20 Years Ago Today Archives - Retro Food For Modern Times

27
Oct
2024

Feb 2004 – From the Garden

categories: 20 Years Ago Today, Australian Table, Chicken, Potato, Potato Salad, Scallops, Seafood

Hello dear readers! I was updating the index for the Twenty Years Ago Today posts this week and I realised I had not actually posted this one from way back in February! Given that today’s post was just a little teaser for Murder is Announced which will be released on Tuesday, I thought why not post this today so you also get some real content. Enjoy!

Hello, retro food lovers! Buckle up for a delicious journey back in time! Today, we’re using the magic of Australian Table magazine to teleport ourselves to February 2004, and build a menu that celebrates the vibrant bounty of the garden. Talk about perfect timing, with our own gardens bursting at the seams right now! But before we whip up some culinary magic, let’s take a nostalgic stroll down memory lane and see what was buzzing in pop culture back then.

First up, music: Australia was rocking out to Shannon Noll’s powerful cover of the Moving Pictures classic “What about Me?”. Fun fact, this very song just gave me some serious bragging rights in a pub quiz! So, while it might have retired from the charts, it’s clearly not forgotten.

Now, onto the literary world: can you guess the top-selling book of the first half of February 2004? Drumroll please… yep, you guessed it, it was the phenomenon that was The Da Vinci Code. And if you think its grip on pop culture was about to loosen anytime soon, think again! Speaking of cultural giants, Jesus himself made a big splash on the big screen, with The Passion of the Christ becoming the highest-grossing film of the month. So, get ready for a menu that’s not only fresh and seasonal, but also infused with a touch of early 2004 nostalgia.

Fun Fact From Australian Table February 2004

I found this little timeline of how food evolved in Australia over the last 70 years fascinating I particularly liked it that they did this by looking at old magazines. Hmm…now what does that remind me of?

Now, let’s take a look at our menu.

The Menu – February 2004

Summer Cocktail

Garden ingredient : Mint

This was a take on a Classic Pimms Punch combining gingerale, lemonade, Pimms, cucumber, mint and orange. Many of these recipes often also contain strawberries which we also have growing but this one didn’t. It was however delicious. This was summer in a glass!

Summer Cocktail Recipe

Seared Scallop Salad with Macadamia and Coriander Pesto

Garden Ingredients, Mint, Lime

While I am not a huge scallop fan this was delicious! Next time I make it I would use prawns. Confession: I took some liberties with the salad, swapping out the red capsicum and beansprouts. I can’t eat red capsicum and I could only find huge bags of beansprouts at the greengrocer. Bean sprouts aren’t bad, but buying a giant bag just for a few felt wasteful! I opted for cherry tomatoes (home grown) and red onion instead. This dish is colourful and pretty and the macadamia and coriander pesto is divine!

Seared Scallop Salad with Macadamia and Coriander Pesto

Rosemary and Lemon Chicken with Mint Dressing

Garden Ingredients: Rosemary, Lemon, Mint

This was a great quick and easy midweek meal. Nothing elaborate but relatively quick and tasty.

Rosemary and Lemon Chicken with Mint Dressing – Recipe

Potato Salad with Garlic and Caper Mayonnaise

Garden Ingredients: Lemon, Parsley

I love potato salad. Roseanne Cash Potato Salad remains one of my favourites but the Garlic and Caper Mayo on this one was superb!

Potato Salad with Garlic and Caper Mayonnaise – Recipe

Angel Cheesecake

Garden Ingredients: Limes

I am not 100% sure why this is called an Angel Cheesecake. Maybe because there are egg whites in the filling to make it lighter? Maybe because the combination of lime and passionfruit is divine?

We have a passionfruit vine in the garden but it is only tiny so has not had any fruit on it yet. I am looking forward to making this again with some homegrown passionfruit sometime in the future!

Angel Cheesecake – Recipe

My Nigella Moment – Barbecued Green Rice

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 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 because it is too good not to share.

This month I chose a recipe that used a technique that was new to me. I have never thought of putting rice on the bbq. But I made the sushi with crispy rice out of the book Eat California by Vivian Lui (highly recommended BTW) and I loved it. And this gave me the same vibes. It was really tasty and I did get the crispy rice I was after but this recipe really needed some salt to make it a 10/10 instead of an 8/10! We also do not have a bbq at the moment so I made this in a pan on the stove.

