365017 Sun Jan 28 00:40:52 -0800 2007 100 31 Home Cooking 0 2234649 I'm looking for a few really good--not just overly obvious--courses to serve for a 60/70's slightly upscale Retro dinner (comfort food) party. I was thinking very upscale mac n'cheese; lamb chops; interesting squash or pea side dish. 1st course could include: clam chowder; or split pea soap; and mixed garden salad or cantelope. Desserta; Tapioca pudding; or bread pudding; or make your own sundaes (something like that). I thought I'd serve Gin & Tonics (or vodka tonics), and slow gin fizzes. The apps. could include: sardines on crackers, interesting dips, and maybe shrimp cocktail, or oysters. Oh yea and POPOVERS! Remeber those? Any takers? I'd love your ideasl Sun Jan 28 00:40:52 -0800 2007 60354 Robbie711 1 2235070 A bit more 50s-60s: Celerey and carrot sticks with the G&Ts; tomato soup or green salad w/tomato wedges, and bottled dressing; pork chops, frozen peas and carrots, mash (don't forget the parsley sprig); chiffon cake; Drambui. Carlo Rossi red jug wine w/ dinner. Sun Jan 28 08:42:10 -0800 2007 2234649 36661 Sam Fujisaka 1 2235163 See if you library has copies od Jane and Michael Stern's American Gourmet and their A Taste of America. It will get you going in the right direction and focus a bit better. Onion soup to start or Vichyssoise Meat loaf Wellington Pan roasted Potatoes Brown and Serve rols Caesar Salad made with the coddled egg Baked Alaska or a Bombe Sun Jan 28 09:21:43 -0800 2007 2234649 10285 Candy 2 2235700 Candy, this menu really brings me (way)back! I love the idea of Vichyssoise to start, pan roasted potatoes, Brown & Serve rolls (I S0 remember my mother serving these), Ceasar Salad, and maybe Baked Alaska. I have to find a recipe for Meat Loaf Wellington to decide to make it. Thanks so much for these great suggestions! Robbie 7ll Sun Jan 28 13:09:44 -0800 2007 2235163 60354 Robbie711 2 3167561 I second this recommendation--American Gourmet is one of my favorite cookbooks. No one loves "camp" cooking like the Sterns; the book is witty (e.g. a recipe for "A man's tartar balls"), instructive (they trace the rise of "gourmet" from the inception of Gourmet magazine through Julie Child (don't forget the impact SHE had on cooking in the sixties and seventies!) to "Gourmania"--aka back-of-the-box cooking. And the recipes work! Fri Nov 30 06:56:50 -0800 2007 2235163 122255 Avoirdupois 1 2235177 Fondue Sun Jan 28 09:24:23 -0800 2007 2234649 47734 LenaNE 2 2235709 How could I forget Fondue??? Great idea, but now I have too many germ-phobes in my life to pull it off. I will think about it, though. Thanks! Sun Jan 28 13:12:14 -0800 2007 2235177 60354 Robbie711 3 2237207 The proper way to eat fondue is to use your fondue fork for swirling, and then push the morsel onto your plate and eat it with your own fork. For hygienic reasons, the fondue fork never goes into your mouth. Mon Jan 29 03:33:15 -0800 2007 2235709 13619 Sharuf 1 2235450 When I was a kid, a couple my parents knew threw a Day After Christmas party every year and always served a crab bisque made of condensed split pea soup, condensed tomato soup, crab meat and sherry. Everyone thought it was so sophisticated. Can you imagine? To me, that's about as 60s/early 70s retro as you can get. Sun Jan 28 11:28:40 -0800 2007 2234649 11231 Glencora 2 2235529 That was called Mongol soup. Another good source for some retro recipes is Sauce Pans and The Single Girl, reissued last summer. I still have my 1965 edition and the sequel How To Keep (After You Caught) Him ca 1968. They are full of the stuff that was going on then and was 'In". Sun Jan 28 12:02:17 -0800 2007 2235450 10285 Candy 3 2250688 When I was a kid in Pittsburgh in the '50s, my grandfather told me he had invented "Puree of Mongol"! Thu Feb 01 14:06:07 -0800 2007 2235529 11534 The Librarian 4 3167552 Mongol soup is the dish that gives an entire engagement party food poisoning in Ruth Reichl's Tender at the Bone--her mother doesn't have enough space in her