Dinner Party Recipes

London, England. Early 1980s.

Back in the early 1980s dinner parties were a thing. I moved to London from Oxford in 1979 and fell in with a sociable, fun-loving crowd. As well as going out eating and drinking, theatre and cinema, we also did a lot of dinner parties, taking it in turns to host on a regular basis.

I had a very specific regimen when it was my turn to host. I would leave the flat at 12 noon and walk down to Safeway in Wimbledon High Street, opposite the station, to buy all the ingredients. I would then return to do all the prep, as far as humanly possible, including chopping and slicing the vegetables and putting them in little plastic food bags in the fridge. 

By 5:30 I would be all done and could sit down with a gin and tonic to watch The A Team which was broadcast at that time. That meant by the time my guests arrived I was calm, relaxed and ready to host with minimal panic required in the kitchen and could enjoy more time chatting with my friends.

There was, of course, lots of “You must give me the recipe!” My inbound recipes were recorded on the flyleaf of a cookbook long since gone but I recently discovered in the attic a photocopy of that ancient, bygone flyleaf.

I originally thought of doing a separate post for each recipe with an introduction including a thumbnail biography of the recipe provider but then decided that, given the number of ex-girlfriends on this sheet, it would be ungallant of me. Instead I provide them here unannotated!

John's cheesecake

Base: 

• digestives
• muesli
• 1 oz butter
• brown sugar

Filling: 

• 1 carton hazel yoghurt
• Lg carton double cream
• Lg carton cream cheese
• 2 oz icing sugar

Method: 

• whip cream
• mix the rest
• add to cream

Top: 

• hazelnut 
• crushed flake

Jeffa's lemon pudding

• 2 oz butter
• 2 eggs
• 4 oz castor sugar.
• 2 large lemons
• 2 oz self-raising flour
• ½ pint milk

Pre-heat oven mark 4 / 350°F / 180°C.

• Beat sugar, butter & lemon 
• add egg yolk & beat in 
• fold in flour milk & lemon juice alternating until all gone 
• beat egg white to soft peaks then fold in mixture

Cook 40-45 minutes in centre of oven

Sheri's bread

• 1 pint warm water
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 6 teaspoon dried yeast mix

Leave until frothy

• 1½ kilo wholewheat flour
• 4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 tablespoon oil
• 5 oz bran

Mix, add yeast, add 1¼ pint warm water
Knead, leave to double in size
Knock back, leave to rise in tins
Pre-heat oven to 450°C
Cook for approx 40 mins plus 5 mins with bums in the air.

Eve's rum butter

• ½ lb soft brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon nutmeg/cinnamon
• Small glass rum

Mix

• 4oz butter

Melt (allow to get cooler) 
Beat well with sugar & rum
Chill

Andrea's honey curry chicken

• 3 oz butter
• 6 oz clear honey.
• 12 teaspoon mild curry powder
• 6 tablespoon german mustard
• Salt & pepper
• 8 chicken tits (Andrea says 4 is enough)

Melt everything (except chicken) together until well blended
Put chicken in roasting tin, cover with sauce. 
Cook for 1 hour at 375°f turning once.

Ms London's chocolate roulade

• 5 eggs
• 6 oz caster sugar
• 6 oz dark chocolate
• Shot of brandy/rum/grand mariner
• ½ pt double cream
• Icing sugar

Beat yolks and sugar
Add melted chocolate
Fold into whipped whites
Put in lined greased swiss roll tin
Bake 25 mins at Mark 5/375°F/190°C
Pour liqueur on cool sponge
Spread whipped cream & roll

Stuart’s honey cake

• 7oz self raising flour
• 5 oz butter
• 4 oz soft brown sugar
• 6 oz honey
• 1 tbs H₂O
• 2 eggs

Melt butter, sugar, honey, H₂O
Cool & beat in eggs
Stir in flour
Bake 45 mins at mark 4

Naomi's gougère

• ½ pt H₂O
• 4 oz butter
• 6 oz flour
• 4 eggs
• 2 oz gruyere

Melt butter in H₂O
Stir in flour
Cool & add eggs
Fold in cheese 
Bake 40 mins

Recipes very much of their time although I might be tempted to give one or two of them a try.

