by Ed Balls
piano-playing 186
rat phobia 80, 269–72
restaurant reviewer 318–19
shadow chancellor 157
shadow home secretary 156
Sport Relief Bake Off 120, 201–2, 266
stammer 147–50, 190
stay-at-home dad 184–6
Strictly Come Dancing 4, 38, 188–90, 220–1, 243, 262
television documentaries 190, 241–2, 258, 261
Treasury adviser 79–80, 91–2, 128
tweeting 78, 188
weight issues 217–23
Balls, Joanna (sister) 3, 13, 22, 35, 36, 37, 39, 233, 234, 236, 240, 256, 260, 298, 299, 312
Balls, Michael (father) 15, 38–9, 40, 122, 132–3, 148, 149, 183, 203, 205, 235, 236, 237, 242–3, 256, 259–60, 312 academic career 16, 20, 57
conversion to hugging 38
cooking 3, 242, 245, 260
food likes and dislikes 56, 58, 143, 204, 245, 260, 276
Banana Bread 266–8
Bank of England 79, 146
Batson, Brendan 208
Bavin, Chris 266
Bawburgh School, Norwich 11–12
BBQs 77–8, 83, 179–82, 308 Pork Loin with Sweet & Sour BBQ Sauce 179–81
Rapid BBQ Sauce 181–2
beef Beef Casserole 86–9
Chilli con Carne 45–6
Grandma’s Shepherd’s Pie 17, 23–5
Mum’s Lasagne 159–61
Roast Beef with Yorkshire Puddings 1, 7–10
Spaghetti Bolognaise 43–5
Sweet & Sour Beef Brisket 318–20
Texan Steak with Cajun Beans 135–8
Beeton, Isabella 33, 56
Berni Inns 17
Berry, Mary 201, 206, 262, 282, 291, 292, 301
bird flu outbreak 114–15
birthday cakes 112–14, 119–21
birthday meals 60, 309
Blair, Tony 70–2, 73, 79, 109, 115–16 Granita pact 70–2
Blyton, Enid 32–3
Boundary Commission 86
Braverman, Suella 110
Brexit 184
Brown, Gordon 52, 70–2, 79, 116–17, 130, 131, 143–7, 154 food preferences 71, 143–7
Granita pact 70–2
resignation 116–17
Brown, Sarah 116–17, 146–7
Budget 79, 128
buffet food 77
Burnham, Andy 173
cakes Banana Bread 266–8
birthday cakes 112–14, 119–21
Strawberries & Cream Birthday Cake 119–21
Cameron, David 154, 156, 183
Camp Pancakes 34
campervan road trips 171–3
Celebrity Best Home Cook 120, 225, 261–2, 266, 286–7, 291, 296
Charles, Prince of Wales 191
chicken Chicken with Mustard & Herbs 63–4
Chicken Noodle Soup 263–5
Roast Chicken with Lemon & Coriander 291–4
Stir-Fry Chicken 162–4
Thai Chicken Curry 315–17
children childcare arrangements 127–31
cooking for 111–14
holiday food 166–7, 168
privacy, protection of 114, 115–17
train journeys with 126–7
Chocolate Mousse 93, 99–101
Christmas cooking 59–60, 269–84
Christmas Pudding 282–4
Christmas television 13, 272, 277
Christmas traditions 272–4
Churchill, Winston 96
civil partnerships legislation 209
Clegg, Nick 116
Cleobury, Sir Stephen 241
Comic Relief 4, 192
comics 12
constituency dinners and fundraisers 75–8
cookbooks 153, 253–4, 295, 301–2
Cooper, June 51, 58, 59, 94, 97, 102, 128–9, 131, 139, 140, 274
Cooper, Tony 3, 58, 59–60, 94, 269, 303
Cooper, Yvette 39, 40, 47, 51–3, 55–6, 57–61, 127, 128, 154, 156, 188–9, 258, 262, 270, 271, 272, 275, 276, 286, 291, 292, 309, 311 Cabinet appointment 130
culinary retirement 40, 102, 108
health minister 96, 109–10, 115, 150
housing minister 110, 130
Labour leadership contest 172–3, 184
marries EB 60
maternity leave 108–10
MP for Pontefract & Castleford 60, 76–7, 78–9, 81, 126, 207
pregnancies 91–7, 128
Corbyn, Jeremy 173, 184
