So, the other week, I got this wild hair, right? Decided I was gonna throw an 80s dinner party. Yeah, you heard that. The whole nine yards – well, mostly the food. Man, 80s food. Some of it was just brilliant, and some of it, well, let’s just say it was very much ‘of its time’.
Why an 80s bash? Dunno, really. Maybe I caught an old movie on telly, or maybe I’m just plain fed up with all this fancy, over-the-top stuff everyone’s serving these days. Give me a good, honest prawn cocktail any day of the week, that’s what I say. Something you can actually recognize, you know?
Nailing Down the Menu – That Was a Trip
First things first, I had to figure out the menu. This was where the proper fun, and a bit of head-scratching, kicked in. I wasn’t after some ‘modern take’ on 80s classics. Nope. I wanted the real deal, the stuff we actually used to pile on our plates back then.
I even dug out some of my mum’s ancient cookbooks. You know the ones, pages all stained with who-knows-what from years of use. Found a few decent ideas online too, but you’ve gotta be careful there. Some folks try to ‘improve’ the old recipes, mess with them. Not on my watch!
So, after a bit of digging, here’s what I landed on for The Main Event – The Food:
- Prawn Cocktail – Had to be done. Served in a wine glass, the proper way.
- Vol-au-vents – Little puff pastry cases filled with a creamy chicken and mushroom mix. Fiddly as anything to make, but so worth it.
- Quiche Lorraine – Because what 80s dinner party didn’t have a quiche sitting proudly on the table?
- Beef Stroganoff – Felt dead posh back in the day, and you know what? It’s still a pretty decent dish.
- And for afters… Black Forest Gateau. From scratch? You betcha. Well, mostly. The Kirsch definitely made an appearance.
Right, then shopping. That was an adventure in itself. Trying to find good-sized prawns that weren’t already cooked into rubber bullets. And a proper block of cheddar for the cheese and pineapple hedgehog. Oh yeah, I went there. Made a cheese and pineapple hedgehog. Don’t you dare judge me, it was iconic!
Getting Down to Business: The Cooking Marathon
Okay, so the day before the do, I properly got stuck in. Made the pastry for the quiche from scratch. Got all the chicken prepped for the vol-au-vents. Chopped what felt like a mountain of onions. My kitchen looked like a bomb had hit it, but a very delicious-smelling bomb, mind you.
Those vol-au-vents… I remember my mum making them, and I used to think she was some kind of kitchen magician. Turns out, puff pastry, even the ready-made stuff I eventually caved and bought, can be a right pain. Getting them to puff up all golden and not just collapse into a sad little heap… felt like a massive win when they came out looking decent.
And the prawn cocktail sauce – now that’s an art form, mate. Ketchup, bit of mayo, splash of Worcestershire sauce, tiny bit of Tabasco, squeeze of lemon. And my secret weapon from back in the day: a tiny dash of brandy. Still works a treat, that does.
The Black Forest Gateau. Cor, that was a mission. Layering it all up. Chocolate sponge, loads of whipped cream, cherries absolutely swimming in Kirsch. I might have done a few ‘quality control’ sips of the Kirsch. Purely for research, of course.
Party Time! Did They Eat It?
Come the night of the party, I was actually buzzing. Got the table laid with the best china – none of that everyday stuff. Had some cracking 80s tunes on the go. Duran Duran, Spandau Ballet, the whole lot. Set the mood, you know?
Folks started arriving, and the comments about the food started straight away! It was brilliant. My old mate Dave practically had tears in his eyes when he saw the prawn cocktail. Said his mum used to make it every single Christmas, just like that.
The vol-au-vents? Vanished. Gone in about five minutes flat. Knew they’d be a hit! The Quiche went down a storm too. Even Sarah, who’s usually all about her kale smoothies and chia seeds, had a massive slab.
The Stroganoff was wolfed down with the main course. Served it up with some fluffy white rice. Simple stuff, but it just works, doesn’t it? You don’t need a load of fancy micro-herbs and truffle oil to make people happy, turns out.
So, Was It Worth It?
Honestly, it was one of the best dinner parties I’ve thrown in ages. We had such a laugh. The food wasn’t ridiculously complicated, not really. But it was fun. It was proper nostalgic. And it was just… comforting, you know?
Was it a load of effort? Yeah, course it was. More than just bunging a pizza in the oven. But seeing everyone enjoy themselves, digging into the food, and reminiscing about the good old days (and some of the truly awful fashion choices we all made), it was absolutely worth every minute.
Might even tackle a 70s one next. Fondue, anyone? Hmm, on second thoughts, maybe not. My carpets still haven’t quite recovered from the Great Fondue Incident of ’78. But that, my friends, is a whole other story for another time.