Cake Archives - Retro Food For Modern Times

Category: Cake

24
Nov
2024

Movie Night – November 2004

categories: 20 Years Ago Today, Cake, Chicken, Delicious, Salad, Savoury Pies and Tarts, Snacks, Whiskey

Hello friends! Welcome to November 2004! This month, we’re going to the movies via the pages of Delicious magazine. Caution – there are puns galore in this post, so if you are not a fan, feel free to skip this one! But before you do, why not hang around and take a trip down memory lane as we look back at what was popular in November 2004!

Given this is movie night, let’s first take a look at what was at the top of the box office in November 2004. The Incredibles was the number 1 movie, with National Treasure and The Polar Express rounding out the top 3. I’ve not seen The Polar Express but I like The Incredibles and I also enjoyed National Treasure. Jumping back to 2024 for a moment, I recently watched Longlegs with Nick Cage and it was so creepy! I really enjoyed it, but it is definitely not for everyone!

Bookwise, I was quite surprised to see that I only recognised one of the books that topped the charts during the month: Northern Lights by Nora Roberts, Hour Game By David Baldacchi (this was the one I had heard of), Metro Girl by Janet Evanovich and London Bridges by James Patterson. I was a huge fan of the Stephanie Plum novels by Janet Evanovich but Metro Girl completely passed me by!

The top three songs also got a “meh” response from me: My Boo by Usher and Alicia Keys, Dropp It Like It’s Hot by Snoop Dog, and Lose My Breath by Destiny’s Child Iam very glad to tell you that this month’s menu did not get that reaction. So, let’s take a look!

“Sunset” Boulevard

Let’s kick off our movie night with a Boulevard, which is a take on the Boulevadier, a Parisian Cocktail from the 1920s. The Boulevard packs a punch as it contains Bourbon, Grand Marnier and Vermouth! It actually reminds me of the famous quote from Sunset Boulevard. In the scene, Joe Gillis, a young and poor screenwriter, meets Norma Desmond, a former silent movie star dreaming of making her comeback.

“You used to be big,” he says.

She responds “I am big. It’s the pictures that got small”.

Well, like the film I’ve matched it with, the Boulevard is big! Sip slowly while enjoying the brilliance that is the film Sunset Boulevard!

Phantomato of The Opera Tarts

I loved these! They were so delicious! The combination of sweet caramlised onions, the tanginess of the goat’s curd and sweet bite of the cherry tomatoes was Chef’s kiss perfect. I could not find mustard cress so garnished my little tartlets with basil leaves. The phantomato tarts are sure to have you singing an aria of joy when you taste them!

Chinatown Chicken Salad

This was the first recipe I chose for this film night post because it seemed too good to be true that here was a direct reference to a film. (For new readers, I chose the topics for these 20 years ago posts via a random number generator). And yes, the name was incredibly fortuitous, but….I just didn’t love the salad. It wasn’t terrible. It was just a bit bland.

The second day I ate this, I added some baby corn and some crispy chilli oil to liven things up a bit, and that did make it better. I also didn’t have any coriander (cilantro) so I added some Thai Basil which to me is a far superior herb. Not everything is for everyone, though, and I’m sure many other people would find this delicious! Personally, I might have liked it better with the duck, which is given as an option instead of chicken. However, for me, this quote is my view on the Chinatown Chicken Salad!

Passionfruit Roulade of The Christ

Interestingly, both The Phantom of the Opera and The Passion of The Christ were released in 2004! So, technically, a movie buff in November 2004 could have themed a dinner party exactly like this. I added some whipped cream into the roulade along with the passionfruit curd.

And what a way to finish! The passionfruit roulade is as light as air with a little zing coming from the passionfruit so it is also not overly sweet! One might say it is divine!

