Beatles Themed Potluck

[cathyt]

Hi Chowhounders!
I need your help! I am going to be attending a potluck and the theme is food inspired by Beatle's songs. Other than Strawberry Fields Forever, I can't think of any other food references in their songs. Any suggestions for clever dishes to bring for this potluck?

[monavano]

White album asparagus with a white cheese sauce.
Make a cake or pate in the shape of the number 9.

[laliz]

coconut fudge
crème tangerine
Montelimar
Savoy truffle
apple tart

[bakingwinner]

I run a COOKING/BAKING group and we get together once a month-- I have a different theme every month-- here are some that we have had
pies pies pis ( done in November)
annual cookie swap ( dec its the biggest one with the most peopl)
Quiche
soups, stews and crock pots
muffins vs cupcakes
breads and spreads
the chocolate challenge ( had to use chocolate as the main ingredient and it could not be a dessert)
childhood favorites of yesteryear
cozy comfort foods
non bake desserts
fondue by the fire
pizza by the pool
high tea
sunday brunch
backyard bbq blast
appetizers, HOR DOURVES and finger foods
cupcake swap
SPRINGTACULAR SCRUMPTIOUS SALADS
Pasta
VERY VEGGIE VEGETARIAN
FIERY FEAST BY THE FIRE ( had to use red ingredients )
Aphrodisiacs

I am out of ideas I have done so many we have such a blast

[Michelly]

You can do a Strawberry Fool on the Hill; a fool is a dessert somewhere between a cobbler and a whipped custard, and put it on a hill of cake or ice cream.

[blue room]

Don't forget Apple (Records).

[smartie]

brilliant! love Apple

Ringo Starrfruit
John Lennonade

and chopped Liver - pool

[mamachef]

I have zero idea about how to find this one out, but wouldn't it be interesting to know if the Fab Four had any special "food riders" in their contract for shows.....
Let It "B": bacon, broccoli, bananas........ :-)

[yfunk3]

I don't think they had any special food preferences that have been mentioned in any of the many biographies. The only things I can think of off the top of my head are:

-when they use to live together in apartments in London (before they all bought houses and got married/moved in with girlfriends), they ate stuff like butties and fishsticks warmed up on the stove/in the oven (according to Patti Boyd and a couple of biographies). And obviously, some basic German fare during their Hamburg days.

-British fans used to throw jelly babies at them during concerts after George once made a remark that they were his favorite candy. U.S. fans didn't have jelly babies, so substituted jelly beans, which are smaller and harder. Imagine hundreds or thousands of jelly beans flying at them during their concerts!

-they used to drink inordinate amounts of tea during all of their recording sessions (from the very beginning)

-Ringo brought cans of Heinz beans with him to India because he has a sensitive digestive system (due to childhood illnesses) and couldn't eat the spicy curries and such served at the Maharishi's retreat. He's vegan now because of that. Of course, so is Paul.

-George, of course, loved Indian food.

-Patti Boyd mentions in her auto biography that George used to eat lots of Steak Diane in a London restaurant during their early dates (obviously before he became a vegetarian).

Why I know all of this off the top of my head yet can't remember what to buy at the grocery store without a list, I'll never be able to explain... :o)

[mamachef]

Prolly the same reason I can remember my phone number from 5th grade year and can't for the life of me remember my own, current home phone digits!!
Interesting facts you've got there, and a whole 'nother direction for cathyt to look in...
Octopus. What can be made from octopus? Can it be done like calamari?

[jcmods]

Every February we celebrate "FAB-uary" (because its when the Beatles arrived in America and appeard on Ed Sullivan) and we have the Heinz Baked Beans (mostly as props), andJelly Babies. One year we did a White Album theme and served all "white" food. Asturian White Bean Bean Stew and White Castle Hamburgers were served among other things.

I suppose if you want to get technical about it, "Scouse" is the name of a stew served in Liverpool as well as the all purpose term for a Liverpudlian. I have no idea how to make it though.

[yfunk3]

Just wanted to say, as a huge Beatles fan, this is the greatest party theme ever. :o)

[scubadoo97]

like wise

[BangorDin]

All you need is love.

