Forty Years Ago Today….

January 2, 2017

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Couldn’t resist trolling through the January, 1977 issue of Gourmet, just to remind myself what a different world it was.  I found many ads for long-gone restaurants….

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Along with a reminder that in those days travel was both safe and cheap.

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Recipes, however, were often time-consuming.  This issue suggested pike quenelles with shrimp sauce (an all-day project), baked Alaska, puff pastry…. well you get the idea.

It also, however, featured this recipe for a banana cake that strikes me as both unusual and appealing.

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8 Comments

  • MaggieToo says:

    The filling for that banana cake sounds terrific, and a nice change from sticky-sweet fillings. I believe I’m going to try that but frost the cake with a caramel icing. Thanks Ruth, and Happy New Year to you.

  • sue says:

    why the butter on the “plate”?

  • Carla Cargile says:

    Gosh what a mouth watering recipe! My goal to try it very soon. Thank you!

  • Leigh says:

    I’m fascinated by the butter on the bottom of the cake. Why?

  • Joy Kramer says:

    Wow, all the butters and cream. But sounds yummy. Never saw any recipe like this before. Okay, when you all try it, just call me to taste it, okay?

  • Joshua Friedman says:

    Did anyone ever go to Pontes? I had a warehouse in the 70s around the corner on Desbrosses St., but I never went in.

  • Paz says:

    Mmmm , that butter on the center of the cake tin , maybe to hold the cake so it won’t move ? The cake sounds so interesting. Thank you for sharing.
    Happy new year !!

  • Brenda Oswalt says:

    I often make a cake that whips the egg whites separately from the egg yokes, oil (or butter) and usually add spices to it. This isn’t much different than this recipe, except for the dry sherry. Adding Grand Marnier , orange extract in place of the sherry makes a great orange layer cake.

    Its a very old way of making a layer cake – probably back when they had no light type “cake” flours.

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