Retro food. What does it mean to you ?

[The Old Foodie]

I came across a recipe in one of my folders the other day for "Fillet of Beef Wellington" - one of the first "classy" dishes I made when I first started giving dinner parties in the seventies. "How retro!" I thought, then realised that if I decided to cook it again one time when my adult children visit for a meal, it might even seem very clever and therefore modern to them.

What is retro to you? I'd be interested to hear, because it is always fun rediscovering old favourites.

[PCL]

Welcome to eG, must make your way over to the Aussie boards and provide some much needed Brisbane based focus to the discussion there!

Anyhow, back to the topic...

I think tournedos rossini are pretty cool and they are making a comeback. Problem is that decent foie gras in /australia is hard to source.

[Verjuice]

I think tournedos rossini are pretty cool...

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I agree .

[britcook]

Steak Diane, Crepes Suzette, in fact anything flambeed. Beef stroganoff, prawn cocktail, Black Forest gateau. Fashions may move on but it's good to visit old favourites from time to time.

[Carlovski]

For some retro inspriration I heartily recommend The Prawn cocktail Yearsby Simon Hopkinson.

[ludja]

Unless you're in New Orleans, Bananas Foster seems very retro to me. We recently had this expertily prepared tableside at a restaurant (at the Lodge in Cloudcroft, NM) and it was just heavenly. Old-fashioned yes, but so delicous.

At Thanksgiving, I was somehow inspired to make an old-fashioned bacon-horseradish dip; again, very good.

[Katie Nell]

Unless you're in New Orleans, Bananas Foster seems very retro to me.  We recently had this expertily prepared tableside at a restaurant (at the Lodge in Cloudcroft, NM) and it was just heavenly.  Old-fashioned yes, but so delicous.

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I love Bananas Foster! I am also a huge Tiramisu fan, even though it may be tired for some people, it's yummy to me always!

I've been thinking about doing a more "gourmet" version of Pigs in a Blanket lately... you can't get more retro than that!

[The Old Foodie]

I love the suggestions so far - although Bananas Foster is a bit of a mystery to us "over here", although I have read about its history.

If someone can post or send and authentic recipe, I'll give it a try.

I hope no-one lists the orange-stuck-with-toothpicks-with-cubes-of-cheese-and-onions-etc that used to appear with drinks and nibbles ......

[Tess]

Baked Alaska or "Norwegian omelet." It's especially funky if it has crystallized fruits in it.

[Grub]

Baked Alaska or "Norwegian omelet." It's especially funky if it has crystallized fruits in it.

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Eh, etymological nerd-question here -- I seem to remember that Baked Alaskan was originally a French dish, going by the name Norwegian something-or-other? But was revived in the US, with that new Alaskan name? Would that be a Norwegian Omelet?

But to stay on coarse, I dunno if this qualifies, but I occasionally make a dish that I've seen go by the name Salmon Wellington -- obviously no beef, but salmon instead, no pate/foi gras, with spinach on top of the salmon, wrapped in puff pastry... There's also another dish named Salmon Coulibiac, and although it called for eggs and possibly a few other things, maybe that's a more accurate name. Authentic or not, it's good eats, and kinda impressive.

[Tess]

Baked Alaska or "Norwegian omelet." It's especially funky if it has crystallized fruits in it.

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Eh, etymological nerd-question here -- I seem to remember that Baked Alaskan was originally a French dish, going by the name Norwegian something-or-other? But was revived in the US, with that new Alaskan name? Would that be a Norwegian Omelet?

I tried Googling and that was the sense I got.

When I went to post this, I was under the apparently false impression that a Norwegian omelet was a slightly different dessert from a baked Alaska. The only time I recall being served this concoction (multiple times actually) was by a US chef who called it Norwegian omelet; I thought he was trying to indicate it was something different from baked Alaska but I guess he was just trying to sound French or something. It was very boozy and with fruits in it and was really pretty good.

[scubadoo97]

a jello mold with little bits in it.

[Carolyn Tillie]

Over the past few years, I have both thrown and catered "historic" dinner parties. The 70's cocktail party was the most "retro" with servings of miniature hot dogs, onion dip, Chex mix, and my favorite, rumaki.

Others that come to mind include tuna casserole, turkey a la king, chicken cacciatore, rhubarb crisp, stuffed crown roast, and shrimp toasts...

[Kerry Beal]

Key Lime pie made with lime jello, graham cracker crumbs and vanilla wafers.

Pudding cakes, ie boxed cake mix with oil and instant pudding.

Impossible pies.

Quiche.

[ludja]

I love the suggestions so far - although Bananas Foster is a bit of a mystery to us "over here", although I have read about its history.

If someone can post or send and authentic recipe, I'll give it a try.

...

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This recipe provided by Brennan's Restaurant in New Orleans looks spot on.

Brennan's Banana Foster

Another flamed dessert of yesteryear, but still served with pride at Antoine's in New Orleans is Cherries Jubilee. It is also still delicious!

Flamed desserts prepared tableside were very big, I think, in restaurants around the US in the 50's and 60's.

[rjwong]

Chocolate souffle with a ramekin (or two) of whipped cream.

It's light. It's airy. No calories.

