1970's recipes - Retro Food For Modern Times

25
Aug
2015

Birthday Beatles Cake

categories: 1960's recipes, Birthday Cake, Cake, Margaret Fulton Cookbook

They say it’s your birthday
It’s my birthday too, yeah
They say it’s your birthday
We’re gonna have a good time
I’m glad it’s your birthday
Happy birthday to you

Hey there

So yes, it was my birthday…and I made us all a cake. And, oh boy, what a cake. Just in case you thought that after that weird stroking meat hand we were done with Margaret Fulton? No way. No how. Nyet.

Because I saved the best for last. Because back in the 60’s Margaret Fulton made a very special cake. Which I totally copied for my birthday. And it was awesome.

What made it so good?

The burnt sugar cake? Incidentally a first for me (and utterly delicious)…

The caramel icing?

That it came with four….huh…maybe fab four friends to help get the party started?

Yes, I made The Beatles Cake!!!! Which of course, you already knew if you read the heading so my attempt at suspense was all for nought.

Here is Margaret Fulton’s original version, made back in the day.

And here is mine:

I think I did a pretty good job of this. I was very pleased with my Beatle cookies. Dare I say they may possibly even look slightly more like their counterparts than Margaret’s original? And I know they’re not going to win any form of identikit prize and it may not be the face of Jesus on a grilled cheese sandwich but it’s almost recognizably The Beatles. If you squint. And look from far away…

I found the recipe here, although the burnt sugar cake is also included in the Margaret Fulton cookbook.

http://www.womansday.co.nz/food/recipes/everyday-recipes/2013/7/retro-recipes-for-a-beatles-party/

I changed it only slightly, I used the same icing pen for the eyes as I used to pipe the yeah, yeah, yeah biscuits and I rolled my liquorice flat (9-10 seconds in the microwave and it became soft enough to roll out). Then I cut the hair shapes out with a pair of scissors.

Also, the template in the link did not work so I had to make my own face templates. I looked at a few things and I decided my best option was actually to use some of the images I found looking under Beatles cartoons. I printed them, cut them out, then cut around them to get the face shapes.

I felt very sorry for Ringo. The original recipe called for a peanut for each of the other Beatles’ noses and THREE cashews for Ringo’s! Too cruel Margaret, too cruel. I used a whole peanut for Ringo and a half peanut for the others.

Beatles Cake Ringo — Beatles Cake – Ringo

To be honest with you I did not think I could pull this one off. There were so many points of worry – the shape of the cookies, decorating them, the right amount of burnt for the burnt sugar cake, the caramel icing. This whole thing was FRAUGHT with a lack of confidence in myself more than any real complexity in the cooking. I mean it wasn’t the easiest thing I have ever made but it also was not as hard as I made it out be in my head.

Beatles Cake - George — Beatles Cake – George

The secret was like most things to give myself plenty of time and to break the recipe into little pieces. I baked the cookies on Friday night, baked the cake on Saturday and did the icing and all the cookie decorations on Sunday. For me this was about right. I think trying to do more would have lead to madness.

Did I mention this was delicious? And in the end….haha…worth all the bother. Margaret Fulton sure knew how to make a cake! It was also HUGE.

But only fitting this time round to finish some words from my favourite Beatle, George Harrison:

All the world’s a birthday cake,
So take a piece….but not too much

Wise words to live by.

Have a great week!

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10
Aug
2015

MFCB 13 – Missing from the Modern Part 3

categories: 1970's food, 1970's recipes, Bad Retro Food, Margaret Fulton Cookbook

It seems fitting that for the 13th (and last) part of this series that we hit what has to be the weirdest photo in The Margaret Fulton Cookbook. I’m not even sure where to start with this one….

This lady’s incredibly hairy arms?
The weird tan line across the back of her wrist?
Why would you put your thermometer in the meat and then rub the salt over it. Surely it’s just going to get in the way?
What is that even doing there? Don’t you take the temperature during cooking not before?
Why would you even want a photo of someone rubbing raw meat?

So many questions. So few answers…it boggles my mind!

It seems so right…and yet so wrong to leave you with this image but I’m back from holidays and normal (or what passes for it ’round here) transmission will resume shortly!

Have a great week!

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07
Aug
2015

The Margaret Fulton Cookbook 12 – Sunday Roast Chicken

categories: 1970's food, 1970's recipes, Chicken, Margaret Fulton Cookbook

Margaret’s Mediterranean Chicken from 1977 fits the bill of being big and fat and crisp and brown. Not to mention utterly delicious.

Mediterranean Chicken - Then — Mediterranean Chicken – Then

And when you’re onto a good thing? Stick to it:

Mediterranean Chicken - Now — Mediterranean Chicken – Now

if only the modern picture had a glass of wine in it, it would be perfect! But both of these are pretty superb pictures, you can almost taste and smell that lovely roast chicken!

I liked this so much I made one myself:

I think it is such a genius idea of Margaret’s to change the vegetables from the traditional roast – the tomatoes, mushrooms and olives were delicious, although I did throw in a few potatoes too.

Here’s the recipe so you can make it too:

Have a great week!

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05
Aug
2015

The Margaret Fulton Cookbook 11- Fish

categories: 1970's food, Fish, Margaret Fulton Cookbook

Fish…is fresh when the eyes are bright, the flesh is firm, the gills red and the scales do not come off easily. Fish should smell of the sea.

The biggest crime is to overcook fish. Whichever method of cooking you choose, watch your fish with loving care, serve it with a glad heart and a touch of parsley, a wedge of lemon or a dash of paprika”

– Margaret Fulton

Fresh lively vibrant seaood

THEN:

Yikes! So much fish, none of it looking all that appetizing. And that fake background of the sea. Because that’s where fish comes from kids. Just in case you didn’t know….

NOW

I really want to be on a beach somewhere watching the sunset and eating some fish and chips as mouthwateringly delicious as these.

Margaret Fulton’s Fish and Chips

What do I love about this photo? The crispy fish, the sharp salt crystals, the hazy tartare sauce in the background, the muted colour sheme that makes the fish, the chips and the lemon just pop…so, in short everything!.

Hope your having a great week! Now go eat some fish and chips…you know you want to!

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03
Aug
2015

The Margaret Fulton Cookbook 10 – Quiche Lorraine

categories: 1970's food, Baking, Eggs, France, Margaret Fulton Cookbook, Pastry

A quiche is an open-faced tart with a savoury custard filling. It was originally made with bread dough but short pastry has been substituted in modern recipes.

The pastry should be rolled as thinly as possible…there should be a lot of creamy filling on very little pastry.

– Margaret Fulton

Both of these look pretty good. But I am very fond of a quiche so more is pretty much more for me!!! But I totally understand why most people would prefer the understated elegance of the modern photo

Here’s the recipe!

Hope your week is fabulous.

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Category: 1970’s recipes