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Original poster

Retro dinner party menu

107 replies

Bobje · 03/04/2024 09:42

What would you have?

Planning on doing a dinner party with my sister to celebrate the fact that we’re both early 70s vintage 😁

We want the lot - prawn cocktail with luminous pink marie rose sauce.

Vol au vents!

Black forest gateau! (Or sherry trifle? Blancmange! 😆)

What’s best for mains?

Accompanied by Mateus rose or Liebfraumilch (“beloved lady’s milk! 😱) or a lovely beaujolais?

Help us relive our youth MN!

OP posts:
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7
Mikki77 · 03/04/2024 18:40

Oh I did this for my husbands birthday we served:

mini vol au vents with cinzano cocktail

prawn cocktail with babycham
chicken kiev with piped potatoes with mateus rose
Vienetta ice cream or black forest with an ice coffee and baileys!

Katrinawaves · 03/04/2024 18:44

Chicken Maryland (breaded fried chicken with breaded fried bananas!)
cod in parsley sauce
French bread pizza
curry with sultanas
vol au vents

Puddings at ours were dayglo lemon meringue pie, arctic roll or neopolitan ice cream

Aussiegold · 03/04/2024 18:44

CurlewKate · 03/04/2024 12:22

I would do the retro things but delicious versions. Prawn cocktail-but with lovely big prawns, a home made sauce and good salad. Really good pork with pineapple, or well cooked steak with garlic mushrooms and excellent chips or jacket potato and then a seriously fabulous Black Forest gateau.

I totally agree, why do crap food when you can do great food!

Also, serve wine that you and your guests will actually like and leave the mateus rosé in the 70s (tried it a few years ago and found it undrinkable)

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

General food
katebushh · 03/04/2024 18:46

Cheese and pineapple on sticks.

Has to be large cubed mild cheddar and tinned pineapple on cheap cocktail sticks for authenticity!

LondonLass61 · 03/04/2024 18:48

CissOff · 03/04/2024 09:52

Lasagne served with a jacket potato and garlic bread (thanks DM 😂)

Definitely a Black Forest gateau or angel delight in a a wine glass.

You could have a teeny glass of concentrated orange juice to start - 80s staple ❤️

Yes - I was thinking about this a while ago - why was a glass of orange juice an actual starter in the 70's.....?

Whatineed · 03/04/2024 18:49

Hesterbester · 03/04/2024 13:31

I Goddamn love a vol u vent.

Come to Switzerland, they're still in mode here at Aperos 😂🇨🇭

Bluepetergarden · 03/04/2024 18:58

PossumintheHouse · 03/04/2024 18:34

Go crazy. Chunks of cheese, pineapple and mini pickled onions on sticks. 👀

Show quote history

Standard party food 70’s kids 👍🏻

PossumintheHouse · 03/04/2024 18:59

Bluepetergarden · 03/04/2024 18:58

Standard party food 70’s kids 👍🏻

Show quote history

I wasn't being sarcastic. I'm just greedy for all three!

ImWearingPantaloons · 03/04/2024 19:35

DSD9472 · 03/04/2024 10:35

Midori to drink
Melon balls
You need AT LEAST 1 thing in aspic jelly!
Bananas and ham in hollondaise

Oh my god that thing with spaghetti hoops in aspic.

My eyes!!!! My eyes!!!!

Bluepetergarden · 03/04/2024 19:43

Has anyone mentioned Arctic Roll ?!

fightingthedogforadonut · 03/04/2024 20:12

One of these!!

Retro dinner party menu
11NigelTufnel · 03/04/2024 21:53

You honestly can't do better than prawn cocktail for starter and black forest gateau for pud. Please don't go for an elaborate and revolting aspic creation instead!

I would go for chicken Kiev for main. Still remember my mum's one.

FormerlySpeckledyHen · 03/04/2024 21:56

It has to end with an Irish Coffee. Don’t forget the sugar cubes either.

Leeds2 · 03/04/2024 22:10

Whatever pudding you have, it needs Dream Topping!

WitchyPoos · 03/04/2024 22:17

x2boys · 03/04/2024 10:27

I was born in 1973 ,I remember my mum made a curry that contained sultanas ???
And a very bland spaghetti bolognaise ,she was quite a good cook and tried to be adventurous with varying degrees of success 🤣

My mum made that curry in the 90s, was awful, especially as I hate sultanas and most dried fruit 🤢

isitbananatimealready · 03/04/2024 22:18

Scampi in a basket.

RainStreakedWindows · 03/04/2024 22:19

Half a grapefruit with a cherry on top. I think for a dinner party it should be beef stroganoff which has the advantage of actually being nice.

Love the suggestion of Midori.

Mischance · 03/04/2024 22:20

A Vesta curry!

Redshoeblueshoe · 03/04/2024 22:23

Not everyone in the 70's was bad at cooking. My DM regularly made Paris-Brest, charlotte russe, meringues, lemon meringue pie. She also made the most wonderful cakes. I'm just annoyed I don't have the recipes.

tupperwaretowers · 03/04/2024 22:44

Prawn cocktail
Chicken Kiev, chips and peas
Black Forrest gateaux

Blummin lovely!

Itsanothermanicmonday · 03/04/2024 22:50

Scampi and chips, chicken and chips in the basket, steak and chips (all in the basket).

MmedeGouge · 03/04/2024 22:53

x2boys · 03/04/2024 10:34

I was a child in the 70,s so this might not be quite what you were looking for Op but there was always a jelly in the shape of a rabbit at birthday parties.

A jelly rabbit, sitting in chopped green jelly “grass”.

Pieceofpurplesky · 04/04/2024 01:13

Anyone remember this? I still use the drop scone recipe!

Retro dinner party menu
Philandbill · 04/04/2024 01:18

@Pieceofpurplesky Yes! I used it a lot. There was a recipe for raspberry buns that the family loved. And a recipe for honeycomb that I was sometimes allowed to make.

chattyness · 04/04/2024 08:49

we had a similar book, I think t was called my learn to cook book and had a picture of a cartoon cat & dog sitting in front of a cooker if I'm remembering rightly.