Salad - Retro Food For Modern Times

Category: Salad

25
Sep
2023

Beauty Bean Salad and a Herb S(w)izzle

categories: 1970's recipes, Beans, Drinks, Eat Your Way To Love and Beauty, Non - Alcoholic, Salad, Vegetables

Hello Yogis and retro food lovers. Today we are revisiting “Eat Your Way To Love and Beauty” by Swami Saravati. Today we are focussing on the beauty side with a Beauty Bean Salad. There is no indication as to what the Herb S(w)izzle is good for. Let’s say hydration and move on. As with last time, before we get to the recipes, let’s take a moment to marvel at the cover of this book.

This is probably one of my all favourite covers of any book I own. The swami looks young and gorgeous, she has perfect skin, is lithe and limber and is rocking an itsy bitsy teeny weeny yellow flowered bikini. Seeing that cover and how great she looks, who wouldn’t want to get her recipes? I will add that nowadays doing the camel pose over over glass containers probably breaks all sorts of OHS laws but back in the freewheeling days of 1971…you could do what you wanted! Just on that, and how good she looks? There was no photoshop back in 1971. She actually looked like that!

Hmm…maybe I need to cook a few more recipes from this book

Beauty Bean Salad

This was really tasty! And it also looked very pretty with the different shades of green and then pops of purple from the red onion. I ate this for dinner one night and made enough to have for lunch the following day. One of the great things about this salad is that the ingredients are all fairly robust so will not wilt overnight. Good thing really because after I had taken the photos from the night, I realised I had left out a key ingredient.

I used green beans, edamame and sugar snap beans for my fresh ingredients. However, the recipe also calls for some dried beans. I had a can of chickpeas in the cupboard so when I had these for lunch, I threw in some chickpeas.

The chickpeas changed this from a side salad to a more filling meal. I’m not sure if the Swami would entirely agree with this but if you wanted to bulk this out even more, some feta or goat’s cheese or a can of tuna or some grilled salmon would be great with this!

Beauty Bean Salad – The Recipe

I used lemon juice and olive oil as my dressing and dill as my herb.

I find it really interesting to see the differences between night light and daylight and the passage of time on the color of this salad.

The Herb S(w)izzle

This drink is actually called a Herb Sizzle. There is nothing sizzled in it so in my head it is the Herb Swizzle as you have to stir the ingredients together! Whatever you call it, it is a fancy and very tasty apple juice! I used Rosemary as my herb but you could use your favourite herb instead.

The Herb S(w)izzle Recipe

This was really refreshing and went very nicely with the salad!

It was really fun revisiting Eat Your Way To Love and Beauty. I also still want to go to the Swami’s Yoga Retreat! Sadly Swami herself passed away in 2009. I have a candleholder very much like the one by her left knee on the book cover. So let’s light a candle and raise a Herb Swizzle toast to the Swami and her legacy of eating our way to love and beauty!

Candle Have a great week!

13
Jun
2023

Broken Hill CheeseSlaw

categories: Australia, Carrot, Salad

G’Day Food Lovers! People say that necessity is the mother of invention. In my case, it was the mother of trying out a bizarre little recipe called Broken Hill CheeseSlaw. Let me show you the finished dish before we get to the hows and whys!

Let’s start at the very beginning. One of my favourite sandwiches is chicken schnitzel and coleslaw. Or, as we in Australia call it, a chicken schnitty. Now, we don’t eat schnitty’s all that often because the fussiest eater in the world does not like crumbed food. 🙄

However, we did have schnitzel…well to be utterly honest it was Donna Hay’s Chicken Katsu the other night ( and lo and behold he actually enjoyed it). And there was a little bit of chicken leftover…actually no. I specifically katsu’ed an extra bit of chicken so I could have a schnitty and slaw sanger the next day!

Now, you may notice a distinct lack of sandwich in the above photo.

Here’s why

This is Frankie. We were dogsitting Frankie on Katsu night and Frankie was not happy about being dogsat. She howled the whole of the first night she was with us. And most of the second (which was katsu night). The only way I could get Frankie to stop howling was to pet her and cuddle her.

