The Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Sixties Cookbook (3 page)

DO. . . COOK EXOTIC NEW THINGS

Don’t know what makes a platter pupu? Never heard of rumaki? No matter. Most Sixties hosts hadn’t either before they served them. Cooking in the Sixties meant taking risks and trying new things; mixing old and new. You may be a kitchen whiz and roll your own sushi, but you haven’t lived until you’ve made a quivering, shimmering aspic.

Of all the decades in the twentieth century, the Sixties—sandwiched between the kitschy Fifties and psychedelic Seventies—might be the easiest table to re-create. The look of Sixties serving ware was very clean. Solid colors were typically embellished with just circles, diamonds, or minimalist shapes. You will be able to pick up most of these items for a song at secondhand shops. Buying signed pieces at a reputable antiques dealer is another story, and a matter of personal taste. (We admit that we own some California Pottery pieces and a collection of Russel Wright dinnerware that set us back a bit.)

There are many places to find reasonably priced midcentury tableware. Secondhand shops, retro
housewares shops, and online auction sites will offer a wide selection, and as long as you aren’t looking for rare name brands, you should be able to affordably decorate your dining room for the affair. Here are some ideas to bring the Sixties home:

Silver was a must for formal occasions. Most people began their collection as wedding presents. Dress up the table with shiny trays, buffets, and serving dishes. Of course, you don’t have to use real silver; once there’s food on top of them, your guests won’t notice if you use sterling, aluminum, or even those silver-colored plastic serving items from discount stores. But do look for serving ware with a pretty pattern or angular Scandinavian design. Silverware with teak handles was all the rage. (And because so few homes had dishwashers, and everything was hand-washed, no one had to worry about wear and tear.)

Brands like Lenox and Waterford still sell similar patterns today as they did in the midcentury. Look for intricate diamond cuts on crystal, and classic white china with subtle decoration.

For a more casual meal, set the table with green-or amber-colored glass dishes. Popular Sixties pieces had diamond cuts or, our favorite, ruffled edges.

Invented in the sixteenth century, the opaque glass can be any number of colors, the solid white was the popular choice in the Sixties. Milk glass candy dishes, small bowls, vases, and salt and pepper shakers are easy to find in thrift stores or online. To mimic the midcentury look, go for anything with a “Hobnail” pattern—the raised bumps that are meant to imitate the look of lace.

Bright, solid-colored ceramic dishes were popular, and this brand of pottery from the West Coast set the standard. It can still be found online and at housewares stores specializing in retro fare. Sixties colors were vibrant: bright blue, green, orange, yellow, and gold. To this day, the sight of avocado green and harvest gold can conjure up memories of the era.

Solid-colored enamel or porcelain with striking contrasting shapes—usually leaves—can still be found in stores. If you come across anything vintage by Cathrineholm, snap it up! But be warned, their fabulous pieces are often called “the gateway drug” to midcentury collecting mania.

Since fresh flowers (called “greenhouse flowers” back then) weren’t available in every supermarket, and were considered a luxury purchase, most centerpieces revolved around tall candles. You can use either armed candelabras (a common wedding gift in the Sixties), or single stands.

That candle can look pretty lonely all by itself, so wreath it with an arrangement of plastic flowers. Don’t feel restricted by the natural (more or less) colors of the flora. A secret weapon for midcentury decorators? Spray! Dull centerpieces were not tolerated. Fake frost was sprayed over winter items. Metallic spray paint was used to make food displays pop (gold pineapples, silver artichokes . . .). And clear spray just gave a nice sheen to otherwise dull walnuts or artificial daisies. Look for the various sprays at hobby supply shops.

Party linens, both tablecloth and linen napkins, were required for any social gathering. Depending on your menu, choose either a solid color matte tablecloth, or a retro pattern. A cut of fabric will also suffice; just don’t use anything satiny or embroidered.

No fair using a slow cooker—even the adorable little ones—to keep your food or sauces warm; they weren’t invented until 1971. A chafing dish is the Sixties serving utensil of choice to keep your cocktail meatballs warm. It also acts as a cooking vessel for those flambé dishes that we promise to teach you how to make. You may find a simple inexpensive metal chafing dish or an elaborately stamped silver server that looks like something off King Louis XIV’s table. Regardless of the style, you may have to do a bit of polishing to get your purchase up to snuff. Once you establish the kind of fuel it uses, buy plenty of it so you don’t run out mid-cherries jubilee.

A Sixties party can attain pitch-perfect authenticity with just one item—a sleek chip-and-dip set. There are two styles. The first is a glass combination set, with a larger bowl for the chips, and a smaller container that hooks on the bowl’s lip for the dip. They are easier to find than you might think, and because of their former ubiquity, reasonably priced. Or, go ceramic. If you can locate one, invest in a Brad Keeler chip-and-dip set. His shiny designs, mostly lettuce leaves with tomatoes or lobsters, are colorful conversation pieces that just might steal the show. If you have one, we’re jealous. If you don’t, good luck winning one on eBay! They are hot collectors’ items.

Retro-style paper cocktail napkins are another easy way to set the tone for your party. Buy some to place at the bar area and near the food. Plan on having at least three cocktail napkins per person per hour of your party. If you are feeling flush, provide each guest with their own cloth cocktail napkin, a nicety that the toniest hostesses would employ. They are reusable too.

There’s nothing worse than not having a place to dispose of your used cocktail napkins. Placing them anywhere but a garbage can is completely unacceptable, unsanitary, and uncool. You don’t have to drag your giant kitchen trash can into your party area. Just get a couple of bathroom-sized cans—in retro patterns if you can find them, if not, solid Sixties colors—and place a couple on the floor discreetly near the food.

Nothing says Sixties party like toothpicks with frilly, colored cellophane tips. Thankfully, they’re still available at most grocery stores or easily found online. If you can find a vintage toothpick holder—usually a ceramic animal of some kind like a bunny hiding behind a tree stump or a piggy with an open back—definitely use it to present your toothpicks. If not, a small, plain shot glass will do.

Even for modern nonsmokers, vintage ashtrays are great decoration. But during cocktail hour, they provide another use: a convenient receptacle for used toothpicks. Before the party starts, place a few toothpicks in each ashtray, and people will get the idea.

Back in the Sixties, about the best one could do was to stack a couple of records in the hi-fi changer and let them play in order. Now, thanks to the technology of CD and MP3 players, you can mix your party’s background music with the push of a button or two, and have it play for hours and hours (or until the neighbors call the cops). With the reemergence of cocktail lounge music, the music selection is wide, varied, and readily available for purchase. We’ve provided some ideas for each of the party menus. We often prefer compilation CDs because they already offer a buffet of music with various talents to keep things lively.

You may not have to download and purchase your Esquivel or Yma Sumac. Check out the music channels on your cable TV or look for an online radio station that features midcentury music, and you just might find free tunes.

All you Need Is Love

CHAPTER 2

FOOD TO DRINK BY: APPETIZERS AND HORS D’OEUVRES

W
hether you’re trying to tide your guests over until dinner, or making sure they have something in their stomach while they knock back drinks, tiny food is big fun. Technically, “appetizers” are the first course of a meal, eaten with utensils while seated at the table. They are meant to complement the main course in terms of flavor, whetting the appetite for the starring attraction. “Hors d’oeuvres”—which means “apart from the main work” in French—are supposed to be separate food passed or situated around a gathering room before dinner. Most people use the terms interchangeably, and you can certainly serve both: hors d’oeuvres during the cocktail hour, and appetizers as the first course of your meal.