662314 Mon Oct 26 00:02:30 -0700 2009 66 31 Home Cooking 0 5130883 If you were going to put together a Mad Men dinner, what would you serve? Mon Oct 26 00:02:30 -0700 2009 70144 Dagney 1 5130891 There would definitely be a preceding cocktail hour, with martinis, Manhattans and gimlets, and then I'd serve something glazed in aspic, a roast of some kind, asparagus, potatoes, possibly some sort of gratin. Mon Oct 26 00:23:31 -0700 2009 5130883 1119266 AuRevoirOeuf 2 5132094 Definitely something aspic--maybe a tomato-aspic "salad"? Mon Oct 26 11:36:06 -0700 2009 5130891 20140 Olivia 3 5132107 were home cooks really doing aspic back then? i know it was all over hotel and restaurant menus, but at home? just asking because it's a b*tch to make and i find it disgusting. Mon Oct 26 11:42:12 -0700 2009 5132094 30273 hotoynoodle 4 5132227 A friend's mother who wasn't much of a cook made tomato aspic for special occasions, so I think so, yes. Her father used to emphasize the "asss" part of the name when referring to it. Mon Oct 26 12:22:45 -0700 2009 5132107 13709 buttertart 4 5134124 I tried to post this yesterday and ran into trouble but ehre goes again. Aspic was all over in the 1950's and 1960's, especialy in the South. But in my childhood in NY and Connecticut we'd see it. The kind that was prevalent was emphatically not a problem to make--tomato juice and seasoning, heated and then Knox gelatin. Pour into a mold with whatever inside--artichoke hearts (canned, of course) peas...hard boiled eggs...etc. We had Stroganoff a good bit, using a Junior League recipe from teh g'wich cookbook. Actually, any of those Greenwich/larchmont/Rye cookbooks would be a perfect starting point. I do not follow the show and have only seen a few episodes but I never heard of a Scotch old-fasioned. rob Roy, maybe. Rye highball would be the standard other than Beefeater martini. I know nothing about teh Heinken episode referred to but I do recall the great story about popularizing the beer by having shills go in bars in lower Manhattan and loudly order it, then walk out when the bar did not have the beer. that was a famous stunt sometimes claimed by other brands. Any of those Good Housekeeping cookbooks from the era--with those washed-out color pictures--can do teh trick. Oh, and the snail shells stuffed with cream cheese with nuts and the bleu cheese stuffed black olives. Tue Oct 27 07:28:42 -0700 2009 5132107 107060 hazelhurst 5 5135574 ok, i learned to make aspic starting from scratch with consommé. that tomato juice thing sounds vile, lol. and yes, old-fashioneds are either rye or bourbon. not scotch. planting shills in bars remains a very common marketing tactic -- they usually hire very attractive young girls to do it. i met miss iceland, who was working for reyka vodka, that way. Tue Oct 27 15:24:06 -0700 2009 5134124 30273 hotoynoodle 6 5135766 Well, regarding to thomato juice thing, y'otta try it for fun. In truth you can make something decent if you take a little time. (We are not talking about classic aspic here, obviously. No one is reducing stock from bones for this stuff.) For the Mad Men theme, though, cheating would be the Order of the Day. If you wish, you can enhance the juice with real tomato or, better yet, your favorite canned tomatoes. All you do it heat the stuff with some celery sticks, maybe some onion, some Brave Souls in Enlightened Northeastern towns might add Genuine Curry(powder). Add the Knox gelatin (softened) and boil. Cool, add to your mold with your other goodies therein. Do this at least a day before because, when you turn the mold out, it will probably be too light on gelatin and it will collapse into little jiggly pieces of goo. Horrors....So, you need to throw it into a pot again, and add MORE gelatin...and, eventually, you will get it to the point that Forrest Hill will be calling you to make balls for the US Lawn & Tennis Club tournament. The Great Hostess of 1960 knew how to make