So, on day three which was the day I wanted my schnitty sandwich, I realised I had no bread in the house. And I wasn’t going out to buy any. My neighbours were already sleep deprived, as was I. from the nighttime howling. I felt that if there was also daytime howling interrupting people’s work we would become public enemies #1. It was already lunchtime and I was hungry! There was no time to wait for a delivery.

“I’ll make a bowl.” I thought. “Then I won’t need bread”. About then I realised I also had no cabbage for the slaw. Enter Broken Hill Cheeseslaw!

Broken Hill CheeseSlaw

Broken Hill CheeseSlaw (more than a food, it’s a way of life) is a mix of grated carrots, mayo and cheese which has been on the menu in Broken Hill (aka The Silver City) since the 1930’s. How or why the good people of Broken Hill decided to ditch the cabbage and embrace the cheese in their slaw is lost to time. Although there is a viable theory here. However, it is still very much still a thing and even got its own dictionary entry in 2019!

Broken Hill CheeseSlaw – Tasting Notes

The cheeseslaw was somewhat surprisingly not terrible. Many times if you buy a schnitty and coleslaw sandwich you get the option of some cheese to be melted on top. And you know, one of my mottoes in life is if you ever get the option of cheese melted on top of anything, take it! I did feel like the cheeseslaw missed a little bit of bang – some spring onion, some pickled jalapeno etc would have cut through some of the fattiness of the cheese and mayo combo which the carrot did not do. I added some pickled onions I had in the fridge and some edamame from the freezer to my bowl to bring in that bite and also some greenery.

As a whole, my schnitty / katsu cheeseslaw bowl was totally delish! And something I will intentionally make again!!!

Broken Hill CheeseSlaw – The Golden Grater

So friends, there is an annual contest in Broken Hill for the best cheeseslaw – both traditional and contemporary. I’m already thinking – a Philly Cheesesteak / Cheeseslaw combo might be awesome!

If you have an idea for cheeseslaw, (and here are some things that others have tried), let me know and I will make the 820 km drive to represent you and me (and Frankie) in the competition for this year’s Golden Grater!

The Recipe – Broken Hill CheeseSlaw

Have a great week!

31
May
2023

Food For Lovers Redux

categories: Devilled Eggs, Food For Lovers, Prunes, Rice, Salad, Soup

Hello friends, and welcome to a special series I will be running over the next 12 months. A while ago, I realised I had totally missed the 10th birthday of this blog. In fact, I was thinking about how to celebrate this and wanted to check the exact date of the first post which I thought was in 2013. Nope. It was 17 May 2012! There didn’t seem much point in celebrating eleven years but twelve sounds impressive. So in the 12 months leading up to my 12th birthday I will be featuring one of the old books I blogged about in the early years. Those old posts are mostly dire but the books are quirky and fun or just plain good. Sometimes all three. To get this party started I am revisiting one of the most bonkers books I own – Kelly Brodsky’s Food for Lovers from 1971.

Food For Lovers – The Book

Food for Lovers is broken into 15 chapters, each of which is devoted to a particular type of man and the food that their beloved should cook to keep them interested. As the old adage goes, the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach! This may make it sound like this is a very conservative, conventional cookbook – the type of book you might have seen in the 1950’s on how to please your husband. But this my friends was not the conservative 50s, this was the 1970s and the birth of women’s liberation so the tone is definitely tongue in cheek. At least I hope it is because each of the men mentioned sounds awful (although also somewhat recognisable). To introduce you to the book and its characters I thought it might be fun to do a little speed dating with the gents of Food for Lovers!

Bachelor #1 Come on down!

Freddy Finikin

“Freddys who dislike food are an asexual lot who seem to get a perverse kick from driving the women in their lives to a frenzy in search of something to tempt their appetite…the woman who falls for such a man is either unaware of his finickiness, or trapped, or mad, or maybe she prefers to read in bed”

Kelly Brodsky – Food for Lovers

Should you find either the picture of Freddy or his blurb attractive, or you are mad, trapped, or prefer to read in bed here is a recipe to keep your Freddy happy!

Zakusi

You’ll notice I have changed the recipe so that rather than filling the egg whites “liberally” with caviar, I have made a more traditional and certainly more economically viable devilled egg. These were AMAZING. So tasty!!!!

Let’s move on to Bachelor #2

If fussy eaters aren’t your style, maybe this likely lad is more your speed!

