Category: Bread

Jan 2004 – Pretty in Pink?

Hello, retro food lovers and welcome to 2004!  This month the random number generator chose Pink as the theme for our menu via the pages of Good Taste Magazine. Before we start though, maybe let’s throw around some phrases usually more prevalent in corporate speak than around here…

  • Maybe we just need to redefine what success looks like
  • It was a learning experience
  • And fun.  Don’t forget how much fun it was.

All of this means if the success of this menu lies in its pinkness…this month was a disaster. 

If we redefine success to mean did it taste good?  We are not quite in the pink but certainly faring a bit better than colour alone.  

Gravlax Salsa1

So back in January 2004, we were all shaking it like a polaroid picture to Ooutkast’s Hey Ya, some of you were still watching The Return of the King and people on mass were still reading the Da Vinci Code.  Surely by January 2004 we had reached peak Da Vinci? 

So, in a new year, where pop culture looks very much like the old year, let’s take a look at a pink-inspired menu.  

The Menu – January 2004

Pink Menu - Jan 2003

 

Pretty Pink Drink

Well, how can this go wrong?  There’s pink in the title and for people doing dry January (or Feb fast), it’s non-alcoholic too.  It’s lovely and refreshing.  In fact the only thing wrong with it is…

Pretty Pink Drink

 

It’s not overly pink is it?  I mean on a scale of one to Barbie..I’d give it a 5 out of 10. The Pretty Pink drink looks like the liquid lovechild of the two candle holders behind it. It is a pretty colour though, if not as pink as I would have liked.  It was tasty although having to buy three drinks to make one seemed a little unnecessary.  

Pretty Pink Drink Recipe

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Open Ham Sandwich

Open Ham Sandwich

Is there a sufficient amount of actual pink in this?  Yes!  Is it weird to have an open sandwich as a starter?  Also yes. 

I thought this challenge would be an absolute lay down misère.  Apparently, I vastly underestimated the prevalence of pink foods! 

I was a bit worried about the combination of chutney and avocado in this sandwich but they worked well together.  This was a very nice sandwich. 

Open Ham Salmon Recipe

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Salmon Ravioli With Fresh Tomato Sauce

Salmon Ravioli

I may have used the wrong sort of wonton wrapper for these because, not only was the “pasta” rather thick it was also not nearly as translucent as the one in the picture.  This was not only not overly pink but also a bit meh…the ravioli were hard to make and bland.  The sauce is pretty accurate though!  I also liked that they used the same colour plate as my bowl!

I am certainly alone in not liking this though, the comments on the recipe are all highly complimentary

Salmon Ravioli Recipe

Salmon Ravioli Collage1

 

Peach and Rosewater Sorbet with Peach Schnapps

Peach.  I mean, the clue is right there in the name.  And we’ll leave it to the picture to show exactly how well this met the brief of pink.

Peach Sorbet

Having said that, the peach sorbet was delicious.  I almost wish I had made it back in 2004 so it could have been in my life for the last twenty years.  As a bonus though, last year my mum gave us a…what do you call a really tiny tree?  This was basically a knee-high-to-nothing stick in the dirt when we first got it.  This summer though, we had our first three peaches from it.  So I foresee many summers of peach sorbet in my future life.  And that can only be a good thing. 

It wasn’t anything like pink though!

Peach Sorbet Recipe

zz Peach Sorbet

My Nigella Moment  – Gravlax Salsa

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 almost had this as the starter but I felt it was a bit cheaty in a pink challenge to have a salmon starter and main.  This, and the sorbet are the things I will take away from this month to be the things I make again and again.  The recipe for the gravlax salsa came with some caraway wafters – I don’t like the taste of caraway so I made my wafers with everything bagel seasoning.  I won’t make them again.  They were ok but for the time and effort they took I would rather buy some.  I haven’t included the recipe for the wafers.   You also do not need the mustard dill sauce for the salsa.

