Pheasants in Calvados (Apple Brandy) - 1970's

For the uninitiated, Calvados is an French Apple Brandy but ultimately any apple brandy will suffice for this recipe.  Make sure its a nice locally produced one, buy local where you can!

Crepes Au Mocha - 1970's (Robert Carrier Cookery Card)

There is nothing better, in my world, that coffee flavoured stuff.  And here is a fantastic little recipe for Coffee flavoured Crepes :) :)

Beef Bourguignonne (Fondue method) - 1960's (Marguerite Patten Recipe Card)

Beef Bourguignon is one of those classic 'childhood' recipes, a staple classic that your mum shows you how to make before you disappear to university and ultimately fending for yourself.

It can be slow cooked, or like this recipe, it can be used in a Fondue.

This is a party piece, a classic sixties non-cheese fondue.  There is quite a bit of prep, but it'd be perfect for that authentic sixties/seventies feel to any themed occasion.

Roast Beef - 1970's (Marguerite Patten)

So you think you know how to Roast Beef?  You haven't Roasted nothing until you've done it Patten-style.

If you scour the internet, you can most probably find a recipe on how to do a good roast, however it doesn't say anything about how your mum would do a roast.

There are so many many variations on this classic, my Dad does it completely differently from my Mother-In-Law for instance.  But this, dear reader, is the control method.

Butterscotch Walnut Brownies - 1970s

I love butterscotch, it appeals to my sweet tooth and my general gluttonous side.  Wikipedia says that the origin of butterscotch is a bit of an unknown, read about it http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butterscotch.

So in my 1001 Recipe Cook Book: Recipes For All Occasions, I found Butterscotch Walnut Brownies. This doesn't appear to be a 'typical' 1970s recipe and if I was asked to write what dishes personified the 1970s I wouldn't necessarily say that this was really one of them.  However this includes two of my favourite ingredients so I can't really keep it to myself.

You'll need:

125g/4oz Butter
125g/4oz brown sugar
2 eggs, beaten
5ml/1 teaspoon of vanilla essence
75g/3oz self-raising flour, sifted.
50g/2oz chopped walnuts

1. Cream the butter and sugar together until fluffy.
2. Beat in the eggs then the vanilla essence.
3. Fold in the flour, then the walnuts and mix well.
4. Spoon the batter into a well-greased 18cm/7 inch square baking tin and put into a preheated oven at 170 Celsius/325 F and bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until firm.  Cut in to squares and serve.

Florentine Ring (Fish) - 1970s

It looks like a burnt curry, and its the latest card from that massive cardex that I acquired a few weeks ago.  Florentine is the name given to any dish that is paired with spinach, in this case its not obvious that this is a fish dish, but it is.

It has a cooking time of 1 hour, and will take 25 minutes to prepare.  Best to have an 8 inch ring tin handy and a sauce pan, and pre-heat your oven to 350f which is 180c.  Out of this recipe you'll get enough to serve three greedy gannets or six smallish portions.

2lb/1kg Fresh Spinach

White Sauce:
2 oz/50g butter
2 oz/50g flour
half a pint/275ml milk
seasoning
3 egg yolks
good pinch of nutmeg

Filling: 
1lb/0.5kg fish fillets
half a pint/275ml milk
2 oz/50g butter
2 oz/50g flour
3-4 oz/75-100g grated cheese
seasoning

Garnish:
1oz/25g grated cheese and tomatos

1. Cook spinach in a very little salted water.  Drain well and chop.

2. Make a thick white sauce in the usual way. (not sure how to make white sauce? see http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/whitesauce_1298)

3. Stir in the egg yolks and nutmeg.  Add the spinach, season well and blend thoroughly.

4. Pour in to greased ring tin.

5. Stand in a tin of water, bake until firm - 40 to 45 minutes.

6. Meanwhile simmer the fish in milk until cooked.  Drain and use liquid to make a white sauce with the butter and flour.

7. Season and stir in grated cheese.

8. When spinach ring is cooked, turn on to warm plate.

TO SERVE:
Fill centre of ring with flaked fish and pour over the cheese sauce.  Sprinkle with grated cheese and garnish with sliced tomatos.