Dust off your flares and fondue set and get set to revive some classic dishes from the 70s, as Maggie and Simon celebrate the dawning of Modern Australian food.
The early 70s was an exciting time to be living in Australia – at least according to Maggie, who has a gentle laugh about the fact that Simon’s probably too young to remember! The spirit of experimentation was in the air, with new ideas in politics, theatre, music and film, and this experimentation flowed over into our cooking too. One big source of ideas for Maggie was the food & wine magazine Epicurean. She used to be inspired by the amazingly inventive covers, though the recipes were sometimes a little on the basic side. It was also the era of competitive dinner parties, and Maggie remembers fondly cooking Chicken Veronique at the dinner party she held with husband Colin in the first week of her marriage. She recreates the dish with a modern twist, while Simon draws inspiration from the pages of Epicurean and has go at Duck a L’Orange.
This was also the era when Modern Australian food began to emerge, and someone who rejoiced in its arrival was food critic Leo Schofield. He reminisces about the bad old days of stodgy French provincial restaurants, but also recalls his excitement as young Australian chefs started to carve out a new style. Two of the best to emerge in the 70s were Tony and Gay Bilson, and Gay looks back at some 70s trends which helped their culinary experimentation – including the increase in overseas travel, and the arrival in Australia of the food processor! Back in the kitchen Maggie and Simon finish off their 70s dinner party with chocolate mousse and apple fool.
Recipes:
- Chocolate Mousse
- Chook Veronique
- Apple Fool
- Dauphinoise Potato
- Duck a L'Orange
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