# Cooking Through a 1970s Cookbook for a Week A journalist experiments with vintage recipes, testing family patience and culinary nostalgia. - **Source:** [Metro UK](https://metro.co.uk) - **Published:** 2026-11-07 - **Topic:** [culture](https://brifing.si/c/culture) - **Original article:** - **On Brifing:** https://brifing.si/s/2b474f62-07eb-466d-b6b6-3fc5ec9569c8 ## The Vintage Culinary Challenge Journalist Jess Austin spent one week cooking exclusively from the 1970s classic, Hamlyn's All Colour Cookbook. This iconic volume, featuring contributions from Mary Berry, sold over 2.5 million copies. The experiment aimed to rediscover lost techniques and flavors, though it quickly tested the patience of her family members throughout the week. ## Context of 1970s Cooking Food historian Dr. Sue Bailey notes that 1970s recipes prioritized convenience due to limited household appliance ownership. Only 3% of homes had freezers and 30% had fridges in the mid-1960s, leading to heavy reliance on tinned and powdered substitutes. Families also sought to replicate international dishes like moussaka and lasagna at home. ## Initial Success and Optimism The week began with a roast chicken dish featuring almonds, which proved to be a genuine success. Family members found the meal succulent and well-balanced, providing a hopeful start to the challenge. However, this early optimism faded as the recipes grew more experimental and relied on increasingly unusual ingredient combinations later on. ## Culinary Chaos and Disappointment The experiment encountered significant hurdles with dishes like the Cornish ham pudding, which featured bread covered in a savory custard. The texture was described as gelatinous and overly sweet, causing the author's husband to reject the meal entirely. Emergency oven pizzas became a recurring necessity to sustain the family during the week. ## The Limits of Nostalgia Stuffed peppers cooked in canned tomato soup and a fried sardine sandwich with peanut butter pushed the family's tolerance to the breaking point. While the author maintained journalistic integrity by finishing her portions, her husband frequently opted out. These dishes highlighted the stark contrast between modern palates and 1970s culinary trends. ## Unexpected Flavor Discoveries Despite the failures, some recipes provided surprising enjoyment. A curry dish featuring bacon and banana, while sounding unconventional, offered a balanced flavor profile that the author found genuinely pleasant. These moments of success suggested that the cookbook contained hidden gems, provided one could navigate past the more questionable aspic-heavy or bizarre combinations. ## The Role of Modern Technology During the final days, the author's husband utilized ChatGPT to critique the vintage recipes and generate alternative cooking methods. While the AI suggested standard preparations like butter and garlic, the author's chosen 'crunchy topped fish bake' proved superior. This interaction highlighted the ongoing tension between historical cooking methods and modern digital culinary advice. ## Reflecting on Culinary Evolution The week-long trial demonstrated how drastically food culture has shifted over five decades. Ingredients once considered staples, such as white bread, have seen significant declines in consumption since 1974. The experiment served as a practical exploration of how lifestyle needs and available technology once dictated the very specific, often polarizing, flavors of the era. ## Future Culinary Intentions Despite the mixed results and family resistance, the author remains determined to explore more recipes from the book. She plans to attempt a dessert involving pasta shells and meringue in the future. The experience confirmed that while some 1970s trends are best left in the past, others hold enduring value for home cooks. ## Sources covering this story - https://metro.co.uk/2026/11/07/spent-a-week-cooking-70s-meals-family-not-go-well-29756503/ — --- _Summary written by Brifing from the original reporting. Copyright in the original article belongs to its publisher; read the full piece at the link above._