My Nigella Moment – Polka Dot Popcorn

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, my Nigella moment is definitely in theme! Because what’s a movie night without some popcorn? When I was growing up, we had a snack food called Lolly Gobble Bliss Bombs, which were a combination of caramel popcorn and peanuts. This gave me the same vibes, plus a wave of nostalgia! It’s really yummy, and if you wanted to throw in some peanuts for a really Lolly Goggle Bliss Bomb effect, who could blame you?

I hope you have enjoyed Movie Night from November 2004. For me, the month was a little hit-and-miss.

I am taking a weekend break next week to travel to Queensland to catch up with some family. I will do my best to set up the next post to send out on Sunday morning at the regular time. However, if things go awry and that doesn’t happen, I will be back Sunday evening and will do my best to send it out manually then. Apologies in advance if it is late.

Have a great week!

17
Nov
2024

Bold: Nisha Katona

categories: Cake, Cooking The Books, Uncategorized

Hello friends and cookbook lovers! I’ve been exploring Nisha Katona’s latest work, Bold. As the visionary behind the Mowlgi chain of restaurants and the Mowgli Charity, Katona truly embodies the spirit of courage and innovation. The book begins with a poignant Shakespearean quote:

There is a tide in the affairs of men

Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune;

Omitted, all the voyage of their life

Is bound in shallows and in miseries.

On such a full sea are we now afloat;

And we must take the current when it serves,

Or lose our ventures

The quote simply means that that fortune favours the brave, the bold and those wise enough to seize life’s opportunities as they occur. Now, I was interested in this quote because part of it forms the title for Agatha Christie’s Taken At The Flood. which, coincidentally, I was reading around the same time as I picked up Bold. I love that Katona has used it as a metaphor for her work and for this book!

Bold – The Look

Bold is a beautifully styled book. The cover is bright red with gold lettering and a pink plate. It is both gorgeous and bold! Certainly eye-catching! The cover is also slightly padded which gives it a luxuriant feel when you hold it. It’s so inviting, you can’t help wanting to open it and flick through the pages.

And that flick will not disappoint, either. The photography is beautiful! Just look at these and tell me you don’t want to start cooking now!

Bold FLavours1 — From Top Left: Crunchy Nut Chicken Burger, Liquorice and Almond Chicken Satay, Speckled Spiced Scotch Eggs, Beetroot Pannacotta

Bold – The Book

You will notice that some of the combinations within the book are, well…bold! This is not a book for the unadventurous cook, and for that, I am grateful! I feel that recently, there have been a plethora of books where the contents have been pretty much the same-same. This is so creative, and for that, I 100% applaud Katona! But there is also enough that feels familiar – burgers, fish cakes, pasta, spanakopita, Welsh Rarebit, that it is not so different as to feel alienating. These are meals for the home cook but have a little twist to keep things interesting.

Would I have ever thought of a Cod and Popcorn Gratin? No. Do I want to try it? Hell yes! As soon as I get my hands on some venison I will be making her Landed Gentry Potickers. The recipes in Bold for Simla Salmon Fishcakes, Cashew and Mushroom Stroganoff and Chilli Crab Mac and Cheese are right in my wheelhouse. I also really want to try the Roasted Corn and Elderflower Iced Tea! I have mentioned my dislike for beetroot many times on this blog, but the look of that beetroot panna cotta in the photo above has made me want to give it another try! And how much fun does that Full English Cassoulet look in the photo below?

Bold Flavours 2 — Pink Peppercorn Pavlova, Cassoulet de Full English, Kashmiri Crusted Cote De Boeuf, Caper Puttanesca

Bold – The Cook

I’ve made two things from Bold, the first was Thai Tequila Trout

This was delicious, bright, and zingy with citrus, and some really nice punchy flavours coming through from the herbs!

The second was the Singapore Sling Pineapple Upside Down Cake. I adore Pineapple Upside Down Cake, it is probably my favourite tasting cake and it also has a kitschy retro appeal that delights my soul! This one was exceptional. So delicious!!!