fridge, so she leaves the crab (purchased in bulk at bargain prices) out on the counter for a day or so. Not a problem with the dish per se, of course, but I was tickled to see it here! Fri Nov 30 06:50:17 -0800 2007 2250688 122255 Avoirdupois 1 2235479 harvey wallbangers pigs in a blanket stuffed mushroom caps stuffed cherry tomatoes swedish meatballs scallops wrapped in bacon iceberg lettuce, cukes and tomatoes with either 1000 island or green goddess dressing cheddar cheese on ritz crackers roasted ham with pineapple slices cloves and maraschino cherries chocolate mousse banana pudding pie watermelon carved into a "basket" filled with melon balls Sun Jan 28 11:42:26 -0800 2007 2234649 30273 hotoynoodle 2 2235532 I especially agree with swedish meatballs. But what is a harvey wallbanger? It sounds painful. Sun Jan 28 12:03:40 -0800 2007 2235479 11231 Glencora 3 2235541 lol, it's vodka, galliano and orange juice. my mom actually used to make a "harvey wallbanger cake" which was delicious. Sun Jan 28 12:09:33 -0800 2007 2235532 30273 hotoynoodle 4 2237157 A variation on that was the bacardi rum cake. This is so funny. I stopped by a restaurant today .. the Beli Deli ... started in the 70's that time never touched. I was just thinking ... I'm surprised someone hasn't opened a retro 70's restaurant yet. One sandwich was called 'bodacious meatloaf' ... when's the last time you heard bodacious? Anyway don't forget the sprouts if you serve salad ... maybe a lttle Green Goddess dressing on that iceberg. Yes on shrimp cocktail. No on sardines and crackers. Other good drinks ... black Russian, Tequila Sunrise Mon Jan 29 01:01:47 -0800 2007 2235541 10264 rworange 5 2248043 not to t/j... but we had a 70's restaurant in the Chicago 'burbs called Flourchild's...very retro with 70's record album covers everywhere (it was embarrassing how many of them we actually have in our record collection). They went out of business pretty quickly. Wed Jan 31 20:26:49 -0800 2007 2237157 64407 tktchr 4 2250669 Brings back memories. We drank Harvey Wallbangers out of a boda bag during the speeches at my college graduation. I don't think I've had one since. Thu Feb 01 14:02:33 -0800 2007 2235541 10203 CynD 4 2252283 I used to make Harvey Wallbanger cake too, I liked it better than the drink (I think I actually have a partial bottle of Galliano in my liquor cabinet, maybe I should make one for my husband's big birthday coming up!) Fri Feb 02 02:22:03 -0800 2007 2235541 11097 coll 2 2235739 I'm going to include pigs in a blanket and stuffed muchroom caps, and sweedish meatballs for appetizers, and think about the other items. BTW, what do you stuff your mushrooms with? TIA Sun Jan 28 13:23:06 -0800 2007 2235479 60354 Robbie711 2 2244155 This is a great menu to work with--appriciate your considered input! The stuffed mushroom caps and cherrys, and sweedish meatballs &/or the scallops really bring me back--perfect ideas (and,chocolate mousse is a must!) Thanks very much! Robbie Tue Jan 30 21:33:29 -0800 2007 2235479 60354 Robbie711 3 2244492 How about the little cheesecakes in individual cupcake holders, with a Nilla wafer on the bottom and canned cherry pie filling on top. Easy, delicious and they look good too. Wed Jan 31 05:01:01 -0800 2007 2244155 11097 coll 1 2235497 A jello mold (there is a delicious frozen dessert with vanilla yogurt, black raspberry jello knockin around) Can o cheese spread (are they still around) served with crackers Pigs In A Blanket Cream cheese filled celery stalks Sun Jan 28 11:48:04 -0800 2007 2234649 36312 HillJ 1 2235581 When we used to entertain in the late 60's and early 70's the two most popular hor d'oeuvres were spicy meatballs and a crab dip made with some onion, lemon juice, crabmeat and cream cheese, cooked until hot and bubbly, served with triscuits! Oh yea- Harvey Wallbanger Cake- delicious. Just came across the recipe the other day! Sounds like fun. Sun Jan 28 12:25:19 -0800 2007 2234649 13202 emilief 1 2235635 On top of a leaf of iceberg