Barbecued Green Rice Recipe

I really enjoyed this month, it just felt very lemon and mint-heavy in terms of garden produce! There were some absolute winners in the taste department too – the pesto, the potato salad, the cheesecake, and the rice are things that will become part of my repertoire!

20
Oct
2024

October 2004 – The Letter B

categories: 20 Years Ago Today, Delicious

Hello Friends, today we are time tripping back to October 2004. Our menu is brought to us by Delicious Magazine and the letter B. And if that has a vaguely Sesame Street ring to it, then you might also enjoy this! And whilst we are delving into nostalgia, let’s take a look at what was topping the film, book and movie charts in October 2004.

October 2004 – Pop Culture

Films

If you remember last month, I was underwhelmed by the movies on offer. How the world can change in 30 days! October 2004 was an absolute belter of a month for movies. Team America World Police was #8, The Motorcycle Diaries was #13 and one of my very favourites, Shaun of the Dead was at #14.

Books

For what seems like the first time since I have been doing these posts, The Da Vinci code was not at #1 on the book charts. The start of the month saw Trace by Patricia Cornwall take that spot and later in the month the 7th instalment of Stephen King’s The Dark Tower series, The Dark Tower top the best sellers.

Music

Just Lose It by Eminem was top of the charts, followed by She Will Be Loved by Maroon 5 and Lose my Breath by Destiny’s Child. Losing things was big in October 2004! My favourite, Bowling for Soup’s 1985 was still at #8.

Having set the scene, now lets turn our attention to the menu.

The Menu – October 2004

This was another AI assisted menu design. Still super frustrating to do! I’m sure I will get better at it, the more I do it, but for the moment it is really difficult!

Broad Bean Bruschetta

Well, if we’re gong to feature the letter B, why not start with a triple! I love broad beans – their bright green colour and the velvety feel of their pods give me a sense of joy that is hard to describe. And their appearance signals the start or spring and longer warmer days. The tarragon, which came from my garden, was an unexpected delight in this! I really want to grow my own broad beans too but keep missing the growing season. I would love to be able to make these again with both of the main items home grown. I’ll file that one for next year!

My one complaint with this is that there was nothing to “stick” the beans to the bread. The minute I picked it up and took a bite, there was a rain of broad beans off the bread! I think maybe a goat’s cheese or a whipped feta would have worked here to help the broad beans stay on the bread.

Broad Bean Bruschetta Recipe

Lamb Burger

This was billed as the best lamb burger. Now, we all know that the actual ultimate lamb burger is my Spic(e)y Feta Burger but these were pretty good!

Lamb Burger Recipe

Berry Tiramisu

Who doesn’t love a Tiramisu? And the berries brought a fresh note into this Italian classic. This was SENSATIONAL. I don’t love a coffee dessert but I would eat this every and any night of the week!

Berry Tiramisu Recipe

My Nigella Moment – Crumpets

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 may not fit with the overall menu theme but I’m sneaking it in because it is too good not to share.

Possibly inspired by my Welsh Rarebit Crumpets of a few weeks ago, I was very excited to make my own crumpets. They were somewhat successful. They were quite tasteless which was not so much of an issue because I could add flavour with the toppings but I could not get the really crumpet like top on them. This one was probably the most recognisably crumpetty one:

They did have the crumpet like texture on the inside though! Would i make these again? Probably not. They were quite a bit of work and when bought crumpets are cheap and delicious I think I will stick to them in future. Still, at last I can say I gave them a go!

Crumpets Recipe

29
Sep
2024

September 2004 – Feeling Fruity

categories: 20 Years Ago Today, Asparagus, Avocado, Champagne, Delicious, Duck, Grapefruit, Orange, Prawns, Raspberry, Strawberries

Hello friends and welcome to September 2004. Today, we’ll be exploring a fun fruit-forward menu via Delicious Magazine. But as usual, before we dive into the menu, let’s take a look at what we were watching, reading, and listening to in September 20 years ago.

