Trove Tuesday – The Moruya Slice & the Mad Men Cocktail Party

So , thanks to the helpful hints from the Australian Women’s Weekly of Wednesday 26 September, 1962, we have the preparations for a Mad Men cocktail party well underway.
We have organised:

1. The Critical Guest List – The AWW gave us  helpful hints on who to invite and who not to invite. Some of those suggestions hold true today!

2. The Drinks – Just as it does now, back in the 60′s the same rule applied – Get the drinks right! The only major difference is that in the 60′s it was definitely the husband’s domain!

3.Decorations – The AWW guided hosts in the art of setting an attractive table and several colour schemes were proposed

4. Entertainment -ENTERTAINMENT – This should be as lighthearted and as apparently spontaneous as the party itself.

1.Music will help create the right mood and is a pleasant background to conversation. In the later stages guests may provide their own, but in the meantime you can do it for them
2.Party games are a risk unless you are sure guests like them; there are many who don’t.
3. Good conversation is the prop and main- stay of any party, so be sure to include one really good conversationalist to start the ball rolling.
4.”Singing round the piano” is back under a new name, the singalong. For this you’ll need at least one or two guests who can sing in tune.
5. Performing children and animals are out for adult parties. Few people except the proud owners really care for them.
6. Many people enjoy dancing, so if you have the space, clear off a small dance floor at one end of the living-room or terrace.

We are only short of that one ingredient for a successful cocktail part – The Food! As the AWW tells us:

1.Make sure there is plenty of it. Hungry guests are inclined to be more critical.
2.It’s better to ask friends in for bread, cheese, and wine and satisfy them than strain the budget for luxuries that don’t fill.
3.Surprisingly, it isn’t always the lavish parties that people like best. A casual, not too-ambitious get-together with a relaxed hostess is much more likely to be a success
4.Don’t experiment on guests. If you warn to serve something exotic, try it out on du family until you’ve got the hang of it.

Australian Women’s Weekly
26 September, 1962

The AWW helpfully provides the following advice and menu:
THE COCKTAIL PARTY– Cocktail foods should be attractively arranged on platters that arc fairly small.Very large platters mean someone has to tote them throughout the party – and they can become heavy!
The MENU

1. CANAPES
Base of these bite-size savories can be plain or fancy shapes of toasted or fried bread, plain or cheese pastry, savory biscuits, potato crisps, or thin slice of cucumber. Allow 3 or 4 to each guest.

Suggested toppings:

Anchovy: Spread canape with cream cheese, curl anchovy fillet round small stuffed olive.
Caper Cheese: Roll cream cheese (with caper in centre) into ball, then Iighüy coat with poppy seeds.
Ham Diable: Use devilled ham paste as spread, arrange cheese and gherkin in fancy shapes on top.
Crab: Mix flaked crabmeat with mayon- naise, spread generously on canapes, top with grated radish.
Avocado: Mix hint of grated onion and lemon juice with mashed avocado. Pile into centre of prawn curl on canape.
Irish Green: Cover canape with shredded processed cheese, arrange shamrock-shaped slices, of gherkin on top.
Salmon: Smear mayonnaise over canape, lay strip of smoked salmon over.
Caviare: Cover canape with red or black caviare, garnish with circles of soft mild cheese.

MORUYA SLICE
Half pound grated mature cheese, 1 small onion (finely chopped), 2 tablespoons chopped olives, 2 hard-boiled eggs (chopped), 1 cup crushed savory biscuits, 3 tablespoons mayonnaise, salt, cayenne, dash hot chilli sauce.
Combine all ingredients, shape into long roll 1″ to 1 1/2″thick. Roll in waxed paper, chill thoroughly. Just before serving, remove paper, cut roll into thin slices. Arrange on platter with garnish of crisp salad greens and olives or small pickled onions.

DUTCH TRUFFLES
Two cups grated Edam cheese (or any other cheese desired), 1 to 2 tablespoons cream or ale, 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard, 1/4 tea
spoon salt, pinch pepper, 1/4 cup finely chopped celery, 1/4 cup finely chopped parsley and 1 tablespoon chopped chives mixed together.
Mix grated cheese and chopped celery to- gether. Add mustard, salt, pepper. Add sufficient cream or ale to make mixture soft enough to mould. Mix well. Form into marble-sized balls, roll in parsley and chive mixture. Chill.

