Act One. Scene One.

Ruby Borrowdale says in the Golden Circle Tropical Recipe book that “Your meal table is a stage” and there are “many parts pineapple can play”. We kept this in mind planning a dinner party for our friend, Ric, and Anne’s daughter, Ella. The evening’s performance began with a refreshing punch and a Sputnik created by Ann in celebration of entertaining during our 1950s/1960s childhoods. This was followed by a delicious Fish ‘n’ Pineapple Loaf with green beans and carrots. The finale was a fabulous Brown Velvet Pudding with cream.

Orange-Pineapple Punch Bowl

Empty 2 litres Golden Circle Pineapple and Orange Juice into punch bowl. Add large bottle chilled Ginger Ale and a cup of cold tea. Float thin slices of banana, seedless orange and a couple of sprigs of slightly crushed mint leaves on top. At serving time add large tray of ice cubes. Garnish each serving glass with half a slice of orange.

Sputnik

Cut a thin slice off the bottom of an orange and place it on a dish. Into the orange insert toothpicks threaded with a slice of cabanossi, a pickled cocktail onion and a small square of cheddar cheese.

Fish ‘n’ Pineapple Loaf

440g can Golden Circle Sliced Pineapple, 2 cups cooked fish or large can fish fillets, 2 eggs, salt and pepper to taste, 4 boiled potatoes.

Drain pineapple, set three sliced aside for top of loaf, and chop remaining slices. Hard cook one egg and chop fine. Flake fish, blend together all ingredients except the three whole pineapple slices. Place these in a buttered loaf pan and pack fish mixture on top. Bake in moderate oven about 45 minutes. Invert onto serving plate and garnish with peas and rice.

Brown Velvet Pudding

440g can Golden Circle Pineapple Thins, 1 tblsp butter, 2 tblsp dark brown sugar, 1 ½ cups plain flour, ¼ tspn salt, 1 tspn baking soda, 1 tspn ground ginger, 1 tsp cocoa, ½ tspn cinnamon, 60g butter, ½ cup sugar, 2 tblspn Golden Syrup, 1 egg, ¼ cup pineapple syrup drained from thins.

Spread the tblsp butter over bottom and sides of the pudding mould, sprinkle with dark brown sugar, then arrange drained pineapple thins around sides and on bottom of mould. Sift flour, salt, soda and spices. Cream the 60g butter with sugar, beat in egg. Blend in golden syrup. Add flour mixture alternatively with pineapple syrup. Beat smooth. Spoon into mould, cover with lid and steam for 2 hours. Serve with custard or cream.

I followed this recipe even though I thought it was wrong. I was pleased with the result although  the texture was a little dense. The subtlety of the 1 tspn of cocoa complemented the cinnamon and ginger, Ann.