Unfortunately, I wasn’t rushing to the Cinema in September 2004. Resident Evil: Apocalypse was #1 at the box office, followed by Hero with Sky Captain and The World of Tomorrow at number 3. However, all of these titles are drawing total blanks for me! On the other hand, I am very well aware of the number one book on the best seller lists – it was The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown, which I think has been number one on the charts since I started doing these Twenty Years Ago posts!

While I may not have been greatly enamoured with the books and films of 2004, the music was another matter. 1985 by Bowling for Soup was #7, and American Idiot was #8. Finally, something for me!”

Speaking of other things for me, let’s get it started in here (BTW, that was #2 in September 2004) with our feeling fruity menu!

The Menu – September 2004

I designed my September 2004 menu using AI. It was a hard slog, and there were times when I was ready to throw my laptop against the wall. However, in the end, it was worth the effort. Even if I do say so myself!

Wicked Champagne Cocktail

This Jamie Oliver recipe was very simple – pomegranate juice with sparkling wine. But it was also a great way to start our fruity theme for September 2004!

Wicked Champagne Cocktail Recipe

Prawn, Grapefruit and Avocado Salad

This was divine!!! All my favourite flavours!

Prawn, Grapefruit and Avocado Salad Recipe

Duck Breast with Raspberry Vinaigrette

Another winner! I had some pink pickled onions from something else I had made in the fridge and I added them to this recipe. I think they worked well with the rest of the ingredients but, they could easily be left out.

Duck Breast with Raspberry Vinaigrette Recipe

Raspberry and Strawberry Mousse Cake

Oh. My. Lord. This was heaven!!!! And for something that looks so gorgeous was very easy to make!

Raspberry and Strawberry Mousse Cake Recipe

Orange and Rosemary Tisane

Drinking this made me feel very Poirot! The blend of orange and rosemary was very pleasant and refreshing.

My Nigella Moment – Asparagus Maltaise

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 may not fit with the overall menu theme but I’m sneaking it in because it is too good not to share.

This month’s Nigella dish actually fits the theme. It is an Asparagus Maltaise. Now I only learned recently that Hollandaise was the OG way of saying that the sauce came from / was isnpired by Holland! It’s kind of in the name when you think about about it, but I had never put the two together before. So…Maltaise is a Hollandaise with Orange.. inspired by…Malta?

If you’re wondering why my sauce is pink…well the recipe called for Blood Orange and the Blood orange I bought (not on purpose, I literally grabbed the first blood orange I saw at the supermarket) were the darkest I have ever seen!

The juice looked like red wine!

It was that depth of colour that turned my sauce pink! I thought this looked spectacular! Pink and green are one of my favorite color combinations. And the flavour of that blood orange was spectacular!

This was delicious!!!! One of the dishes that makes me so glad I am going back and exploring these magazines!

Asparagus Maltaise Recipe

What a month!!!! I loved cooking these recipes! They were all amazing!!! And helped me to get my seven a day! Have a great week!

25
Aug
2024

Spice It Up – August 2004

categories: 20 Years Ago Today, Apples, Baking, Blue Cheese, Delicious, Indonesia, Lamb, Leeks, Magazines, Pie, Salad, Savoury Pies and Tarts

Hello friends! Welcome to Twenty Years Ago Today! For a spicy twist this month, I turned to the August 2004 issue of Delicious magazine for recipe ideas. While the month wasn’t perfect, one dish stood out as a clear highlight and is easily one of my top ten of the year. But, before we get there, let’s take a little look at what was making the charts pop culture-wise back in August 2004!

Pop Culture – August 2004

So, for the first week of August 2004 and, also for the first time in what seems like eleventy billion years, The Da Vinci Code was NOT the number one selling book. That honour went to R for Ricochet by Sue Grafton. Now, I have never read any of this series. Is anyone out there a fan? I love a good mystery / thriller. Please let me know if you think this series might be good for me! However, before we get too excited about the demise of The Da Vinci Code, it went back to number one for the rest of August.

Collateral was the best-selling film of August 2004 but Garden State, which was a film we covered in my film club was #10. Leave, (Get Out) by JoJo was the number 1 song. I do not remember this song or the singer at all!!! Does anyone?

In the absence of any memory of JoJo, let’s pop the soundtrack for Garden State onto Spotify and get cooking!