lettuce, place a slice of canned pineapple, half a canned pear, dollop of Miracle Whip in the middle of the pear and grated cheddar cheese on top. My mother's go-to salad for a nice meal in the 50's and 60's. Sun Jan 28 12:44:12 -0800 2007 2234649 14575 River Rat 1 2235651 I think hotoynoodle hit the nail on the head . Also I remember escarot in those snail shells being a big thing at the parents' parties. that and sherry or rose to drink..... Sun Jan 28 12:49:14 -0800 2007 2234649 19466 lyn 1 2235657 This is a terrific retro appetizer to serve with cocktails. Everytime I make them, people love, love, love them - and I love them also. Be sure to use small olives so they don't get too big when they bake. They are fun to roll around and prepare, as well. BAKED CHEDDAR OLIVES 2 cup grated Sharp cheddar 1 cup flour 1/4 t cayenne 4 T softened butter 40 small pimento-stuffed olives, drained and patted dry - Preheat Oven to 400 - Stir 1st three ingredients together - Work in softened butter to form dough - Drop dollop of dough on wax paper and place olive in middle - Flour hands and roll olive in between your palms to cover olive - Place all olives on a cookie sheet - Bake 15 minutes - Serve warm Note: prepared olives can be kept in the fridge 2-3 hours before serving. Bring them to room temp. before baking. Sun Jan 28 12:52:19 -0800 2007 2234649 10308 Tom P 2 2235754 Hi Tom P! I'm going to try these--they're different enough, and definitely retro. Thanks!! Sun Jan 28 13:29:41 -0800 2007 2235657 60354 Robbie711 3 2236201 I promise you will love them! Let us know what you think. Sun Jan 28 16:20:31 -0800 2007 2235754 10308 Tom P 1 2235768 Water chestnuts wrapped in bacon. My mother used to make those. Whiskey sours. Sun Jan 28 13:35:24 -0800 2007 2234649 62812 chickstein 2 2236436 And in the same vein... rumaki. Sun Jan 28 17:53:27 -0800 2007 2235768 10642 bryan 1 2235909 Don't forget the Mateus..... Sun Jan 28 14:23:30 -0800 2007 2234649 26353 Elizzie 2 2237160 Or Blue Nun Mon Jan 29 01:08:27 -0800 2007 2235909 10264 rworange 1 2236239 I think of pinneapple upside-down cake. Don't know why. Sun Jan 28 16:37:56 -0800 2007 2234649 63311 puppymomma 1 2236557 I love you guys, but pigs in the blanket are a standard feature at Jfood's Super Bowl Spread and they are due for production this saturday. But on the retro front (some are repeats) - swedish meatballs jello mold mixed will cool whip before placing in fridge (remember not to add pineapple) string bean casserole with cream of mushroom soup and those onion thingies (waaay too much sodium) macaroni and cheese made with velveeta meatloaf fried shrimp fried flounder grilled sausage with mashed potatoes good humor bars Sun Jan 28 18:36:07 -0800 2007 2234649 11290 jfood 1 2236586 I was having a conversation with my daughter about what I used to bring in my lunch box in the late 60's, and Drakes ring dings came up....we just found some and now she's going to have same in her lunch. Ring dings, yodels, devil dogs....go on, live it up! Sun Jan 28 18:43:47 -0800 2007 2234649 42219 280 Ninth 1 2236793 Oh my gosh, for a fancy drink, my mom and dad served Cold Duck! Don't you remember that drink??? And also Peach daqueries Twice stuffed potatoes, celery with cream cheese or cheeze whiz, deviled eggs, a mushroom and crab dip made with a gelatin mold served with crackers, and then we also had crab puffs. Oh and a "Fancy Sandwich Loaf" for a crowd. I'm looking at one of my cookbooks that we put together at a company that I worked at during the 70s and one of the interesting items is the "Impossible Pie" and there are 3 receipes! And and then the Ice Box Dessert. My gosh I am missing those days!!!! Sun Jan 28 20:17:35 -0800 2007 2234649 50431 chef chicklet 2 2237153 Cold Duck ... don't do it. Andre just brought back cold duck and I thought I'd try it to see if it was as vile as I remembered it ... worse than the memory ... Now Boone's Farm Apple Wine ... the beverage that introduced me to the wine world ... the bouquet is that