May 2003 – The Letter P

Welcome friends to Twenty Years Ago today, where we find out what the good people of 2003 were eating via a magazine of the time and a self-imposed challenge by which to deliver a menu. Today’s magazine was Super Food Ideas from May 2003 and the challenge was to build a menu that featured the letter P.

But first, let’s set the scene by having a quick peek at what was hot in May 2003. The Matrix Reloaded was number one at the office followed by X2: X Men United and Bruce Almighty. Topping the Australian music charts through that same month were “In Da Club” by 50 Cent, “Rock Your Body” by Justin Timberlake and “Bring Me To Life” by Evanescence. Also, sneaking up on those charts was another favourite of mine, “Seven Nation Army” by The White Stripes so for my mind, May 2003 had some pretty good music and some fairy average films. In book sales for the month, The Da Vinci Code was #2 and The Devil Wears Prada was #8.

So, pop some JT on your speakers and open that bottle full of bub, because we are going to party like it’s your birthday with a menu featuring the letter P.

The Menu – May 2003

Chicken Liver Paté – To Wake You Up Inside

There were actually a few options for the starter – the paté which I chose, a prawn cocktail and some mini potato cakes with smoked salmon and creme fraiche.  I literally eeny meeny miny mo’ed these three recipes to choose one.  The pate was easy to make and was quite delicious.  It was a little grainier than bought patés but that probably says more about my food processor than any real flaw in the recipe.  

Chicken Liver Pate Recipé:

Pepper Steak – To Rock Your Body

The pepper steak main was delicious!  And another classic to go with the very traditional starter!  And although I am trying to limit my consumption of red meat, this is likely to go on high rotation!  

Pepper Steak Recipe:

Pecan and Date Syrup Pudding

I was soooo disappointed that I didn’t have time to make this.  I even bought all the ingredients but, the weekend I had planned to make it, I also realised we had most of a bag of apples that were getting a bit old…so apple pie it was.  However, as I said I have all the ingredients so this pudding may make an appearance in the coming weeks.

Pecan and Date Syrup Pudding Recipe:

My Nigella Moment  – Chilli Crab

For first-time readers, this refers to the moment at the end of Nigella Lawson’s cooking shows when she sneaks back to the fridge to have another bite of something delicious.  In the context of these Twenty Years Ago posts, it is something contained in the magazine that does not fit with the overall menu theme but I’m sneaking it in either because I made it and it was really good, or I just didn’t have time to make it but it was the most appetising thing in the mag!

I mean…who does not love a Chilli Crab.  I mean…who does not love Chilli Crab.  We had the most memorable chilli crab in Malaysia.  We went on a tour to see the fireflies where part of the tour was dinner.  The restaurant looked pretty basic – plastic plates and cups, definitely catering to the tourists going to see the fireflies so we were not expecting much.  Then they brought out the chilli crab!!!  It was amazing.  So fresh and tasty.  It was divine.  So expectations were high on this one.  Could I do our memories of chilli crab justice?  

I am not going to blow my own trumpet to say this was as good as our Malaysian meal.  For a start, it was not followed by cruising down the river watching fireflies, it was followed by a night on the couch watching Forgetting Sarah Marshall which was this week’s film club choice!  BUT…this was AMAZING!!!!  A seven-nation army couldn’t hold me back from this one!  

Chilli Crab Recipe:

Oh my gosh, Super Food Ideas delivered on the P recipes!  This was a great month of eating for me culminating in that chilli crab…possibly the best month yet!  And the pudding still to come!

So tell me, if you were making a menu featuring the letter P, what would you make?

And have a great week!