Recipes From The 1980's and 90's News Letter
Thu, 1 Jul 2004, at 10:36 p.m.
 
This news letter is from an AOL food chat and is printed here at Recipes From Friends with permission of host Judee.

Tonight we completed the redo of the original chat Grandma, Mom and Me. We hope you enjoyed the recipes and the information about the influence history had on our cuisine from 1920-1990. Join us next week for a special chat with information and recipes from the 21st century researched and written by none other than Host Food Amy. We hope you attend this chat.

Judee

**This is a permanent mailing list. If you want your name removed e-mail me.

Welcome to the next chapter of ‘Grandma, Mom and Me, The Past 80 Years.” We have come a longs ways since the 1920’s, and through the years we have seen how cooking was influenced by politics, industry and society. Tonight our chat will be the 1980's and 1990's. I guess this actually should have been Cooking over the past 90 years because we will finish next week with recipes from the 2000.

The 1980’s, the era of Health and Wealth. Gone were the days of a disgraced president, Richard Nixon and the plain living of Jimmy Carter. The rich Regans were in the White House, the stock market was booming and American confidence was returning.

With the 1980’s American was into a spending frenzy. Luxurious houses; fancy cars; and fancy, fashionable food. Double incomes made this possible. This was the decade of the YUPPIES and DINKS. I was one of those people who didn’t fit the mold and continued to cook comfort food, but occasionally did try status food, usually in a restaurant.

Busy life styles, fast food restaurants, and convenience foods drove the American cook out of the kitchen. In a 1988 survey it was reported that only 60% of families ate together at least once a day and I find this very sad. I looked forward to family diners, not only as I was growing up, but the highlight of my day was when I ate with my own family. Although I was a working mother, scout leader, volunteer for a foreign exchange program and had children who participated in sports, I still made sure I prepared a fresh, balanced meal for dinner, and my husband and children were there, in one sitting, eating it. Seldom did we have a grab and go meal. If there is one thing I can advise young couples to do, it would be to slow down and enjoy your family.

This, the Decade of Greed was also the Decade of the Foodie, and Foodies were nothing if not greedy for new taste sensations, exotic new foods, expensive and high-status ingredients. This certainly was not the Decade of the Eaties (if there is such a word) as it wasn’t the eating that was important. Not enough time for that. It was what they were eating; raspberry vinegar, green peppercorns, exotic sauces and chutney, walnut oil, sun dried tomatoes to list a few.

This very 80’s Raspberry Vinegar was sent to me by JKBurglund. Thank you JK for adding to this chat.

2 cups fresh raspberries
1/2 cup granulated sugar
4 cups distilled white vinegar
sprigs of fresh herbs or fresh edible flowers (optional)

Place the berries, sugar & vinegar in a 1 quart glass jar. Store in a cool, dark place for 3 weeks.
Carefully strain into 4 half pint bottles. Discard pulp & seeds. At this point you can add edible flowers, or complimentary herbs such as mint leaves for visual interest, if desired. Cap the bottles and keep refrigerated. Will last up to 3 months in the refrigerator. From Berries: A country Garden Cookbook.
***End of Recipe***

In the 1980 gourmets discovered the dried tomatoes that Mediterranean peasants had used for centuries.

Golden Dried Tomato Soup

1 butternut squash (about 2 pounds)
1 onion sliced
1 cup (1 1/2 ounces) dried tomato halves
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 1/2 cups water
1 cup milk
` tablespoon chopped fresh basil, or substitute fresh parsley
salt and pepper

Garnish

12 dried tomato halves
1/4 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon milk

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut stem end from squash and halve lengthwise. Place in a shallow baking pan; add 1/2 inch water and bake until fork tender - 45 to 60 minutes.

Meanwhile, in 3 quart saucepan, cook onion in oil over medium heat about 5 minutes or until tender but not browned. Stir in tomato halves and 2 1/2 cups water. Bring to boil; then simmer 5 minutes. Set aside to cool.

For garnish, pour boiling water over 12 dried tomato halves. soak for 2 or 3 minutes, drain softened tomatoes and set aside. Thin sour cream with 1 tablespoon milk. Set aside.

