EATING IN THE FIFTIES and SIXTIES.

aussie_paul · Guru

EATING IN THE FIFTIES and SIXTIES.

Bulldozer · Senior Member

I can remember when my parents only drank a pot of tea, coffee wasn't an option, only coffee essence, not sure what that was. Beer was always there, my old man allways went to the pub every night, I knew when he was home, sometimes he took out the front fence pulling into the drive way.

Bobdown · Guru

Bulldozer wrote:
I can remember when my parents only drank a pot of tea, coffee wasn't an option, only coffee essence, not sure what that was. Beer was always there, my old man allways went to the pub every night, I knew when he was home, sometimes he took out the front fence pulling into the drive way.

You old man was Bulldozer Snr by the sound of it. smile

Bulldozer · Senior Member

Bobdown wrote:
Bulldozer wrote:
I can remember when my parents only drank a pot of tea, coffee wasn't an option, only coffee essence, not sure what that was. Beer was always there, my old man allways went to the pub every night, I knew when he was home, sometimes he took out the front fence pulling into the drive way.
You old man was Bulldozer Snr by the sound of it.

Yeah, the old FJ Holden took a few knocks.

Cupie · Guru

To add to that great & true list ..

Olive oil was medicine from the chemist

ps. My family & most in our street did not have motorcars. Push bikes without gears were the go. The double gate in the front fence was never opened.

Mike Harding · Guru

I remember it well... Sunday lunch when Mum would boil the carrots for three hours - give me a SE Asian diet anyday.

Plain Truth · Guru

Bulldozer wrote:
I can remember when my parents only drank a pot of tea, coffee wasn't an option, only coffee essence, not sure what that was. Beer was always there, my old man allways went to the pub every night, I knew when he was home, sometimes he took out the front fence pulling into the drive way.

Showing my age here,I can remember it well.Coffee and chicory essence

Cupie · Guru

Mike Harding wrote:
I remember it well... Sunday lunch when Mum would boil the carrots for three hours - give me a SE Asian diet anyday.

Sounds like meals at our place too. All veges had the bejesus boiled out of them ... beans squash potatoes carrots pumpkin from our garden of course, all the goodness poured down the sink and the tasteless mash served up with overcooked meat. But we thrived.

bratboy · Veteran Member

Plain Truth wrote:
Bulldozer wrote:
I can remember when my parents only drank a pot of tea, coffee wasn't an option, only coffee essence, not sure what that was. Beer was always there, my old man allways went to the pub every night, I knew when he was home, sometimes he took out the front fence pulling into the drive way.
Showing my age here,I can remember it well.Coffee and chicory essence

still buy it today https://shop.coles.com.au/a/national/product/bushells-coffee-chicory-essence

$4.30 a bottle

bratboy · Veteran Member

Not only were the home grown veggies cooked to with in an inch of there lives they were grown the same way , was almost a sin to pick anything young . everything has to stay in the garden till a very old age so it got as big as possible .feed more that way

Bulldozer · Senior Member

I loved it when my mother cooked a leg of lamb for Sunday baked dinner, I can still taste the baked potatoes and pumpkin cooked in left over dripping. Probable heart attack material, but yummy.

Cupie · Guru

Bulldozer wrote:
I loved it when my mother cooked a leg of lamb for Sunday baked dinner, I can still taste the baked potatoes and pumpkin cooked in left over dripping. Probable heart attack material, but yummy.

Sounds like many of us lived/ate the same way. Sunday roast mutton was a ritual at our place. We would fight over who would get the bottom of the cooled dripping, speckled with bits of meat gravy, to spread on bread. Being the youngest I would often win by default.

msg · Guru

A real aussie would not have eaten mutton.

Craig1 · Guru

"A real aussie would not have eaten mutton."

MSG< I think the taste and the tenderness were often tempered by the skill of the cook, so you may not have known how many birthdays the woolless beast had passed.

msg · Guru

We killed our own beasts,

Buzz Lightbulb · Guru

Meat and three veggies every, single, evening, meal unless dad brought home fish and chips as a treat.

86GTS · Guru

My parents were keen on ofal, kidneys, liver, tripe, brains etc.

markf · Senior Member

Mike Harding wrote:
I remember it well... Sunday lunch when Mum would boil the carrots for three hours - ....

Yep, that'll screw carrots up but giving brussel sprouts the same treatment can turn a tasty vegetable into nothing more than chook food. That's probably the reason so few people eat brussel sprouts these days. Boiling for a long time is also a good way to wreck broad beans....