it look good witout it being too "rubbery." Takes practice. Serve with some mayonnaise, of course. Tue Oct 27 16:38:43 -0700 2009 5135574 107060 hazelhurst 7 5135813 this makes it sound even more disgusting, lol. this was not something ever served in my italian household. ever. sounds like it was just for wasps, eh? even in school from scratch it's just a big pile of "ew". Tue Oct 27 16:56:00 -0700 2009 5135766 30273 hotoynoodle 8 5136849 Yes, it was a more elaborate and hence classier version of the tomato juice with lemon slice my mother served to make fancy. (My friend's family was better off than we were and more prone to putting on the dog.) And which glass of tomato juice is noted here as having been served to Betty at a classy restaurant. The Mad Men people are very good at period - the only really major gaffe I've seen them make is Peggy referring to keeping herself in pantyhose, which were not widely worn/produced until the advent of the miniskirt several years later. Wed Oct 28 06:30:46 -0700 2009 5135813 13709 buttertart 9 5137085 My earliest recollections of NY restaurants (and other places, such as Hershey PA) include that tomato juice in a chilled class with the lemon, on a serving plate. The Boston Ritz did it too, come to think of it. I still insist on lemon with the stuff. Wed Oct 28 08:04:21 -0700 2009 5136849 107060 hazelhurst 10 5137273 And a paper doily under the glass on the plate. La di da! Wed Oct 28 09:19:08 -0700 2009 5137085 13709 buttertart 7 5136888 I'm old enough to remember when restaurants served tomato juice as an appetizer. I just love hazelhurst's post about the intricacies of tomato aspic firmness/texture. I've had some mean aspics, but have often resorted to melting down my own efforts and reinforcing with more gelatine. Wed Oct 28 06:46:26 -0700 2009 5135766 270888 shaogo 6 5145214 What about whiskey sours for the "girls?" Sat Oct 31 11:02:51 -0700 2009 5135574 24468 chicgail 3 5135933 Oh jeeze, just cheat (or rather, be true to the era) and use tomato juice instead of water when making lemon Jello: tah dah! I have a vintage Jello cookbook with all kinds of hilarious concoctions like tuna salad in lime Jello, and "BBQ salad" which are BBQ sauce flavoured cubes of Jello to be served on top of iceberg. Tue Oct 27 17:52:00 -0700 2009 5132094 20140 Olivia 1 5130967 don't forget the fixin's for an old fashioned, Don Draper's drink of choice. Also, Heineken (remember that episode?) and a non-alcoholic punch of frozen lime or lemon sherbert and gingerale (totally channeling my great-aunt here). For nibbles: a port wine cheeseball rolled in almonds served with Ritz crakers (so classy! ;) ), Manzanilla (green) olives, smoked almonds, UTZ potato chips and/or veggie platter with Lipton onion-soup mix dip, and Chex mix. For starter: hearts of palm salad (Don's fave), an iceberg wedge salad (with lots of bleu cheese dressing and bacon) or Waldorf salad, or spinach salad with toasted almonds and canned mandarin oranges. Main dish: lamb chops or crown roast, big T-bones, beef Wellington, beef (or hamburger) stroganoff, Swedish meatballs. A mixed vegetable side dish of frozen veggies (corn, lima beans, peas--possibly in a Velveeta sauce). If you could work in a tater-tot or green bean casserole, I'd be most impressed. More ideas here: http://www.foodtimeline.org/fooddecades.html#60smenus and here: http://www.foodtimeline.org/fooddecades.html#50smenus Mon Oct 26 04:18:48 -0700 2009 5130883 150094 ChristinaMason 2 5130978 And for dessert: tunnel of fudge bundt cake, lemon chiffon cake, assorted fruit sherberts, a Cool-whip confection such as "ambrosia" (pineapple and coconut) or (my personal favorite) pistachio pudding salad: http://basic-recipes.com/salads/pistacpudd.htm Mon Oct 26 04:36:51 -0700 2009 5130967 150094 ChristinaMason 3 5135301 The tunnel of fudge cake came along later; it was a Pillsbury Bake Off winner in 1966. Tue Oct 27 13:34:59 -0700 2009 5130978 