To be honest, the recipes I made did not take me too much out of my comfort zone. However, trying them, seeing and tasting the results has given me the confidence to try some of the more out there recipes – Miso Parmesan Doughnuts and Butterscotch Brussels Sprouts, i’m coming for you! I think this is a book that will delight anyone who wants to try something a little bit different but does not want to be overwhelmed or daunted by recipes that are too “cheffy” or have a load of ingredients that you have to source from specialty shops!

You can find more of Nisha’s recipes from Bold here

Have a wonderful week!

29
Oct
2024

A Murder is Announced – Delicious Death

categories: Cake, Dining With The Dame, Marple

Hello, crime readers and food lovers! Today’s Dining with The Dame takes us on a culinary journey from the bustling streets of Iraq to the quaint English country village of Chipping Cleghorn. And, as we all know, the English country village is the natural home of one Miss Jane Marple! Our delectable companion for today’s reading is Delicious Death – a delightful and delovely chocolate cake that is sure to satisfy both your taste buds and your thirst for a good mystery. However, it’s important to note that this Delicious Death is not the same one created by Jane Asher in 2010 to celebrate Agatha Christie’s 120th anniversary. I had some difficulty in finding all the necessary ingredients for that particular recipe so as Fleetwood Mac famously suggested, I went my own way on this one!

A Murder is Announced – The Plot

When the inhabitants of Chipping Cleghorn read the following in the local paper, they mostly think it is a joke.

A murder is announced and will take place on Friday, October 29th at Little Paddocks at 6:30pm. Friends please accept this, the only intimation.”

Despite this, most of them turn up to Little Paddocks, the home of Letitia Blacklock and Dora “Bunny” Bunner on the 29th at the designated time to find out what is going on.

At exactly 6:30, the lights go out. In the darkness, a gun fires twice. And dead body is found on the ground.

The body turns out to be that of a young man who worked in a hotel in the local town. But why was he there? Who put the weird notice in the paper? And why? Is someone really trying to kill Leticia Blacklock?

We have:

Forged cheques
An unused door being oiled
A missing revolver
A missing lamp
Missing photos
A host of people who might not be who they say they are
More murders
And EVERYBODY being utterly horrible to Mitzi the maid

Thank goodness for Miss Marple! Sir Henry Clithering might bizarrely call her the ‘Super Pussy of all old Pussies,’ but she’s the one who’ll solve this mystery and bring peace back to Chipping Cleghorn! Here is a somewhat less unhinged quote from Sir Henry on Miss Marple:

“She’s just the finest Detective God ever made. Natural genius cultivated in a suitable soil…remember that an elderly unmarried woman who knits and gardens is streets ahead of any detective sergeant. She can tell you what might have happened and what ought to have happened and even what actually did happen. And she can tell you why it happened”

A Murder is Announced – Agatha Christie

A Murder is Announced – The Covers

There are some absolutely cracking covers here. I couldn’t find as many foreign covers as usual which was disappointing. However, I feel the calibre of the ones I did find make up for it. Even the weird French one at the bottom which looks like people in a doctor’s waiting room has its own charm!

The Recipe: Delicious Death

“Death!” said Patrick in sepulchral tones. “Delicious death.”.

“Be quiet, Patrick, ” said Miss Blacklock as Miss Bunner gave a little yelp.

“I only meant the special cake that Mitzi makes,” said Patrick apologetically. “You know we always call it Delicious Death”

“Ha, ” Patrick cried dramatically as the party took their places around the dining room table. “What do I see before me? Delicious Death.”

“Hush” said Miss Blacklock. “Don’t let Mitzi hear you. She objects to your name for her cake very much.”

“Nevertheless, Delicious Death it is! Is it Bunny’s birthday cake?”

“Yes, it is, ” said Miss Brunner. “I really am having the most wonderful birthday”.

A Murder is Announced – Agatha Christie

Links to the Christieverse

Edward Swettenham wrote a play called “Elephants Do Forget”. Christie later wrote a novel called “Elephants Can Remember”.