Covid-19 pandemic 4–5, 78, 114, 116, 150, 184, 255–61, 278, 295–6
cruising holidays 167–8, 189
cultural diversity 287–8
Cunningham, Laurie 208
Curry House Plot 73
Currywurst 210, 211–12
custard 47, 49, 50
Dahl, Roald 33
Davis, Evan 55
decimal currency 12
desserts Apple & Blackberry Crumble/Cobbler (and Custard) 47–50
Chocolate Mousse 99–101
Christmas Pudding 282–4
Strawberry Pavlova 213–15
Treacle Tart 195–7
Disneyland 166–7
Dunkers 33
Dyer, Dani 4, 192
Ed Balls Day 78
eggs Breakfast Quesadillas 175–8
Cheese and Thyme Souffle 245–7
Chocolate Mousse 99–101
Spanish Omelette 65–7
electronic timers 303
Elizabeth, Queen 191
Ellis, Doug 207
Euro 79
families eating together 18–19 eating out 14, 16, 17, 21–2, 313
Saturday night dinners 125–6, 131–2
see also Sunday roast dinner
Family Favourites (radio show) 2–3
family holidays 14–16, 20, 165–73, 189, 312–13
Farke, Daniel 210
Fashanau, Justin 208, 209
Field, Frank 156
Financial Times 52, 54
Firth, Colin 148, 149
fish and chips 14, 18
fish and seafood Crab & Samphire Tart 248–51
Prawn Pho with Vietnamese Salmon 225–7
Flay, Bobby 172, 301
food poverty 261
food shopping online 111
football catering 105, 201, 202, 206, 210
football pies 201–2, 203
Frances (cousin) 13–14
French food 144–5, 167, 312–13
fruit, tinned 19, 20
fuel protest (2000) 256, 257
gender politics 38–40, 127, 207–8, 286
general elections 1974 76
1992 69, 76
1997 76
2005 86
2010 154
2015 4, 157
campaigning 81, 86–7
George VI, King 148
George, Eddie 146
George Formby Society 191
Gill, A.A. 318
global financial crisis (2008) 153–4
Goose with Prunes & Brandy 279–81
Gove, Michael 153, 156
Granita restaurant, Islington 70–2
Harman, Harriet 52
Hartnett, Angela 262, 292
Hatton, Derek 255
Hill, Harry 191
Hoaksey, Heather 80
Hollywood, Paul 201, 266
homophobia 208–9
hostess trolley 26, 27
Howells, Herbert 240, 241
Iraq War 73
Italian food 58, 313
Japanese food 53, 260
Johnson, Alan 152
Jones, Katya 4, 189, 221
Kelly, Ruth 107
Kilimanjaro 4, 192–4, 221–2
Kinnock, Neil 255
kitchen gadgets 2, 307
Lagasse, Emeril 172
Lake District 122, 166
lamb Lamb with Herbs 26–9
Slow-Cooked Lamb Shoulder 198–200
lasagne 21, 58, 157, 234, 236 Mum’s Lasagne 159–61
Lawson, Nigella 57, 112
Leith, Prue 151
London Marathon 187–8, 220
McDonald’s 16–17
Macpherson, Nick 146
Major, John 76
Mandelson, Peter 69–70
maternity leave 108–10
‘Meat is Murder’ (The Smiths) 35–6
Members’ Dining Room, House of Commons 72
Milburn, Alan 109
Miliband, David 154, 155
Miliband, Ed 143, 153, 154–6, 157, 172, 184
Miliband, Ralph 155
ministerial red boxes 131
MMR crisis 115
Moondie, Paul 299
Moran, Carol 80, 81
Moulinex blender 2, 307
Mushroom Risotto 102–5
musical theatre 169–70, 185
national minimum wage 79
NHS 79, 260
Norwich City FC 39, 202–8, 209–10, 213
official lunches, dinners and receptions 74–5, 145–6
O’Leary, Dermot 188
Oliver, Jamie 151
O’Loughlin, Marina 318
Osborne, George 155, 156
packed lunches 31–2
Palin, Michael 148
Pancake Day 139
pancakes 139–42 American Pancakes 141–2
Grandma June’s Pancakes 140–1
paternity leave 39, 110–11
Perrin, Lola 186
Pinnock, Leigh-Anne 192, 194