Mike Harding · Guru

The sprouts received the same torture as the carrots - took me about 30 years after to learn to like brussel sprouts:

----

Brussel sprouts and bacon

14th August 2004

2 tabsp olive oil
1 tabsp butter
2 garlic cloves crushed
2 tabsp sesame seeds
3 rashers bacon, trimmed and finely chopped
3 tabsp fresh breadcrumbs
12 brussel sprouts, trimmed
½ cup grated tasty cheese

Heat oil and butter in small frying pan over medium heat until hot. Add garlic, sesame seeds and bacon. Cook, stiring often for 3 minutes or until light golden. Add breadcrumbs. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until golden. Set aside to cool slightly.

Meanwhile cut sprouts in half lengthways. Wash and, with water clinging, place into a dish and cover with clingfilm. Microwave for 5 minutes on high. Drain.

Add bacon mixture, cheese, salt and pepper to sprouts. Toss well and serve.

86GTS · Guru

Sprouts cook to lovely melt in your mouth consistency if you add bicarb soda to the water when boiling.

msg · Guru

How about just steaming your vegetables, so you can actually enjoy the vegetables themselves rather than cover them in some sauce making them unidentifiable. You could be eating s--t for all you know.

Buzz Lightbulb · Guru

86GTS wrote:
My parents were keen on ofal, kidneys, liver, tripe, brains etc.

The very first time I went away on a fishing trip with my dad and his mates, he taught me how to cook lambs fry, delicious. Much better than mum cooking the lamb chops until they had no more juice in them.

Mike Harding · Guru

msg wrote:
How about just steaming your vegetables, so you can actually enjoy the vegetables themselves rather than cover them in some sauce making them unidentifiable. You could be eating s--t for all you know.

The most nutritious way to cook vegetables is in the microwave.

Sauces have their place as the French have demonstrated for centuries of creative and competent cooking; how much better is apple pie with custard or a tossed salad with a vinaigrette dressing? And SE Asian cooking, very healthy generally, uses sauces extensively.

When I get a yearning for raw vegetables I make crudites... usually with dipping sauces :)

Valkie · Veteran Member

Chicken was expensive, so we had rabbit ( I hate rabbit) Lamb was cheaper than steak, so we ate lamb, mince or sausages. As a kid I got $1.50 a week for special lunch each week, this bought me a pie with sauce and a frozen sunnyboy.....a real treat. We couldnt afford a car, so we walked everywhere, and every now and them we caught a bus home. Taxis were unknown to me until i started work. As an apprentice, I would stand in the freezing cold, wet, waiting for the bus to get home from TAFE, and this was normal. We walked everywhere, so what did we do for fun? We caught a train ( child excursion $0.20 to Heathcoate station and bush-walk from Heathcoate to Sutherland station. Food was always basic, no herbs or spices and definitely no garlic. Vegitables were boiled to death with bicarb, tasted dreadful. Meat was cooked to death, and covered with tomato sauce. It wasnt until I got married that I discovered that you coukd cook home cooked meals that were as good as or better than restaurants. Speaking of which, i had my first restaurant food at 20. Prior to that, only the local RSL was as fancy as it got. Over tge last 45 years things have changed. Wonderful food has been brought to our shores from many cultures. Many food items are now cheap and easily accessable, fast food is too accessable and affordable. I have travelled the world been to many countries and eaten things I would never have considered food, and loved it. Dad still ate dripping sandwiches right up to his death at 90. The food couldnt have been too bad.

Bulldozer · Senior Member

Craig1 wrote:
"A real aussie would not have eaten mutton."

Unless it was dressed up as Lamb....hahaha.

Corndoggy · Senior Member

Ahhh the 60's. I remember the food back then. That was a time you could eat.
Probably because I had teeth back then.

Craig1 · Guru

Yep, late 60's, introduced to Veal Parmiagama at Middle Park Pub in Melbourne. Yummy

Cupie · Guru

msg wrote:
A real aussie would not have eaten mutton.

In the 40s & 50's most Sheep meat was sold as Mutton. Lamb was a rare item. These days mutton is never displayed in Supermarket meat sections.

I did read somewhere that lots of Au Mutton is exported.

ps. We sometimes purchased a two toother & butchered it ourselves.

Magnarc · Guru

IMHO there is absolutely nothing wrong with a mutton stew. Cooked with onions, carrots and swede with spuds when I was a little brat, (some would say that I still am!) It was a good cheap feed in those days. I thought it was delicious and would certainly eat it again if it was available.

Whenarewethere · Guru

At my Grandparents every year full roast dinner (lunch), pudding etc for Christmas +40°C in the dinning room.