Tag: 20 Years Ago Today

Spice It Up – August 2004

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!

Apple and Blackberry pie (1)

 

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

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

Gado-Gado Recipe

 

AA August - Easy Gado Gado (1)

 

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

Lamb Chops with Bay, Paprika and Chickpeas Recipe

August  2004- Lamb Chops

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 3

Apple and Blackberry Pie 2

 

Apple and Blackberry Pie Recipe

AA August - Apple and Blackberry Pie2 (2)

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. 

AA August - Cinnamon Tea

 

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 Tart

Leek and Gorgonzola Tarts Recipe

Leek and Gorgonzola Tarts

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

Signature2

July 2004 – No A’s

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!

Minestrone2

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

 

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 1

Minestrone Recipe

Minestrone Recipe 1 (1)

 

Smoked Fish Pie

Smoked Fish Pie 1

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

Smoked Fish Pie Recipe (1)

 

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

Lemon Meringue Muffins (1)

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

 

Baked Brie with Braised Cabbage Recipe

Baked Brie Recipe1 (1)Baked Brie with Braised Cabbage2

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! Signature2

April 2004 – The Letter L

 

Hello, retro food lovers!  Today’s post features the letter L and Delicious Magazine from April 2004.  Our meal today has a slightly Indian feel with a lassi, some lamb and a lovely lemony dessert!  But before we get to the food, let’s set the scene.

The Da Vinci Code was the best-selling book of the first half of April.  Quelle surprise!  However, for the remaining two weeks, Glorious Appearing stole the number-one spot!  Before you get excited, this book sounds dreadful!  I would rather read The Da Vinci Code!  Toxic by Britney was number one on the charts and Hellboy was number one at the box office. 

April 2004 (2)

 

Hopefully more on the side of glorious, rather than toxic or hellish is our menu for April 2004!

April 2004 menu

Mango Lassi

I am starting my L themed meal with a Mango Lassi.  Lassis are yogurt-based drinks often containg spices. Think of it as a Punjabi smoothie.  Lassis boast a long history, dating back to 1000 BC!  People believed they had healing properties.  Drinking lassis could improve your digestion and your skin and reduce bloating just to name a few!  

Lassis can be sweet or savoury.  The mango here makes this one quite sweet so it would have been an equally nice way to end the meal!  This also takes less than a minute to make so quick as well as delicious.  I used frozen mango in mine so you do not have to wait until mangoes are in season to make this!

Mango Lassi

Mango Lassi Recipe

Mango Lassi Recipe

Spiced Lamb Lollipops with Korma Sauce and Toasted Almonds

This, like the Mango Lassi above comes from an article called “Curry on Jamie”.  No surprises for guessing that the Jamie is one Mr Oliver, who seems to be featuring in thee 20 Years Ago posts rather a lot.  The Lamb Lollipops were a version of a curry.  The twist was that instead of the meat being cooked in the curry, it was grilled and served with a curry sauce for dipping.  It was absolutely delicious!  I served my Lollipops with a radish and coriander pickle from the same article and some bought paratha.  

Lamb Lollipops

Lamb Lollipops Recipe

Lamb Lollipops Recipe

Lamb Lollipops2

Lemon Posset with Lemon Crunch

Apart from the letter L, there is another linking factor between today’s recipes.  The lassi dates back to ancient times, Korma is believed to be created in the 16th century for Shah Jalan at the inauguration of the Taj Mahal and our dessert also has it’s roots in history.  The OED traces posset back to the 15th century where, like the lassi, it was known for it’s healing properties.  I liked the lemon crunch because it added some texture into what was otherwise a very soft dessert.  The texture of the posset was panna cotta-esque.  An almond biscotti would have also gone down a treat with this…and created a link with the lamb dish!

Lemon Posset Recipe

I found the quantities here made for quite a sweet mix so l added more lemon juice, specifically as I also knew the crunch would also be sweet.

lemon posset recipe

 

My Nigella Moment  – Breakfast Almond Croissants

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.  

One of my favorite bakery treats is an almond croissant so I was delighted to find a recipe where I could do a cheats’ version at home.  These were delightful.  And also went nicely with some mango lassi!