Wine Tasting - Quiz Night

Bassenthwaite Lake Station, Cumbria. Thursday 05-February-2026.

Another visit to Bassenthwaite Lake Station (BLS) for their monthly wine tasting. As usual we went for the winter break deal (dinner, bed and breakfast) at The Pheasant as we were not going to be driving home afterwards, that’s for sure!

This time, rather than have a theme, it was a quiz night with most of the wines presented blind.

We started with a glass of sparkling but could we identify what it was? Prosecco, Cava, Champagne, English sparkling or Cremant? As it turned out, it was a Cremant though, judging by the show of hands, people’s guesses were pretty random.

Next it was a wine blind tasting of four wines where we had to guess the hemisphere, continent, country, main group and price within 50p. Mary and I generally worked on guessing the main grape and working backwards from that.

The second round was a number of general wine questions which we did alright on.

The third round was our suggestion. At a previous tasting we had suggested a Call My Bluff round. A white wine was presented and three people were volunteered to read out a description of the wine. The crowd then had to guess which of the three descriptions was the correct one. Then the same again for a red wine.

Next a round of general wine questions followed by a number of literary and film quotes relating to wine. With no clues or hints it was a complete stab in the dark and I think hardly anyone guessed correctly

The final round was three glasses of the same wine, a Rioja, but three different qualities (and vintages): a Crianza 2021, a Reserva 2020 and a Gran riserva 2018. We had to guess the price and points were awarded for how close we were. 

No tasting notes as we didn’t know what we were drinking (apart from the last three). Fortunately BLS provided us with tasting notes at the end:

Wine Name and Details Supplier and Price 

• Tasting Notes

1. Bouvet Ladubay Saumur Cremant Brut, % Majestic £14.50

• A Loire Valley sparkling wine (primarily Chenin Blanc and Chardonnay) known for being a crisp, refreshing, and affordable alternative to Champagne. It features fine, persistent bubbles with tasting notes of green apple, citrus, white peach, honeydew melon, and distinct toasted brioche.

2. The Ned Pinot Grigio, % Majestic, £11.50

• A distinct, aromatic, and textured wine from Marlborough, New Zealand, recognized by its pale salmon-pink hue derivedfrom skin contact. It features ripe orchard fruit, white peach, nectarine, and floral notes with a creamy, rich palate. This dry, "lush" style is often described as having a crisp, refreshing finish with hints of spice.

3. Le Pierrier Sancerre 2024, 13.5% Lakeland Vintners, £27

• A crisp, aromatic, and mineral-driven 100% Sauvignon Blanc from the Loire Valley. It features high-toned aromas of gooseberry, citrus, andwhite flowers, with a palate of green apple, grapefruit, and limestone minerality. This biodynamically produced, unoaked wine has a bright, textured and long finish.

4. Dancing Flame Gran Reserva Pinot Noir 2023, 14% Lakeland Vintners, £15

• An elegant, Chilean red from the Leyda Valley, offering intense aromas of blackberries, fresh raspberries, and cherries. Aged in French oak,it features a smooth, medium-bodied palate with soft tannins, earthy nuances, and a persistent, fruity finish, often described as a vibrant and well-balanced option.

5. Chateau Corbin St Emilion 2021, 14% Lakeland Vintners, £20

• Château Corbin 2021 is a Saint-Émilion Grand Cru Classé (Bordeaux) featuring a blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc. Known forits elegant, fresh style, this vintage displays red fruit, violet, and peppery notes with a fine, airy palate. It is highly regarded for its value and refinement.

