1970's recipes Archives - Retro Food For Modern Times

Category: 1970’s recipes

01
Dec
2024

Sardine Toadstools

categories: 1970's recipes, Devilled Eggs, Eggs, Fish, Sardines

Hello friends and retro food lovers. These little sardine toadstools may just be the most wonderfully whimsical vintage things I’ve ever made here! They are as cute as a button! A button mushroom, that is! The recipe for the Sardine Toadstools comes from what is fast becoming a favourite around these parts: Marguerite Patten’s 500 Recipes for Quick Meals (1972).

Imagine serving around a little tray of these at your next Halloween party. Or an Alice in Wonderland-inspired children’s party. I showed photos of these to one of my work colleagues. He loved them so much he is going to make them for his nieces on Christmas morning. Another colleague heard him talking about them and has also asked for the recipe to make for his daughters for weekend breakfasts!

Sardine Toadstools are a dish for any occasion where you want to add a touch of magic, which could also just be lunch! Your guests will be delighted and, by the way, these taste pretty good too!

Variations on The Theme of Sardine Toadstools

Now, I know that some of you, bizarrely, in my opinion, hate sardines. I feel the same way about cooked carrots. And beetroot. So there’s no judgement here. But please don’t discount this recipe if you do. You could swap in some tuna. Or leave out the fish altogether and just add mayo and mustard for a classic deviled egg.

If you want to get fancy and don’t mind the fiddliness of trying to coax the yolks out of boiled quail eggs, think how spectacular a miniature version of these would be! Use quail eggs and cherry tomatoes, and voila, not only are you magical, but you are also sophisticated!

Caterpillar took the hookah out of its mouth and yawned once or twice, and shook itself. Then it got down off the mushroom, and crawled away in the grass, merely remarking as it went, ‘One side will make you grow taller, and the other side will make you grow shorter.’

‘One side of what? The other side of what?’ thought Alice to herself.

‘Of the mushroom,’ said the Caterpillar, just as if she had asked it aloud; and in another moment it was out of sight.

Lewis Carroll – Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

The Recipe – Sardine Toadstools

As you can see, I’ve not bothered with the rounds of bread and butter, but you do you!

Please let me know if you make these! With Christmas just around the corner, many people may be wondering what to serve guests as fun finger food or a starter. These sardine toadstools could be just the thing for your entertaining needs! And if you do make them, please tag me on Instagram if you post them or ping me a photo. I would absolutely love to see how your creations turn out.

Have a great week!

03
Nov
2024

Pineapple Snow Pudding

categories: 1970's food, Desserts, Good Housekeeping World Cookery, Jelly

Hello friends and welcome to our final voyage to the South Sea Islands aboard the SS Good Housekeeping’s World Cookery. Today, we’re crafting a delightful Pineapple Snow Pudding bursting with tropical flavours of pineapple and coconut. As Good Housekeeping’s World Cookery doesn’t include many visuals, sometimes you need to use your imagination to envision the final product.

And sometimes my imagination runs a bit wild. I pictured the coconut settling at the bottom, so when I inverted it, the Pineapple Snow Pudding would resemble a miniature Mount Fuji. Unfortunately, reality didn’t quite align with my vision. I’m not even sure why I had a Japanese vision for my South Sea Island dish…maybe it was because the previous recipe from this chapter, Mainland Teriyaki, was Japanese-inspired?

No surprises but it didn’t look anything like that…

The Pineapple Snow Pudding may not have looked like how I imagined, but nor did it taste that way. It is almost impossible to describe how light and airy this is. It is almost as if you are just getting pure flavour from air! Absolutely delicious!

I loved the Pineapple Snow Pudding!!!!

It’s light and airy, fruity and tropical. Never mind Mount Fuji, this dessert tasted, if not exactly like summer, then more like the promise of summer. And with the coconut, pineapple and strawberry garnish, it also smelled of summer.

Pineapple Snow Pudding – The Recipe

This ends our trip to the South Seas and also technically ends Good Housekeeping’s World Cookery. However, those of you with a wanderlust for World Travel and 1970’s versions of classic dishes needn’t worry. For some reason, lost to time, I started cooking from this book with Swizterland which starts at page 400. So, from next month, we are heading to the start of the book to check out the best of pages 1-399!

Have a great week!

04
Oct
2024

Mainland Teriyaki

categories: 1970's food, 1970's recipes, Good Housekeeping World Cookery, Pineapple, Steak, United States of America

Today, we’re continuing our virtual journey to the South Sea Islands which started with Fish in Lolo Sauce. Our culinary adventure takes us through the pages of Good Housekeeping’s World Cookery (1972), where today we are rediscovering a classic recipe: Mainland Teriyaki.

Setting the Scene

Imagine yourself on a secluded beach. The warm sun gently warms your skin while ocean waves crash softly against the shore. Meanwhile, the air is filled with the sweet scent of tropical flowers. Then, someone fires up a grill. Soon, you smell roasting pineapple and grilling meat. That’s the essence of Mainland Teriyaki. It captures the spirit of the South Sea Islands, even though the recipe has Japanese origins.