:)

[porker]

Happiness is a Warm Bun
Stuffed Sgt. Peppers
"A Taste of Honey"
Maybe a bean casserole in the spirit of "All Things Must Pass"
Vodka and Lemon "Twist and Shout"
"Everybody's Got Something to Hide Except Me and my Monkey"
I want to hold your Ham
Magical Mystery Meat
"Old Brown Shoe"-fly pie
"Kansas City" ribs Hey Hey Hey
"Young Blood" sausages
"Back in the USSR" Russian caviar

[Emme]

i want to hold your ham was the first that came to my mind :)

i also got:

-nowhere manicotti
-please peas me
-drive my carbonara
-love me do-nuts
-imagine and tonic

[porker]

...With a Little Kelp From my Friends - seaweed soup
While my Lobster Gently Steeps
Lovely Pita
Tip of My Lamb's Tongue
That'll be the Ray - grilled skate wing
The Hippy Hippy milk-Shake...

[yfunk3]

Also, "Give Peas a Chance".

[porker]

Good Day Porcine
BBQed ribs using Norwegian Wood for smoke
Paperback Weiner topped with "Komm Gib Meir Diene Hand" brand sauerkraut and the aforementioned Mean Mr. Mustard
Baked Rolls Over a Grey Oven

[yfunk3]

Oh, "The Fool on the Hill" can be any meat/fish/chicken over mashed potatoes...

Something not in any song, but the Beatles loved to eat in the early days: butties. Bacon butties, jam butties, chip butties. Possibilities are endless, really!

Or if you're a Rutles fan (Eric Idle and Neil Innes' Beatles spoof), you can always have "Cheese and Onions".

[mamachef]

Oh, cathyt, you've got some great things here to work with. Gin and lemonade, anyone? Followed by a buffet/sammie spread of cold turkey, etc. with assorted mustards, and some deviled eggs? You could also deconstruct pretty much anything and use "revolution"-ary for the reference, and follow it all up with the brilliant Savoy Truffle idea?

[CharlieKilo]

Don't forget Lennon"s "Cold Turkey".

[Jay F]

I'd probably make something tiramisu-like, and call it "Savoy Truffle." Maybe you could layer custard, cake, and montelimar in a glass serving bowl.

[Jibe]

Rocky Raccoon???
http://www.backwoodsbound.com/zracoon...

[thew]

if partaking in Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds, be prepared for people not to eat too much

[margib]

really bad one...she loves you (gumbo) ya ya ya

[blue room]

Oh dear, I immediately summoned up my favorite Beatles song, "Hey Jude", and I'm afraid the only edibles it mentions are "heart" "skin" and "shoulder". Human.

[BubblyOne]

Come Together- coca cola
Drive My Car- peanuts
I Am The Walrus- cornflakes, custard, semolina
Penny Lane- fish and finger pie
Rain- lemonade
Rocky Racoon-gin

[visciole]

Uh, that Penny Lane reference is not to food!

[yfunk3]

LOL. I was just going to say...I hope no one eats "fish and finger pie" at your party!

Unless it's THAT kinda party, in which case, I don't judge... :o)

[pamd]

this should really help!
http://www.martinlewis.com/column.pl?...

[HillJ]

great link, pamd. I'm saving it for future reference!

[boogiebaby]

The Beatles have a ton of food references in their songs! They sing about fish and meat and octopus and all sorts of food items. Here's a few that came to mind:

"Marmalade skies" and "marshmallow pies" from "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds"
"Savoy Truffle" and "Honey Pie" from the White Album
"Mean Mr. Mustard" from Abbey Road
"Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band"

[Glencora]

Savory Truffle Lyrics:

Creme tangerine and Montélimar
A ginger sling with a pineapple heart
A coffee dessert--yes you know it's good news
But you'll have to have them all pulled out
After the Savoy truffle.

Cool cherry cream, nice apple tart
I feel your taste all the time we're apart
Coconut fudge--really blows down those blues
But you'll have to have them all pulled out
After the Savoy truffle.

[scubadoo97]

I love that song.

[goodhealthgourmet]

@Glencora, i love your CH-esque Freudian slip with the title ;)

[Glencora]

oh - that is so weird! but funny...

[LindaWhit]

Octopus's Garden
Glass Onion
Eggs (I Am The Walrus - "I am the Eggman"...)
Mean Mr. Mustard
Rice (Eleanor Rigby)
Marshmallow Pies (Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds)

ETA: You could make a Tortilla Espanola with eggs and onions (and potatoes)....very simple, and a good potluck dish. http://spanishfood.about.com/od/tapas...

[jcmods]

Funny, we once made a Beatles Tortilla as you describe. We cut it up into party sized squares and inserted toothpicks in each square. Of course the toothpicks were topped with a paper copy of each Beatles' head (xeroxed from the the Hard Day's Night LP onto Avery labels. just stick two sides together on a toothpick.).

This thread is great 'cause I thought we were the only ones gonzo enough to have an annual Beatles Fest.

[wattacetti]

Yellow Submarine sandwich.