My goodness me. Had this book five minutes. Ok. A little exaggeration. So far tried Chicken curry, beef casserole, chocolate concrete, mint custard. A little explanation first. Son five wanted to recreate school dinners. Especially chicken curry. And he told me. Bad move. Why go to the google for a recipe when you can shop and buy it? And I found this book. Reading reviews, I did NOT go for the republished book! But paid a mint (was that for mint custard I ask?) for the now out of print original.
It was worth EVERY SINGLE PENNY of the £30 I paid. It’s a little hard back. About 178 pages. 80 recipes. Do not listen to the reviewer who said pamphlet size. God only knows what her pamphlets are made of.....The book covers everything. Pies, not pies, puddings, (Don’t even ask.....) it’s a chunky little book. Size of a normal paperback, but hardcover.
And Becky Thorn has not only a wicked sense of humour, but a way of describing school memories that make school NICE! And you begin to remember all the things she talks about! Huge radiators, certain school songs.....And the dinners....now I DO remember chicken pie and chicken curry from school (teen in the early 80s!) I loved those. And those are in this little gem. And I was thinking, ‘Well, yeah, but I’m sure it’s all bland in this book, there’s no real spices!..... It can’t be like I remembered, I must have exaggerated to myself!’....How wrong could I be? I did it. Changed not one bit of the recipe. OMG! It was marvellous. Son five polished it off too. Recipe had major ticks. It was SO good. With just plain white rice (Yes Becky, I used the ladle to make the bowl shape out of the rice, for the curry.....) And the next DAY I said to son five...I really fancy curry....He said, ‘That school one? You liked it then.....’ He sussed me out good and proper! Because he had to listen to my presupposed scorn, before I was trounced by a curry recipe page! Then I did the beef casserole and mash. It was just as well for portion control......until we got to pudding....chocolate concrete and mint custard...yup, I used green colouring.....well... all I can say is of the entire TRAY of it, at least quarter is gone....I blame son five....And I guarantee it will be finished off by tomorrow...
The ingredients are so simple! And just stuff from your cupboard! But the taste is wholesome and delicious! And there are so MANY recipes....All easy. Now for a tired, harassed mum, who gave up on cooking, this has been such a breath of fresh air! Son has seen pudding on the table! Which was as rare as spotting a giraffe in the high street in our house! Well done Becky Thorn! Well done dinner ladies from the 70-80s! They could give Jamie Oliver tips as well as a thrashing at cooking! As you can tell, I highly recommend this book. But get the original! You will not regret it. Although I don’t want to step on my scales I loved that chocolate concrete so much.....
Flip to back
Flip to front
Follow the author
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.
OK
School Dinners Hardcover – 15 Oct. 2008
by
Becky Thorn
(Author)
|
Becky Thorn
(Author)
See search results for this author
|
-
Print length176 pages
-
LanguageEnglish
-
PublisherPortico
-
Publication date15 Oct. 2008
-
Dimensions12.7 x 2.03 x 20.32 cm
-
ISBN-101906032440
-
ISBN-13978-1906032449
School Books
From pre-school to A-levels, find School Books for all ages
Shop now
Product description
About the Author
Becky Thorn is a primary school teacher with a long-suffering husband and two children (on whom she tries out her recipes). She has appeared on 'Masterchef' as a guest amateur restaurant critic, and recently designed a meal for the Heinz Weightwatchers range. Her first two books, School Dinners (9781906032449) and Movie Dinners (9781906032869) were also published by Portico.
Enter your mobile number or email address below and we'll send you a link to download the free Kindle App. Then you can start reading Kindle books on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.
-
Apple
-
Android
-
Windows Phone
Tell the Publisher!
I’d like to read this book on Kindle
Don't have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here, or download a FREE Kindle Reading App.
I’d like to read this book on Kindle
Don't have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here, or download a FREE Kindle Reading App.
Kindle Storyteller 2021
The Kindle Storyteller contest celebrates the best of independent publishing. The contest is open for entries between 1st May and 31st August 2021.
Discover the Kindle Storyteller 2021
Product details
- Publisher : Portico (15 Oct. 2008)
- Language : English
- Hardcover : 176 pages
- ISBN-10 : 1906032440
- ISBN-13 : 978-1906032449
- Dimensions : 12.7 x 2.03 x 20.32 cm
-
Best Sellers Rank:
656,598 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- 799 in Cooking for Babies & Children
- 3,032 in Gastronomy (Books)
- Customer reviews:
Customer reviews
4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
37 global ratings
How are ratings calculated?
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyses reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Top reviews
Top reviews from United Kingdom
There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.
TOP 1000 REVIEWER
Verified Purchase
One person found this helpful
Helpful
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 28 December 2016
Verified Purchase
This is a great book. I hosted a school dinners dinner party, and it had all the recipes that people remember, especially many fondly remembered puddings such as jam roly poly, chocolate sponge and mint custard, etc.
2 people found this helpful
Report abuse
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 16 February 2013
Verified Purchase
I really love this book, being a child of the 80s i just about experienced proper school dinners in primary school before I had to endure the chips and burgers era in secondary school. But I still remember most of these desserts, such as butterscotch tart, iced sponge with pink custard and jam roly poly! I am excited to recreate the dishes but the one thing that would make it 5 stars for me would be colour photographs. I love the nostalgic introduction of each recipe and love the fact there is a recipe for milky coffee!
4 people found this helpful
Report abuse
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 24 January 2018
Verified Purchase
If you're looking for school dinner recipes this book is the best one i've seen . Ignore the extremely drab cover ,the recipes are just perfect !
3 people found this helpful
Report abuse
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 16 December 2015
Verified Purchase
Finally I got the recipe for the long missed cheese flan. I missed that for 35 years - it tasted exactly as I remembered. Even when it was cooking it smelt just like it did at school. I also made the winter salad to go with it. A treasure.
5 people found this helpful
Report abuse
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 9 August 2018
Verified Purchase
Lovely little book - memories 😂
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 19 June 2020
Verified Purchase
Happy memories xx
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 1 April 2015
Verified Purchase
I love this book. For an average cook like me, it enables me to look like a chef!! The instructions and recipes are very easy to follow and more importantly the recipes taste as good as they promise. Also the nostalgia and memories of my school dinners are overwhelming!!