CHEESE AND RYE STRIPS
Half pound processed or soft cheese, 1/2 to 1 cup chopped walnuts, I teaspoon crushed garlic or garlic salt, paprika, nutmeg, chilli powder, strips of buttered rye bread.
Soften cheese by putting in warm place. Mix thoroughly with walnuts, garlic. Shape mixture into long roll about 11/2″ in diameter. Sprinkle piece of waxed paper with paprika, nutmeg, chilli powder. Roll cheese over mixture until completely covered. Wrap roll in wax paper, store in refrigerator until ready to use, then slice and serve on rye bread.

PRAWN MARINADE
Four pounds prawns (shelled), 1 cut clove garlic, 1 cup finely chopped celery, 2 shallots (finely chopped), 2 tablespoons chopped chives, 1 cup oil, 6 tablespoons lemon juice, 4 teaspoon chilli sauce, f cup horseradish, 2 teaspoons prepared mustard, 1/2 teaspoon paprika, 11/2teaspoons salt.
Rub bowl with cut clove garlic, add all ingredients, including prawns. Allow to marinate 12 hours. Drain prawns, place in bowl, and let guests help themselves.

RAMAKI
One pound chicken livers,. 1 tablespoon flour, salt, pepper, 1/2 to 3/4 lb lean bacon, 1 small can water chestnuts, 1 tablespoon soy sauce.
Wash livers thoroughly, drain well, cut in halves, toss in seasoned flour. Cut bacon into strips about 3″x 1″. Heat bacon-fat strips in pan, add livers, and saute 1 minute, moving them round continuously. Drain, wrap each piece of liver and slice of chestnut with strip of bacon. Secure with cocktail stick (heatproof). Place on oven tray, bake in hot oven 10 to 12 minutes. Sprinkle sparingly with soy sauce, serve. These titbits can be prepared well before- hand up to the stage of baking. They require cooking only at the last moment.

CHICKEN PUFFS
Two packets chicken noodle soup, 3 cups water, 1 1/2 cups milk, 8 tablespoons flour, 4oz. butter or substitute, 2 eggs, 1/2 cup chopped parsley, 2 cups soft bread- crumbs, 4 rashers bacon (cooked and crumbled), cayenne pepper, oil or fat for frying.
Mix soup with the water, cook  7 minutes. Melt butter in saucepan, stir in flour, cook 2 or 3 minutes without browning. Add milk, stir until beginning to thicken, then stir in soup. Continue stirring until mix- ture boils and thickens. Cool slightly, fold in beaten eggs, parsley, breadcrumbs, bacon, pepper. Fry a spoonful at a time in deep hot oil or fat until golden brown. Drain on kitchen paper. Serve hot with piquant sauce.

The Australian Women’s Weekly of the time didn’t just provide the recipes. It came with a full shopping list and a complete running order for the perfect hostess to follow.

What a magazine!

PREPARATION

Two Days Ahead: Buy fresh foods except prawns, milk, and bread (order these). Prepare Chicken Puff mixture, to frying stage, cover, store in refrigerator. Grate all cheese required. Prepare Dutch Truffles, arrange on dish, cover, place in refrigerator
One Day Ahead: Buy prawns, milk, bread. Prepare Moruya Slice, wrap well, store in refrigerator. Prepare Cheese Rye Strips, wrap in waxed paper, refrigerate. Shell prawns, cover, store in refrigerator. . Saute chicken livers for Ramaki, roll in bacon as directed, place in shallow oven-dish, cover, store in refrigerator. Fill all ice-trays and freeze.
Morning of Party: Assemble ingredients foi Prawn Marinade, cover, set aside. Prepare all canape toppings. Assemble salad green garnishes, put in chilled water. Set one table with plates, cudery, etc.
Afternoon of Party: Deep fry Chicken Puffs, drain well, set in ovenproof dish for reheating. Prepare canapes, arrange on platters. Set out few platters of savory bis- cuits with celery curls, tomato roses, radishes, etc., as garnishes. »
Before Guests Arrive: Place hot savories with platters beside oven for heating. Slice Cheese and Rye Strips and Moruya Roll, arrange on platters with crisp salad greens. Drain Prawn Marinade, put in bowls on table beside biscuits. Arrange Dutch Truffles on platter.

Australian Women’s Weekly
26 September, 1962

HOW TO SERVE
• Place all cold platters on table so guests can help themseves and each other.
• Serve hot savories at intervals throughout party.
• If coffee is to be served to those who stay on, have it in readiness, set aside, and make when required.

Related articles

• Entertaining – 1960s Style! (mhsociety.wordpress.com)
• Pass The Prosciutto – Holiday Appetizers (jovinacooksitalian.com)
• Cocktail Party Etiquette Tips: Appropriate Bites (thedevilisagentleman.wordpress.com)
• Your Holiday Party Recipes! (farmfreshboston.wordpress.com)