of apples. Mon Jan 29 00:55:09 -0800 2007 2236793 10264 rworange 3 2266984 I can remember being allowed to taste Cold Duck as a child, and screwing up my face in disgust. "Don't worry," they assured me. "Someday you will be able to appreciate wine!" That said, sparkling reds are big in Australia, and it's actually not so bad - light, fruity, fizzy - festive even. It doesn't taste like you're already on the wrong end of a hangover, as I remember Cold Duck. Two years ago I brought a bottle of Black Chook sparkling shiraz to a potluck Thanksgiving dinner as a kind of retro prank, and it was drunk in short order. Or possibly some kind soul poured it down the sink while I was out grazing the hors d'oeuvre, so as not to embarrass me. Tue Feb 06 20:01:56 -0800 2007 2237153 10402 plum 4 2267121 I like sparkling red wines ... they are not the vile cold duck. I tried it recently ... Bad burgundy made with mediocre sparkling wine with enough sugar to make it even more cloying and awful. http://www.chowhound.com/topics/302035 It got its start in Bavaria as a way to use up leftover sparkling wine. Tue Feb 06 21:31:04 -0800 2007 2266984 10264 rworange 4 2267316 I had a sparkling merlot from a local vineyard and liked it enough to buy a few bottles for Easter last year. It had won top prizes at a San Francisco wine symposium and I could see why. Wed Feb 07 01:46:49 -0800 2007 2266984 11097 coll 1 2236840 Don't forget the rumaki! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rumaki If you have the time, I suggest a trip to your local Goodwill or Salvation Army. I collect old cookbooks, and rare is a time that I don't find an old cookbook from the 50s-70s. If anything, you can scan some pictures for invites & decorations. Old recipe cards as well. (And sometimes you get really lucky-in a pile of books I bought yesterday I found not only old index cards someone's grandma put sugar cookie recipes, but two fan letters to the cast of "Peyton Place" -Barbara Perkins and Mia Farrow from a teenage girl in Michigan!) Sun Jan 28 20:38:00 -0800 2007 2234649 33769 RaleighRocker 2 2236875 You are so right RaleighRocker, I do the very same thing. I love reading the inscriptions and recipes that were passed down. I have some real jewels and have used them often! Sun Jan 28 20:49:40 -0800 2007 2236840 50431 chef chicklet 2 2318942 I second the rumaki. I made them for a barbecue and they were a big hit...until I told people what was in it. Also, clam dip was big in the 70s (chopped clams, onion soup mix, sour cream) served with Ruffles potato chips. Thu Feb 22 12:14:42 -0800 2007 2236840 12359 monkeyrotica 1 2237227 How about also considering Waldorf salad & deviled eggs... Mon Jan 29 04:21:21 -0800 2007 2234649 15231 synergy 2 2321591 I second the deviled eggs, served on an avacodo green deviled egg tray, of course! Fri Feb 23 07:14:19 -0800 2007 2237227 18697 Snowflake 1 2237238 70s as I remember: quiche lorraine Mateus wine green salad topped with canned mandarin sections and sliced almonds Mon Jan 29 04:43:40 -0800 2007 2234649 20128 morebubbles 1 2237907 Onion Soup Mix party dip and chips Lettuce wedge with bleu cheese dressing Filet Mignon Twice baked potatoes Mon Jan 29 08:46:53 -0800 2007 2234649 19866 susanlll 1 2239966 When company came over, my mom made a Cheese Ball from some kind of processed cheddar cheese, rolled in crushed walnuts. Serve with Wheat Thins for that elegant touch. There's also the string beans baked in Cream of Mushroom soup with those canned french fried onions on top. But that's really too disgusting to serve to your guests. Mon Jan 29 16:33:11 -0800 2007 2234649 69210 redchair 2 2240456 My mom made a cheese ball, too. It was with cream cheese, I think, and pineapple. Ewwww. I used to love Wheat Thins, though. Mon Jan 29 19:04:29 -0800 2007 2239966 11231 Glencora 3 2240790 My mom's cheese balls were just like redchairs, but her "elegant touch" --of course, in name only-- was her use of RITZ crackers! Mon Jan 29 21:12:32 -0800 2007 2240456 60354 