Although Mainland Teriyaki may not be for everyone, those who love a blend of sweet, savory, and tangy flavors will be delighted. The combination of sweet pineapple, salty olives, and umami-rich, garlicky, ginger-infused marinated steak is delicious!

For me, Mainland Teriyaki brought back a wave of nostalgia. It reminded me of a time I’ve only ever experienced through the lens of film and television. Specifically, it evoked memories of Gidget, the iconic surfer girl. Additionally, it took me back to when a young, handsome Elvis Presley was playing his ukulele on the beach in Blue Hawaii.

Mainland Teriyaki is a perfect dish to enjoy on a warm summer day. Or, if you’re feeling a bit blue, it can serve as a reminder that summer is coming, even if it feels like “it’s been a long cold and lonely winter.” The combination of sweet, savory, and tangy flavors will transport you to a tropical paradise, making you forget about the cold weather.

Whatever your mood, why not fire up the grill and get ready to savor a taste of the South Sea Islands, courtesy of Mainland Teriyaki?

Mainland Teriyaki – The Recipe

At first I thought the inclusion of olives in this recipe was a bit weird. They really didnt seem to fit in with the Asian inspired flavours of the rest of the dish. But they really work together well here, just like they do on pizza!

Have a great week!

25
Aug
2024

Fish In Lolo Sauce

categories: 1970's recipes, Good Housekeeping World Cookery, Vintage Cookbooks, Vintage Recipes, World Cooking

Bula friends! Which means hello in Fijian becaue today we are taking a trip to the South Sea Islands. Our guide is Good Housekeeping’s World Cookery (1972). We are starting our culinary journey to these tropical shores with a very yummy starter of Fish in Lolo Sauce.

What is Fish In Lolo Sauce?

For those of you who have read my post on Tiger’s Milk Ceviche, the concept of Fish in Lolo Sauce should be quite familiar. It is, at it’s most simple, raw fish in coconut cream.

Now technically you should grate your own coconut and make your own coconut cream. I’m 100% sure that a Fish in Lolo Sauce made with freshly coconut cream is an absolute joy and would be a perfect thing to eat at at a beachside restaurant in Fiji. Here maybe?

Doesn’t that look like paradise?

However, for a quick meal on a Tuesday night, I think we can skip the home grating and use a bought coconut cream. I loved this! You could virtually taste the tropics in every bite. It certainly brough a little bit of sun to a very dark and gloomy Melbourne winter day!

I served mine as a starter alongside some potato chips and on some scallop shells. I quite liked the saltiness and crunch of chips against the coconutty creaminess of the fish. If you wanted to serve this as a more substantial meal, I would suggest a simple bowl of boiled or steamed rice with maybe some steamed green Asian veg. My personal favourite is Chinese Broccoli but bok choy or pak choy or just plain old ordinary broccoli and beans would be great!

Fish in lolo sauce is also a fairly heatlhy recipe. Well…if you ditch the potato chips! 😊

Fish In Lolo Sauce – The Recipe

The recipe says to use white fish. I used salmon because whilst I love raw fish, I want to err on the side of caution and my local fishmonger sells a very reliable sashimi grade salmon. I’ve also included the recipe on how to make your lolo from scratch if you are so inclined! Please let me know if you do!

If you would like a virtual trip to Fiji, then Fish in Lolo Sauce might be the recipe for you! I’ve also got a main, and a dessert coming up if you would want to make an entire meal of it!

Have a great week!

18
Aug
2024

Cheddar Scotch Eggs

categories: 1970's food, 1970's recipes, 500 Recipes for Quick Meals, Eggs, England

Hey friends! Today, I’m diving into a classic recipe: Cheddar Scotch Eggs. This little gem hails from 500 Recipes for Quick and Easy Meals by Marguerite Patten (1972).

I’ve got a confession: Scotch Eggs are one of those foods I adore eating but dread making. Remember the Pakistani version, the Nargisi Kofta, I made back in 2019? It was a culinary delight, but let’s face it, Scotch Eggs are a lot of work! Who wants to deal with the mess of a deep fryer just for one meal? It’s like running a marathon for a single slice of pizza!

Scotch eggs are however, quite lovely eaten cold, which makes making a big batch worthwhile as you can enjoy meals for a few days! They are also amazing picnic food so if you are contemplating an al fresco meal in the near future, these could be your go-to dish!

Ahem, I hear you say. That looks exactly like a regular Scotch Egg. Where’s the extra cheese you promised? Scotch Eggs are already laborious enough to make, but this version takes things to a new level. You cut the eggs in half, remove the yolks, and mix them with cheese. Then, you reassemble the eggs and proceed with the normal Scotch Egg process.. You can see the split in the eggs where they where cut through in the close up photo below.

What Are Scotch Eggs?

But maybe I should pause here in case some of my readers are unfamiliar with the concept of a Scotch Egg.

First thing. They are not from Scotland. They were invented by Fortnum and Mason the very posh department store in Picadilly in London in 1738. The term scotch comes from adding anchovies to the meat to cut through the fattiness of the meat and to give it a stronger flavour.

Second, they are an egg, wrapped in a meat casing and then crumbed and fried.

Cheddar Scotch Eggs – The Recipe

Have a great week!