# Nostalgic about food



## MeanMom (Nov 6, 2011)

My Mum and I were discussing alternatives to Christmas cakes and she said she remembers selling lots of a particular kind in the 70's (we had a corner shop) but she couldn't remember the name, and I don't remember at all Wondered if anyone else remembered?

The cake was a plain sponge (like a madeira cake) topped with a layer of chocolate and then fruit and nuts (like a Dundee cake?). Mum says McVities used to make it.

It sounds quite similar to a Genoa cake but they have fruit IN them and no chocolate? Is Mum having a senior moment or (more likely) am I?

(sorry Admin if this should have gone in the food section)


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## Catwoman76 (Nov 6, 2011)

MeanMom said:


> My Mum and I were discussing alternatives to Christmas cakes and she said she remembers selling lots of a particular kind in the 70's (we had a corner shop) but she couldn't remember the name, and I don't remember at all Wondered if anyone else remembered?
> 
> The cake was a plain sponge (like a madeira cake) topped with a layer of chocolate and then fruit and nuts (like a Dundee cake?). Mum says McVities used to make it.
> 
> ...



Sorry can't help you there.  I have been trying to picture the said cake, but I can't.  I hope someone comes up with a name  it sounds very interesting.  Sheena


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## cherrypie (Nov 6, 2011)

Was it a Tunis cake?


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## David H (Nov 6, 2011)

cherrypie said:


> Was it a Tunis cake?



I think it was tunis as well.


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## Copepod (Nov 6, 2011)

Tunis cake was sponge-like with no fruit and was covered in chocolate.

In case this helps, our Mum still makes a Christmas jewelcake, as Dad was allergic to chocolate, my sister couldn't tolerate dried fruits where the original fruit had seeds or stones especially raisins & sultanas & apricots, although cherries & citrus peel were OK. So, she made a cake with the right dried fruits, and decorated with diagonal stripes of brazil nuts, angelica, pineapple, cherries, glazed with marmalade etc.


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## cherrypie (Nov 6, 2011)

Tunis cake was a madeira cake, not a sponge and had marzipan fruits on the top of the chocolate.  McVities ceased production in the early eighties.   http://www.epicureansanswer.com/chings-stuss/tunis-cake/


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## MeanMom (Nov 6, 2011)

That's the one 

Remember it now ( the name at least but don't remember eating it) Phoned Mum - thanks you have made her day


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## Copepod (Nov 6, 2011)

Thick chocolate coating on a relatively soft cake, so you needed a sharp serrated knife with a point to cut slices - often 2 knives, in fact. Often took longer to cut than to eat


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## Freddie99 (Nov 6, 2011)

McVities Genoa slice was the only edible part of school packed lunches when I was at college. The rest of the horror bags were truly disgusting.


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## Northerner (Nov 6, 2011)

Tunis cake completely bypassed Brighouse I think! Never seen nor heard of it!


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## Steff (Nov 6, 2011)

Northerner said:


> Tunis cake completely bypassed Brighouse I think! Never seen nor heard of it!



Snap, now Jamaican ginger cake now your talking M M M


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## MeanMom (Nov 6, 2011)

Steff said:


> Snap, now Jamaican ginger cake now your talking M M M



Oooo yes Steff - one of my faves - and my Dad used to love it warmed up with  custard


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## Northerner (Nov 6, 2011)

MeanMom said:


> Oooo yes Steff - one of my faves - and my Dad used to love it warmed up with  custard



I'm not your Dad am I?


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## buckmummy (Nov 6, 2011)

never heard of it either...my mum is a great cook and made lots of goodies


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## buckmummy (Nov 6, 2011)

MeanMom said:


> Oooo yes Steff - one of my faves - and my Dad used to love it warmed up with  custard



ooooooooooooo now you're talking...i'm drooling


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## cherrypie (Nov 6, 2011)

Some of you won't remember Tunis cake because you were too young.

This thread got me thinking about foods that we had post war in the late 40's when rationing was still around.  

Almost everyone had a garden to grow veg and kept chickens and rabbits for the table.

We used to have whale meat, an oily foul smelling source of protein.  It was cooked in the oven in milk and onions to try to disguise the taset but it was disgusting. 

We also had chitlins with bread and butter.  These are pig's intestines, still used today as sausage skins.  http://b.wisegeek.com/what-are-chitlins.htm

Bacon puddings were popular, suet pastry lining a pudding basin with bacon, onions and herbs and layering it.  Then it was steamed in a saucepan after being wrapped in a pudding cloth.

We were a large family and always went to Granny's for tea on a Sunday.  Usually it was winkles and some salad items from her garden.  We all had to take a pin with us to get the winkles out of the shells.  Considering she had nine married children and a load of Grandchildren, I don't know now how we all fitted in her terraced house.  I do have happy memories of those times and the sing songs that we had there.

Mum used to make a tart with condensed milk and dessicated coconut mixed together and put in a pastry case and baked.  It was too sweet for me but in those days you always ate what you were given as there were no choices at meal times.  It was either eat it or go without.  Treacle tart was another one, treacle and breadcrumbs in a pastry case.  Sometimes she made a batter pudding and we put jam on it.  Bread pudding was a favourite of mine.  When times were hard I can remember having sugar sandwiches and sometimes we had pepper sandwiches.  

We were all skinny but I think that was because we were active.


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## Steff (Nov 6, 2011)

cherrypie said:


> Some of you won't remember Tunis cake because you were too young.
> 
> This thread got me thinking about foods that we had post war in the late 40's when rationing was still around.
> 
> ...



Bacon puddings sound familier with me but my nan used to use leek and we would have them when i was a kid.....another food we had as i was a small child was panakilty which was devine.


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## cherrypie (Nov 6, 2011)

Steff said:


> Bacon puddings sound familier with me but my nan used to use leek and we would have them when i was a kid.....another food we had as i was a small child was panakilty which was devine.



Here is a recipe for you Steff.  
http://frugal-cooking.co.uk/recipe/620/panackelty-recipe  Sounds delicious.

I also remember we had stuffed hearts.  Ugh...... Stuffing was pushed into the  openings and they were roasted.  Tripe was another thing we ate as was liver,  tongues and oxtail.


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## Steff (Nov 6, 2011)

cherrypie said:


> Here is a recipe for you Steff.
> http://frugal-cooking.co.uk/recipe/620/panackelty-recipe  Sounds delicious.
> 
> I also remember we had stuffed hearts.  Ugh...... Stuffing was pushed into the  openings and they were roasted.  Tripe was another thing we ate as was liver,  tongues and oxtail.



OoO your too kind to me the rest of my southern houeshold which is everyone barr me lol are yet to try it.....thanks Cherry.


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## trophywench (Nov 6, 2011)

Sorry - stuffed lamb heart baked in the oven was a favourite of mine and I utterly adore kidneys and liver too.

Never had chitterlings - but my friends hubby comes from a 'long line' of pork butchers ("Manny" Lawrence, pork butchers of Bloxwich LOL) and he always said when he was a schoolboy, cleaning the chitterlings was his allocated task at his Grandad's shop !


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