6. Daniel Dampt Chablis 2023, 12.5% Lakeland Vintners  £20

• A beautiful, floral white flowerbouquet, the palate is quite opulent, pure and clean with notes of green apple and a tangycitrus acidity

7. Two Hands Tenacity Shiraz, Australia Majestic £16.50

• A full-bodied, rich, and velvety Australian red, showcasing intense dark fruit flavours like plum, blackberry, and dark cherry. Sourcedfrom old vines in McLaren Vale and Barossa, it offers notes of chocolate, spice, and pepper with soft, fine-grained tannins and a long finish.

8. Cune Rioja Crianza 2021 Majestic £12

• A bright, ruby-red colour and a fragrant, fruit-forward nose of red berries, vanilla, and spice,balanced palate with smooth tannins, moderate acidity, and a lasting finish featuring cherries and liquorice.

9. Cune Rioja Reserva 2020 Majestic £15

• An intense, deep ruby red wine offering a complex, traditional Rioja profile. It features rich aromas of bramble and autumn fruit, complemented by vanilla and warm spice from oak aging. The palate is smooth and balanced with notes of cherry, plum, and tobacco, finishing with soft, structured tannins

10. Cune Rioja Gran Reserva 2018 Majestic £20

• A classic, elegant Rioja blend (primarily Tempranillo) showing intense dark cherry colour, complex aromas of black fruits, vanilla, and spice,with a full-bodied, smooth palate featuring fine, polished tannins. It is aged for 2+ years in oak and 3+ years in bottle, often showing notes of leather and tobacco.

The scoring was done on an honour system, you marked your own sheet not like in a pub quiz where you swap with the table next to you. We did OK, we came second. We did well on the tastings and questions but were let down by our lack of knowledge of current prices!

UK Blues Festival 2026

Winter Gardens, Blackpool. Friday/Monday 30-January/01-February-2026.

Part three of a January road trip. A couple of days in Essex, six days in Italy and a return to the UK to pick up our car from Stansted mid stay and drive straight to Blackpool.

This was our third visit to Blackpool for this festival. We booked shortly after it finished last year to take advantage of the early bird ticket deal. We were so quick off the mark that we got tickets numbers 3 and 4. When I pointed that out to Steven, the organiser, he joked that we should be book earlier next time.

Our accommodation was a real find, high quality beautiful place within 5 minutes walking distance of the venue and with off-street parking

Friday 30-January-2026.

Friday Timetable.

Friday Main Stage. 

Mississippi MacDonald ✱ ✱ ✱. We missed the first band on the main stage but arrived just in time to hear an act we discovered two years ago and he gets better each time we hear him. Great voice, great playing and great band. Memphis and Delta Blues.

Deborah Bonham Band. ✱ 1/2 Sister of John Bonham of Led Zeppelin fame. Unfortunately no surprise appearance Robert Plant like two years ago. Accomplished musicians but not our favourite style of music.

After a day of travelling we needed an early night so left before the end.

Saturday 31-January-2026

Lytham Hall 31/01/2026 30:38 [159 / 308].

Saturday morning was, of course #parkrunday. Having done the two nearest parkruns in previous years we had to go slightly further afield to Lytham-St Annes for a parkrun run at the majestic Lytham Hall.

After a return to the apartment and a shower, it was off to the Winter Gardens for more music.

Saturday Timetable.

Saturday Acoustic stage.

In previous years we have enjoyed the acoustic sets played in a lovely room that looks like an old pub.

Mississippi MacDonald.  ✱ ✱ ✱ Old school blues this time the acoustic version.

Steve Pablo Jones standing in for Demi Marriner  ✱ ✱. Next up was supposed to be Demi but she was suffering with some kind of lurgy so withdrew in order to save her voice for the evening set. Not sure about him at first but he grew on me.

Saturday main stage.

Mick McConnell and Blue Thunder.  ✱ 1/2 - rockers, accomplished but nothing to distinguish from others.

Demi Marriner. ✱ ✱ ✱  We had seen Demi perform before but only as part of Elles Bailey’s band so it was a delight to see her with her own band. Even under the weather, absolutely magic. Fantastic personality, amazing voice, great songwriting, great band.

