EVERYTHING'S GONE RETRO

You know that you are a "certain" age when you see the full cycle of fashion.

When that style comes around again, you are definitely going into your fourth or fifth decade.

In the 80's we thought it was rather cool to do the 60's retro thing -  Ray Bans were huge and then there were the B 52s. Ah, Rock Lobster...

The retro 60's are back, again. My 11 year old daughter has new glasses which would make Georgie Girl spin and my son watches Mad Men as if it's education! This DesperateAngloHousewife also watches Mad Men, but that's simply because she is perving at Don Draper! He really is the ultimate 60's retro hunk...where was he in the 80's during the last "60s re-visit?"

Food also goes round in fashion. The cup cake, in all its pastel coloured glory, has received a huge welcome back and now, in France, the 60s Tropezienne cake is starting to edge itself back into our palate's favour with new modern flavours, etc.

Flicking through a cuisine magazine recently, I came across something I had not seen in a very long time...chicken liver paté. I can still see my mother, early 1970's floating around in her caftan, enormous Nina Ricci sunglasses with a platter of rice-crackers and a large orange pottery jar of chicken liver paté. Actually its delcious and also rather good for you.. if you pretend the butter's not there...

Here's my modern take on my mother's recipe..the sherry and cognac have been replaced with port and calvados. The chopped parsley replaced with the zing of cardomom.

Inspired Chicken Liver Paté

Inspired Chicken Liver Paté

200gr unsalted butter

250 gr trimmed and chopped chicken liver

2 bacon rashers, chopped

1 red onion, chopped

salt and freshly ground pepper

1 teaspoon cardomom

1/4 cup port

1/4 cup calvados

Melt butter slowly in a frying pan and add chopped onion,bacon and livers. Cook slowly 15 minutes. Season generously with salt and pepper. Add cardomom. 

Pop mixture in food processor and whizz until really smooth..

Spoon mixture into a terrine dish and let set for minimum 4 hours in refridgerator.