Remember the Monte Cristo sandwich? I went to a cooking class Friday and the menu included a Monte Cristo, salad and Harvey Wallbanger cake. This is a Monte Cristo I made at home for hubby and me. The class was held at Sweet Basil Culinary Center.
A neighbor who is president of the charity I’m involved with invited me to a second cooking class. Unlike the first one, where pairs of us were given assigned recipes to prepare, this class was called “Lunch and Learn.” That meant we sat and watched a demonstration and then ate lunch. It was fun and relaxing with no pressure.
I remembered Monte Cristo sandwiches from my younger days. They were popular and on many restaurant menus. Then they disappeared. Poof!
After eating two Monte Cristo sandwiches in two days, I figured out why the sandwiches are no long en vogue. Our dietary tastes have changed. It’s not a sandwich for light eaters. It’s on white bread with mayo, ham, turkey and cheese, dipped in egg and milk batter and fried in butter — the original ones were deep fried! Then sprinkled with powdered sugar and a dash of raspberry preserves. I could feel the sugar rush through my brain while the cholesterol roared through my veins.
At the class, they served an amazing salad that was light and citrusy and made a perfect contrast to the heavy sandwich. The Harvey Wallbanger cake (another blast from the past) was moist and delicious, but I could only manage a few bites. They served the cake in baby bundts, one for each student.
Here’s the salad recipe:
FYI, the instructor said the salad dressing keeps for up to two weeks in the fridge. It was really good. I plan on making some today.
What foods do you remember as being popular that we don’t often see anymore at home or in restaurants?
My mom used to make Oyster Stew and Liverwurst Sandwiches — haven’t seen either of those since my childhood.
I haven’t had one of those in years! Wonder if I would still like it.
As a kid I remember loving chicken croquettes. Served with some type of cream gravy… never see that anymore.
I remember that too. Plus open faces turkey or roast beef sandwiches. Everything smothered in gravy.
Oh heck, I still do that with leftover turkey.
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Mashed potatoes too?
No. Usually open faced hot sandwiches.. with a bit of stuffing and cranberry.
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That sounds good!
Oh my, that’s heart disease just waiting to happen in that sandwich! The salad sounds pretty good though 😉
I don’t remember anything really unusual from childhood, just a lot of meat all the time and I don’t eat any of that anymore. The most memorable was probably venison and elk- dad was a hunter- and I have a memory of mom soaking the meat in ??? before cooking it. She would, very rarely, also fix liver and onions for dad. I just wouldn’t eat!
Oh, liver and onions. My mom used to make that on occasion. I wouldn’t eat it either!
Liver and onions! My mom made that too. We wouldn’t touch it.
My grandparents were hunters. My parents had a freezer full of venison. I couldn’t stand the smell. It did help them make ends meet in the early days.
I remember being okay eating wild meat until the day I walked out into our garage and actually saw the dead young buck laying on a tarp. Up to that point I could always “casually” forget where the meat came from. No wild game for me after that.
That’s an awful sight. My mom and dad had lambs who I adored. They were running around our property in Snohomish. I couldn’t eat them either!
I don’t think that I could ever raise animals for food…I just don’t have the right mind set for that.
I sure didn’t! I could fish, clam dig and catch crabs, but not eat livestock.
I love this sentence, “I could feel the sugar rush through my brain while the cholesterol roared through my veins.”
Funny that you mention this because the other day I had some leftover French Toast and I thought – what’s that sandwich you make like French toast? Now you’ve reminded me. Sounds like a fun cooking class. Thanks, Elizabeth.
Thanks! What a sandwich 😅
Chicken kiev. That was on every menu. Also Salisbury steak with mushroom gravy. FYI…I remember being at magic Kingdom like 20 years ago. Best monte christo ever
Salisbury steak!!!! Fancy name for a hamburger patty with some gravy on top 🙂
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Ha! I remember that from our “TV dinners” which were frozen. They were supposed to be a treat.
I loved TV dinners eaten on TV trays while watching TV!!! I bet this entire post is stirring up tons of memories for many people this morning EA!
Yes, we were allowed to watch TV eating TV dinners on trays. I wonder if that was due to advertising?
I remember reading somewhere how there was a huge link during the 60’s to the space age, modernization of everything involved in traditional “homemaking” and the advances that came with television opening the world for everyone. Traditional families of the 50’s were being pushed to morph into “modern” versions and I’m sure the ads associated pushed those concepts fully.
Yes, I remember Tang and food sticks (can’t remember the name). Mom served them to us because the astronauts used them in space.
Oh yes, Tang was almost mandatory as a kid so you could dream of going to space when you grew up— at least the boys could because of course girls didn’t dare contemplate something so dangerous and unfeminine 😉
That’s funny! I actually wanted to be a garbage man when I grew up!
Well I think that needs a post of it’s own. So many questions… 🙂
I have no idea why, except I have a faint memory of our garbage man being friendly and I liked the big truck.
