Table linen, crockery and cutlery were checked to make certain that all matched and there was enough for all the diners. Table decor, such as flowers and candles was preplanned to ensure that everything would be available on the date required.
I can remember making light consommés and thin melba toast to go with them.
Fish, especially in Zimbabwe in the seventies, was hard to come by and it was usually a case of going to the fish monger to see what was available on the day, not an ideal situation, however we always managed to serve something special.
Meat, of any kind was cheap and available and therefore we tended to go a bit overboard with Boeuf Wellington or Stroganoff, Suckling pig, chicken Marenga or a magnificent leg of lamb or pork. We only served vegetables in season and the gravy was made from the juices of the meat and not a packet.
Puddings, always my favourite course, were such as Baked Alaska, apple crumble (made the English way), hot chocolate pudds with baked-in sauce , gooseberry pudding and the like. Cream was thick and fresh from the farm and custard was made when required so that it would always be piping hot when served.
Meals to be remembered by the hostess and visitors alike.
When we moved to South Africa the in thing was always braais (barbecues), still is, I hate to say. These have never been my favourite meals and never will be, to me it is a division of the sexes - the men stand around the fire with chosen alcohol beverage clasped firmly in one paw and the braai fork in the other with the host wearing his latest funny apron that his sectary gave him for his birthday, while the woman gather in the kitchen to prepare salads and such and the keep a good supply of beers and whatevers flowing out the fridge and into the garden.
The men tend to converse on all subjects from sport, to work, what is a good book to read and have you seen the cute new chick at the office. The woman being a lot more boring discuss children, husbands, recipes, knitting etc. I love cooking but am damned if I want to talk about it while socialising. Get a life ladies there is a world out the back door that does not contain your husband, children, recipe books and knitting patterns and sometimes it is a nice place to be.
Back to the braai, we used to get something called boerewors, a South African speciality sausage that was absolutely delicious. Now we just get wors in many flavours, one as bad as the other, and the majority of the contents being rejects from a pigs compost heap.
With regards to the cooking, it is plain for all to see why the chefs of the day have other full time jobs. What a waste it is to me to see beautiful cuts of meat thrown on a dirty braai grid, and no, the dirt does not add the the flavour.
I do not think anyone has their meat cooked to their liking, the food is eaten more because of hunger pangs than anything else. Having a braai is an expensive and lazy way to entertain and I cannot understand why anyone would want to make their friends and family suffer with badly cooked food and a shortage of seating arrangements.
If you want to be a lazy hostess then make a huge pot of rich soup with plenty of meat and vegetables - quick, easy and inexpensive to do. Go to your local supermarket, buy a few packs of ready to bake bread dough, then have fun making breads and rolls in all shapes and sizes. Sprinkle them with different seeds or toppings, bake and use them to decorate your table with.
Add a few salt and pepper grinders, butter and/or margarine, olive oil and a bottle of sherry for those that need a bit extra in the taste line.
Guest can serve themselves to the soup, rip off a piece of bread and settle down to a great meal where friends and family matter the most and a quick to make meal that will steal many a heart.
There is nothing quite as good as do it yourself home cooking. Yes, I do advise to cheat with the bread dough, use it as a basis to show your baking skills.
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