The Definitive 1970s Dinner Party Thread

[41132n]

We were subjected to dinner by fondue once, when we used to live in the Horror House of Belgium.

So there is this pot of near-boiling oil and something akin to a spirit burner underneath it.

You take lumps of flesh and skewer them before placing it into the vat in front of you.

And wait. And wait.

As a kid, it was the culinary version of 'Are we there yet ?'

Followed by a scene of medieval siege warfare.

 

[Dissident Junk]

I have a brilliant book, called The Perfect Hostess. It's from the 20s and has all the different ideas for menus, according to your age and type of guest.

The best advice is what to do when there is an awkward pause in conversation.

The hostess must pull herself together and make a statement as far removed from ascertained facts as possible, so that everyone present feels inclined to contradict her.

Examples:

a) What a pity it is that Westminster Abbey is to be pulled down to make traffic easier.

d) So we are to have no more income tax after next year.

I've always fancied doing this, even in the pub, just to see what people would do . . .

 

[Cloo]

My parents had loads of dinner parties in the 80s. I loved the days before with all the cooking and then mum getting ready and putting on her perfum and looking really amazing!

We were told it was grown-up time in the dining room, but I did like to come down in my pyjamas and do pretend 'walking on the moon' outside the glass doors to the dining room. This seemed to cause amusement rather than anger, thankfully!

 

[pembrokestephen]

You should also be equally careful that your dog or cat does not brush against the legs of your guests under the table.*


I will give you the section on how to serve (both with or without staff) later.

*I can only assume that this is to avoid people thinking they are having a pass made at them. Far fetched I know, but it's the only thing I can think of.

I reckon that it follows on from the whole kids-at-table idea. Kids and animals aren't civilised, and have no place at, near, or under a posh dinner table

 

[pembrokestephen]

If you have no staff
Apologies if the writing seems awkward, but my translating skills aren't the best.

I think you're doing bloody well!

 

[pembrokestephen]

How about this funky little number....

Fromages et Pineapple sur les Sticks

.. serve with Pommaign and a Demis Roussos LP blasting out on the music-center

At really posh dos, they would all be stuck into half an orange or grapefruit on a plate, to look like a kind of cheesy, pineappley citrus Sputnik.

I'm actually old enough to remember some of this 70s dinner party shit (though I was but tiny), and it really was the Decade That Taste Forgot.

 

[AnnO'Neemus]

Soundtrack: Demis Roussos, George Zhamfir, Nana Moskouri and Herb Alpert

I vaguely recall my parents had a penchant for Acker Bilk (sp?)

 

[pogofish]

I reckon fondues are due a comeback as well. Everything else was balls.

Err, they came back a while ago.

 

[Looby]

Err, they came back a while ago.

Mmmmm, cheese fondue. I have a fondue set, I am waiting for the perfect occasion to use it.

 

[pogofish]

Fromages et Pineapple sur les Sticks

You forget the little pickled onion that was also de-rigeur.

 

[pogofish]

Mmmmm, cheese fondue.

Ensure you have plenty of antacids to pass round after. Or a glass of Gaviscon would suffice!

 

[Looby]

Ensure you have plenty of antacids to pass round after. Or a glass of Gaviscon would suffice!

True, I can't eat much of it but it is yum.

 

[MarkMark]

And what 1970s dinner party would be complete without some 1970s after-dinner games?

Anyone for headache?

 

[Louloubelle]

recipe books from the 40s and earlier are often quite valuable, ranging in price from £10 to a few hundred, depending on rarity and condition

After Elizabeth David people started to muck around with food and the 70s were just dire, loads of recipes with rich, unhealthy sauces, chinese food with tons of MSG, nasty, nasty, stuff. 80 cookbooks were often about status and had perhaps the most 'mucked about with' recipies ever.

If you find old cookbooks from the 40s and earlier, full of simple country recipes, especially if they are about game and wild food, if in good condition you could be in the money

I've got a fanny and johnny craddock cookery book from the 70s somewhere and while the recipies are horrible, the photos of the food are awesome.

I've got some photos somewhere

*goes off to look*

 

[Louloubelle]

here you go

banana candles (my favourite)

salmon mousse made into the shape of a fish, surrounded by peas and eggs that are going green around the edges

 

[Louloubelle]

the fanny craddock book you can pick up for a couple of quid (I think these are a great investment for the future just for the mad photos)

wheras a ring bound paperback like this from 1945

will set you back around £45 - £50

 

[oryx]

Children should never appear at the table; even the best raised children risk interfering with conversation. Children should be fed before hand, away from your guests.

I'd happily tuck into sardines aux paprika if it meant avoiding a tired and bad-tempered sprog, still up at ten p.m., stage-whispering mummeeeee, I don't like this.... while all the adults have to curb any swearing & hold back on the lurid gossip.

My parents had dinner parties about once a month in the late 60s/early 70s and we were severely reprimanded if we so much as showed our faces round the banisters.....

 

[Maggot]

Err, they came back a while ago.

Yes, I had a fondue dinner at a friends house last Christmas, was delicious.

 

[northernhord]

Is a dinner party where people eat and Djs play afterwards?

 

[Maggot]

Is a dinner party where people eat and Djs play afterwards?

it can be.

It can be anything involving food and guests.

 

[laptop]

starter

Brown Windsor Soup

Was sooo 1950s - well, up to the 1960s in t'North

Asparagus soup

 

[Louloubelle]

Was sooo 1950s - well, up to the 1960s in t'North

Asparagus soup

Late 19th century actually

However it was a staple of 'traditional' dinner parties up until the 70s

It was on the menu at Fawlty Towers

 

[trashpony]

I've got Betty Crocker's cookbook from 1971. She's the American Delia Smith. There's a whole section on Molded (sic) Salads - delicious foodstuffs suspended in aspic and made in a jelly mould. Apparently they make great gifts to take to new neighbours