If nothing else, the two editions of the Margaret Fulton Cookbook are a lesson in how food photography has changed over the years. The theme of yesteryear seems to be very much “more is more” with multiple items on a page, whereas now we are far more minimalist with a much cleaner page.
Margaret’s words of wisdom on hors d’œuvre and canapes from 1977 seem to support the modern view:
“Hors d’œuvre and canapés are served with drinks before dinner (to give you an appetite). They should be light, piquant and small, never larger than bite-size. Attempting too many varieties has been the downfall of many a hostess and death to the meal that follows”
Having said that, this is one of the few pages in where the 1977 version is my favorite. Maybe it’s my love of fingerfood but give me the loaded page from 1977 (below) rather than the restrained simplicity of the modern photo (above) any day!
I truly believe that when it comes to fingerfood more is more….I could scoff the lot on this page…except for maybe the green triangles in the bottom right corner. I don’t know what they are nor do I want to. But the rest…gimme, gimme, gimme…
By the time you read this, I will be wending my way to (hopefully) sunny Sri Lanka. I’m super excited to be visiting the country where I was born. We will be travelling around Sri Lanka for a couple of weeks then stopping by our beloved Vietnam on the way home.
However, just so you don’t miss me too much, this year, like a television chef, I have a few things I have prepared earlier for which should (fingers crossed) come out every couple of days while I am gone.
The Margaret Fulton Cookbook was recently the book of the month over at The Cookbook Guru. I have the 1977 version of this book which is what I used to cook most of my recipes. However, my local library had the modern version. And because I am a cookbook nerd I did a side by side reading of the two. The results of that reading inspired this holiday series.
Margaret Fulton Cookbook Covers – Then and Now
But first, taken from the blurb on the 1977 edition, for those of you who do not know her, here is all you need to know about Margaret Fulton. It’s a bit of a long quote but utterly delightful and indeed points to why she is such a treasure and legend of Australian cooking. The modern version has nothing like this which is an absolute shame!
“Margaret Fulton is a good cook – that’s indisputable. She is also an intriguing personality. This gives lie to those who think that someone whose career is cookery is bound to be staid and homely with conversation that hovers on or around matters culinary. Margaret’s conversation sparkles with wit and shows no preoccupation with her career. She is fascinated by the stock market. Will discuss big business, high fashion, the theatre, modern literature and child care with verve and intelligence.
Margaret has travelled widely, living every moment of every day with an enjoyment, an enthusiasm that would exhaust most people…..
Petite and feminine, she loves good clothes and smart shoes. Although she would never dream of putting up with anything but the best quality food, her Scottish thrift (and plain good sense) prompt her to buy most of her fruits and vegetables at a farmer’s market where the freshest quality is available and the prices are low. She is not a food snob. Rather a fresh wing of skate than an Alaskan crab or Scotch salmon that may not have travelled well…
And when Margaret entertains, which she does with the same zeal she applies to everything else, her friends are sure of a memorable meal and lively conversation. Her definite personality, her bubbling zest for living make her an outstanding human being”
Enjoy the next few weeks! How could you not in such good company? By which I mean Margaret of course. If you want to keep up with my travel adventures and general nonsense, I’ll be on FB and Insta.
If we are at home on a Friday, we don’t usually eat a big meal, just usually have a couple of snacky things here and there.
Tonight’s snack plate had a distinctly retro feel so I thought I would share it with you!
Cheese and Date Bread
First up, we have some Cheese and Date Bread, courtesy of The A-Z of Cooking. We have jumped somewhat forward here in that this recipe appears under G – Good Health, when technically we are only up to D – Drinks and Dips. And whilst Drinks and Dips are usually good Friday fare, tonight it was something different.
I was intrigued by the idea of Cheese and Date Bread. I really wasn’t sure how the sweetness of the dates would go with the rest of the ingredients. These fears were completely unfounded. And my bread looked just like real proper bread!
Cheese and Date Bread2
If somewhat lopsided…
Cheese and Date Bread3
The bread is pretty good plain but if you want to take it to a whole new level? Toast it up.
Cheese and Date Bread4
Cheese and Date Balls
Like I said, initially I was hesitant to make the Cheese and Date Bread. What changed my mind was finding this recipe for Cheese and Date Balls:
Of course I made mini balls – because that’s how I roll. Also, I swapped out the lemon in the recipe above for a teeny splash of vermouth.
Mmmmm…blue cheese, walnuts and dates spread on toasted Date and Cheese Bread. Life is good!
Cheese and Date Balls2
But wait…there’s more.
But first a little bit of disclosure. I am actually trying something new tonight which is to cook (ok, assemble, I had actually cooked everything beforehand), photo, write, review and post all in the one night. Normally this process can take WEEKS. I am also doing it whilst drinking a rather large martini which we will get to in due course. So, if the end of this devolves into absolute gibberish, you know why and apologies in advance.
Those olives you see on the plate? Aren’t just any olives. They are:
Martini Drenched Olives
Normally, you put your olive into a martini. In this recipe, you put some martini into your olives! This is so simple and really adds a new and different flavour to some otherwise ordinary olives.
2 cups green olives (I used stuffed olives because I had them)
3 tbsp vodka
1 1/2 tbsp dry vermouth
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp shredded lemon zest
8–10 cracked peppercorns
Instructions
Rinse the olives under cold water and drain.
Combine all the other ingredients.
Place the olives in a bowl.
Pour the other ingredients over.