Breakfast Almond Croissants

Breakfast Almond Croissant Recipe

Breakfast Almond Croissant recpe

 

 

Oh, I just realised another link.  These meals all belong in a spectrum from yellow to brown…the posset is light lemon yellow, the mango lassi is a pale orange, the korma sauce was a deep orange and the croissants were brown.  These colours are also all autumnal so maybe I was also channelling the seasons with my meal!

The colours of my menu

colours

 

Have a great week! 

 

 

Dec 03 – Make Mine A Double

Hello, retro food lovers and Season’s Greetings from 2003!  This month I am using Delicious Magazine from December 2003 to prepare a menu where…well let’s see if you can guess…Hint..there’s a big clue in the title. 

The whole time I was cooking this month I also kept thinking back to my early twenties when we used to play a drinking game called “I’m going to the moon”.  The person who starts says “I’m going to the moon and I’m taking (for example) an apple”.  Then the next person says “I’m going to the moon and I’m taking a pear”.  The first person who is the game controller tells them if they can come to the moon or not.  If they can’t go, they need to stay on earth and have a drink.   There are many variations on this game but my personal favourite was based on the same theme as this month.  Let’s move away from my sozzled past to see what was happening in December 2003.  Although come to think about it, that was probably the same time as I was playing the game!

The Lord of The Rings:  Return of the King was the big movie of December 2003.  The Last Samurai was the next biggest.  And, quelle surprise, The Da Vinci Code was still the best-selling book.  Which all kind of explains why I was playing drinking games instead of partaking in pop culture.  Although the soundtrack to those drinking games would have been good with Here Without You and Hey Ya! being the number one songs that month!  

Moorish Champagne Cocktail1

The Menu – December 2003

Moorish Champagne Cocktail

Moorish Champagne Cocktail

I am always very happy to be able to start these menus with a cocktail.  The Moorish Champagne Cocktail was both easy to make and also very more-ish!  

Moorish Champagne Cocktail2

 

Moorish Champagne Tart Recipe

Dec 2003 - Moorish Champagne Cocktail Recipe

Salad of Dried Pears, Proscuitto, Blue Cheese and Walnuts

AKA a salad of a few of my favourite things!  If this hadn’t fit the theme, it would have surely been my Nigella item for this month!  And it was divine!

Salad of Dried Pears

Salad of Dried Pears, Proscuitto, Blue Cheese and Walnuts Recipe

Salad of Dried Pears recipe2

 

Salad of Dried Pears 2

Grilled Salmon with Thai Green Risotto

I apologise for the photo of this which is not great.  Having said this, the photo from the mag (which follows the recipe) is also not great.  Neither photo does this dish, which was amazing any justice!  But, trust me, it is worth taking a punt on as it was delicious! Grilled Salmon with Thai Green Risotto

 

Grilled Salmon with Thai Green Risotto Recipe

Grilled Salmon with Thai Green Risotto recipe (1)

 

Mulled Wine Sorbet With Clove Biscuits

This was so nice and refreshing.  It is summer in Australia so this is a nice nod to wintry flavours but adapted for summer.  The sorbet mixture was very soft, for me it was more like a slushie than a sorbet so my recommendation is either not to serve it on a very hot day or to eat it quickly as it melts in moments.  Speaking of melting, the clove biscuits just melt in your mouth!  I am usually a bit wary of cloves – I’ve bit into them accidentally when eating things like curries and find the flavour a bit too much!  So, for the first few biscuits, I ate, I picked the cloves off. Since then, I have eaten them with the clove in and the flavour of them seems to be less powerful in the biscuits than in say a curry.  So, even if you don’t love cloves, give these a try with them!

Mulled Wine Sorbet with Clove Biscuits

Mulled Wine Sorbet with Clove Biscuits Recipe

Mulled Wine Sorbet with Clove Biscuits recipe (1)

My Nigella Moment  – Crispy Herbed Potatoes

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.  

You had me at crispy potatoes!  And then when I saw how pretty these were, I knew they would be my Nigella item for this month.  If I hadn’t already bought what I needed to make Katrina Meynink’s Roasted Taters with Horseradish and Tapenade for Christmas Day, the Crispy Herbed Potatoes would have been on the menu.  (As an aside, I have just bought the aforementioned book From Salt to Jam and am absolutely loving it).  