Robbie711 2 2246990 Don't be a food snob! The Green Bean Casserole with the Crunchy Onions on Top is as delicious as ever. Somethings never lose their appeal. Wed Jan 31 15:01:25 -0800 2007 2239966 10838 Fleur 3 2318983 Agreed fleur. The famous casserole is, so very dare I say it, Sandra Lee (ugh, I'm cringing), and completely unchowish but, like pigs ina blanket, still mighty tasty. Thu Feb 22 12:22:30 -0800 2007 2246990 48135 laylag 1 2240106 Lipton onion soup mix and sour cream....the dip.....the ultimate dip that says America...no raw veggies please. Chips only Mon Jan 29 17:09:18 -0800 2007 2234649 69900 gato 2 2318988 And Buglse and/or Fritos. The both go perfectly with the Lipton dip and particlarly the Bugles hold the dip so well. Thu Feb 22 12:23:45 -0800 2007 2240106 48135 laylag 1 2240206 And I wonder what dishes will scream "2000 through 2010 !!" (Whatever *this* decade is called.) My first thought is balsamic vinegar on strawberries. Mon Jan 29 17:35:41 -0800 2007 2234649 44167 BangorDin 2 2240307 Molten chocolate cakes and parmesan stuffed dates wrapped in bacon! Mon Jan 29 17:58:36 -0800 2007 2240206 12124 TorontoJo 3 2240784 LOL--exactly! And, of course, spiced pecans! This list would be great fun to compile! Mon Jan 29 21:08:04 -0800 2007 2240307 60354 Robbie711 1 2240313 how about some fondue? Mon Jan 29 18:00:37 -0800 2007 2234649 28054 itsolivia 1 2244581 I remember being thoroughly impressed when, at one of her ubiquitous cocktail parties, my mother served a whole pineapple painstakingly carved (but not peeled) and poked with toothpicks so that guests could pull out bite-sized pieces of the fruit as an hor d'ouerve. I think she added marachino cherries and maybe some other fruit to the toothpicks to make them into festive fruit kabobs. As for one poster's suggestion of Jello mold mixed with Cool Whip, I remember this concoction being called a Bavarian. Gosh, I loved it as a kid. I still have an old cookbook with the recipe. My mother also made a frozen version of the Bavarian, mixed with fresh fruit--cranberries for the holidays and white grapes in the summer, I recall. No one's mentioned cocktail weenies in barbeque sauce. That was the proverbial fondue pot favorite of my childhood. The mention of Harvey Wallbangers made me laugh out loud. It's been years since I heard them mentioned, but I remember them as being so popular! Don't forget Brandy Alexanders, either--another fave from the early 70s. Wed Jan 31 06:05:01 -0800 2007 2234649 13413 laurie 2 2244734 Glad to see my mom was not theonly one to put cranberries and cool whip into jello. If made today the color would scream for the EPA to come and designate the table as a Superfunds site. Wed Jan 31 07:03:10 -0800 2007 2244581 11290 jfood 3 2248728 LOL! Thu Feb 01 06:25:08 -0800 2007 2244734 13413 laurie 2 2245781 or the mighty "Tequila Sunrise!" Wed Jan 31 11:11:48 -0800 2007 2244581 50431 chef chicklet 3 2247806 which you graduated to after the sloe gin fizz. Wed Jan 31 19:08:11 -0800 2007 2245781 11290 jfood 4 2248738 Now I think I need to host a retro cocktail party with all of these great throwbacks to the 60s and 70s. I still order Amaretto Sours at my favorite old hotel lounge--the only place I ever order it, and only because of the retro vibe. Thu Feb 01 06:28:30 -0800 2007 2247806 13413 laurie 2 2250719 I just made a Bavarian the other day after not having had one in years. I used raspberry jello and sour cream - extemely yummy! Thu Feb 01 14:13:12 -0800 2007 2244581 11534 The Librarian 3 2266857 I'm gonna have to dust off that old cookbook and make one, too! Tue Feb 06 19:04:22 -0800 2007 2250719 13413 laurie 1 2246983 Our friends had a retro birthday party and one of the things they served were wedges of Iceberg Lettuce served with homemade Russian Dressing. It was really delicious. Wed Jan 31 14:59:01 -0800 2007 2234649 10838 Fleur 1 2247809 Cheese fondue what else. Wed Jan 31 19:09:54 -0800 2007 2234649 43660 billjriv 1 2248378 Make an astro weenie