Refrigerate for at least an hour. (I kept mine in the fridge for nearly a week).
But you know what? If your going to have some martini drenched olives, why not make also make a Drenched Dirty Martini. It is Friday after all!
Drenched Dirty Martini2
The Drenched Dirty Martini is a dirty martini made with Drenched Martini Olives.
[yumprint-recipe id=’32’]
Drenched Dirty Martini
Have a great weekend!
PS – Love to hear your thoughts on the quick and dirty post. I live in awe of the bloggers who manage to do something daily and would love to be able to increase my output. Your feedback on me just banging something out like tonight v agonising over every comma is most appreciated! Thanks as always. xx
Arrgghhhh!!!! It’s been an intense couple of weeks and I realised this morning I had totally forgotten to announce who won the giveaway book. So without any further ado, the winner is…
No, actually there will be a bit of further ado because, I just happen to have a very special guest here with me today. Yes, it is Anne Marshall, editor of Australian Cooking For Today. (If today was 1977).
Anne’s “vast experience and knowledge of Australian cooking have gone into editing this colourful new book, which provides recipes and information for all occasions and for all types of cooks from beginner to gourmet”.
So, further ado over, take it away Anne and announce the winner of this wonderful book!
Well I cannot think of a more deserving winner than the lovely Yinzerella. I cannot wait to see what she decides to cook.
Will she unleash the Zombie Apocalypse by cooking Brains and Eggs?
Will she resurrect Weiner Wednesday to cook the Frankfurter Roka Salad?
Will she take a walk on the weird side and make the Canned Pheasant Casserole? (Main ingredient being 1 can whole roast pheasant in burgundy jelly. I have no idea if this is available anymore. I have never seen it in any shop. But I kind of hope it is still around. I hope right now someone somewhere in the world is tucking into some canned whole roast pheasant in burgundy in jelly. And that it’s not from 1977.
Whatever Yinzerella does, it will be wonderful. I can’t wait to see it!
Email me your deets, Yinz and I will get this behemoth in the mail to you soonest.
It’s been a while since we dipped into the pages of The A-Z of Cooking…and yep, we’re still only up to C. This time though we head away from the fun, fun, fun of Children’s Favourites and into the darker world of cost savers. Retro Frugality can a very scary place!
Chili Con Carne4jpg
Surprisingly, all three recipes featured in this section were things I would have been happy to make. There was the Chili Con Carne, a Tagliatelle with Bacon and Tomato Sauce and an Oxtail Casserole. I REALLY wanted to make the Oxtail Casserole just because the others are things we probably eat fairly regularly and I have never cooked with o before. But, someone had a hissy fit in the butcher when I asked for oxtails. Sometimes it’s difficult trying to be a retro food blogger when you live with the fussiest eater on the planet!!! It will be made though. I have enough meals alone to warrant making some, even if just for myself.
A-Z of Cooking – Chili Con Carne Ingredients
But for now, we needed a meal to be eaten together and, turned out, we had everything to make this chilli already in the freezer, fridge and store cupboard. This is really important as you will soon find out that not all my ventures into Mexican cooking have been so expeditious. You will also notice that there are no green peppers, as specified by the recipe ingredients, and there are mushrooms which are not mentioned. I am not fond of bell peppers of any sort as they tend to repeat on me for HOURS after I have eaten them. Plus, I had mushrooms and, in the cost cutting vibe of this post, waste not, want not right?
Chili Con Carne Recipe
I had one problem with this recipe. And that was the lack of cumin. Funnily enough, as I was writing this post, I was watching a Heston Blumenthal show where he made chili con carne and he too mentioned how important it was to have cumin in your chili recipe.
Then again, Heston’s’ chili contains 27 ingredients and at least 3 processes….I love Heston, I really do. But 27 ingredients for chilli? And that doesn’t even include the muffins?
I’m sure Heston’s recipe is the best chili you’ve ever eaten. I’m equally sure that the A-Z of Cooking’s Cost Saving Recipe won’t be.
BUT. And it’s a big but. (Sir Mixalot would be proud).
Chili Con Carne 5
Is this a tasty dish? This recipe lacked some flavour, most notably cumin. And personally, I would have increased the chilli content too. However, I think the mushrooms added some umami that would not have been present had the green peppers been used instead. And it was tasty even without the cumin. So yes, big tick on tasty.
Does it fill the brief of being a cost saver? Absolutely. The basic chili cost around $7.00. And that made 4 large or 5 medium sized serves.
Should this become something that is in your repertoire of basic dishes that you can then flavour and snazz up whatever way you want? Totally!
Is it something you will make over and over? You bet!
It’s a good, solid, basic chili recipe. Sure it’s not Heston. But it not everything needs to be. In fact, nothing except food at The Fat Duck should be.
And if you want to jazz it up, any, or all, of the following would make good additions:
Avocado Salsa
Corn Chips as dippers
Warm tortillas
Pico Di Gallo
Guacamole
Grated Cheese
Sour Cream
Pickled Jalapenos
Cojita or crumbled feta cheese
Tabasco or other hot sauce
This is great, quick easy weeknight cooking, it is also great, maybe even better the next day for lunch or dinner.
Chili Con Carne4jpg
Eat, enjoy! With the money you save on this why not treat yourself to a margarita or two.
Having said that, this is one of the few pages in where the 1977 version is my favorite. Maybe it’s my love of fingerfood but give me the loaded page from 1977 (below) rather than the restrained simplicity of the modern photo (above) any day! 
