A month ago, on July 24, our dear Cambridge culinary icon Rose Murray died.
When a friend leaves us, our thoughts turn to shared memories. Two friends who I have known a long time have recently left us; Donna Reid, Ward 1 councillor, and Rose Murray, our Cambridge culinary icon.
Many residents knew Rose, they have one of her many cookbooks, have followed recipes of hers from Canadian Living and a wide variety of print media.
Rose was never prepared to have a recipe printed unless it had been tested and retested. It is essential that all good recipes must be tested, often several times before being published. Rose’s recipes became known for their reliability.
Anyone who saw her regular lunch time television shows on CTV or met her at a book launch knew fun and laughter were part of her persona. Rose loved people, her joie de vivre was infectious. By now you may have read her obituary, a sad loss for us.
When I think of Rose, my first thought is of the laughter we shared. Rose was fun, self- deprecating, loyal and loving; a joyful friend with a wonderful sense of humour.
Becoming friends with her was one of the precious parts of my life. I knew Rose but came to know her better in 1990. We were together at a book launch, to introduce her latest cookbook and my auto-biographical story, “Supporting myself in Style - Confessions of the Cane Lady.”
It was my first signing and launch, I was very nervous, so Rose, an experienced author, took me under her wing.
Since then, the friendship grew, and we always found something to laugh at whenever we met. Rose and her husband Kent often held dinner parties in their home. Frequently these were to test recipes she had written for magazines.
One year, when Rose’s recipes were to be featured in Canadian Living for their Christmas issue, Rose held the test dinner in the height of summer.
Magazines have a long lead time, and tasked with cooking a Christmas meal for 12 guests in summer Rose found it was not easy to locate all the necessary ingredients, many were out of season, which caused her some anxiety.
As two of the invited guests, my late husband Stuart and I decided we’d play along, dress for winter and take a Christmas gift.
We were sweltering by the time we arrived in our hats, mitts, scarves, and winter coats, and to our amusement found several other guests had the same idea.
Over the courses of the sumptuous meal, paired with glasses of suitable wine generously poured by Kent, we had a lot of fun.
Rose shared with us the previous evening she’d been a little anxious about the upcoming dinner and as a result had an anxiety dream.
She dreamt that Queen Elizabeth had arrived unexpectedly. A lady in waiting knocked on the kitchen door and asked if she could provide lunch for her majesty and seven ladies in waiting. Rose asked if toasted BLT sandwiches would suffice. Yes, indeed they replied, so in they all came.
Next the Queen said she needed a bath before lunch and Rose went desperately searching for a fresh towel as she ran the bath, wondering if the bathroom was clean enough. How hot, how cold, had she got the temperature right for a Queen?
All twelve of the guests began to laugh as Rose described her anxiety. The meal was of course a great success and I had fun with the follow up thank you note making a collage of photos cut from magazines with the Queen’s crowned head peeking out of a bath, her arm draped over the side with her accompanying handbag, topped with a plate of BLT sandwiches on the edge of the bath.
There are so very many amusing anecdotes of being with Rose. I learned quickly when inviting her to our home for dinner, trying to compete with fancy gourmet meals was not her preference. She loved beans on toast, simple suppers that were seldom offered, and thinking of them makes me smile at the memory.
One winter vacation time Rose and Kent came to stay with us in Barbados, where we rented a bungalow annually.
She had warned us that Kent was accident prone, so could we ensure we had a handy first aid kit. When we met them at the airport on their arrival, I wore a first aid kit strung around my neck with the sign, “It’s OK Kent, you are safe, we have you covered!”
When they left a week later, Kent was struggling to pack their suitcases which included a huge breadbasket, (Rose collected them whenever she traveled and their family room ceiling was covered with dozens of them, all different and typical of the area).
“I wish you collected earrings or fridge magnets like other women.” Kent complained, but they got this huge typical Bajan Basket known as “Dung” basket back home. Whenever Rose used for it to serve bread rolls, she amusingly told her guests it’s intended purpose!
As I continue to think of dear Rose and send my deep condolences to her family; the wonderful memories of a happy loving woman, who enjoyed entertaining her friends, spreading joy and laughter, and spinning a good yarn will keep me smiling.
Memories, especially ones of laughter, of caring and sharing love, are the best and Rose has left us with a huge legacy.
Over their many years of living in Cambridge, the Murray family have contributed generously, gifting their time and experience for the betterment of our city.
What a privilege to have had such a friend. Thank you Rose.