Discard seeds from cooked squash. Scoop squash pulp into container of electric blender or food processor. Add contents of saucepan. Blend until smooth. Return to saucepan. Mix in 1 cup milk and chopped basil, simmer 3 minutes. Thin with additional water or milk, if desired. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve hot, garnishing each bowl with 1 tablespoon sour cream and 3 softened tomato halves.
Serves 4
***End of Recipe***

YUPPIES certainly didn’t have time to cook and if they did it was done for parties and the recipes were complicated and came from glossy covered cookbooks written by well known chefs.

During the 1970’s it was grilling and in the 1980’s it was roasting, especially vegetables. Roasted whole garlic was introduced by Jeremiah Tower and Alice Waters at Chez Panisse.

Roasted Garlic with White Cheese, Olives and Grilled Toasts

4 heads new, unsprouted garlic
6 to 7 sprigs fresh thyme, broken into small pieces
1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup fresh goat cheese
1/4 cup heavy cream
Italian Bread, cut into thin slices
Olive oil for grilling the bread
2 or 3 kinds of green and black olives (but not the pitted California type)

Preheat the oven to 275 degrees. Cut each head of garlic in half horizontally, brush the cut sides with olive oil, and put the heads back together. Arrange them in a shallow baking dish, place half the thyme around them, pour the melted butter and half the olive oil over them, and slat and pepper them. Cover and bake until the garlic is very soft but not at all browned, about 1 1/2 hours, basting the heads occasionally with the oil and butter in the pan.

Put the garlic heads on a serving plate. Mash the cheese with the cream to a spreadable consistency and scoop the cheese onto a serving plate. Pour the remaining olive oil over the cheese and sprinkle with the remaining thyme sprigs. Brush the bread slices lightly with olive oil and grill them on both sides until crisp and golden. serve the bread with the baked garlic, cheese, olives, and plenty of napkins. Each guest squeezes some of the garlic onto a toast, and tops the garlic with some of the cheese. Makes 4 servings.
***End of Recipe***

Popular Cookbooks of the 1980’s and there were many, some too beautiful to take into the kitchen.

***Chez Panisse Menu Cookbook by Alice Waters, was called “one of the few unquestionable brilliant books to appear in several years” by one of its reviewers.
***The Silver Palate Cookbook was one of the best 1980 cookbooks.
***The Frugal Gourmet, Jeff Smith was also giving us a number of cookbooks and his PBS series was well received. He was called one of the “most visible gourmets” by Time Magazine.
***Microwave Gourmet by Barbara Kafka

Another trend was Franco-American-Asian food. Kem Hom was surprising everyone with his blend of Chinese, French, and American ingredients and techniques.. Marinated chicken in rice wine, soy sauce, and ancho chili paste and savory cornmeal waffles with sesame oil, scallions, and ginger were just two of these unusual combinations. Wolfgang Puck opened a very popular Chinese-French restaurants, Chinoise-on Main, in southern California. The following is a comfort food recipe with mixed ethnic ingredients.

Baked Apples with Ginger, Lemongrass and Crème Fraiche

4 firm baking apples (Rome Beauty or McIntosh are good)
2 tablespoons firmly packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons minced candied ginger
2 tablespoons minced fresh lemongrass (or 2 teaspoons minced lemon zest)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Crème Fraiche (below) or sour cream, whipped cream or ice cream.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Core the apples and pare off the upper third of their skins. Mix the sugar, ginger, lemongrass and butter together and stuff the mixture into each apple core. Put the apples in a baking dish just big enough to hold them, cover and bake until the apples are soft all the way through (test with a toothpick), about 40 minutes. Let them cool slightly, then serve with the Crème Fraiche. 4 servings

Real crème fraiche, the French answer to American sour cream, is impossible to make in this country with generally available dairy products. You can make one that is very close.

Crème Fraiche

1 cup heavy cream, not ultra pasteurized
1 tablespoon buttermilk

In a clean bowl or jar mix together the cream and buttermilk. cover tightly and let sit in a warm, dark place 24 hours. By then the cream should have thickened to the consistency of a thin yogurt. it not let it sit up to another 12 hours. Refrigerate, covered, for up to 1 week.
***End of Recipe***

The Eighties Pantry

Keeping track of what was in and what was out during the 80’s wasn’t easy but the following is what a well filled pantry contained. I made sure to check things off just to see if I was in step with everyone else and no I didn’t pass.

