Retro Food For Modern Times

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

13
Oct
2024

Girl Dinner

categories: Cooking The Books, Eating Alone, Modern Times

Hello Friends and welcome to Cooking The Books! Each year I try to think of something new to do here to keep both you and me interested! The pandemic brought the idea to cook my way through all the novels of Agatha Christie, my ever-expanding magazine collection brought us my 20 Years Ago Today Posts. My obsession with both old and new cookbooks has now spawned Cooking the Books. This might be a review of something new and exciting in my collection. Or something old and exciting in my collection. Basically, it’s an opportunity for me to cook from some books that otherwise would be languishing on my bookshelves. And that’s no way to treat a cookbook!

Girl Dinner: The Book

Girl Dinner is a new addition to my collection and it is a super fun book! For those of you not familiar with the concept of Girl Dinner, author Jamison Diaz-Imlah explains the concept as follows:

“Girl dinner is a simple meal made by arranging ingredients that are readily available in the store or kitchen pantry. It started on TikTok when a user named Olivia Maher responded to a video mocking medieval peasants who had to eat bread and cheese for dinner. Olivia’s response was simple – “But that’s my dinner!”- and the girl dinner was born”

Friday night has long been my Girl Dinner night – it is ususally something snacky, nearly always includes cheese and is just fun quick food!

Above all for me, this book was fun! The recipes aren’t going to win any awards for ingenuity. This is not Heston inspired food. But it is simple food, beautifully presented and let’s face it, we’re probably far more likely to cook from this book rather than a modernist creation on a busy weeknight! Recipes include a Smoked salmon bagel, a croque madame and a Boursin and potato omelette. But, they are given fun and witty names – Holey Art Thou, Broke Madame and Sometimes You Get The Bear respectively. These really tickled by love of puns! My favourite name was “All I care about is pasta and like three people”. Swap out pasta for cheese and that is me in ten words!

Girl Dinner also contains some great ideas for eating for one. I feel this is an area where people may tend to skimp on presentation or care for ingredients. This book acts as a little form of self love in showing that food for one can look beautiful as well as being quick to prepare and mostly healthy!

I would say, for me, the only drawback to Girl Dinner is that some people may not be able to access some of the exact things that the authors suggest you use as your hack ingredients. For example, are Greek meatballs and caulilfower gnocchi available everywhere? I don’t know, I’ve never bought a ready made meatball and I don’t like gnocchi. Having sald that, I’m sure some type of meatball or gnocchi will be available if not specifically Greek and cauliflower. Or you could make your own. Or skip that recipe. Theres a lot to choose from!

Girl Dinner: The Look

One word: Gorgeous!

But here’s a few more: Beautiful Food, presented and photographed beautifully. Here are a few examples:

Can you believe this spectacular salad takes only 10 minutes to make?

Here is a Turkey and Brie Melt AKA Living for Leftovers

These Greek Meatballs (Sunday Kind of Love in Girl Dinner language) are high on my list of things to make:

Girl Dinner is fun and vibrant – the authors talk about combining simplicity with style and this is exactly what you get!

Girl Dinner – The Cook

I’ve made three things from Girl Dinner thus far. Above you can see Holey Art Thou and Sometimes You Get The Bear. The third thing I made was a Whipped Feta which is called Everyone’s Doing It.

I made the most amazing girl dinner, using the Whipped Feta in two different ways. The first was as a base for a Greek inspired salad (pictured above).

I simply spread some of the whipped feta on a plate, and added chopped tomatoes, cucumber, kalamata olives and red onion. I usually have dill on my Greek Salad but I didn’t have any so I added some mint from the garden instead. This was delicious. So fresh and so easy to do! This with some bread would be a perfect lunch for me! I could also eat Greek Salad everry day. I absolultey love it and this was an interesting play on a classic.

As I was having this for dinner, I wanted something a bit more substantial. So I also added my take on Prawn Saganaki. Again, I used the whipped feta as a base, swirled in some tomato paste, some roasted and roughtly ground fennel seeds, some prawns, chilli flakes and some chopped tomato and red onion. Ten to fifteen minutes in the oven and voila!

This was so good. I loved the little kick of pickle brine in there! It was also great both hot and cold! Here’s the recipe:

All in all, for me? Girl Dinner = Girl Winner!!!!

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of Girl Dinner from the publishers (Thank you so much). Regardless of this, the thoughts and opinions above are entirely my own.

Have a great week!

09
Oct
2024

Mainland Teriyaki Pizza (Leftovers)

categories: Leftovers, Pizza

Hey Friends, here’s a surprise midweek quickie for you! I had a couple of skewers leftover from my Mainland Teriyaki and talking about how some of the ingredients were akin to those on a pizza got me thinking….this was the result!

Ingredients for the Mainland Teriyaki Pizza

Flatbread
Tomato Paste
Mozzarella
Leftover Mainland Teriyaki Skewers
A sprinkle of chilli flakes
Some thinly sliced shallots

Layer it all up, pop it into a really hot oven and you have dinner in 10 minutes!

These are just suggestions. After all, this is a dish based on leftovers. If you have some red or green peppers or mushrooms languishing at the bottom of your fridge, chop them up and add them in. Maybe throw in some anchovies or cherry tomatoes or herbs. Or some Togarashi instead of regular chill to ramp up the Japanese connection!

Heaven!

It’s probably a good thing I have no more Mainland Teryiyaki Skewers left. We went from a Japanese inspired South Seas Dish to a Japanese influened Hawaiian inpsired Pizza. Who knowa what might have come next! A Japanese / Hawaiian / Italian Taco? And after that, a Japanese / Hawaiian / Italian / Mexican Fattoush? Maybe it’s s fitting end that the last chapter in Good Housekeeping’s World Cookery is inspiring a mix of all that has gone before it!

Hope your week is going well!!!!

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!

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!