Joe De Go

A man with the Midas touch, Joe usually has his fingers in many pies. Often in the guise of pop star, P.R, ad-man, disc jockey, TV star or such, he wizzes from one assignment, luncheon or deal to another with a slick show of competence that belies his lingering adolescence. Bright and on the ball he mostly shoes away from anything that smacks of more than superficial know-how, for he hates to be caught out of his depth

Kelly Brodsky – Food for Lovers

Intrigued by the sound of Joe? Why not tempt his palate with some

Creamed Leek and Potato Soup

This soup was delicious!

Still not found your ideal man? Let’s take a look at Bachelor #3

Champers Chas

With the carefully cultivated air of an educated debauchee and a fascinating, if largely fabricated family history to back it, Champers provides an inexhaustible supply of gossip. Whether on or off the boards, he delights in titillating his ever present audience with spicy, often malicious anecdotes and ribaldry

Kelly Brodsky – Food for Lovers

Fancy chatting with Chas? Tempt his tastebuds with some

Pistachio Nut Pilau

This was really nice, the rice was light and fluffy and went perfectly with last week’s Chilli Crab!

Still not found the love of your life? Maybe you like your men a little more sleazy and possibly criminal? Bachelor #4 may be more your style!

Professor Repressor

If the name doesn’t say it all, here’s Kelly’s description

Repressor exudes the coldness of a tree frog, his sang-froid masking some Lucifer-like leanings. One kinky chink in his armour is his obsession with the Lolita-type nubiles on his campus – who usually run for their sweet lives when they see the kind of red-hot light they inspire in his eyes. Inevitably, he is forced to turn his attentions to any neglected wives of his colleagues

Kelly Brodsky – Food for Lovers

Ok. We might need a palate cleanser after that so how about some

Watercress and Orange Salad

This was great and just the refreshing hit I needed after writing about the pervy professor! Let’s swiftly move to Bachelor #5!

Gad About Guy

Gad about Guys come in all shapes and sizes with ages and egos to match. They usually hover round fellow Gads with a few of the uninitiated thrown in as audience. “Remember that night in Singapore when we strolled along Bugis Street – and those fantastic little roadside stalls with the delicious Satay? ….”Lord, yes! And will you ever forget that Lamb Solanka in Moscow last winter.”…And on and on it goes, the name dropping, the reminiscences and regurgitations of past splendours”

Kelly Brodsky – Food For Lovers

If the well-travelled man is your bag, why not whip up a lovely breakfast for him with some

Wine and Song Prunes

I LOVED these. I feel so bad that prunes have such a bad rap! This was so delicious. And what a fabulous name! I served mine with a little bit of labneh, some orange zest and some pistachios left over from the pilaf and it made a heavenly breakfast!

And because all good things must come to an end, we come to our lucky last Bachelor…who out there fancies

Jack Snack

He’s strictly a non-event up to his neck in dreary day to day existence, blissfully unaware of anything outside his tight little domain…his every move as predictable as the plainness of his sitting-room with it’s enormous brick veneered fireplace above which some gypsy flamencoes wildy within a heavy gilt frame

Kelly Brodsky – Food For Lovers

I laughed out loud when I read this because growing up, we had possibly that very same flamenco dancer painting on our wall at home! I thought it was incredibly beautiful and have always wanted to learn to flamenco as a result of it!

Now, I have also not made Jack’s Snack, mostly because I quite like my life and don’t fancy being taken down by a premature heart attack any time soon. But should you wish to share your life with this homebody and are not afraid of death by overindulgence, here is the recipe for a Veal Scallopine Sandwich that will melt Jack’s heart whilst simultaneously clogging his arteries!

Okay, food lovers, I hope you have enjoyed my second journey into Food For Lovers…I LOVED revisiting this book!!! And there are so many more delicious-sounding recipes and terrible men in it that we may have to take a third look somewhere down the track!

I have searched online for other books by Kelly Brodsky and Kelly Brodsky herself and have drawn a big flat blank! At the moment there also appear to be no other copies of Food for Lovers for sale so, sadly you cannot share my delight in this book. Kelly, if you are out there, and I hope you are, I hope you read this and know that fifty-two years after the publishing of your book, you have a number one fan in me!

