Recipes from 1979

I’m recreating recipes from a 1979 hospital ward cookbook to see whether they still deserve a place on the table today. Some are surprisingly good. Some are baffling. All of them are a story.

THIS WEEK’S RECREATION

Banana Bran Muffins

A simple vintage banana bran muffin recipe from 1979.

Banana, bran and a very practical muffin method make this one feel straight out of a 1979 home kitchen. It is simple, lightly sweet and built more for breakfast than dessert.

The bran gives the muffins a slightly savoury edge, while the banana keeps them soft. Warm from the oven with butter, they are much nicer than the plain title suggests.

READ THE RECIPE

ALL 1979 RECIPES

The 1979 Archive

Every recipe I’ve recreated from the Ward 9 cookbook, from surprisingly good casseroles to very 1979 desserts.

VIEW

BETTER THAN EXPECTED

Banana Bran Muffins

25 MINS

Sherry biscuit dessert with whipped cream and chocolate chips, recreated from a 1979 hospital ward cookbook.

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SURPRISINGLY GOOD

Dessert

45 MINS

Sausage and Apple Casserole with onions, apple and brown sauce, recreated from a 1979 hospital ward cookbook.

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WORTH MAKING AGAIN

Sausage and Apple Casserole

1 HOUR

Pizza Italian Style baked in a pie dish with cheese, bacon and mushrooms, recreated from a 1979 hospital ward cookbook.

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VERY 1979

Pizza Italian Style

40 MINS

Multi-Coloured Fudge Cake no-bake slice with Explorer lollies and coconut, recreated from a 1979 hospital ward cookbook.

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WORTH MAKING AGAIN

Multi-Coloured Fudge Cake

15 MINS + CHILL

THE 1979 TEST

Brilliant, baffling, or still worth making?

Every recipe gets a verdict.

I’m cooking my way through my grandmother’s 1979 hospital ward cookbook, testing each recipe with a modern City Slicker eye.

Together, we're seeing what still works, what feels very much of its time, and what deserves another turn on the table.