ball!! http://www.charlesphoenix.com/2005-07-07/ Wed Jan 31 23:08:10 -0800 2007 2234649 26675 bobbyperu 2 2250732 Looks pretty cool Thu Feb 01 14:16:59 -0800 2007 2248378 43660 billjriv 1 2250649 Get yourself a copy of the The Back of the Box Gourmet by McLaughlin, and go to town. This book has all the boomer favorites, and would be a perfect resource for some ideas for your dinner party. From Lipton onion soup dip on through casseroles and desserts, a 60's bonanza. Thu Feb 01 13:57:53 -0800 2007 2234649 10203 CynD 1 2260630 For drinks, how about ... "Martini and Rossi, on the rocks, say 'Yessss'!" Anyone remember that commercial? I still sing that in my head from when I was a kid. Martini and Rossi sweet vermouth on the rocks with a twist. This sure has been fun to read. I agree to be sure to include Miracle Whip and Cool Whip in some way. My grandmother, who was otherwise a wonderful and inventive cook, always made her salad with half a pear and a dollop of Mayo or Miracle Whip, and then the sprinkling of shredded cheddar cheese. My mom’s friends went through a phase where everyone made this layer salad of iceberg lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, frozen green peas, Baco's (imitation bacon bits) and mayo or miracle whip on top. There was some other ingredient I cannot remember. Broccoli Cheese casserole was a big one at our house, made with frozen broccoli, cream of mushroom soup, a roll of Kraft Garlic Cheese (hard to find anywhere but in the south), canned mushrooms, lots of salt and pepper, Wooster and Tabasco and, if you felt like it, rice. Sounds awful, actually tasted really good. It is how my mom turned the kids onto Broccoli initially. Later, we would eat it steamed, just right. Also, you could do up some Hamburger Helper. We kids loved the cheesy Cheeseburger Macaroni flavor best, although the taco flavor came in a strong second. After all… ‘Hamburger Helper helps your hamburger help to make a great meal.” (I think that is how the jingle went.” Mon Feb 05 08:11:52 -0800 2007 2234649 10308 Tom P 2 2260694 That salad you mention is called 24-hour salad and it's delicious. I make it about once a year. The recipe I have layers romaine, spinach, swiss cheese, red bell pepper, peas, and red onion. It's all covered with a mayo/sour cream/parsley dressing and sliced hard boiled egg. You make it 24 hours in advance and the recipe specifies "must be layered in exact order given". I don't know that I've typed them that way and I've probably omited some ingredients. Right before you serve it you toss it and add bacon. Always get raves on this one. I'm sure there are lots of recipes on the internet for this. It's a retro keeper (unlike tomato Jell-o). Mon Feb 05 08:29:25 -0800 2007 2260630 10119 Pate 3 2260746 Boiled eggs! Yes, the forgotten ingredient. Yours does sound good - much better with some fancier ingredients than the Baco's and plain mayo, etc. Thanks for the recipe. They used to do the Bacos as its own layer and just cut the salad in big square wedges from the tray and served it that way. Tossing it sounds much better to me. Mon Feb 05 08:42:58 -0800 2007 2260694 10308 Tom P 2 2260874 I can still hear that song in my head too, it was "Martini and Rossi, Imported Vermouth, On the Rocks!" very jazzy. Mon Feb 05 09:22:05 -0800 2007 2260630 11097 coll 1 2260730 My mother's go to dinner was a grilled flank steak marinated in soy sauce, ginger, brown sugar, lemon juice, a partial beer and a splash of milk (never understood that one), along with sauteed mushrooms, garlic bread and a big salad, usually iceberg, radishes and tomatoes and croutons (hey, we live in California), and for dessert, the standard package of pudding bundt cake with rum in it and a rum glaze. Given our proximity to Napa, there would some some decent red, or if we were true to family ties, a jug of Almaden wine. Mon Feb 05 08:39:49 -0800 2007 2234649 45170 lrostron 1 2262878 I remember tomato aspic from my parents dinner parties in the 70's. I also remember a cream