Buy a new gadget, and you’ll get an instructional DVD, remote control, web support, toll-free hotline…Back in the day, you got a warranty card, and a list of service centres. If you were very lucky, the company gave you a free recipe book, and sent you a cheeky tradesman or delivery man to get things sorted. At least some things don’t change!
We get lots of delivery trucks coming to our house – they get the street number and name right, but the suburb totally wrong. I just turned down a shiny new Smeg fridge, fully paid for, in repro-fifties styling. The people who buy all this stuff must be doing one helluva renovation. Can’t help wondering what they’d say if I sauntered round to take a look…
Here’s my Sunbeam frypan recipe book. Apart from the sweet cover, one learns how to craft a variety of dishes – including hamburger de luxe, fricasse tripe, sharp steak, and curried rabbit with spaghetti. Apparently, sophisticated cooking was as simple as adding banana, sherry, gherkins or brandy to any dish in 1959…and frying everything in hot copha, lard, or margarine!
And how about this flick-haired hottie? You too can have an up-to-the-minute kitchen, ask your dealer for a Simpson Fabulous 300! She appears to be looking for excitement – maybe the delivery man has arrived with her new tumble dryer? Beats gleaming satin chrome hands down…
The “IN” set were probably nibbling on chicken livers continental, curried eggs, and Hawaiian teacake in 66, the really racy ones experimenting with a hip new ingredient :Queensland avocado…As we know, it’s not enough to have a mod kitchen and a kooky taste in frocks – you need to be able to cook to keep that magic alive. Here’s a recipe from the archives – Golden Circle Frangipani Pie. I remember a very “with-it” chick making this in the 70’s. Mad mini dress, cork wedges, big hair and all.
*Bring to boil 1 15oz can tropical crushed pineapple. Blend 1/4 cup cornflour, 1/4 cup cold water, and 2 egg yolks. Add to pineapple, stirring until thick. Rest.
*Place 11/2 cups milk, 3/4 cup sugar, 1 pinch salt in a fresh saucepan. Stir over low heat until sugar dissolves. Blend 1/4 cup cornflour in 1/4 cup water. Add to milk, stirring until thick. Remove from stove, stir in 1 cup coconut, 1 tab. butter, 1 teaspoon vanilla.
*Spoon half coconut mixture into cooked 8-inch pastry or crumb shell, add all pineapple, then remaining coconut. Top with meringue (use 2 egg whites and 4 tab. sugar) and bake in moderate oven about 15 minutes.
Vetti: Live in Northcote 