STAPLES: Beans, dried, black and French lentils - Cherries, dried - chocolate white - Cornmeal, blue - Oil, walnut - Olive oil, extra virgin - Pasta, especially fresh - polenta - tomatoes, sun dried - Vinegar, balsamic - Vinegar, raspberry and blueberry

DAIRY PRODUCTS: Brie - Crème Fraiche - Goat cheese - Mascarpone

HERBS AND SEASONINGS: Fresh basil, Mint, Coriander (cilantro), Gingerroot, Lemongrass, Sage leaves and Garlic, generally roasted, Chilies, fresh and dried, Peppercorns, green, Saffron and Vanilla, Tahitian.

PRODUCE: Argula, Bell peppers (all colors), Corn kernels, Fiddlehead ferns, Figs, Flowers (edible) Kiwifruit, Limes, Mache (lamb’s quarters), Mangos, Mesclun, Mushrooms, wild, Okra, Oranges (blood), Radicchio, Squash blossoms, Vegetables (baby), Vegetables (funny colored, purple cauliflower, blue potatoes, brown bell peppers, yellow tomatoes etc)

POULTRY, GAME, MEAT AND FISH: Bay scallops, Buffalo, Chicken (free range), Crayfish, Duck, Prosciutto and pancetta, Spot prawns, Swordfish, Venison, Yellowfin tuna.

MISCELLANEOUS: Aioli, Butters (flavored), Caviar (fresh American), Chutneys, Croissants (brioche, muffins, boccacio, and walnut yeast bread), Onion marmalade or confit, Pesto, Zabaglione sauce (sweet and savory)

POTABLES: Amaretto (low brow), Armagnac (high brow), Boutique beers, Calvados (high brow), Cassis (mixed with champagne, mostly), Red wines (California, especially zinfandel), Sambucca (middle brow), and Water (mineral, especially Perrier.

Whatever happened to Spaghetti and Meatballs? My Grandmother would never have recognized what happened to her Macaroni Shrimp Salad!

The new health concepts of upping carbohydrates and lowering protein and fat intake certainly changed the looks and tastes of pasta. Fresh Pasta was very in and if you didn’t have a pasta machine to make your own, it could be found in most supermarkets. Pasta was often flavored and colored with tomato, spinach, beets, saffron, chilies, or herbs. Black Pasta, made with squid ink, was the real thing for a short time. Pasta salad was one of the biggest hits of the pasta fads.

There is a trick in making salads with cold starches, whether it be pasta or rice, which will keep it from becoming a hard, dry, unappealing texture. Refrigeration will definitely bring out the worst in these cold starches. As soon as the pasta is cooked, drain and allow to cool slightly, toss it with the dressing and the rest of the ingredients and serve as soon as possible.

Pasta Salad with olives, Yellow Tomatoes and Three Peppers

1/2 pound fusilli, rotelle or small shells
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium green bell pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped
1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped
1 medium yellow bell pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped
3 green onions, finely chopped
12 to 20 Green olives (kalamata or other soft black olives), pitted and coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
Salt and pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried Greek oregano, crumbled
Romaine leaves for garnish
Small yellow tomatoes, cut in half, for garnish

Cook the pasta in boiling salted water until al dente. Drain the pasta, rinse in cold water, then drain again. Mix the cooled pasta with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Gently toss the pasta with the chopped vegetables and olives, using tow forks to avoid mashing the pasta. In a small bowl, mix the vinegar with a little salt and pepper and the herbs, then stir in the remaining olive oil. Pour the vinaigrette over the salad and toss gently but thoroughly so that everything is coated evenly. Taste for seasoning and correct. Set aside, covered, in a cool place (not the refrigerator) for 30 minutes to let the flavors marry. Line a serving platter or large flat bowl with the romaine leaves and arrange the salad on top of the leaves. Garnish with tomatoes. Serves 4 - 6
***End of Recipe***

PASTA OF THE EIGHTIES: This description of a drawing by Leo Cullum, 1988 New Yorker Magazine won’t do it justice but it was so cute.

*Cravatini (skinny ties) a picture of skinny noodles
*No Fumaretti, shaped like little no smoking signs
*Mortagelli Duoni, little second mortgages
*Portofoni, shaped like portable phones.