Have a wonderful week friends and please let me know if you make that Veal Scallopini Sandwich! Or any of the other recipes!

18
Dec
2022

Rose Petal and Nasturtium Leaf Salad

categories: 1990's recipes, Edible Flowers, Magazines, Roses, Salad, Vogue Entertaining & Travel

Hello friends and welcome to the latest edition of Things Posh People Ate in the 90s. This week’s fancy dish comes from the pages of Vogue Entertaining from March 1990. And what could be posher than a salad made of flowers? Or more pretty? This Rose Petal and Nasturtium Leaf Salad would make a lovely addition to a spring or summer lunch.

This would also be a delightful addition to your Christmas dinner table, ideal for a girl’s night or a romantic dinner à deux! The rose petals don’t add a heap of flavour (that comes from the rosewater in the dressing) but the nasturtium leaves are nice and peppery. The pea shoots bring some freshness, the olives some briny bitterness, and some depth to what is otherwise pretty much all sweetness and light. The orange dressing is refreshing and not too sweet.

Also, if like me you do not grow your own roses or nasturtiums, please make sure they come from a reputable source and have not been sprayed with any pesticides or other things you do not want to eat! My petals and leaves came direct from my mum’s garden.

Rose Petal and Nasturtium Leaf Salad – The Recipe

Additions

You could add any (or all) of these to this salad depending on your preference or how big you want your salad to be:

Toasted flaked almonds for some crunch
Goat’s cheese for some creaminess
Wafer thin slices of fennel for crunch and a little hit of aniseed

Serving Suggestions

Vogue Entertaining serves this with a seafood salad with a creamy pesto dressing. Far be it for me to contradict them but pesto can pack a punch of flavours (which s what makes it so delicious) but may overpower the delicate nature of this salad.

I would go with

Chicken – either poached or roasted
A grilled salmon fillet or
Some grilled prawns or scallops

Fun Facts

The article containing the Rose Petal and Nasturtium Leaf Salad was called Culinary Canvas and featured the artist Mary Pinnock.

“I dig cooking with them because they are so available,” she says, reaching through the kitchen window and plucking a handful from a hanging pot.

Mary Pinnock on nasturtium leaves.

I had a quick look online for Mary and you can still buy her artwork for a very reasonable price. This one, featuring nasturtium leaves has a price guide of only $150-250 which is an absolute bargain! If it was actually for sale I might be tempted to buy it myself!

Have a great week!

28
Jun
2022

Warm Chestnut Salad

categories: 1990's recipes, Australian Gourmet Traveller, Magazines, Salad

This post on a Warm Chestnut Salad was going to be an edition of “what posh people ate in the 1he 1990’s” however it turned into a real-life “what posh people eat in the 2020’s! Chestnuts and prosciutto were, and are still fairly high-end items. BUT what has pushed this salad into the realms of high-end dining this year is the greenery!

Due to floods, constant rain and various supply chain issues there are currently vast shortages of lettuce in Australia. Iceberg lettuces which normally cost around $2 are retailing for as much as $12 per lettuce! That is when you can even find them. Reminiscent of the toilet paper drama of 2020, supermarket shelves normally stacked with the green stuff are empty! Chain restaurants such as McdDonald’s and KFC are subbing cabbage into their burgers.

I was lucky enough to find some mixed leaves at a not exorbitant price at my local greengrocer last week and being able to have some fresh salad to eat made this meal feel utterly luxurious! Lettuce is not the only thing in short supply. Supermarkets are also warning that other produce will also be in short supply in the coming weeks:

Looks like it might need to be cocktails and cakes for the next few weeks on the blog. Oh well, I can think of worse things!

Warm Chestnut Salad – The Recipe

The recipe for the Warm Chestnut Salad comes from the May 1993 issue of Australian Gourmet Traveller. The OG recipe calls for the prosciutto to be grilled until crisp. I prefer my proscuitto au naturale. Go your own way on this one. The recipe also says it feeds four as a side salad, I halved the quantities and had it as a main meal.

This is an easy salad to make and it was absolutely delicious. I would make this once a week for the whole of chestnut season if only the salad greens weren’t going to bankrupt me! I have never had any luck growing lettuce but it might be time to give it another try.

Have a wonderful week!