cheese based dip with cocktail sauce and imitation crab meat. I loved it as a kid. Mon Feb 05 16:51:22 -0800 2007 2234649 62405 cheapertrick 2 2263035 I have never had Tomato Aspic. Is it worth a try or is it as awful as it looks? Mon Feb 05 17:39:13 -0800 2007 2262878 10308 Tom P 3 2266578 Out of all the types of aspic I've ever tried it's the most palatable. I would even say I kinda like it. It's in essence Bloody Mary flavored Jello without the vodka although I suppose you could add a little for some Bloody Mary Jello shots. Most recenty I had aspic with smoked carp suspended in it at a Polish restaurant and I would be hard pressed to recommend that however. I'm not sure which I found more disturbing the fact I was eating carp or the that I was eating aspic. Tue Feb 06 17:18:30 -0800 2007 2263035 62405 cheapertrick 3 2267745 Tomato aspic = Tomato Jell-o. Some things go out of fashion for a reason. Wed Feb 07 07:19:01 -0800 2007 2263035 10119 Pate 1 2263002 Two words: Chex mix. Mon Feb 05 17:30:34 -0800 2007 2234649 23430 Mr. Cookie 2 2319011 But you have to make it from scratch right? No cheating and buying the bags they sell now. Thu Feb 22 12:27:55 -0800 2007 2263002 48135 laylag 1 2266705 For inspiration, don't miss these recipe cards from 1974: http://www.candyboots.com/wwcards.html Tue Feb 06 18:02:48 -0800 2007 2234649 47692 luxarles 1 2267371 If it's a '70's party, stuffed crepes. Remember The Magic Pan? Wed Feb 07 04:21:48 -0800 2007 2234649 57867 Gin and It 2 2267450 OMG, I loved the Magic Pan. It was my grandmother's favorite restaurant. I still have a recipe for a mandarin orange salad with slivered almonds, similar to the one served at the restaurant. Probably haven't made it in over 20 years. A poster above mentioned this dish; I agree that it's quintessential 70s, and would add that it's a great accompaniment to crepes and quiche. Wed Feb 07 05:27:14 -0800 2007 2267371 13413 laurie 3 2267836 They were one of the first "casual dining" sit-down chains. It was where your boyfriend took you for a "fancy meal". I also remember Souper Salad, and of course The Ground Round (still around, of course). Wed Feb 07 07:39:51 -0800 2007 2267450 57867 Gin and It 4 2319016 Beefsteak Charlie's anyone? Thu Feb 22 12:28:33 -0800 2007 2267836 48135 laylag 2 2270309 I heard the Lettuce Us Entertain You restaurant group bought the naming rights to Magic Pan. Supposedly they are making a comeback. I think they even have couple locations. I don't know if they were able to preserve the magic but I could go for some chicken crepes. Wed Feb 07 16:12:31 -0800 2007 2267371 62405 cheapertrick 3 2308894 LEYE bought the rights to Magic Pan - there's a Magic Pan Crepe Stand at Northbrook Court, but it's just a walk-up kind of a place - nothing like the original restaurants. That was where my husband took me on our first date (the one in Old Orchard). Ahhh... the memories. Mon Feb 19 19:34:48 -0800 2007 2270309 64407 tktchr 1 2267686 Quite right, ginand it and laurie. I see that crepes are becoming popular again. there is a crepe restaurant here in Westchester at the mall that is always crowded. During the early seventies I was a member in a fund-raising organization that ran "progressive dinners". No, it didn't refer to our politics, it meant we traveled to three different houses to eat. the first house hosted the drinks and appetizers, the second the entree and the third, the desserts. We fell all over ourselves cooking for these things and seafood stuffed crepes were THE fancy first course. Chicken Kiev was a popular main dish wish white rice. There was nothing more awe-inspiring for dessert than Baked Alaska or something flaming. Wed Feb 07 07:02:19 -0800 2007 2234649 57253 lucyis 1 2268880 Anyone with a good sense of humor and an interest in this subject - and I guess that means everybody here, should get a copy of James Lilek's HILARIOUS "Gallery of Regretable Food" maybe out of print but available online at used book websites. He also has an equally funny