Old-fashioned foods which should make a comeback

[BarbaraVineFan]

I am just making a cheese and potato pie for lunch, which I last ate circa 1988. It's basically mashed potatoes mixed with an egg and a fuck load of cheese, more cheese on top and then baked in the oven. Bloody lovely, relatively cheap and filling.

Which other old-fashioned foods do you make /have you made recently which you think should make a comeback?

Home made bread and butter pudding
Home made rice pudding

Both delicious!!!

Oh, so many things! Parched peas, peppercake, sadcake, fidget pie, pickled pears with ham, Manchester tart, stew with proper suet dumplings...

It is sold in Tesco.

I miss Fry’s peppermint cream with all favours in one bar.

We were not a family who enjoyed nuts by and large so I guess they never got included. Personally I much prefer apricots, dried cranberries and crystallised ginger so my modern version wouldn't have sultanas. So long as you have the massive butter plugs and enough sugar, I guess anything else goes. I also don't now cook with cooking apples, instead I prefer to use a well flavoured eating apple, you get a less collapsed end result.

Yes please to the return of syrup tart - we had a cornflake version at school. Not a health-food, I know!

Also Queen of Puddings: a hot pudding with a layer of jam on the bottom, then a fragrant, light custard with breadcrumbs and lemon zest and topped off with soft meringue. Made well it's really delicate and light.

Summer pudding - delicious, sharp and tangy.

I agree that cheese, egg and bacon pie (as opposed to quiche) should have a moment. Very much the same idea, but the top layer of pastry made it extra delicious.

Also - suet crust puddings with apple, or steamed sponges in general.

I realise these are not the sort of things you could eat every day, but frankly I suspect their calorific content is no worse than found in our obsession with chocolate brownies, huge American cookies etc.

I love baked apples! Stuffed with dried fruit, ginger and muscovado sugar.
I haven't been able to get hold of any bramley's for ages.

Bubble and squeak with a fried egg on top

Sausage, mash, peas (or cabbage) with onion gravy

jelly with custard on top ….. same dish, set jelly and then cooked custard poured on top and left to set

Never gone out of fashion in our house. Sometimes make it or buy from Cook (frozen). Yum yum yum.

Didn't know sausage, mash and onion gravy had gone out of fashion either...we have this! ;)

Pie mash and eel liquor. Salt and vinegar on top and try not to look at the old girls sucking eel bones and putting the bones next to their plates on the marble table.

Bubble & squeak.

This was a staple in my house growing up, my dad made the best one, with brown sauce in the side and buttered white bread.
He still makes it occasionally now, it’s so unbelievably good and a great way to use up leftovers from Sunday dinner.

We eat bubble and squeak until New Years in our house! Lush.

We hardly ever have enough leftovers - I have to cook spuds and cabbage on purpose!

Do You come from Kent? Gypsy tart was a school dinner special for me.

I still make gammon with parsley sauce - with plenty of mash. 😋
Always goes down very well with guests.

That proper made me laugh , it's so true . My gran made it a few times with custard that could stop a elephant dead in its tracks 😀

Ohhh bubble and squeak. Imagine being able to go in a pub and order that with a fried egg these days. Oh I'd love that with a bit of picallili. And then a cornflake pie with custard after.

I think because it's not really a ping food you'll not see it in pubs.

Pork croquettes! As a child of the 70’s/80’s I remember having these most weeks covered in the bright yellow and orange breadcrumbs from a box. Not sure they were even bread at any point but they made a lovely crispy coating.

Not correct. Any sauce with sufficient cornflour will set. There is no gelatin in blancmange.

Just found Gentlemens' Relish aka patum perperium in Morrisons. Little tins of yumminess if you like anchovy. Spread sparingly on hot buttered toast. I thought it had disappeared forever, well pleased to re-discover it.

You can still get frozen Branes Faggots!

Mushy peas. Proper mushy peas. Dried peas, soaked 12 hours, cooked with herbs and stock
Not bloody blended garden peas!

My dad used to hollow out a marrow, stuff with mince and onion and cook in the oven. Still makes me shudder to think about it.

Aldi sell tins of mushy peas. I'm not keen, but DH loves them & says they're as he remembers them from childhood.