a disaster etc? Mine is Souffles.....

Re: book no2, which other people have asked about too, fingers crossed there will be news very soon. I've got loads of new recipes for everyone and will get them out there somehow. I will tweet when it's official, I promise!

Hi Fay
I've got your book, and love the way one dish can feed the whole family.
the risotto with pancetta went down well, so did the chops with mushroom sauce and the tuscan sausage stew!
what would you recommend for a child that tends to only like minced meat or meat/fish in breadcrumbs? I would like my dd of nearly 3 to branch out but not sure what to offer.

thanks :)

@bluesky

Hi Fay, love your book. Our favourite family recipe in it is the Sweet Marinated Pork Fillet, so delicious. The photos are excellent.

Looking forward to Book No2, please tell us you've started it!

Is there anything you avoid cooking, ie too nervous, it's always a disaster etc? Mine is Souffles.....

Ooh and about things I'm scared to cook, it's shellfish, as hubby nearly died after a dodgy vongole. My kids LOVE mussels, so I'm going to make them this weekend and am determined to include a family friendly mussel recipe in my next book.

@RunforFun

Hi Fay,

Just wanted to say I absolutely loved Cold Feet as did many of my contempories and have recently re watched the series on DVD. DH and I spent many happy days 'courting' in Didsbury and Manchester during those years and even saw you once or twice on location.

Have to say Dh has as my mother correctly noted at the time morphed into David ...

Any plans for a new series ??

Sadly, I don't think there are any plans for another Cold Feet. Maybe just as well, might be a shock to the fans to see us all ten years on...

Hi Fay
Am really desperate to buy your recipe book..... ds has nut/egg/sesame allergy (Nightmare!!) .
Are there lots of recipes we can still enjoy???

Thanks

Hi Fay, Your recipes are great for kids who eat everything but my dd is a really fussy eater. As hard as I try she just won't eat certain foods and I end up having to cook her something separate. I've done this since she was little because I always thought she'd grow out of it and that forcing her to eat stuff would give her more of a complex about food. She does eat a limited number of different things but she won't eat anything 'mixed up', so for example last night when we had fish pie, she had fried fish with potatoes and broccoli on the side. Any tips on fussy eaters?

@IHeartIona

Hi Fay
I've got your book, and love the way one dish can feed the whole family.
the risotto with pancetta went down well, so did the chops with mushroom sauce and the tuscan sausage stew!
what would you recommend for a child that tends to only like minced meat or meat/fish in breadcrumbs? I would like my dd of nearly 3 to branch out but not sure what to offer.

thanks :)

I write for Real Food and the next recipe is one of my family's favourites. It's fresh mackerel, baked with fried onion, sage, garlic, lemon zest, olive oil, pancetta on top. Look out for it. My kids love it.

@Jammygal

Hi Fay
Am really desperate to buy your recipe book..... ds has nut/egg/sesame allergy (Nightmare!!) .
Are there lots of recipes we can still enjoy???

Thanks

That's really hard. Lots of the recipes have those ingredients, but you could easily chop and change or take out those. Good luck!

Thanks Fay! will look out for it

@Calypso

Hi Fay, Your recipes are great for kids who eat everything but my dd is a really fussy eater. As hard as I try she just won't eat certain foods and I end up having to cook her something separate. I've done this since she was little because I always thought she'd grow out of it and that forcing her to eat stuff would give her more of a complex about food. She does eat a limited number of different things but she won't eat anything 'mixed up', so for example last night when we had fish pie, she had fried fish with potatoes and broccoli on the side. Any tips on fussy eaters?

Mine are good eaters, but at least twice a week I ask them to "just try it". It's a deal we have, and it pays off about 40% of the time. Most recent victory, Parker, 8, had some Puy lentils and cried when I said there were no more left. Sonny, 4, however, gagged. One down, one to go.

@LoveBeingADaddysGirl

Tbh I hadn't heard if your book until I saw this thread, having looked at the comments I have ordered it, what would you recommend I try first?

The reason I wondered onto the thread was just to say your dh is beautiful, well done

One of my favourites is One-pot lemon chicken with thyme rice, but for a real time-saver, I would suggest creamy Boursin salmon penne. It's really quick and tasty.

Thanks Fay, I think Ds would like the bousin penne ;) Hope I can adapt it for his allergies ;)

@SameOldJollster

Hi Fay

I LOVE your book. I confess when I saw it I thought "pah, another "celeb" getting involved in an area they know nothing about". Then I read the reviews on Amazon and I was convinced to buy it. I had recently weaned my son and was looking to broaden my repertoire, but lacked confidence with a tiny and delicate palate to appeal to.

It is BY FAR the most used cookbook in my collection (I have a Gordon Ramsay one that I've only ever made one dish from ). It's terrific.

Will you do another?
Please!!

Again, I'll keep you posted when I have some solid info, I'll let you know on my twitter: @fayripley

@Jammygal

Thanks Fay, I think Ds would like the bousin penne ;) Hope I can adapt it for his allergies ;)

That one would be perfect for DS, if you use egg-free pasta!

We were just chatting about the Toast adaptation about Nigel Slater's life, and the young actor, Freddie Highmore, played my son a while ago. It was in a show called 'I Saw You', and my real husband, Daniel Lapaine, played his father. Anyway, we fell in love with that little boy, and not long after, Daniel proposed. I've always thought it was because we loved being a pretend family with Freddie on board!

@champagnesupernova

Am interested in this because i have a toddler who hardly eats anything - even things I know he likes and am sick of throwing food away - have just read in your blurb that you even throw pans away.

Have a new baby too (3m) that I will be weaning soon enough and don't want to make the same mistake twice, so what do you think makes a non-eater eat? I have tried peer pressure but when he has mates round for lunch, he is so excited to go and play it doesn't work.

Any advice gratefully received (am meant to be out at lunchtime but as we're all still in pjs may still be here!)

It's really tough, I know, but I'm a believer in food looking good on the plate. Children react the same as you or I, so don't pile it all on. Make it look pretty, it might just pay off. Try to vary your menu as much as possible, don't give too many choices, and remember, if you enjoy your food, you'll pass the love on, eventually. Good luck!