Gravlax Salsa Recipe

Gravlax Salsa2

 

Gravlax 1

Gravlax 2 (1)

So January 2004 was a total failure in terms of meeting the brief, but also gave me two amazing recipes!  And the drink wasn’t bad either.  Let’s see what February brings!

If you were making a pink menu, what would you include?

 

 

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!

 

 

The Elsa Greer – A Roast Beef Sandwich

Hello Food Lovers and Crime Readers!  The Agatha Christie aficionados out there may be thinking “The Elsa Greer? But she is from Five Little Pigs and we were expecting a recipe from The Moving Finger. Has something gone horribly wrong? The complete opposite in fact. Something has gone tremendously right in that I have a new job. At least for the next 12 months.  Things went a little bit like this.  Person x in my company got a 12-month secondment into another team. My boss then got a 12-month secondment into that person’s role. And I am now on a 12-month secondment into my now ex-bosses role. The 12-month secondment for my old role is yet to be filled so at the moment I am double hatting.  All of which means I have yet to cook the recipe for The Moving Finger. But I already had made this one because the Oeufs Caroline recipe was a last-minute idea.

Elsa Greer1

I’m also prevaricating on The Moving Finger post because I am trying to decide between two of the food items mentioned in the book.  And anyway, who doesn’t love a roast beef sandwich? Well, vegans, vegetarians, Hindus….but for everyone else, this is an awesome sandwich that befits a strong character like Elsa.  She is after all ranked sixth in a Reddit poll on Christie villains and the highest-ranked female wrong ‘un. So if anyone deserves a sandwich in their honor it is Elsa.  And as she was the little pig who had roast beef, the main filling for this sandwich was a no-brainer.  The rest of the ingredients are things that I like to eat in sandwiches and that I think go well with roast beef – such as watercress, pickled onions, blue cheese and horseradish. 

Elsa Greer3

The Recipe – The Elsa Greer

Print

The Elsa Greer – A Roast Beef Sandwich

A roast beef sandwich names after Elsa Greer, the villain in Five Little Pigs

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 red onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • 1/2 tsp sugar
  • 2 slices of bread – I used a potato and rosemary bread
  • Butter
  • 23 slices of roast beef 
  • Slices of Tomato
  • Sprigs of watercress
  • Blue cheese, crumbled, as much or as little as you like
  • Horseradish cream 
  • Mayonnaise

To Serve (Optional)

  • Potato Chips
  • Beer (preferably non-poisoned)

Instructions

Place your onions, red wine vinegar and sugar into a small bowl and allow to quickly pickle.  You can leave this as long as you like but they will be ready after 30 mins.

Mix the mayo and the horseradish in a small bowl.  Start with a tablespoon of mayo to half a teaspoon of horseradish but feel free to adjust to your level of bite!

Spread one slice of bread with butter and the other with the horseradish mayo.

Layer your your watercress, tomato, cheese beef and drained onion onto one slice of bread and top with the other.  

Serve with chips and a cold beer!

Enjoy while reading Five Little Pigs! 

Notes

If you don’t like blue cheese, you could use a nice sharp cheddar.

Hate horseradish?  Or mayo?  Sub in some mustard.

No Watercress?  Iceberg or Cos will work.

Elsa Greer5

 

Have a great week!  The Moving Finger Post is coming…

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The Italian Cuisine I Love Redux

Buongiorno Amici!  Today we are taking another look at The Italian Cuisine I Love by Jules J Bond.  We last looked at this book all the way back in 2012 where I developed quite a crush on the author…Bond…Jules J Bond.  And who wouldn’t crush on this bon vivant and possible spy!  I spent quite a while with Jules J last time and his tuna stuffed tomatoes are still a favourite summer lunch for me!  Today, however, will be a flying visit, albeit a delizioso one!

The introduction to The Italian Cuisine I Love says

Italy is a country where the joy of eating is one of the many joys of life”

The Italian Cusine I Love

And today, wherever in the world we find ourselves, we will be trying to capture some of la dolce vita with some fried anchovy bread and Spaghetti in Garlic Sauce.  Sorry carb phobes, this one is not for you!

