Author Archive: My Kitchen Wand

This is the last of the dishes from Popular Foods of the 80s. I hope you have enjoyed the trip down memory lane. Remember that this is just one of hundreds of cheese ball options. As mentioned in the first post, cheese was everywhere and appetizers were a way to offer more freedom of choice, […]

Vol au Vent is the French for “windblown” and is a reference to the lightness of the puff pastry shells that can be used for both savoury and sweet fillings. They can be made appetizer size and go all the way up to main course size. For many years it was possible to purchase them […]

Appetizers and casseroles were all the rage in the 1980’s which must have pleased Kraft as many used cream cheese as a binder. It was a happy happenstance, when the day after class I took a friend to lunch and a variation of this dip was on the menu. It had no artichoke and was […]

There were a number of very popular drinks in the 1980s. Four are listed below: Blue Hawaiian – rum, cream of coconut, pineapple juice, and Curacao liqueur Sex on the Beach – vodka, peach schnapps, orange juice and cranberry juice Long Island Iced Tea – Tequila, Vodka, Rum, Gin, Triple Sec, lemon juice, simple syrup, […]

Ambrosia salad was one of those attempts at healthier eating in the 80s that was delicious and questionable. It’s roots are claimed by southern states but I was chatting with two people from South Africa yesterday and they were saying that their mothers made it for their families all the time as well. It was […]

The next few posts are going to be a little different as all the cooking was done on site at the Mackin House Museum in Coquitlam, B.C. The house was built in 1909 and has maintained it’s original design so it was a little tight for our group of participants. I was there to offer […]

Hot Cross buns have a long history, that includes magic, healing, protection and connects us through many cultures to the circle and the cross. The first references to a similar bun was in ancient Greek and Roman times where they were an offering to Diana, Goddess of the hunt. As Rome extended out across Europe, […]

I was visiting the other day and nestled on the kitchen counter were jewel toned bottles of marmalade. I asked what flavour they were and was told it was Ma Made. Ma Made? My mind went in several different directions. “Have you never heard of Ma Made?” I was asked. “No”, was my reply. Thus […]

Sometimes life is spontaneous. This recipe is one of those times. I felt like baking and I knew there were people coming for tea. I looked around my busy/messy kitchen and wondered what might be quick and easy to put together.  There was only a little butter sitting at room temperature. I was out of […]

Fruit jellies are something I have toyed with making for many years, ever since I received the Candy addition of The Good Cook/Techniques and Recipes by Time Life Books, published in 1981. This recipe is one of the reasons I substituted apple juice for black currant juice in this previous post for black currant jelly. […]