The Spice It Up Menu – August 2004

Gado Gado

Spices used – garlic, ginger etc in the Satay sauce, chilli

I adore Gado Gado. It’s the perfect balance of health and indulgence, combining the virtue of steamed vegetables with the decadence of a spicy satay sauce. Unfortunately, despite searching through multiple supermarkets, I couldn’t find the tofu puffs I typically include. To compensate for the protein, I added some eggs. I ate this as a main dish so wanted to make it a substantial meal.

I also took some liberties with the vegetables, using ingredients I preferred or had readily available instead of strictly adhering to the recipe.”

Gado-Gado Recipe

Lamb Chops with Bay, Paprika and Chickpeas

Spice used: Paprika

The Jamie Oliver recipe was…alright. While it wasn’t a favorite, it was certainly edible. I’m not likely to make it again, but it was passable.

The biggest issue was the excessive amount of chili. As someone who enjoys spicy food, that’s a rare complaint for me. The chili completely overwhelmed the other flavors.

Another minor annoyance was the recipe’s use of the term “chops” while actually calling for “cutlets.” For those unfamiliar with lamb, cutlets are significantly more expensive than traditional chops. I used loin chops for my version because I had some in my freezer.

Lamb Chops with Bay, Paprika and Chickpeas Recipe

Apple and Blackberry Pie

Spices used: Cinnamon and Cloves

This. Was .Divine.

Unfortunately, my photos were not. Please don’t judge this on the photo or my really bad lattice work because the pie really truly was AMAZING!!!! This is a top ten dish if ever there was one! There is a version with Rhubarb mentioned which I will also be trying ASAP!

Apple and Blackberry Pie Recipe

Cinnamon Tea and Recipe

Spice Used: Cinnamon

Delicious Magazine also contained a recipe for Cinnamon Tea. I only ever really drink herbal tea, so this was not for me. Howeever, as the name suggests, it does contain a spice so if you are a tea drinker and maybe wanted something to sip on while eating your pie, here is the recipe.

My Nigella Moment – Leek and Gorgonzola Tarts

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 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 because it is too good not to share.

I love leek and gorgonzola anything as it reminds me of a pizzeria I used to go to with my work mates a few years ago that did an amazing leek and gorgonzola pizza! I didn’t think these were as good as the pizza but that could also be nostalgia talking. They were quite nice in their own right!

Leek and Gorgonzola Tarts Recipe

I hope you have enjoyed this trip back to August 2004. Have a great week!

01
Aug
2024

July 2004 – No A’s

categories: 20 Years Ago Today, Cheese, Delicious, Fish, Magazines, Muffins, Soup

Hello friends and welcome to today’s Twenty Years Ago Today Post where I am creating a meal from the pages of Delicious magazine from July 2004. But, as usual, the menu comes with a challenge – this month the challenge was to create a meal where none of the recipes contained the letter A. In the event that you ever have an Alphaphobic over to dinner, I have you covered with this one.

And, even if I do say so myself, July 2004 did not disappoint in the taste department. Last week I mentioned that the Grapefruit Oat Brulee was Top Ten in the things I have cooked this year. And this week we have another, not one but two contenders for that list! Life is good – at least in the eating department!

Pop Culture – July 2004

We’ll get along to the deliciousness soon but here’s a little reminder of what was big in July 2004 to help set the scene. Looking first at films, Spiderman, I Robot and The Bourne Supremacy where respectively 1-3 at the box office. Personally, I would have been more interested in Anchorman, Fahrenheit 9/11 and The Notebook at 4, 5 and 7.

In books, the Da Vinci code was yep, you guessed it still number 1! Will the reign of this book never end? Angels and Demons also by Dan Brown was sitting at #7 this month so we might be looking at a Dan Brown double next month! And speaking of doubles, Usher had the number 1 and 2 songs on the Billboard charts with Burn and Confessions Part II.

And now we’ve set the scene, let’s take a look at our menu!

The No A Menu – July 2004

Minestrone

This was, without a doubt the best Minestrone I have ever eaten. I made a huge pot of it and ate it everyday for my lunch for the entire week. Now usually when this happens by Thursday I am starting to get a bit bored and by Friday I am dreading the meal, Not so this time, I would have eaten this for another 5 days if I had more!