Fried Anchovy Bread

Bear with me for uno momento haters of anchovies……just take a moment to look at this…

Fried Anchovy Bread

Yes, I thought that might change your mind.  But if you really, really hate anchovies, leave them out.  Add some salami or prosciutto or olives just have it with the cheese!  If you also don’t like cheese, then I have nothing for you.

Fried Anchovy Bread2

Now that’s the Italian Cuisine I Love!

Fried Anchovy Bread – The Recipe

Fried Anchovy Bread recipe

As delicious as the anchovy bread was, it was just the begining!

Spaghetti In Garlic Sauce

As the fried anchovy bread was quite rich, I thought I would keep the second course quite light.  I wanted to have pasta because last time I didn’t make any of the pasta dishes.  I chose a Spaghetti in Garlic Sauce.  This is a version of a Spaghetti Aglio e Olio and was super yummy!

Spaghetti in Garlic Sauce 1

Spaghetti In Garlic Sauce Recipe

Spaghetti in Garlic Sauce Recipe (1)

Spaghetti in Garlic Sauce 2

It was so nice to step back into the worldof The Italian Cuisine I Love. I now own a few more in the Cuisines I Love series so hopefully it will not be another eleven years before we step back into the world of Jules J Bond!

Let’s Get Lit – March 2003

Hello friends and welcome to March 2003! Avril Lavigne was topping the charts with I’m With You, Bringing Down the House was #1 at the box office and U.S. troops invaded Iraq looking to seek and destroy Saddam Hussein’s weapons of mass destruction. No wonder, when reflecting on the events of twenty years ago, we here at Retro Foods for Modern Times felt we might need to get a little boozy!  This was the theme for our menu which came from the March 2003 issue of Delicious Magazine!

March 2003 – The Menu

rffmt gets boozy menu

Sangria

As if we could have a boozy menu without a starting drink!  I love Sangria which despite being Spanish in origin always reminds me of our 2017 trip to Portugal where we would have a pre-dinner sangria most days!

Sangria in Portugal

Happy times!  Here’s the one from Delicious!

Sangria1

Sangria Recipe:

Beer Bread with Pastrami and Relish

Due to time constraints, I didn’t make this but doesn’t it look amazing?

Beer Bread Recipe

Spaghettini Alle Vongole

OMG, this was so good.  And also when I really wished I had made the beer bread so I could mop up all the delicious sauce left in the bowl.  I had never eaten Spaghettini Alle Vongole before and although this took a bit of effort to cook, it was worth it!

Spaghettini Alle Vongole Recipe:

Spaghetti Alle Vongole RECIPE

Citrus Salad with Cointreau Cream

To finish out the meal, we have a Citrus Salad with Cointreau Cream.  For an alternative dessert, but one that still uses Cointreau, you could sub in last week’s White Lady which also came from this magazine!

Citrus Salad with Cointreau Cream recipe1

My Nigella Moment – Salmorejo

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 the most appetising thing in the mag!

This was a difficult one.  I was torn between two recipes that really appealed to me.  One was a pink grapefruit tart.  However, as we already had a dessert containing grapefruit I decided to go with the other recipe from March 2003 which caught my eye – salmorejo.

Salmorejo is a cousin of gazpacho.  Gazpacho is one of those things that I thought I would hate.  Cold tomato soup?  Yeccchhh!!! That is until I tried it.  And from then on it was love!  I will note that even though I am a garlic lover, 4 cloves of garlic was too much for this!  Two would, I think have been plenty! 

It looked exactly as it did in the picture too!

Salmorejo

 

Salmorejo Recipe

Salmorejo recipe

Delicious Magazine certainly delivered on our ask for a boozy menu.  We had red wine and brandy in the sangria, beer in the bread, white wine in the spaghetti and Cointreau in the dessert!

Let me know if you would like to contribute a theme to my list.  I’m happy to take on any challenge!

 

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