Lorraine Pascale - Live webchat on Today 12 September at midday.

[RachelMumsnet]

Lorraine Pascale is joining us for a live webchat on Wednesday 12 September at midday until 1pm. Lorraine's latest book Fast, Fresh and Easy Food aims to help solve the dilemma of what to cook for the family after a busy day. Each main dish has an accompanying side dish and all recipes can be prepared in real time with no prepping or chopping work beforehand. We're delighted that Lorraine has agreed to share two of the recipes from the book with us; Sri-Lankan Chicken Curry and Lemon and poppy seed cake. Lorraine's series to accompany the book is currently running on BBC2 at 8.30pm on Mondays.

Lorraine became a model at 16 and was the first black British model to appear on the cover of American Elle. Keen to ensure a future career after modelling, she signed up for a diploma cookery course at Leighs School of Food and Wine. She's since graduated from Thames Valley University in Culinary Arts with a first class honours degree. Lorraine established herself as a specialist cake maker and has her own shop, Ella's Bakehouse in Covent Garden.

Having been adopted as a baby and lived for some time with foster parents, Lorraine is patron of TACT, the UK's largest fostering and adoption charity. She now lives with her daughter in London.

Join Lorraine for a chat on Wednesday at midday or post a question to her in advance here.

[quote VenetiaLanyon]Hi Lorraine,

Just to say that I loved the BBQ episode with your Dad; it was so lovely that he was clearly doing his best not to let you down, whilst very obviously being not massively comfortable at making a TV appearance... Did you have to bribe him with lots of baked goods?

And I don't have any of your books yet, but was going to ask for one for Xmas; which one should I start with?

My dad was so up for it! He actually asked me when I was going to be filming so he could do the show, so I did not have to bribe him. I just gave him lots of hugs to make him feel comfy.

I would start with the current book fast, fresh and easy food. Lots of every day easy recipes and some seriously yummy bakes.

@JockSprockPooPongMcPlop

Hi Lorraine. What would be your desert island cake? ie if you had to chose only one cake to eat for the rest of your life, what would you chose?

It would have to be my 'I don't give a damn cake' which was in my first book Baking Made EAsy. It is so moist and chocolatey that I just want to dive in it!

@Iwannamovenow

Hi Lorraine,

I've got your first 2 books and love the recipes, our favourite is the 21st century bread.

My question is... I loved the grey kitchen in the first 2 series, was it filmed in your home?

Alas no, my kitchen would not be big enough for the large number of crew. It was filmed in a kitchen in Sheen.

@LorrainePascale

[quote Iwannamovenow] Hi Lorraine,

I've got your first 2 books and love the recipes, our favourite is the 21st century bread.

My question is... I loved the grey kitchen in the first 2 series, was it filmed in your home?

Alas no, my kitchen would not be big enough for the large number of crew. It was filmed in a kitchen in Sheen.[/quote]

And I am really glad you like the books and show, thank you !

@TunipTheVegemal

Hi Lorraine.

I am grateful for the very clear puff pastry instructions in your first series. I made it with great success after that (having previously failed) and it turned out to be way nicer than even the highest quality bought puff pastry. Thank you! Do you agree that more people should having a go at making their own puff because even though it is a bit of a faff, it is really really yummy?

My kids sneaked downstairs and watched the episode of this series with the tiger cake and the lemon jelly, and they were completely entranced! I think you should do a cooking show for older kids.

I think everyone should make puff pastry once in their cooking life. I am so glad that it turned out well for you! That is great news. So glad that you like that the kids like the show and yes a cooking show for older kids would be a great idea

@blackcatsdancing

Hi Lorraine, really impressed with how you changed careers and have been so successful both as a model and as a cook and entrepreneur. I guess you must always have had a lot of self confidence to just go for it. I'm a good baker but have always found Genoise cakes so hard to make. Is there anything you found very hard to master but finally succeeded at?

Thank you for your comments. I was always taught that I could do anything I put my mind too as a child as long as I grafted hard enough so I guess that became my mantra and after a while I was pretty miserable modelling so wanted a change and also wanted to be with my daughter rather than flying around all the time. Genoise is the most technically demanding cake there is in my opinion. Lots of folding and careful handling of the cake. filleting fish was hard in the beginning but I got there in the end!

Hi Lorraine, I thought I had to sneak this one in but what's your favorite biscuit?

Hi Lorraine ,
My dream tv show would be a great British bake off , with tv chefs who love to bake as contestants .
Would you be on it ?

@TheLazyGirlBlog

Hi Lorraine- didn't know you studied at TVU! (I live in Maidenhead)

I'd like to ask as a blogger with an alternative to the normal cooking sites and books (its for people who really cannot cook, I used to burn holes in pots and gave up until my Partner taught me in very basic terms!), how did you get yourself noticed to release your books and win your wonderful show?

Thank you for your comments. I was studying and really wanted to start my own business. So I opened the bakery in Covent Garden and then lots of people came asking questions about this ex model turned baker. Then I looked for a TV agent and was turned down by a few but finally someone took me on. We knocked on lots of doors to get noticed and then we finally made a pilot for the BBC and that is how it all started. So the best thing is to write things for websites and if you want to be on TV maybe make a few you tube clips and get them to go viral!

@FrancesMumsnet

Hi Lorraine, I thought I had to sneak this one in but what's your favorite biscuit?

Chocolate digestive. Oh, milk

@Doilooklikeatourist

Hi Lorraine , My dream tv show would be a great British bake off , with tv chefs who love to bake as contestants . Would you be on it ?

It is a great show.... I will have to see if I am asked!

So that is it for the Webchat. It has been so great to hear your questions and to get to know you all, I have really enjoyed it. Thank you for having to me and listening to me and if you want to get in touch Tweet me on lorrainepascale x

What a lovely webchat. Thank you Lorraine

Thanks Lorraine. Love your shows and Loved your answers to the questions

Thanks Lorraine ,
I'll just have to work on who else I'd like to be on it ,
There's you , Nigella , Delia , Hairy bikers , Hugh FW ...

Thanks Lorraine.

Thanks Lorraine, will keep watching your shows!

My time wasn't wasted by the zebra cake, we just cut the top off and ate it warm and then made chocolate orange icing to cover the top and it went down a treat with my work colleagues

My husband bought the book at the weekend and we're going to have another go at the cake, practice makes perfect

Thank you!

I missed the episode with the zebra cake. Can anyone put it up here?

www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01m28l5/Lorraines_Fast_Fresh_and_Easy_Food_Easy_Entertaining/

i think it was on episode 1

Thank you!

Thank you

Now I've seen it. It is clever, and prob tastes great.

I was wondering if you could do that with any two flavours/colours?

yes, why not? or even three! Pink would make a great additional colour. You could also pipe in more at a time than Lorraine did to make each stripe a bit bigger otherwise with 3 they'd probably all look a bit lost.

Great web chat - thank you!