[The Old Foodie]

Eh, etymological nerd-question here -- I seem to remember that Baked Alaskan was originally a French dish, going by the name Norwegian something-or-other? But was revived in the US, with that new Alaskan name? Would that be a Norwegian Omelet?

OOPS! edited because I deleteted my comment fractionally before posting instead of previewing. So here is the real posting:

I recently did a post on my blog about Baked Alaska, with a link to an earlier one that also touched on it, and referred to an amazing thing called an "Inverse Alaska". The post is http://theoldfoodie.blogspot.com/2006/06/ices-baked.html.

Edited June 7, 2006 by The Old Foodie (log)

[highchef]

prawn/shrimp cocktail. Butterscotch pie. Cake made with liquor...they also made a popular cocktail with the booze and o.j. Yellow stuff...what is the name??? Big ad campaign with recipies for all sorts of things you could put it in. and who could forget 'spam kabobs'???? alternate cubes of spam with pineapple and God knows what else. That was creepy. And mom putting melted velveeta cheese on everything to get us to eat it. Broccoli, cauliflower, potatoes, meatloaf. All things became covered with velveeta sauce.

[barolo]

Cake made with liquor...they also made a popular cocktail with the booze and o.j. Yellow stuff...what is the name??? Big ad campaign with recipies for all sorts of things you could put it in.

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Are you thinking of Galliano and Harvey Wallbangers?

[dockhl]

Harvey Wallbanger?

God, it KILLS me that I REMEMBER that..........and know what it tastes like !)

1 oz Vodka; 1/2 oz Galliano; 4 oz Orange juice

Was Galliano EVER used for anything else?

edited to add interesting ref: gotta love Wikpedia !

In 2005, the American-based Food Network listed the Harvey Wallbanger cocktail as number four in its list of the top five fad foods of the 1970s.

Edited June 7, 2006 by dockhl (log)

[SeaGal]

Shrimp de Jonghe, Chicken Divan, Ambrosia salad, Veal Prince Orloff, Oysters Rockefeller, Cherries Jubiliee......the list goes on and on.

[dockhl]

Here is a REALLY interesting link to

FOOD TIMELINE:POPULAR AMERICAN FOODS BY DECADE

Very weird to look at the lists (extensive) and realize what items , that are in my brain but inconceivable in the context of my (current) life, came from my childhood. Makes you wonder what else is hiding in there, huh?

Like:(1950's....I was born in 1951)

Campbell's Tomato Soup (with recipe for Easy Stuffed Peppers),

Minute Tapioca

Dole Hawaiian pineapple (canned).

Jolly Time Pop Corn

Instant Cream of Wheat

Lawry's Italian Style Spaghetti Sauce Mix

B & B Mushrooms (what an incredible, extravagant treat!)

Into the '60's (I was 'coming of age' to entertain)

V-8 cocktail vegetable juice

Chef Boy-Ar-Dee beef ravioli in sauce (canned) (guilty pleasures)

Bugles

Tang

(...To understand Tang's appeal some thirty years ago, it is necessary to remember that most Americans, especially in the 1950s and 1960s, put their faith in the march of progress. From the end of World War II until the 1970s, a lot of people honestly believed that the world was simply getting better and better, mostly because science and industry kept creating great new products and evermore convenient ways of living. ..

70's:

Backyard bbq's;

1. Guacamole, Taramasalata, Corn Chips, Creackers, Charcoal-Broiled Hamburgers, Charcoal-Broiled Frankfurters, Buns, Relishes, Chili Sauce, Mustard, Sliced Bermuda Onions, Three Bean Salad, German Macaraoni Salad, Assorted Ice Creams, Sweet Lemon Loaf, Soft Drinks, Beer, Coffee.

2. Andalusian Gazpacho, Charcoal-Broiled Sirloin Steak Stuffed with Mushrooms, Charcoal-Baked Potatoes, Sour Cream-Almond Sauce, Corn on the Cob, Grapefruit and Avocado Salad, Biscuit Tortoni, Sangria, Coffee

Wow, trip down Memory Lane..........

[Taubear]

Uuuggggghhhhh I am doing a Homer Simpson dribble reading this thread.

Lately I have been making

Prawn cocktails [i cannot get enough of them]

Steak Dianne [ Ahhh that beautiful garlicy sauce]

Osso Bucco [Comfort food]

Cup cakes with lemon curd and butterfly wings coated in icing sugar.

I love retro food, it makes me feel unrushed and refective.

Great topic.

[britcook]

Harvey Wallbanger?

God, it KILLS me that I REMEMBER that..........and know what it tastes like !) 

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I remember what it tastes like, if only because I had one as recently as two days ago. It may have gone out of fashion but I still enjoy the occasional Wallbanger.

[Kerry Beal]

Was Galliano EVER used for anything else?

In 2005, the American-based Food Network listed the Harvey Wallbanger cocktail as number four in its list of the top five fad foods of the 1970s.

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I'm not positive, but I think Galliano was used in a Freddy Fence Fucker, but also in a Slow Comfortable Screw Up Against the Wall. Amusing to bartenders everywhere when ordered by pissed 18 year olds.

Edited June 7, 2006 by Kerry Beal (log)