Climax Blues Band.  ✱ ✱ Great tight band, enjoyable but can't stop comparing them to the line-up we first saw at Skegness in 2020 with a different lead singer with a distinctive voice, especially as we listen to the CDs from that era.

Kitty, Daisy and Lewis.   ✱ 1/2 Competent and versatile musicians, the three siblings rotated between lead, bass and drums which was impressive but risked them being jack-of-all-trades but master of none (especially on the drums). Their music style had shades of Madness but not for us.

Sunday 01-February-2026.

Sunday Timetable.

Sunday Introducing stage.

McHale's Permanent Brew. ✱ ✱ ✱ Rock band with a difference. Great musicianship and songwriting, tight band and, like last time at Liverpool, great banter. They come across as fun, caring people.

Sunday Acoustic stage.

Brave Rival. ✱ ✱ ✱   Great set, fabulous comedic banter.

Lindsey Bonnick and guitarist Ed "the Shred" Clarke traded insults in the best possible way.

Adam Sweet. ✱ ✱ Accomplished singer-songwriter. Enjoyable to listen too but not memorable enough to buy a CD.

Sunday Main stage.

James Oliver Band.  ✱ ✱  Amazing guitarist but banter, music and band set up so does not work for me.

Mary left me guarding our seats while she went off to catch some of the other acts:

• The Outlaw Orchestra - Introducing ✱ 1/2 Trio - 2 guitars & drums. Not sure about the drummer, guitarists good but not remarkable.
• Sean Taylor - Acoustic  ✱ ✱ 1/2 Guitar & bass. Only heard 2 songs but liked them and audience obviously loved him. Proper acoustic, old style blues then folk / rock (Freedom ex Richie Havens), good banter
• The Living Cup - Introducing ✱ 1/2 Five  piece, four guitars and drums. Good musically but not great, not sure about lead singer's voice.

Sunday Main Stage.

Will Wilde ✱ ✱ 1/2 Great band and vocals / harp playing. Five piece: Will on vocals/harp, two guitarists, keyboards and Animal on drums (aka Kev Hickman).

Brave Rival.  ✱ ✱ ✱ Lovely to hear them for the second time in a day and compare the "acoustic" and full force versions.

Andy Fairweather-Low and The Low Riders.  ✱ ✱ ✱ A musical history lesson & masterclass from the 77 year old Andy and his band of cronies.

Andy on vocals and the only guitar with two brass, a bass and drums. His voice may be going but guitar skills are still amazing as was his array of seven guitars!

Fantastic weekend in Blackpool, massive thanks to Solid Entertainments and their Blues, Rhythm &Rock Festivals UK.

Tally this time: 

• 1 x luxurious and comfortable apartment 
• 1 x parkrun 
• 1 x fabulous festival in a great venue 
• 18 x music sets (16 different bands) 
• 3 x opportunities to wear my festival hat 
• 7 x CD's 
• 1 x t-shirt 

Mary’s very stylish Vera Black hat.

That's a wrap. Bye bye Blackpool, see you next year! 

Next morning pack up, clean and tidy the apartment and a short drive home.

Road Trip - January 2026

Witham, Cisternino, Blackpool. Thursday 24-January/Friday 01-February-2026.

A three part road trip:

• 2 nights in Witham, Essex with our friend Andrea
• 6 nights in Cisternino, Italy checking up on the apartment
• 3 nights in Blackpool for the Blues, Rhythm and Rock festival. 

This came about due to a combination of factors.

• Mary likes to celebrate her birthday in Cisternino and use it as an opportunity to check up on the how the apartment has survived over the winter.
• We had tickets to go to Blackpool for the Blues, Rhythm and Rock festival the weekend following Mary’s birthday

The only flights available at this time of year are from Stansted courtesy of Ryanair. Since our friend Andrea lives not far from Stanstead we decided to go down a couple of days early, spend some time with her, fit in a parkrun, and take the Saturday afternoon flight out to Italy.