pirate ship cake 113
pizza ovens 308
politics and food 69–78, 143–7, 150–3
pork Pork Loin with Sweet & Sour BBQ Sauce 179–81
Sausages & Onion Gravy 122–4
Slow-Cooked Pulled Pork 77–8, 83–5
pregnancy food cravings 92–3
Price, Brenda 207
punk 16
Quesadillas 175–8
racism 208, 209
Rani, Anita 192, 193
Ransome, Arthur 33, 185–6
Rashford, Marcus 150, 260–1
rationing, wartime 19–20, 56
rats 80–1, 269–72
Regis, Cyril 208
Rhodes, Gary 57
Robinson, Geoffrey 207
royal wedding (2011) 78
‘rubber chicken circuit’ 75
Salzburg 169, 170–1
sausages Currywurst 210, 211–12
Sausages & Onion Gravy 122–4
Scherzinger, Nicole 188
school, cooking lessons in 153
School Food Trust 151, 153
school meals 11–12, 150–3 breakfast clubs 151, 156
free 150–3, 156
Scouts 33, 34, 171
scurvy 35
Seeger, Pete 20
shepherd’s pie 17–18, 300 Grandma’s Shepherd’s Pie 17, 23–5
Skinner, Frank 190, 191
Slater, Nigel 56, 57, 79, 112, 301
Smith, Delia 33, 56, 57, 202, 204, 205, 207, 210, 213, 245, 279, 301, 318
Smith, John 71
snacks 218
soufflés 282–3, 301, 307 Cheese and Thyme Souffle 245–7
The Sound of Music 169, 170
soups Black Bean Soup 229–31
Chicken Noodle Soup 263–5
Prawn Pho 226–7
Spanish Omelette 65–7
Sport Relief Bake Off 120, 201–2, 266
Stein, Rick 57
strawberries Strawberries & Cream Birthday Cake 119–21
Strawberry Pavlova 213–15
Strictly Come Dancing 4, 38, 188–90, 220–1, 243, 262
Sunday roast dinner 1, 2–4, 19, 58–9, 236, 242–3, 285–6 Roast Beef with Yorkshire Puddings 7–10
Roast Chicken with Lemon & Coriander 291–4
Sunday tea 19
Suzy (Golden Retriever) 256, 260
tax credits 79
Teasmade 26
television 12–13
Tess (Golden Retriever) 37–8
Thatcher, Margaret 76, 150
Thirlwall, Jade 4, 192, 193, 194
Thomas, Gareth 209, 287
tips, culinary 301–4 cookbooks 301–2
cooking plans 303
eating out 310–11
ingredients 304–5
inventiveness and adaptation 300–1
kitchen gadgets 307
mass catering 309
mise-en-place 304
outdoor cooking 308
presentation of food 305
repetition 302–3
shopping for food 310
surprise and familiarity 305–6
tasting as you cook 302
Todiwala, Cyrus 94
train travel 168–9 with children 126–7
interrailing 168, 169, 171
Treacle Tart 195–7
Turkish food 55
Umenyiora, Osi 192
vegetarianism 35–6, 37
Vickery, Phil 153
Vietnamese food 221, 225
Wakefield, Andrew 115
Walker, Dan 192, 193, 194, 195
Watson, Tom 73
Webber, Stuart 210
Westminster lunches 73–4
White, Professor Greg 192–3
Whizz-Kids 220
Who Do You Think You Are? 241–2, 261
Wilson, Harold 76
Wimpy 13–14
Wright, Ian 204
X Factor 188
First published in Great Britain by Gallery Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster UK Ltd, 2021
Copyright © Ed Balls, 2021
The right of Ed Balls to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988.
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The author and publishers have made all reasonable efforts to contact copyright-holders for permission, and apologise for any omissions or errors in the form of credits given. Corrections may be made to future printings.
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Hardback ISBN: 978-1-3985-0474-5
eBook ISBN: 978-1-3985-0475-2