My mother totally bought into the convenience foods of the 60s. When she and Dad went out we might have TV dinners (which I liked) or Kraft macaroni and fried Spam!
That’s what my mom did too for babysitters. TV dinners or Kraft Mac and Cheese. No
Spam, thankfully!
I actually like the fried Spam!
I just mentioned it to my husband and he said he liked it too. I’ve never tried it so I shouldn’t say. My mom made fried bologna sandwiches which I liked!
I used to like those, too.🙂
I remember eating a lot of TV dinners and hamburger helper as a kid. Dad loved fried spam sandwiches. I couldn’t even look at the stuff as it glopped out of the can with all that fat and gelatin. Ewwww!
My brother makes that, but uses turkey instead of beef.
I googled the ingredients after writing that Eilene and most describe Salisbury steak as having a consistency more like meatloaf plus varied seasonings. I do remember the texture being different than just an old hamburger patty however! I still eat turkey on occasion and have a recipe for turkey meatloaf that probably is similar to what goes into Salisbury steak. Maybe I’ll make patties next time and call if Salisbury Turkey 😉
I’ve never known Salisbury steak as being anything but beef. Interesting. 😊 That might be a delicious alternative.
I haven’t seen chicken Kiev forever. Salisbury steak is still available in the frozen food aisle. I didn’t know the magic kingdom had Monte Cristos!
I don’t know if they still do, but they served it with a raspberry dipping sauce. Since I’ve had countless meals since, the fact that I remember it shows you how good it was.
The raspberry dipping sauce is traditional according to the cooking class instructor. I loved it back in the day, but can’t handle the richness of it today.
Oooh….didn’t know it was tradition. I don’t think I could eat a whole one, but I’d do a half …
Exactly. It took me two days to eat one sandwich.
I remember Monte Cristo sandwiches, they were very popular at Ladies Who Lunch restaurants. I never liked them then, probably not now, too.
As a child we had Oyster Stew as the soup course at Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners. I didn’t like the oysters but loved the buttery milk broth. Probably wouldn’t like that anymore either.
Isn’t it funny how our tastes have changed? My mom was the only one in our family who ate oyster stew. I never tried it. My grandparents made lutefisk for Christmas.
Mmm…I’ll skip the sandwich but the cake sounds yum! 😜
The sandwich is too rich! I realized at the cooking class they gave us two small slices. When I made it at home, woah!
Laughing. Yes. Out loud. I know that “woah” feeling! 😜
My husband actually left the table and walked away. He asked if I was trying to kill him! 😂
Oh, Elizabeth. Too funny! 🤣
😅
A local restaurant offers Monte Cristo sandwiches. I get one every 6 weeks. I feel like and old person but more for me.
That’s great you have them available.
I only order the “lunch” size, they are a bit much otherwise
I definitely get that!
Never heard of the Monte Cristo or the Harvey Wallbanger cake. Both of them sound good! Thanks for the recipe. Will have to try it.
My mom made oyster stew a lot. I liked the oysters but not the stew and my sister liked the stew but not the oysters. She would give me her oysters and I would give her my stew. 😂
Isn’t that funny how you and your sister liked different parts of Oyster Stew! Harvey Wallbanger was a popular cocktail back then. I never heard of a cake until the cooking class.
A friend and I actually had Monte Christos for breakfast recently at a local bakery. They must have used a simplified recipe. They were quite good, but I didn’t feel they were ridiculously decadent and heart-stopping!
I’m sure there has to be a healthier way to make them. Our instructor told us she was going with the traditional recipe — except for deep frying. If you find out how the restaurant made them, please share!
This looks like a wonderful salad. I think we are cutting out too heavy meals, white bread and too many carbs and fats from our diet
Yes, I agree that’s how our diet has changed over the years.
Very true. When calories can be reduced without lessening the flavor, then we do that.
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My friend and I used to get those sandwiches at the Blue Bayou restaurant in Disneyland when we were teens. Loved them so much, but you’re right, they’re packed with carbs, calories, and sugar. I haven’t had one in decades. The salad sounds good too!
I didn’t know Disneyland served Monte Cristo sandwiches. I wonder if they still do? The salad is so good. The pumpkin seeds and walnuts baked with honey and chili powder is an amazing topping.
The restaurant is in the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. That sounds delicious!
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Cooking classes are fun. This was great.
Thanks! I feel like I’ve discovered a gem nearby. They have so many interesting classes.
I’ve never heard of the sandwich or that cake. Where have I been?
I do love cooking classes, especially those with no stress and good food to eat!
As a kid, I loved eating at the lunch counter (usually in a drug store) and ordering a Grilled Cheese (Or as I called it Girl Cheese) sandwich. There are no longer lunch counters in drug stores and it does sound bizarre to think about that now, but it was so common before.
Yes, I’d go to a drug store downtown Seattle with my mom and sit at the lunch counter. I’d usually order chicken and rice soup. There was also a big winding counter at the main department store. Aren’t those fun memories?