Thin Arrowroot & Marietta #100DaysOfOldDays

Day 65 #100DaysOfOldDays

Fancy biscuits were for Christmas time and other special occasions. My mam bought chocolate and cream filled biscuits whenever she’d host a Tupperware or make-up party. The parties were usually on a Friday night, so we didn’t have to be in bed early. We weren’t allowed near the sitting room where the party was being held but we’d hang around on the stairs waiting for the women to finish their tea because Mam would always give us the left-over biscuits. It’d seem like hours before she’d come out with the trays and empty cups. Often we’d fight over the last chocolate biscuit, and argue about who got it the last time.

My sister-in-law Margaret, reminded me of the days when buttered plain biscuits were a treat. Margaret remembers getting Thin Arrowroot biscuits from her grandfather; plain on a plain day, buttered on a good day!

Arrowroot biscuits were/are the plainest of all biscuits. I’m not sure if they are still available in Ireland.

A chocolate digestive was the Roll Royce of the biscuit world and an Arrowroot was the Lada.

However, when you’d sandwich two together with real butter and a blob of strawberry jam, they became a Ferrari to a 70’s child.

My great-granny used to give us Marietta biscuits, but not with butter or jam. We didn’t mind either way. A biscuit was a biscuit and it wasn’t every day we got one!

Eye Tasting Mains #100DaysOfOldDays

Day 50 #100DaysOfOldDays

I’m still talking about dinner parties from the 1970’s. First we looked at some of the canapés these super women dished up in the 70’s. You can read the post HERE. And if you’re interested in treating your eyeballs to some very interesting looking starters, you may go HERE.

Today, on our half-way point of our ‘100DaysOfOldDays Challenge’, I’m talking main courses. (These photos are from a little book I got from a friend; 70’s Dinner Party by Anna Pallai.) I’m amazed at the sight of these dishes…really!

🍅 🥑 🍗

I wouldn’t be surprised if it was during the 70’s that scientists began to study how the appearance of our food affects how we perceive the taste of it.

I mean…just look at how creative they were with their dishes. As for appetizing…well, that depends on whose eyes are upon it!

This is veal covered in a jelly of some sort.

Had gelatine only just been invented? They really did enjoy wrapping savoury food in jelly. Good ole ‘Vintage Recipe Cards .com’ has the recipe for these jellyish eggs. Find it HERE!

A similar recipe for the Chaud-froid of chicken can be found HERE – if you’re able for it. Surprise surprise…you’ll need gelatine!

The only thing I’ve ever dressed a cauliflower with was béchamel sauce.

This next dish very much appeals to me. I’m a gamey girl! I found a similar recipe HERE.

I couldn’t help but throw in some desserts! Cheesy desserts because they looked the most interesting.

I’m not sure where exactly the cheese is in this pineapple and apple dessert. It’s called Cheese ‘Pineapple.’ Oh…wait…it is a load of cheese shaped into a pineapple?

I’m sorry, but this blue cheese ball is not visually attractive. I don’t want to look up the recipe for it. Sorry!

This prune whip looks delicious and yes, it would probably keep you regular but…not so sure if I could stomach it. You?

Lucy’s drawing today is of seafood mousse. A dish I actually have eaten before and it’s very nice.

This is only a ‘taste’ of what you would find in Anna Pallai’s beautifully illustrated 70’s Dinner Party Book. If you fancy some more, her book is available to buy here!

Perfect Starters #100DaysOfOldDays

Day 49 #100DaysOfOldDays

Following on from yesterday’s post – Canapé in a Fish Bowl – where I talked about the canapés of a 70’s dinner party.

I’m even more wowed by the splendiferousness (there’s a word to remember) of the starters in my little book of 70’s party dishes!

If you fancy whipping up a perfection salad, you’ll find the recipe HERE.

This potato salad log puts my modest potato salad to shame.

When did we stop doing beautiful things to corned beef?

Tomato aspic; still a popular dish in certain parts of the world. Lots of recipes on the web for this. Here’s one!

These prawn stuffed tomatoes look delicious. These I would try for sure.

Yesterday we looked at canapés at the 70’s dinner party. You can read about it HERE.

And for the main courses and desserts of the 70’s you may go HERE.

I’m slowly coming round to the idea of throwing that 70’s dinner party I was on about yesterday.