Y2K Food

The Sixties

Nouveaux Gourmets

Menu

Crab And Artichoke Casserole

Elegant String Bean Casserole

Tang Pie

The sixties decade in the book was thick...so many directions I could go. Julia Child was fresh on the scene. There were the committed gourmets that cooked mainly French foods. Fondue was considered sophisticated and fun, the fad of health food and flambé. Now I grew up in the health food clan, so I wasn't super excited to try that and Jeremy wasn't thrilled about the flambé...even though I think he was completely overreacting. I have successfully put out every kitchen fire I have started. The thought of making french food from scratch with ingredients I've never heard of, don't know what they are and no idea where to get them was completely overwhelming. We had no fondue equipment, which was a bummer because that would totally have been my first choice and later Hannah suggested I could use a crockpot and cheap skewers. Which is EXACTLY why I should consult her before I do my menu planing. Anyway, I settled on "Entertaining the Middle-Brow Gourmet Way", which actually fits me personally anyway. 

(I should have mentioned I suppose the whole section on food that would last 30 years in the event of nuclear attack. Also a real reality at the time.)

Now, I'm going to pause and acknowledge that that isn't a very hefty looking meal. As I looked at it on my plate I became aware that it was definitely missing color and something. I realized I should have just bitten the bullet and added Tomato Aspic. This recipe has been popping up for decades now and I just couldn't handle the thought of a jellied tomato salad. It finally died out after the 1960's, so that would have been a good time to try it. (...but...it's served with mayo on top...really? You see my hesitation?) 

All I'm really going to say about the food was that it tasted about how you would expect any casserole with cream of anything soup as an ingredient. It wasn't bad, but could have been improved 100% if the cream of stuff had been made from scratch. I realize that has me coming off as a complete snob..(and believe me, I'm not. Remember the Spam!!) ...but in my defense...the proper gourmets of the day also turned their noses up at cream of mushroom soup...until Campbells came out with their "Golden Cream of Mushroom Soup". Apparently that was okay. Ryan actually said the Crab Casserole was even better than the dessert and Jeremy happened to be home that night and had seconds of both. 

Tang Pie. Popular because people were going to the moon and Tang was the drink of astronauts. It had a graham cracker crust. As with most meals, I liked the dessert the best.

And this is where things got out of control. I really like the 60's decade from fashion to music (when I mentioned to Jeremy I LOVED the 60's, his response was "Because you want to be a hippie? Or is was it all the drugs?" ...eyeroll...).

So one morning I went to goodwill and scoured their clothes for something that could pass for 60's. And Hannah got a call at 8 am asking her to look at the pictures I was sending to help me pick out an outfit. That's a good friend that will even take your call that early. My first choice (as well as hers) was an $8 dress. You know you are a tightwad when something at Goodwill is "too pricey" for you. Yes, it is a killer deal for a Juicy Couture, but I just couldn't. (Although I DID love it). I did settle on something bright and floral. Probably not nearly as short (well, I KNOW not nearly as short) as what would have been popular at the time. However, I AM a middle aged housewife. I watched many videos on youtube about 60's makeup and even attempted that (not that you can tell). And this was the result. 

I'm such a dork. But don't you think a hostess in the 60's would greet her guests with this demeanor? Maybe if she were high? The kids were more interested in my dress and make up than they were in the food I served that night.