This Bill Granger recipe is a little different from most other minestrones for two reasons. First, it has meatballs made from Italian sausages and second it has no pasta. It is also LOADED with veg so, outside of those little meatballs, it is also very healthy. This minestrone was definitely worthy of being on my Top Ten for the Year!

Minestrone Recipe

Smoked Fish Pie

The Smoked Fish Pie was also delicious! I used smoked trout in my pie and it was really yummy! This one is definitely something I will make again! We ate our pies on a frosty cold winter’s night and it was perfect comfort food!

Smoked Fish Pie Recipe

Lemon Meringue Muffins

Now…I could have sworn I took photos of these but no…not on my phone. Not in the cloud….and not enough time to remake them! Also, to be honest, these were probably the weakest part of the meal. They were ok but a little dry. This though, could have been my fault. I cooked the muffins until they were nearly ready but then I had to go out. I left them in the turned off oven to finish the cook and cool. Maybe they were in there a bit too long. I did however love the little secret stash of lemon curd in the muffin and the meringue top was delightful.

I thought for want of my own photo, I would include the photo from the magazine as inspiration. However, there wasn’t one. The recipe was included as a reader asked why there was a recipe for Lemon Meringue Muffins indexed in April 2004, however there was no such recipe in the magazine. The editors explained that the recipe had been pulled for space at the last minute.

There certainly seems oto be something slightly cursed about this recipe!

Lemon Meringue Muffins Recipe

My Nigella Moment – Baked Brie with Braised Cabbage

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 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 because it is too good not to share.

Oh wow…this was sooo good! This was the other recipe that is Top Ten so far this year. There is so much to love in this – warm oozy cheese, salty crispy pancetta, the sweetness of the apple in the cabbage….this was luscious!

Baked Brie with Braised Cabbage Recipe

Well, for me Delicious Magazine from June 2004 was great. Shame about the muffins….but maybe they should have been left out of this issue too!

Have a great week!

Category: 20 Years Ago Today

Fun Fact From Australian Table February 2004

The Menu – February 2004

Summer Cocktail

Summer Cocktail Recipe

Seared Scallop Salad with Macadamia and Coriander Pesto

Seared Scallop Salad with Macadamia and Coriander Pesto

Rosemary and Lemon Chicken with Mint Dressing

Rosemary and Lemon Chicken with Mint Dressing – Recipe

Potato Salad with Garlic and Caper Mayonnaise

Potato Salad with Garlic and Caper Mayonnaise – Recipe

Angel Cheesecake

Angel Cheesecake – Recipe

My Nigella Moment – Barbecued Green Rice

Barbecued Green Rice Recipe

October 2004 – Pop Culture

Films

Books

Music

The Menu – October 2004

Broad Bean Bruschetta

Broad Bean Bruschetta Recipe

Lamb Burger

Lamb Burger Recipe

Berry Tiramisu

Berry Tiramisu Recipe

My Nigella Moment – Crumpets

Crumpets Recipe

The Menu – September 2004

Wicked Champagne Cocktail

Wicked Champagne Cocktail Recipe

Prawn, Grapefruit and Avocado Salad

Prawn, Grapefruit and Avocado Salad Recipe

Duck Breast with Raspberry Vinaigrette

Duck Breast with Raspberry Vinaigrette Recipe

Raspberry and Strawberry Mousse Cake

Raspberry and Strawberry Mousse Cake Recipe

Orange and Rosemary Tisane

My Nigella Moment – Asparagus Maltaise

Asparagus Maltaise Recipe

Pop Culture – August 2004

The Spice It Up Menu – August 2004

Gado Gado

Gado-Gado Recipe

Lamb Chops with Bay, Paprika and Chickpeas

Lamb Chops with Bay, Paprika and Chickpeas Recipe

Apple and Blackberry Pie

Apple and Blackberry Pie Recipe

Cinnamon Tea and Recipe

My Nigella Moment – Leek and Gorgonzola Tarts

Leek and Gorgonzola Tarts Recipe

Pop Culture – July 2004

The No A Menu – July 2004

Minestrone

Minestrone Recipe

Smoked Fish Pie

Smoked Fish Pie Recipe

Lemon Meringue Muffins

Lemon Meringue Muffins Recipe

My Nigella Moment – Baked Brie with Braised Cabbage

Baked Brie with Braised Cabbage Recipe