Roes

When the Second World War was announced, Britain’s Ministry of Food put out an edict that it would be a good idea for everybody to stock up on imperishable food. This was in case the worst came to the worst, and we found ourselves cowering behind wet-blanketed doors, having been attacked by the dreaded mustard gas, which did so much harm in the first war. My mother, who knew nothing about cooking, did her bit and duly bought a large crate of canned soft herring roes - no sign of a baked bean, corned beef, or anything else for that matter. She gave not a thought as to how the roes should or could be cooked when the dreaded moment came. She just knew they were one of her favorite after-dinner savories.