Cajun Food was perhaps the greatest craze. Cajun food was not something new, it was just sitting around waiting to be discovered. It had been around since the Acadians were booted out of Nova Scotia in the 1700’s and it was available in the bayous of south Louisiana since then. We owe our thanks to Paul Prudhomme for his sharing the cooking of the Cajuns of Louisiana. Probably the most famous dish shared by Prudhomme was Blackened Redfish. It become so popular that the redfish was put on the endangered list. By the end of the 1980’s Cajun food was out, except in Louisiana, where they know a delicious thing when they eat it.

The following recipe was given to me from a Cajun lady in Houma, Louisiana. She told me that a true Jambalaya does not contain tomatoes as it shouldn’t be red. Thank you Audrey Babineaux.

Perfect Every time Jambalaya

Though this recipe calls for shrimp you can use sausage (hot is what I use), chicken, ribs, etc in place of the shrimp or you can use a combination ie Chicken and sausage. Just make sure to brown it well before placing in the jambalaya. Shrimp are placed in raw.

1/3 pound bacon
2 medium onions, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
1 large bunch parsley, chopped (about 2 cups)
1 medium bell pepper, chopped
1 teaspoon garlic powder, or can use fresh garlic, chopped
1/2 cup green onions with tops, chopped
2 pounds of peeled raw shrimp or browned meats
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
Dash of red or black pepper
8 cups water
4 cups raw long-grained rice
2 teaspoons Kitchen Bouquet, to darken Jambalaya

In a heavy thick 6 quart pot, brown the bacon until it is very crisp and dry. Remove the bacon, leaving the drippings in the pot. Brown the onions to a dark golden brown color. Add the celery, parsley, bell pepper and green onion and cook over medium heat about 10 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add water, Kitchen Bouquet and bacon. As soon as this mixture comes to a boil, add the shrimp or desired meat. Cook over a rapid boil about 10 minutes and then add rice. Cook about 10 minutes over medium heat before covering the pot. Cover and cook on low until rice is done. Stir rice once only during the cooking to allow juices to spread evenly. Serve with Tabasco at the table for individual use. Serves 10-12 With a nice green salad and fresh hot French bread this makes a perfect dinner.
***End of Recipe***

California Cuisine might have been the beginning of the New American Cuisine in the late 70’s, however in the 80’s the trendiest cooking was that of the American Southwest. Chefs in California started this fad with Mexican cooking and it wasn’t too long that we started seeing Cal-Mex, Tex-Mex or Santa Fe style cuisine.

This soup was prepared by a Mexican-American family of modest means and served at a party. Accompanied by corn tortillas it was delicious and very easy.

Chicken Soup with Salsa

3 cups hot cooked rice
1 cup or more shredded cooked chicken
Salsa Cruda (below)
8 cups of hot chicken broth, well seasoned to taste

Place 1/2 cup of the rice in each soup bowl, top with a little chicken, and then add a large spoonful of the salsa. Ladle in the hot broth and serve the soup with the rest of the salsa on the table for each guest to add as desired. If served with beans and tortillas, this makes a filling and economical meal.
***End of Recipe***

Salsa Cruda aka Pico de Gallo (which means Rooster’s Beak)

3 medium tomatoes (peeled if you like)
1 to 3 jalapeno peppers, seeds and veins removed
3 green onions
1/2 cup cilantro leaves
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
Salt and pepper to taste

Chop all vegetables fine. Mix together well. Season with lime and salt and pepper.
***End of Recipe***

Mexican food is my favorite and the recipe that follows is a wonderful Enchilada, easy to make, and great for a Mexican Fiesta. Serve with Mexican Rice, Refried Beans and a good Mexican Beer. To complete the meal have a fresh fruit platter and flan for dessert.