11236 vicarious 2 5131523 Does anyone remember the appetizer consisting of small meatballs in a sauce made of one part Welch's grape jelly and one part chili sauce? It sounds horrible but it was actually rather tasty. You always served them in a chafing dish, a standard issue piece of equipment in the 1960's kitchen. Mon Oct 26 08:52:01 -0700 2009 5130967 1102097 mandycat 3 5132136 That's a recipe for Sweet & Sour Meatballs, a mainstay at our home party when the Patriots are in the Super Bowl. I put frozen Swedish meatballs in a crockpot, add the jelly and chili sauce and let it cook on high for a few hours. No fuss no muss. Teenage boys wolf them down. Mon Oct 26 11:52:19 -0700 2009 5131523 10726 TrishUntrapped 3 5145212 And miniature hot dogs in pretty much the same sauce. Alternately little "pigs in blankets" (mini hot dogs with some kind of dough. I think you buy them that way. Sat Oct 31 11:01:14 -0700 2009 5131523 24468 chicgail 2 5131734 you need those frilly "panties" on the ends of the bones too. shrimp cocktail would also be a good fit here. Mon Oct 26 09:54:06 -0700 2009 5130967 30273 hotoynoodle 3 5133967 lol, yes, the frilly paper bone covers are a must! Tue Oct 27 06:20:28 -0700 2009 5131734 150094 ChristinaMason 1 5132127 some sort of jello mold fruit salad. Mon Oct 26 11:49:18 -0700 2009 5130883 158016 cassoulady 1 5132985 This is great! ChristinaMason, thank you for the websites. We are thinking of using each of the individual characters as an inspiration for the courses. So for drinks, OF COURSE, Scotch Old Fashioned is the order. I am curious about the tomato aspic salad. I love aspic, but I have never had this dish. I can see Peggy eating an iceberg wedge with bleu cheese dressing. Beef Stroganoff might be our main course (inspired by Betty). Dessert? Not sure yet..... After dinner drinks? Mon Oct 26 16:54:29 -0700 2009 5130883 70144 Dagney 2 5133010 roger has definitely eaten wedge salads. Mon Oct 26 17:04:01 -0700 2009 5132985 30273 hotoynoodle 2 5133026 After dinner drink: Brandy Alexander Mon Oct 26 17:09:41 -0700 2009 5132985 10726 TrishUntrapped 2 5133989 If the idea of jellied, slightly oniony tomato juice floats your boat, tomato aspic is just the ticket. Tue Oct 27 06:31:09 -0700 2009 5132985 13709 buttertart 1 5134002 You must get out the "best" china, silver, and table linens. And I cringe to even bring it up, but are there any children in your life that you could recruit to mix the drinks like Sally Draper does? Tue Oct 27 06:39:43 -0700 2009 5130883 33718 lesliedm3 2 5134048 Love it...used to do the same when I was little... Tue Oct 27 06:59:37 -0700 2009 5134002 13709 buttertart 3 5134110 lol, omg, me too. when we watched that episode my b/f could not believe it on the show or that i also had that job sometimes. of course his family were all tea-totallers ! Tue Oct 27 07:22:14 -0700 2009 5134048 30273 hotoynoodle 4 5134131 I have a single GF who taught her nine year old how to mix a dry martini. Crazy! She said that she mixed drinks for her parents as a child, and she thinks it's a great skill. She's actually a very good mom (other than this!) and doesn't drink a lot, so hold off on calling child services! Tue Oct 27 07:30:34 -0700 2009 5134110 124908 jeanmarieok 5 5134205 I could make my grandmother's Old Fashioned when I was about 8 & I graduated to making martinis a few years later. Both of these were approached with more solemnity than any religious/mystic event. As a result, when I was allowed to have strong spirits, I savored rather than slugged them down. Tue Oct 27 07:56:53 -0700 2009 5134131 107060 hazelhurst 4 5134132 Whole nother definition of "cute" from today's! I was also allowed a sip of my dad's or grandpa's beer, and the occasional drop of cherry whisky or brandy in ginger ale, from a very early age. Tue Oct 27 07:30:52 -0700 2009 5134110 13709 buttertart 5 5134137 Ditto here. I developed my taste for scotch on my father's knee. Tue Oct 27 