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!