Deluxe Chicken Enchiladas in Tomatilla Sauce

2 Whole chicken Breasts
water
1/2 small onion
1 bay leaf
8 peppercorns
salt
1/2 medium onion, chopped
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan Cheese
4 ounces Monterey Jack cheese
1 can (4 ounces green chilies)
1 can (13 ounces) tomatillos, drained (can use fresh boiled tomatillos)
1/4 cup cilantro leaves
3/4 cup whipping cream
1 egg
8 corn tortillas
4 ounces Cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (1 cup)
Guacamole
1 cup dairy sour cream
3-4 radishes, sliced
2 cups shredded lettuce
12 ripe olives

Put chicken in large pot. Add water to cover, onion, bay leaf, peppercorns and salt to taste. Bring to a boil; reduce heat; cover and simmer 45 minutes or until tender. Cool chicken in broth; drain reserving broth for another use. Shred chicken with 2 forks or your fingers. Mix shredded chicken, chopped onion, Parmesan cheese and 1 cup shredded jack cheese. Add salt if necessary. Set aside. In blender or food processor combine green chilies, tomatillos, cilantro, whipping cream and egg. Blend until smooth. Add salt to taste. Set aside. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. heat lard (you can use shortening) in skillet and with tongs carefully place 1 tortilla at a time in hot lard. Hold in skillet 3 to 5 seconds, until softened. Quickly turn tortilla and soften other side. Drain over skillet or on paper towels. Place 1/8 of chicken mixture on each tortilla, pressing the mixture to make it compact. roll tightly and place seam side down in a 12x7x1/2 inch baking dish. Pour chile cream mixture over enchiladas and sprinkle evenly with 1 cup shredded jack cheese. Bake 20 minutes or until heated through and bubbly. Prepare guacamole. For each serving, place 2 enchiladas on a plate and top with about 3 tablespoons sour cream. Place a mound of guacamole over sour cream. Garnish with radish slices. Place 1/2 cup shredded lettuce next to enchilada, if desired. Place a mound of guacamole on the lettuce. Top guacamole with 1 tablespoon sour cream and 2 ripe olives if desired. Makes 8 enchiladas.

I ALWAYS DOUBLE THIS RECIPE!!!!!!!!!
***End of Recipe***

Fruit in general and then exotic fruits were very popular in the 80’s Raspberries and Kiwi were making an appearance everywhere, and a dish hardly seem complete without mango chutney or pineapple-corn kernel salsa. Other fruits appearing during this era was, Carambola (star fruit), passion fruit and blood oranges. I had to be trendy and planted a male and female kiwi vine at the end of my deck. After the fifth year it produced 80 pounds of kiwi. I soon realized I much preferred a larger deck and had the vines removed and replanted in the country at a friends house.

***”If food in general has not replaced sex in the puritanical canon, chocolate in particular has” stated Betty Fussell, Masters of American Cookery (1983)

White chocolate is not technically chocolate at all, because it contains no cocoa powder. It is simply cocoa butter flavored with milk and vanilla.

White Chocolate Brownies

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
8 ounces white chocolate chips
2 large eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup all purpose unbleached flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 ounces semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Melt the butter in a small saucepan. Remove from the heat and add half the white chocolate, stirring until melted. In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs until frothy, then gradually add the sugar, beating until thick and pale lemon colored, about 3 minutes. Stir the melted chocolate mixture and vanilla into the eggs. sift the flour with the salt and mix into the egg mixture until just combined. Stir in the semisweet chocolate and remaining white chocolate chips. Pour the batter into a buttered and floured 8-inch square pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out almost clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool in the pan on a wire rack. Makes 16 squares.
***End of Recipe***

As the Greed Decade and the Regan years came to an end the high salaried, high consumption and status seeking image conscious Americans were facing the stock market collapse and junk bond and savings and loan scandals. People were concerned about lost jobs and pay cuts. Spending was slowing down and the first place to save was at the high-priced restaurants of which many closed. The newest trend was just around the corner in the 1990’s.

Welcome 1990!!!! We are back to comfort food, just like Mom used to make. Jane and Michael Stern were at the forefront of this trend with “Square Meals” and Ernest M. Micklers gave us the “White Trash Cookbook”. Many of the Comfort Foods were what Mommy and Grandma were making in the 20’s, 30’s and 40’s. Meat loaf, Biscuits and Chili con Carne and desserts like Hot Fudge Pudding Cake.

Going out to eat was different now. More appealing than free range duckling with maple-mango chutney for about $25.00 people were now ordering pork chops and mashed potatoes for about $10.00. Cuisina Povera - the cuisine of poverty - in the form of beans was back. And beans were good for us. Tuscan beans were showing up everywhere, with extra virgin olive oil. especially in Trattorias. Of course they had to be authentic and not out of a can.