Dermott Cradock, the investigating officer in “A Murder is Announced”, is Sir Henry Clithering’s godson. We previously met Sir Henry, the former head of Scotland Yard, in Murder at the Vicarage and The Body In the Library.

Other Food & Drinks Mentioned in “A Murder is Announced”

Coffee x3
Kippers x2
Toast
Sherry / Bad Sherry (so many times!)
Eggs x2
Stewed Beef
Goulash
Cheese Straws x2
Olives
(Fancy) Pastries (multiple mentions)
Cabbages
Brandy
Asparagus
Apples
Chocolates x3
Herrings
Lettuces
Skim Milk / Milk
Honey x2
Vegetable Marrows
Quinces / Quince Jelly
Tea x2
Cakes x2
Bread
Margarine and Butter
Meat Paste
Meat and two veg
Eggs
Cream x2
Horsemeat
Sardine Sandwiches
Tomato Sandwiches
Wine
Corn (for hens)
Side of bacon
Omelettes
Fried onions
Jam

November’s read will be Mrs McGinty’s Dead

Have a great week!

26
Nov
2023

Nov 03 – Gimme Some Oven

categories: 20 Years Ago Today, Baking, Bread, Cake, Crab, Delicious, Fish, Sandwiches, Seafood

Hello retro food lovers and welcome (back) to November 2003! This month I am using Delicious Magazine to prepare a menu where we use the oven for each component. I know a heap of people who never use their oven so I was hoping this might inspire some people to do so. Unfortunately, this didn’t quite turn out as I was a bit disappointed with a few items on the menu. There were many items to choose from, so maybe I just chose badly. But before we get there, let’s take a little look at what was happening in the world in November 2003.

The War on Terror, the occupation of Iraq, and Paris Hilton’s sex tape were big news in November 2003. There were also some cracking movies out. Matrix Revolutions was number 1 at the box office, followed by Elf at #2 and Love Actually at #7.

The DaVinci Code was still the best-selling book and Baby Boy by Beyonce was #1 on the charts. Personally, Outkast’s Hey Ya (#3) is a much better song but each to their own!

The Menu – November 2003

Crab and Gruyere Tart

I was very surprised to find that the Crab and Gruyere Tart (I made one large tart instead of a few small tartlets) was largely tasteless. This was a Rick Stein recipe and I normally find him very reliable. This is not what I expect from a Rick recipe. I feel this needed a herb or something to liven it up a bit! Neither crab nor gruyere is a cheap item so this also did not rate on value for money.

Interestingly, Nathan Outlaw who, apart from having an amazing name, has worked with Rick Stein and, like Stein has a restaurant in Cornwall, has a recipe for a Crab and Cheddar Tart. His recipe also contains spring onions and leeks. I wonder if this would provide the flavour boost I felt was lacking in the Rick one.

Crab and Gruyere Tart Recipe

Fish in a Herb Crust with Lemon Oil

In total contrast to the above, this is a Jill Dupleix recipe which I loved. Personally, I don’t rate Jill Dupleix. She hosted a night in conversation with Nigella Lawson I went to once and she came across as a bit obnoxious. I really liked this recipe though! It was quick and easy to make and was packed with flavour! It was a lovely weeknight dinner.

Fish In a Herb Crust with Lemon Oil Recipe

Madeleines

I love a Madeleine. So, as soon as I saw that there was a recipe for them in Delicious for November 2003 I knew I would have them as part of my menu. In retrospect, maybe I should have chosen something else as this was not a good Madeleine recipe. I have read many recipes for Madeleines and all, except for this one, call for the cake batter to be refrigerated for about an hour before baking. This one didn’t. It also only said to grease the Madeleine pan, not grease and flour it, again something that is in all the other recipes I have seen.

These were a nightmare to get out of the pan. They also lacked the nice crust that you usually get on the outside. I think that was mostly stuck to the pan. So another disappointment from this magazine.