07:33:00 -0700 2009 5134132 11990 Janet from Richmond 6 5136872 We (Italian family) kids were always served a little red wine with Sunday dinner at Grandfathers, and a sip of Creme de Minte after dinner. Wed Oct 28 06:42:05 -0700 2009 5134137 166707 JEN10 7 5136883 we had red wine mixed with cream soda! for reasons now that nobody recalls! lol. Wed Oct 28 06:45:29 -0700 2009 5136872 30273 hotoynoodle 2 5146194 lesliedm3: Mikasa Bamboo pattern! Sat Oct 31 23:13:59 -0700 2009 5134002 11234 toodie jane 1 5134127 I forgot to mention Bitter Lemon..everyone had that in those days..and Ballentine's Scotch was ubiquitous on the Connecticut shore (a "ladies scotch" as a friend called it) Tue Oct 27 07:29:47 -0700 2009 5130883 107060 hazelhurst 1 5134177 I recall a small glass of creme de menthe as a "refined" after dinner drink to aid digestion. It's very green. You can find the colorless variety, but it's not nearly as much fun. Tue Oct 27 07:45:25 -0700 2009 5130883 10087 Pat Hammond 1 5134699 Remember the episode when Betty came into the city to meet Don for dinner? I think it was after her first session with the therapist. She started the meal with tomato juice...and they brought it in a lovely glass with a lemon slice.....on a little plate. so cute......... Tue Oct 27 10:29:31 -0700 2009 5130883 11375 perk 1 5134862 My husband and I have talked about having a dinner party like this for years and years. We called it the dinner party that your parents would have gone to, but now I guess it would be a Mad Men dinner. Women would wear black cocktail dressers and the men would be in dark suits. Martinis would start the whole thing off (Manhattans and Gimlets also offered), and rumaki and Swedish meatballs would be the passes appetizers. There would also be a cheese ball, preferably one that had been mixed with red wine and rolled in nuts. There would be no wine served with dinner. You could keep on drinking your cocktail, but each place would have a cup and saucer for coffee. The first course would be a broiled half grapefruit, preferably garnished with a maraschino cherry. The main course would be something swankola like Beef Wellington with string beans with almonds. Dessert would be either Baked Alaska or Crepes Suzette. Tue Oct 27 11:15:22 -0700 2009 5130883 34558 roxlet 2 5134899 Sounds on-target to me...men should wear sock garters. No one would know, of course, but who cares? Authenticity in details! Cauliflower sauce mornay used to be big, too. And it is easy, to boot. Tue Oct 27 11:27:36 -0700 2009 5134862 107060 hazelhurst 3 5134936 And the ladies, foundation garments, slips, and hose (not! pantyhose). Under their proper dresses that is. Tue Oct 27 11:37:31 -0700 2009 5134899 13709 buttertart 2 5135596 rumaki---great call! Tue Oct 27 15:32:13 -0700 2009 5134862 150094 ChristinaMason 1 5134896 a bowl full of loose cigarettes Tue Oct 27 11:26:37 -0700 2009 5130883 72635 hyde 2 5135099 Excellent touch...although I remember them in cigarette cases and in little glasses on the mantlepiece..usually a silver baby cup or some sort of apertif glass. Tue Oct 27 12:28:32 -0700 2009 5134896 107060 hazelhurst 3 5143928 Remember how there used to be candy and/or chocolate cigarettes? Those might be fun........ And zippo lighters as gifts..... Fri Oct 30 15:20:48 -0700 2009 5135099 11375 perk 1 5135676 I had a "late 1950's" Christmas party a few years ago, and made a Jell-O cake ringed with ladyfingers (in a springform pan). It had about three different colors of Jell-O in it, mixed with cool whip and more gelatin. I'm not sure if it's really a 1960 recipe, or earlier, but the book I got it out of was from 1961. It looked pretty, even though I find the concept of a jell-o cake disgusting :) Also, what about those ham deli slices with cream cheese rolled up inside, and sometimes, a green olive slice? Tue Oct 27 16:04:25 -0700 2009 5130883 103888 anakalia 1 5136468 All of you simply ROCK! This is great. Crepes