A friend gave me this little book a couple of years ago because she knows I love delving into the past and I also love food and cooking.
I wasn’t born into a posh family; dinner parties didn’t happen in our house. I didn’t know what a dinner party was until I was well into my 20’s.
However, I’ve had a few dinner parties down through the years and I love to experiment with food. I contemplated throwing a 70’s dinner party but after looking through the dishes in this little book…I’m not so sure I have the culinary skills to pull it off. My dinner guests would usually expect to be served pasta dishes, curries, one-pot meals, salad dishes, and ice-cream for dessert.
The effort it must have taken to put these dishes together. The detail and presentation involved. This is like something out of MasterChef!
Today we’ll look at some of the canapés from this little gem of a book. These creations have me respecting the 70’s housewife in a whole new light!
As you can see, the images are ingeniously captioned by the humorous author, Anna Pallai.
I have absolutely no idea what’s in this goldfish bowl!
I found a recipe for these party cheese balls. Here you go, if you want to make an impression on some of your cheesy friends! Party Cheese Ball Recipe. I’ll pass, thank you!
I have no words for the Worcester Beef Croúte. Thank you Esme Salon for finding me a recipe for this. See it HERE.
Lucy’s drawing of a young woman wearing an apron. A very chic 70’s housewife indeed!
Apron Girl by Lucy McBreen
Cock HERE to read about some of the starters the 70’s housewife served her dinner party guests! Some of them look more like desserts!
And HERE we look at some of the visually attractive main courses and desserts!
“Ample food an sturdy drink, a pillow for your head. And may you be 40 years in heaven before the devil knows you’re dead!” – Irish Blessing
“Make it like Mammy used to.”
That’s what a husband dared to say long ago. He wouldn’t get away with saying it nowadays. If he insinuated in any way that his wife’s cooking wasn’t up to his Mammy’s standard, one of two things would happen; the tolerant wife would pretend she didn’t hear him and he’d eat what he was given, or the intolerant wife would send him home to his mammy with his suitcase!
“I’m not ignoring you…I’m practicing selective hearing.” Linda Poindexter.
But we must admit, there was something special about the Irish stew, the treacle bread, and the boxty. Even the jelly and custard was different back in the day.
What was the secret? Was it all the salt? Or the bitta sugar that went into everything. The Yummy Mummy of today wouldn’t dream of adding sugar to her carrots.
Maybe the secret is that it was made with love!
♡ ♡ ♡
Maybe boxty was so good because it was fried on a hot skillet or in a pan of lots of grease; probably lard. It tasted too good!
‘Boxty on the griddle, boxty on the pan, if you can’t make boxty, you’ll never get a man.’
Maybe that rhyme encouraged the young women to perfect the boxty recipe!
Here it is for anyone out there trying to grab the attention of a promising young Irish bachelor!
Peel and grate 4 potatoes. Mix with 2 oz of plain flour,1 egg, pinch of bread soda and a pinch of salt. Heat oil of your choice, (and a wee knob of butter) on a frying pan. When you ‘hear’ it sizzling, form your mixture into separate little patties and fry on the pan for about 3 minutes on each side.
There’s nothing more homely and comforting than the sight of a loaf of bread fresh out of the oven. I think the traditional Irish soda bread was so good back then because they didn’t measure the ingredients. Here’s how my mammy used to make it.
A couple of handfuls of flour, a good big lump of butter, a bit of salt, a few spouts of buttermilk, a small spoon of bread soda and don’t forget the sugar. Stick it in the oven until it’s nice and brown. If the oven gets too hot, open the door of the range a wee bit.
Coddle was a one-pot dish made with the leftovers from the week. Potatoes, onion, carrots, bacon and sausage. I’m sure it’s a stew you could put anything into.
Colcannon was another common dinner in Irish homes. Simple and nutritious. Creamy mashed potatoes with cabbage mixed through it. Often served with boiled bacon. Still a favourite today in some households. The good ‘old bacon and cabbage!
“There’s no place like home Bridie.”Nedzer
We can’t talk about Irish food without the mention of Irish beverages.
Irish Coffee. There’s a special way to make it. I’ve mastered it!
Lightly whip about two tablespoons of cream. Pour freshly brewed coffee into a hot mug or heatproof glass. Add 50ml of Paddy whiskey. Stir in ½ – 1 tsp of brown sugar. The next part is very important. Warm a teaspoon. Gently pour the cream onto the back of the spoon while holding it close to the coffee. As soon as it ‘touches’ the coffee, it should spread nicely across the top of it, rather than mix through it.
I forgot to take the photo before I started drinking it.
Guinness. Guinness is on the go since 1759. I will be dedicating a full post to Guinness sometime during my #100DaysOfOldDays.
I usually drink Guinness when I’m in a pub. It’s a good session drink because once I get to my 5th small glass I’ve had enough, and it never gives me a hangover. (Yes, I know I know…five small glasses is hardly a session)
They say there’s eating and drinking in Guinness, which is a good thing when you’re from Cavan.
Jameson whiskey. One of the oldest distilleries in Ireland and Stephano’s favourite whiskey! Like Guinness, I will be giving Jameson a post of its own at some point during our #100DaysOfOldDays
Hot whiskey. According to my in-house whiskey expert, Paddy makes a good hot one. (Not Paddy from over the road – Paddy the whiskey.) Now, you can’t have a hot whiskey without a slice of lemon studded with cloves. You just can’t. Your sense of smell will miss out on the true experience of a hot Irish whiskey!
One of my very own.
“Nothing is more memorable than a smell.”Diane Ackerman
I was sitting here in the kitchen with my pen and pad, thinking about the cliché, the icing on the cake, when in walks Stephano with a bag of groceries. Interrupted my thoughts yes, but then handed me my new favourite sweet treat…coffee traybake from Supervalu. I squealed like a child who just got a new puppy! These coffee traybakes are not always available — or maybe they are but we’re just not quick enough to beat the rush.
Supervalu Coffee Traybake
This all started last year when I took a sudden notion that I wanted coffee cake. You’d think it would be easy to find but no. None in the coffee shops, or the bakeries, or the supermarkets.
Then one day Stephano arrived home with these absolutely scrumptious squares of decadence. Spongy and moist, rich with the flavour of coffee. But it’s the icing on the top that makes these the most delicious cakes I’ve ever had. So creamy and melty, with little shavings of nubbly dark chocolate sprinkled on top. I can’t help but close my eyes as the textures mesh together in my mouth. Savouring every morsel.
I’ll have another one at four o’clock. Today is a good day!
It’s probably just as well that they’re not available all the time.