Madeleines Recipe

My Nigella Moment – Turkish Pizza

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.

My Nigella moment this month came in the shape of a Turkish Pizza, which is not a pizza in the traditional sense but a totally yummy combination of spinach, feta, and mozzarella in Turkish bread. I loved this! So easy to make and so tasty! I will defintely be cooking the Turkish Pizza again!

Turkish Pizza Recipe

So, it was very much a mixed bag from Delicious Magazine from November 2003. The oven did not deliver the loving I was hoping for with two of the four recipes not worthy of keeping. The fish was quick and easy and I will make it again. That Turkish pizza though? Perfection! I have already made it twice more and it continues to delight me!

Have a great week!

30
Sep
2023

September 2003 – Birthday Party, Cheesecake, Jelly Bean, Boom!

categories: 20 Years Ago Today, Almond, Cake, Cocktail, Drinks, Pizza, Savoury Pies and Tarts, Super Food Ideas, Tequila

“That’s great, it starts with an earthquake, birds and snakes, an aeroplane”…so begins the fabulous REM song, “It’s The End of The World As We Know It”. And for me, this year actually began with a 7.6 magnitude earthquake when we were holidaying in Darwin. Last month we celebrated my birthday in absolute chaos (more on that later) whilst on holiday in Port Douglas. And when I say chaos, I mean a total f*cking nightmare. So when the random number generator chose “Birthday Party, Cheesecake, Jelly Bean, Boom! I thought it might be a good chance to reset and have a little party to make up for the day that was ruined! The vehicle of choice for this month is Super Food Ideas, from September 2003 and I went in search of party food.

But first, let’s take a little wander down the memory lane to the heady days of September 2003. R Kelly’s Ignition (Remix) was #1. Less said about that the better I think. Finding Nemo was top of the box office and The Da Vinci Code was still the most popular book!

The Menu – September 2003

Margarita

Now, I can’t think of a much better way to kick of any birthday celebration than with a classic Margarita! And this one was perfection!!!!! I

The cocktail napkin you see in the above photo was one of a set of napkins I bought in Port Douglas. They are all super cute and also an inspiration to make the rest of the cocktails featured on them!

And as with the margarita, the first four days of our holiday were wonderful. Port Douglas is such an amazing place. Rainforest, reef and beach – great restaurants, perfect weather….the only downside is the crocodiles…and the murder birds!

Margarita Recipe

Seafood Pizza

As you may have noticed, I love my seafood! This nicely leads me to where our holiday turned paradise into a nightmare. Day 5 of our holiday, which was my actual birthday we had planned to move from our PD central apartment to a house around 10km out of Port Douglas. It was also the night of The Matildas v England final of the Women’s World Cup. We had been out for a lovely dinner the night before so the plan for my birthday was to grab a seafood platter from Port Douglas when we left and then enjoy the evening in our house. Dip in our private pool, , bit of football on the telly, champagne on ice, and our gourmet seafood platter…could life get any better?

Better? No. What we hadn’t figured was that it was about to get a whole lot worse!

We turned up at the house, for which we had a confirmed booking from one of the largest, if not the largest booking agencies in the world. The Fussiest Eater sends a text to the owner asking for the keypad number as the gate is locked. We are there for about 5 minutes when a woman comes out of the house. “Can I help you?” she asks. “Oh, yes, you probably just got our text. We’re here for our holiday”

Apparently we weren’t.

In the time that we had made our booking and our actual holiday, the house had been sold. It was no longer holiday accommodation.

It was now 3:00pm on a Saturday, we had no place to stay for the next four nights and we had a rapidly warming seafood platter on the back seat of the hire car.

Seafood Pizza Recipe

Party Pies

You know this is an Aussie Meat Pie because the secret ingredient is a spoonful of Vegemite! I made mini versions of this pie – in Australian we call these Party Pies so they were perfect for my Birthday Party Menu!