Dec 2003 - Crispy Seared Potatoes3Crispy Seared Potatoes Recipe

Crispy Herbed Potatoes (1)

Overall a great month from Delicious December 2003.  If you have not yet guessed the theme, no going to the moon for you!  But in the interest of your liver, it was to find recipes with double letters.  Until I did this, I had never really thought about how many food items had these.  I was absolutely spoiled for choice with options:

(Update 6/1/24 – I had originally included links to items below that are still on the Delicious.com.au website.  Those links have been blocked but anything I have asterisked is available should you want to check them out.)

Starters

  • Baked eggs
  • Bruschetta with grilled artichokes and roasted garlic
  • B’stilla*
  • Cheese Crock
  • Chilled pea soup with lobster and risoni salad*
  • Goat’s curd in grappa*
  • Prawn and fattoush salad
  • Schiacciata*
  • Spanner crab chowder
  • Peppered Beef Salad
  • Smoked Salmon with clementines and cress
  • Terrine with microwave cranberry chutney

Mains and Sides

  • Beef fillet with spicy potatoes and horseradish
  • Butternut pumpkin with tasty stuffing
  • Cheeky Christmas turkey with braised leeks and the best wine gravy
  • Chicken noodle salad
  • Chicken with pepperoncini
  • Cinnamon and sultana couscous
  • Cold turkey salad with mango and honey dressing
  • Country chicken and mushroom pies
  • Chicken coconut curry pie
  • Crispy skin coral trout with roasted pineapple, coconut salad and rosti potato
  • Fillets of John Dory with olives, capers and rosemary
  • Flame grilled tuna with wasbi cake, bok choy and lime ponzu
  • Fricassee of chicken with mustard and grapes
  • Grilled coral trout with asparagus, red capsicum and sugar snap peas
  • Rice paper rolls with turkey
  • Seared barramundi with garlic skordalia, asparagus and creole salsa
  • Traditional Barossa ham in verjuice jelly
  • Turkey with saffron butter and preserved lemon and olive stuffing
  • Baked zucchini tarts with stuffed vegetables
  • Frisee, watercress and witlof salad
  • Goat’s cheese tarts with roast peaches and vincotto
  • Moroccan carrot salad
  • Open lasagne of asparagus with rocket tortellini
  • Roasted eggplant and tomato salad
  • Savoury Summer puddings
  • Sweet potato briks
  • Truffled potato mash

Sweets

  • Baked lime cheesecake
  • Boozy puddings with cheat’s custard*
  • Cherry clafoutis*
  • Choc-mint raspberry sundae
  • Chocolate and strawberry tartines*
  • Chocolate and brandied prune terrine*
  • Christmas morning muffins*
  • Christmas pudding ice cream with sweet cranberry sauce
  • Cinnamon ice cream with red wine poached figs*
  • Chocolate cake with plum pudding vodka*
  • Coconut and passionfruit slice
  • Eggnog custards*
  • Flourless Hazelnut roulade
  • Free-form berry trifles
  • Middle Eastern fruit cake*
  • Pannettone with berries and brandy sauce
  • Passionfruit panna cotta*
  • Raspberry ice cream sundae
  • Snowballs*
  • Starry night tarts*
  • Star-topped mince pies
  • Strawberry sundae*
  • Tutti Frutti ice cream*
  • Vanilla sponge with raspberries
  • White Chocolate and chilli ice cream with tropical fruit

Other

  • Hettie Potter’s suet-free mince meat
  • Easy cranberry sauce
  • Peanut Butter sauce
  • Raspberry sauce
  • Strawberry sauce
  • Irish coffee with orange rind and vanilla

 

Sorry for the massive laundry list but I really wanted to show how many items had double letters!  I was honestly astounded! 

So, my question to you lovely readers is – if you were making your own double-letter dinner, what would you choose? Either from the extensive list above or things that have not been mentioned – baguettes, beetroot, jelly, waffles, green beans, toffee, frittata, dill, mayonnaise, cabbage, spaghetti, mozzarella…the list goes on!

Couscous which is in the list above is the only thing I could think of with the same series of letters twice.  Can you think of any others?

And one last thing.  Thank you all for reading and commenting through the year!  Best wishes for an amazing 2024!

 

 

 

Nov 03 – Gimme Some Oven

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

November 2003 Menu

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

Crab and Gruyere Tart Recipe

Nov 2003 - Crab And Gruyere Tartlets

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

Fish In a Herb Crust with Lemon Oil Recipe

Fish in A Herb Crust recipejpg

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.  

Madeleines

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

Nov 2003 - Madeleines

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!