Dishes That Are Probably Now Considered “Old School” But You Still Love Them?

[Jade Emperor]

Hello!
As I have mentioned before, I was a career chef for twenty five years, in the high end hotels. Mostly in the banquets area, but obviously I got moved around depending on requirements.
When I started, the trend was pseudo-French. Kind of haute cuisine but not really top tier.
Then the trend started to change, and pan-Asian became popular.
As that kind of faded out, the trend became rustic. Then Bush Tucker Australian, then old English, then American burger and ribs and so on.
I live in Australia, so (apart from the bush Tucker nonsense) we don’t really have a centuries old food culture.
All that pre-amble being said, what old fashioned food do you still like to make and serve? Is it a stew, or an avocado toast or a foam degustation?
You know where I am going - food that was once the hottest trend, and now is meh.
But you still enjoy it and, like me, couldn’t care less if it is on trend?

 

[Jade Emperor]

I’m intending to make a killer shepherd’s pie for the St Patrick’s Day challenge, and it got me to thinking about meals like this.
You would be lucky to find a meat pie in any decent quality restaurant these days. Not that it isn’t really tasty and delicious!
For me, I think it’s all about the home cook.
The trends are all about the WOW factor - and food that people don’t think they can make at home. Therefore they are willing to go out and pay for it.
Once the internet folks come along and show how easy it really is to make it in your own kitchen, the trend moves on.

 

[Badjak]

Avocado Ritz

Here it is still the steak egg and chips that's popular. Has been on the menu forever

 

[dragnlaw]

Oh boy, you got my thinking cap on for this one Jade! Snd I'm not sure I understand. Things like meatloaf, stew, meat pies, mac 'n cheese are never trendy but are very capable of being (and should be) company worthy!
When I go out to eat (very few and far between) I want something that I don't make at home. yeah, high end, or a technique and/or dish I've never done. I've never gone in for the trends... don't even know when and what they were?

and to be clear... when I say 'high end' I don't mean 'haute cuisine' - I may be wrong but any picture I've seen of anything 'haute cuisine' would not keep a worm alive. Statement based not having 4 other courses with the meal.

If I was still entertaining, fondues were and are great fun, be it oil or broth (hot pot), cheese, chocolate and I would still do them.
along with shrimp cocktails.

 

[Jade Emperor]

Oh absolutely! @dragnlaw ! I did a fondue party years ago in the restaurant and every single guest was excited and wanted to share their stories about how their mother had fancy fondue parties!
It was an excellent night. So much happiness radiating in the room.

 

[taxlady]

I like finding older Danish recipes on the internet. Sometimes when I post about them on FB, some of my Danish friends will tell me that the dish has gone out of fashion in Denmark. But, they are glad to be reminded of it. Here's an example. I really enjoy this old dish that uses cheap, tough cuts of beef:

Danish Pounded Beef with Juniper Berries

This is a good way to use a tough cut of beef. Danish Pounded Beef with Juniper Berries (Bankekød med enebær) serves 4 700 gr lean beef 12 juniper berries 75 gr butter (I used about 3 Tlbsps ≈ 45 gr. Use what you need.) 200 gr onion, chopped 2 bay...

www.discusscooking.com

 

[caseydog]

I live in Australia, so (apart from the bush Tucker nonsense) we don’t really have a centuries old food culture.
All that pre-amble being said, what old fashioned food do you still like to make and serve? Is it a stew, or an avocado toast or a foam degustation?

That's just like the US. We have some traditional foods, but they are mostly adaptations of something brought here by our ancestors. There's nothing wrong with that, IMO. I've eaten pizza in Napoli, AKA: Naples . I've eaten pizza in NYC. I love both of them.

Here in Texas, chicken fried steak is legendary, but it was invented by German immigrants to Texas as a Texas version of Schnitzel. It is different, for sure, but has a common ancestry. Texas BBQ is something German immigrant butchers made before modern refrigeration, because smoking beef and making sausages made it last longer.

I've never been to Australia, but it seems like Asian/Indian foods are big there. Have you tried playing around with Native Australian foods?

CD

 

[Jade Emperor]

I was tasked with incorporating all the bush food into our menus when that trend was hot.
Although some of those spices, herbs, leaves and berries were nice, they really weren’t any completely unique flavour.
The bush lemon tasted like, well, lemon. Same as all the very different honey. Special. Umm, tastes like honey???
I went to my boss and told him that I was done.
All the very special Aussie bush tucker ingredients were at least seven times more expensive than anything else. I was breaking the budget without even trying.