Suzette is a wonderful suggestion for dessert. Back then it would have been considered oh so fashionable and upscale. Definitely something Betty Draper would serve. Tue Oct 27 22:45:45 -0700 2009 5130883 70144 Dagney 2 5136877 These are incredible and very retro... perfect with cocktails: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Baked-Cheddar-Olives-11043 Wed Oct 28 06:43:25 -0700 2009 5136468 10308 Tom P 2 5136893 Whay about fondue, or was did that come later? Wed Oct 28 06:49:07 -0700 2009 5136468 166707 JEN10 3 5146196 Fondue was late 60's Sat Oct 31 23:16:09 -0700 2009 5136893 11234 toodie jane 1 5142077 Wasn't shrimp cocktail big as an appetizer in the '60s? I'm also thinking party foods like Swedish or sweet and sour meatballs. And definitely one of those big wooden salad bowls full of an iceberg lettuce-based salad or a spinach salad. About fondue, I'm not sure if it was in vogue in the '60s, but it definitely was in the '70s. My mom gave me her pea geen fondue pot that we had when I was a kid. I never use it,as I have several more modern fondue pots, but can't bring myself to get rid of it. P.S. If I were going to an adult Halloween party, I would go as Betty Draper and get my S.O. to go as Don Draper Or maybe I would go as one of Don't girlfriends (Rachel from a past season, I think?) LOL. Thu Oct 29 22:08:44 -0700 2009 5130883 255446 Gigi007 1 5143993 Not too long ago Oprah did a "Mad Men' show. She and the audience members wore 60s dresses (I even think they wore the uncomfortable undergarments!). I watched a little of the show (you know, the part when Jon Hamm showed up).If you check Oprah's web site, I bet you can find the video. There's probably something about food for the period, "Mad Men" themed too. EDIT: My curiosity got the better of me. Here's Oprah's 'Mad Men" Cocktail party guide: http://www.oprah.com/article/food/partyplanning/20090915-mad-men-cocktail-party Old-fashioned, classic martinis, deviled eggs, and just what I was thinking before - shrimp cocktail. Sounds like a good time to me. :) Fri Oct 30 15:51:05 -0700 2009 5130883 255446 Gigi007 2 5144835 You are right about shrimp cocktail--and oyster coktails, too. The latter was often served in a double old fashioned glass..it was usually just ketchup doused on them, maybe a little Lea & Perrin and onion powder. In New Orleans, of course, the oyster cocktails were much spicier that the stuff in New Yrk back then Sat Oct 31 07:21:50 -0700 2009 5143993 107060 hazelhurst 3 5144842 Yum. But don't serve those if Roger's coming! Sat Oct 31 07:24:55 -0700 2009 5144835 13709 buttertart 3 5145095 I have memories ( from the early '70s, I think) of my mother arranging the shrimp cocktail in fancy cocktail glasses or small glass bowls. I didn't like shrimp at the time, but liked cocktail sauce. And since buttertart mentioned Roger's not liking oyster cocktails , what are some of the food and drink favorites or preferences of the other Mad Men characters? I think Don likes old fashioneds, right? Sat Oct 31 09:49:35 -0700 2009 5144835 255446 Gigi007 4 5145100 there was an episode where don and roger ate many oysters and had a billion martinis. roger threw up all over the feet of important clients. oit was the booze, not the oysters, lol. yes, don drinks old fashioneds. this season roger has been drinking stoli and betty drinks lots of red wine, but is almost never shot eating. Sat Oct 31 09:51:47 -0700 2009 5145095 30273 hotoynoodle 5 5145118 What year are they in (as in 1960's)? I recall stolichnaya coming in around the mid-1960's, say 65 or 66, but few people touched it out of animus towards the Soviets..hell, I remember very few vodka drinkers then. Even Bloody Marys were made with gin Sat Oct 31 10:04:03 -0700 2009 5145100 107060 hazelhurst 6 5145583 The show focuses on things that occurred from 1961-1964. Don's Cadillac is a 1964 model. In the first season, Roger had a bit of verbal business regarding