Now back to Port Douglas. The Fussiest Eater began calling the owner of the house. He confirmed that he had sold the house and had told the booking agency to cancel all future bookings. I started trying to find us accommodation. The first place I found wanted $15,000 for the four nights. The second $6000. Finally, we were able to find a studio room back in Port Douglas for the four nights for a price that we could actually afford. And that had a fridge in which we could put the seafood platter! From there we called the booking agency who offered to not only refund the cost of the house but also to pay for the emergency accommodation.

The following day we were also able to move into a one-bedroom apartment in the same complex which was a lot better than the studio but still how we had wanted to spend the last few days of our holiday.

As of today though, the booking company have yet to refund us the money for the second Port Douglas Apartment. We are idiots who did not get their OG offer in writing and they are now saying that as the second apartment was cheaper than the house technically we are not out of pocket.

Technically they ruined my birthday and did not deliver on the holiday we paid for and expected.

Technically I could have chosen the house that cost $15000 instead of that studio apartment as our alternative accommodation and technically they would have had to refund us the difference.

I didn’t want to be an arsehole.

I’ll leave that up to them.

Meat Pie Recipe

Chewy Almond Crescents

We now turn to the sweet part of our birthday party menu. These were great! Really tasty and not overly sweet. You couldn’t really taste the apricot jam which was a shame. When I make these again, I will maybe add some chopped-up dried apricots into the mix. Or maybe add a glaze with the jam. They were delicious regardless. These would be great with a cup of tea or coffee or equally with a little glass of Baileys! This was probably my favourite thing on the menu. I also loved the butterfly cakes but they were similar to cakes I had made before. These were all new and I was so happy to discover them!

Accomodation saga continued….As of today though, the booking company have yet to refund us the money for the second Port Douglas Apartment. We are idiots who did not get their OG offer in writing and they are now saying that as the second apartment was cheaper than the house technically we are not out of pocket.

Technically they ruined my birthday and did not deliver on the holiday we paid for and expected.

Technically I could have chosen the house that cost $15000 instead of that studio apartment as our alternative accommodation and technically they would have had to refund us the difference.

I didn’t want to be an arsehole.

I’ll leave that up to them.

Chewy Almond Crescents Recipe

Lemon Curd Butterfly Cakes

These were so pretty and also delish. I loved the tanginess of the lemon curd with the sweetness of the cupcake!

The one-bedroom apartment was great. However, on the first night, I was woken at around 2 a.m. by the sound of what sounded like a woman screaming. Channelling my inner Nancy Drew, I got out of bed and looked out the window but the side street the room looked out on was deserted. I was just getting back into bed when I heard it again. This time I went to the main room to look out of the front windows but the main street which we overlooked was also quiet. I went back to bed. I heard the same noise once again at around 5 a.m. This time I wondered if maybe someone in the neighbouring rooms was having an argument as again there was no movement on either street.

There was no mention of any attack on the news the following day so I went about my business. As we were walking back to the apartment from dinner I heard the same noise. This time though I was able to see that it was coming from a bird that we had just walked past. A quick Google Search identified these murder birds as Bush Stone Curlews. Thankfully no Nancy Drewing needed for me on the second night. Or thereafter.

Lemon Curd Butterfly Cakes Recipe

My Nigella Moment – Passionfruit Glazed Shortbread

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 one of the most appetising things in the mag!

I love shortbread and passionfruit so these were high on my list of things to make. They would have also fit in nicely with my birthday party theme but I ran out of time and had to choose between the Almond Crescents and these. In the end, I have eaten Passionfruit Shortbreads before whilst the Almond Crescents were something new to me so I chose them. These though? High on my list of things to make! And believe me, when I do…I will definitely be popping back to the biscuit tin, Nigella Style, for just one more!

Super Food Ideas really came through for my birthday-themed menu! As did Port Douglas for my birthday holiday. Despite the…ahem…hiccup with the accomodation, PD remains one of my favourite holiday destinations!!!!