 

[caseydog]

I was tasked with incorporating all the bush food into our menus when that trend was hot.
Although some of those spices, herbs, leaves and berries were nice, they really weren’t any completely unique flavour.
The bush lemon tasted like, well, lemon. Same as all the very different honey. Special. Umm, tastes like honey???
I went to my boss and told him that I was done.
All the very special Aussie bush tucker ingredients were at least seven times more expensive than anything else. I was breaking the budget without even trying.

Sounds like a challenge to me, although I know nothing of "bush" foods. Still a challenge. Anything you can do with the ingredients and the spirit of the foods that would make your creative bone itch a little?

From my conversations with other Aussies, it seems that, like the brits, Indian/Asian food is pretty dominant. Down where I grew up in Port Arthur, there is a large Vietnamese population, from after the war. Vietcajun is a hot fusion, and it has been hot for a long time, because it is genuinely good. Vietnamese food and Cajun food seem to be made for each other, as a blend. I'm thinking there must be a "fusion" that uses the ingredients of Australia, which is a mixing pot of people, a lot like us.

CD

 

[Jade Emperor]

The biggest problem with the Aussie food scene was that the lovely indigenous ingredients are so very expensive. I was paying around $0.50 for a standard lemon.
The bush tucker lemon was $3.00 a piece.
And the flavour was not amazing or anything different.

 

[caseydog]

The biggest problem with the Aussie food scene was that the lovely indigenous ingredients are so very expensive. I was paying around $0.50 for a standard lemon.
The bush tucker lemon was $3.00 a piece.
And the flavour was not amazing or anything different.

I've barely got an idea of what Native American food is, so I'm not ready to dive into anyone else's indigenous foods. I better stick to what is close to home, for now.

CD

 

[Jade Emperor]

@caseydog
I totally agree. My boss made me deep dive into the Aussie bush tucker trendy pants - I had absolutely no idea what I was doing. He brought in an “Aboriginal Advisor” who told me how to cook kangaroo. Badly.
He wanted to teach me how to cook snake. Umm, it’s okay brother, I know how to cook snakes, and crocodiles and camels.
I know how to use the berries and leaves from the “bush”.
It was a massive cost to my hotel, and quite frankly, no one ordered those dishes anyway.

 

[Marlingardener]

Food trends come and go, but food that tastes good stays! I love anything Italian, "trendy" or not. And I make a version of goulash that is not accurate, but anyone who has eaten it, has eaten a lot of it.
Trends are mostly silly. Take fashion--unwalkable shoes, uncomfortable clothing, and hair that hangs in your eyes (of course, that keeps you from seeing people dressed in the above).
Give me what I like--good food and comfy clothing.

 

[Linda0818]

Do people make meatloaf anymore? That's one of my favorite dishes. Loved it as a kid. My mom's meatloaf was so good. I've tried duplicating it, but it just never comes out the same. That and her stuffing for the Thanksgiving meal. Family members would tease that my mom's homemade stuffing was the only reason they showed up for the gathering

Stuffed cabbage (cabbage rolls) is another favorite of mine. Oh! And Chicken a la King.

 

[giggler]

Linda.
I love meatloaf, and tried a 100 dif. ways.
Now, I have Decided.
The best one is on the back of the dry lipton onion mushroom soup mix box!
Just like Mom used to make.
Eric, Austin, Tx.

 

[dragnlaw]

Oh! And Chicken a la King.

Unfortunately dishes like that got bad reps when restaurants started serving them with more vegies and sauce and barely any chicken. Which is sad as a good one is great comfort "fancy" food. And economical to boot.

 

[Andy M.]

Do people make meatloaf anymore? That's one of my favorite dishes. . .

I still make meatloaf. Three different kinds: a more traditional meatloaf. A meatloaf based on a kebab recipe my Armenian relatives used to make and a bacon cheeseburger meatloaf I got from this site some 20 years ago. None of my recipes have tomato poured over the top.

 

[HeyItsSara]

Since when is avocado toast considered old-school? I just made it for the first time a few weeks ago!
Maybe mac and cheese, because of all the carbs? I use lower carb pasta, though.
Casseroles? Like a tuna casserole?

 

[Linda0818]

Unfortunately dishes like that got bad reps when restaurants started serving them with more vegies and sauce and barely any chicken. Which is sad as a good one is great comfort "fancy" food. And economical to boot.

Best kind is to make at home

 

[Linda0818]

Since when is avocado toast considered old-school? I just made it for the first time a few weeks ago!
Maybe mac and cheese, because of all the carbs? I use lower carb pasta, though.
Casseroles? Like a tuna casserole?

Avocado toast is highly overrated