Thursday, 23-January-2026.

The long drive down from Penrith to Essex and supper in with Andrea. 

Friday 24-January-2026.

Chilling out with Andrea, another delicious supper of slow-cooked lamb shank cooked by Andrea.

Saturday 25-January-2026.

Malden Prom 29/01/26 30:56 [270 / 473]

Saturday is of course #parkunday so we went to our NENDY (Nearest Event Not Done Yet) from Andrea‘s place which was Malden Prom and we were rewarded with a lovely sunny day. 

Two and a half loops on a varied course, mostly tarmac with some grass and trail. Big crowd and lots of encouraging marshalls.

Mary left her phone behind so had no music or prompts to push her on, so she was expecting a slow time.

After a shower back at Andrea’s, we headed off to dump the car at Stansted Mid Stay car park and fly off to Italy. 

Following an uneventful flight we picked up a hire car at Brindisi as it was cheaper than a taxi at either end of our trip and using our own car once we got there. We ate on the plane and arrived in time to park up and wander around the town and have a beer in Umberto’s.

Our newly installed Internet enabled controller for the boiler appeared not to be working. Although Mary thought she had switched on the heating remotely a few days we arrived to a freezing cold apartment. We slept under multiple blankets that night.

Sunday 25-January/2026.

After checking out the boiler and the electricals and restarting the boiler, we finally cracked it by unplugging the boiler, leaving it for 10 minutes and then plugging it back in again. Upon rebooting it burst back into life and started working. So we had heating but the entire apartment worked like a reverse night storage radiator soaking up all the heat we could pour into it and it took several days for the apartment to get back up to normal temperature.

That night we met up with friends Patsy and Les and ate in Da Tonia.

Monday 26-January-2026.

Mary‘s birthday! We were travelling very light courtesy of the minimalistic, tiny cabin bag, but I did manage to smuggle in a birthday card and a small present so that Mary had something on the day. 

I am still dealing with the fallout from my wallet being lost /  stolen when we were in Bologna in October. The bank card was replaced a couple of days later, the carta d’identita turned up a couple of weeks later, but no sign of the replacement driving license after a couple of months. So Pietro and I went down to the police station to put in a repeat application. The very helpful policeman examined all my documentation, issued me with a temporary permit to drive and put in a formal request for a replacement. He said it would take about 20 days which turned out to be the case.

That night we dined at Piatti Chiari, one of the better restaurants in town, that was open on a quiet Monday.

Tuesday 27-January-2026.

In the morning we went for a walk along the escarpment behind Hotel Lo Smeraldo then drove down to Savelletri for lunch. We drove via the monumental olive trees at Masseria Pettolecchia and whilst there were treated to an impressive murmuration.

Wednesday 28-January-2026.

We picked up 10 litres (two times 5 litre tins) of new season olive oil from Gaetano who runs the linen shop and a holiday apartment both in our street. 

Supper was in the unpretentious, family run Restaurant 21 on Via Roma. It has an Italian-German theme to the menu because the husband lived in Germany for many years. 

Thursday 29-January-2026.

We took Pietro, who has helped us with our properties for over 30 years, and his wife Nunzia for a “thank you” meal at Il Cucco. We were joined by Carole and Mino who able to join us. We hadn’t seen for ages so it was great to catch up with them!

Friday 30-January-2026.

Drove to Brindisi airport to drop off the hire car. The flight back to Stansted was uneventful and on time. We jumped in the car and drove straight to Blackpool in time to see Mississippi MacDonald  He was followed by the Deborah Bonham Band of which we saw half their set but were so knackered from travelling we bailed early and went for an early night.

Saturday/Sunday 31-January/01-February-2026.

Two days of music (plus Lytham Hall parkrun) which had its own blog post: UK Blues Festival 2026. 

Monday 02-February-2026.

Drive home.