Marguerite Patten

Rationing. It’s a word which sends shivers down the spine. A word which conjures up Spam and powdered eggs, potato peel pie and cabbage. Endless cabbage.

But it wasn’t all doom and gloom. And today we celebrate the woman who taught Britain how to ‘make do’ – the glorious Marguerite Patten.

Her recipes went down in history and she’s still the cook with the most books – 170 at the last count. Marguerite was the first TV chef, the first to publish a colour cookbook and the first to recognise the magic of gadgets.

So pull up a chair and feed your mind as we tuck into some of her recipes in the company of the food writer Claire Thomson, AKA @5oclockapron. It’s hearty fare . . . though we can’t say the same about the food!