Karen Wright: First book and big occasions that help test my cooking skills

Big occasions in the calendar, like Easter for example, provide me with opportunities to do bigger things than just the two of us could do justice to at home. Usually someone is having a get together and this year was no exception. My cousin Janet invited her brothers and their wives and the two of us to join them on Easter Sunday for a Faith Supper. A Faith Supper is an old-fashioned term for a party where everyone brings something for the table, and you rely upon faith that there will be enough to feed everyone! I brought with me a trifle and a gala pie.

I have been asked to attend an event in the Ridings Centre to celebrate the Coronation of King Charles. The event is on the Thursday (May 4), before the coronation and it is free to attend with refreshments available between 10am and midday. At around 12.30 I will be demonstrating how to make and assemble this gigantic celebration trifle and then we’ll have a taster! I make all the components from scratch starting with a Swiss roll topped with fresh raspberries and strawberries, then a strawberry jelly that is vegetarian friendly because it is set with Agar Agar rather than gelatin. Of course, there must be lashings of custard which I make with egg yolks and then fresh cream and white chocolate shards for a bit of extra bling! Later in the year I will be hosting an online baking class making another party favourite, a Gala pie. It is just a pork pie with boiled eggs in the middle. It got its name as it is a picnic pie suitable for taking along the fêtes and galas in the summertime. While it was baking, I made a red onion and apple chutney, a chili sauce and the old school classic cucumber and onion in vinegar.

We had a lovely evening and there was plenty of food to go around, in addition to my things there was an abundance of delicious things – dips, salads, sandwiches, and cheese and fruit. Our next get together is going to be themed, a Prosecco party! Why? Because we discovered in conversation that we all have bottles of the stuff left over from Christmas and we need an opportunity to pop a few corks, sounds like fun to me!