Food with hot chilies were also very big. In 1993 there were six books in print solely about chilies. Other cookbooks contained some chili fired recipes. The habanero was the newest trend, 100 time more fiery than a jalapeno.

Fresh Peach Salsa

1 1/2 cups peeled, ripe, firm, peaches, cut into 1/2 inch dice
1/4 cup minced red onion
1/2 small red pepper, seeded and cut into 1/4 inch dice
1 fresh serrano or jalapeno chili, seeded and finely chopped
1 teaspoon honey
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground cardamon seeds
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground coriander seeds
Pinch of salt

Mix all ingredients. Taste for seasoning and correct. Cover and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving. Refrigerate if you are going to serve later. This spicy salsa is very good with grilled pork tenderloin, the fashionable meat of the early nineties.
***End of Recipe***

Food from Central America, South America especially Brazil with its African based cuisine and Cuban food were now the in thing. Jamaican jerked chicken was a very popular dish made with those incendiary habanero chilies.

The following recipe is one that is very popular in Brazil and Cuba. The meat is served hot with steamed rice in Cuba. In Brazil it is served with plantains and collard greens. For this recipe the pork is served at room temperature accompanied by a cool salad of beans and avocado.

For the Pork:
1 teaspoon grated orange peel
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 slice fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1 cup orange juice
1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
1 tablespoon firmly packed brown light or dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 boned and rolled pork loin, about 2-3 pounds

For the Sauce:
1 cup fresh orange juice
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1 teaspoon grated orange peel
1 slice ginger, peeled and minced
1 garlic clove, peeled and minced
1 bay leaf
Sugar to taste

For the Black Bean and Avocado Salad:
1 (16 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 small red onion, peeled and diced
1/2 cup cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 avocados, peeled and pitted, cut into large dice
8 orange slices, for garnish

Combine all the pork ingredients, except the loin, in a large casserole or baking pan. Put the pork loin in the pan and turn to coat with the mixture. Marinate, covered in the refrigerator, for at least 3 hours or overnight, turning occasionally. Preheat oven to 450 degrees and place pork on a baking rack in a roasting pan and bake until a meat thermometer inserted in the center of the roast registers 155 degrees, about 35 minutes. Set pork aside to cool while you make the sauce.

Combine all ingredients for the sauce in a small heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat so the mixture just simmers. Cook until sauce is slightly syrupy, about 15 minutes. Correct seasonings, adding sugar or more vinegar as necessary. Strain sauce and set aside to cool.

To make the salad, mix the beans with the onion and cilantro in a small bowl. Toss with the oil, 1 tablespoon of the orange juice, and the lime juice. Taste for seasoning and correct, adding salt and pepper as necessary. Toss the avocado cubes with the remaining orange juice. Just before serving gently mix the avocado into the bean mixture.

To serve, mound the beans salad in the center of a serving platter. Cut the pork loin into slices and arrange them on a platter around the bean salad. drizzle the sauce over the pork and garnish the platter with the orange slices. Makes 6 to 8 servings.
***End of Recipe***

Much of the food in the 90’s is better now, more varied, fresher and lighter than before. We can find fresh goat cheese, handmade breads baked in brick ovens, extra virgin olive oil, walnut and avocado oil and good wines. We have dried cherries from Wisconsin, fresh wild mushrooms from the Northwest and corn, dried beans and ancient chilies from the Southwest, and we can try exotic tropical fruits and vegetables which were unknown in the 20’s. All of these are available in most of our supermarkets, and at a decent price.

Many of us no longer cook at all and then some of us do so only occasionally. However there are the hard core people like us who cook often and well. Now there are the people who are uncertain about the economic future who are learning to cook good food and spend more time with their families.

We all must eat. We have many choices in America making it possible to cook virtually anything we want, whether it be frozen, canned, fat free, or high in fat, exotic or just wonderful comfort food. The most important thing in our cooking, whether it be simple or sophisticated, it should be prepared with love and respect.

Thank you all for joining us tonight. Please come back next week when we will complete this series with a special chat researched and written by Host Food Amy.