blog/website where he pokes irreverant fun at the embarrassing food of our American past. But, sophisticated chowhound epicures beware - momento mori - in a few years the chowhounds of tomorrow will be busting a gut when they think about the hilarious foods we currently think are oh, so cool. Wed Feb 07 11:09:25 -0800 2007 2234649 23824 niki rothman 1 2270492 Make a Buzz Aldrin: 4 parts Tang 2 parts Peach Vodka 1 part Triple Sec Combine ingredients in a shaker and shake over ice. Strain into a Tang rimmed cocktail glass. recipe from http://www.brooks-bilson.com/blogs/food_bar/index.cfm/2005/12/15/Cocktails-The-Buzz-Aldrin Wed Feb 07 16:58:25 -0800 2007 2234649 22627 MaspethMaven 1 2270607 My mom's dish was Ambrosia..something gooey with coconut and fruit and mayo..icky! Dad's ONLY dish was Bourbon Balls - crushed up cookies, cocoa and nuts mixed with something and bourbon, rolled into balls, then rolled in powdered sugar. I loved them as a kid but can't imagine eating them as an adult. I've got a Galloping Gourmet (pre-sobriety) cookbook around here somewhere..remember him? Wed Feb 07 17:37:18 -0800 2007 2234649 44504 Sugar Jones 1 2309090 Reading this is so much fun! Being an old girl and just married in 1966 I used to feel so cool making my 5 Cup Fruit Ambrosia Salad. 1 Cup Drained Pinapple Tidbits 1 Cup Drained Mandarin Oranges 1 Cup Coconut 1 Cup Minature Marshmallows 1 Cup Sour Cream Mix all together and let sit in the fridge overnight. Also the Sunset Appetizer recipe for cocktail wieners in Frenche's mustard and red current jelly. Your party sounds like a lot of fun. Mon Feb 19 20:57:09 -0800 2007 2234649 36159 suzannajoy 2 2318920 Add to that the meatballs in ketchup or Heinz chili sauce and grape jelly. And fwiw, you can use Imo imitation sour cream for a version of the ambrosia salad if you need to lose the lactose or tthe butterfat. Thu Feb 22 12:10:34 -0800 2007 2309090 10203 CynD 3 2319056 My husband's relatives still make a version of this mixing the grape jelly with barbecue sauce. It's served every year at the Xmas Eve family reunion. Go figure. Thu Feb 22 12:38:40 -0800 2007 2318920 48135 laylag 1 2321005 I completely forgot about the grape jelly & ketchup or Heinz chilli sauce marinated meatballs my mother loved to serve. I actually loved them, and may consider--dare I say--making them!! Most likely this will just remain a threat not a promise. Thanks to all have supplied such memorable ideas for the party. I've had to postpone the actual date for this soiree--but it's even fun just remembering that era...it seems now like such an innocent/uncomplicated time of life!! Thu Feb 22 22:13:30 -0800 2007 2234649 60354 Robbie711 2 2322414 You should definitely make the meatballs with no apology. Some foods go together, like peanut butter & jelly, and will always be classics. The meatballs with grape jelly and Heinz sauce are in this catagory. They are timeless. Fri Feb 23 10:25:51 -0800 2007 2321005 10119 Pate 1 2322836 Okay, maybe it's just me - or is it a New England thing? - but I don't see clam chowder or popovers or bread pudding as "retro" or particularly 70s at all. I eat those things all the time, and so did my grandmother, so I would consider them old-fashioned, but not retro. When I think 70s, I think Fondue, Swedish meatballs on toothpicks, Lipton onion soup mix dip, crab dip for the suburban crowd; or brown-veg stuff for the hippies (lentil loaf, etc.). For drinks, Harvey Wallbangers, Tequila Sunrises. Fri Feb 23 12:07:44 -0800 2007 2234649 12806 curiousbaker 1 2322892 My dad (a baby boomer) makes a hot clam dip that he serves with Ritz crackers, and it's excellent -- canned minced clams, a block of cream cheese, horseradish, and a little of the clam juice to thin, baked at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes or until the edges start to brown. He said the original recipe had crab meat, but the clam is really terrific, and everyone I serve it to loves it. Fri Feb 23 12:18:11 -0800 2007 2234649 10669 Amuse Bouches