Stolichnaya, Smirnoff, and vodka in general. You're right about there being very few vodka drinkers -- until the advent of the "Moscow Mule" with the little copper cups. I think the Moscow Mule debuted in '66 or '67, but I'm not certain. The '70s brought us the memorable slogan "Smirnoff leaves you breathless..." -- which caused a mass migration from "smelly" drinks like Scotch, Whiskey and Gin to Vodka -- which appealed to lunchtime drinkers who had to return to the office. Sat Oct 31 14:40:36 -0700 2009 5145118 270888 shaogo 6 5146303 currently 1963, still before kennedy was assassinated. stoli was coming into the country only in drips and roger won't let anybody else touch his stash. there was an article someplace about the show's accuracy regarding spirits, and they have a consultant specifically just for that. Sun Nov 01 03:55:46 -0800 2009 5145118 30273 hotoynoodle 7 5146684 Well, I am sure teir consultant has done his consulting but it suprises me to hear that stolitchnaya was available in 1961, even smuggled in diplomatic pouches. I found a referene to it being available in the USA in 1965 and that comports with my memory. I recall very well in the 1970's that there were people bringing in myriad "unknown" vodkas that were "better than Stoli--the Russians wont let this good stuff out"...it became an arriviste parolor game. Perhaps the same thing was being done in the early 1960's. But I think other than drinking on the sly, vodka just would not be around in Manhattan business of 1962, '62, '63. Rye was still everywhere (real Manhattans) but beginning its decline. the absolute king was the dry Beefeater martini. Someone referred to the whiskey sour and that is an excellent observation. The sour vanished later on--maybe as a reult of vodka's merciless onslaught against cocktails. I was distressed to see Brooks Brothers announce its Don Draper suit, created in consultation with the show's fashion people. They need help to return to doing what they always did best.... Sun Nov 01 08:22:25 -0800 2009 5146303 107060 hazelhurst 6 5146467 In my part of Canada at the time vodka was an alcoholic's drink. As was wine (at least the locally produced truly appalling stuff which was just about the only wine known to my socioeconomic bracket). And drinking any booze with milk (as Roger drinks his vodka) equalled alcoholic with an ulcer. Sun Nov 01 06:22:30 -0800 2009 5145118 13709 buttertart 1 5172353 Re-reading this post, I'm starting to regret getting rid of my Better Homes and Garden cookbook, circa 1969. That's obviously later than the Mad Men era but BH&G isn't exactly a revolutionary publisher so I'm guessing that many of the recipes dated from ten years earlier. The pen and ink drawings I remember from that book certainly looked like 1959: happy housewives in full skirted shirtwaist dresses greeting their suit-and-tie wearing husbands as they came home from work, Beaver Cleaver children beaming at plates of home made cookies, cocktail party guests being offered drinks by a hostess dolled up in a frilly apron and so on. Wed Nov 11 06:44:48 -0800 2009 5130883 1102097 mandycat 2 5172384 Sure sounds period-appropriate, it was hardly an innovative time in home cooking. There's a 1963 Good Housekeeping Cookbook that's available on ABEBooks that is precisely from the year this season was set in - it's seen heavy use in my mother-in-law's kitchen and is available used on ABEBooks and so forth. The menus are eye-opening to say the least. Wed Nov 11 06:58:23 -0800 2009 5172353 13709 buttertart 1 5177792 Well, the dinner was simple... We started with Scotch Old Fashioneds. Knocked them back like June and Ward on warp speed. Appetizer- small slices of sourdough bread SLATHERED with butter and parmesan cheese, baked into warm crispy goodness. Dinner- Beef Stroganoff. Oh my goodness. Sour Cream. Beef. yes please. Served with red wine! Dessert- Strawberry Jello. Thu Nov 12 21:59:15 -0800 2009 5130883 70144 Dagney