Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Hors d'Oeuvre Birthday Cake


Here is the first book in the 1958 Good Housekeeping series, Appetizers. I actually didn't have this one, and found it over the weekend. Yes, that is shish kebobs of a sort stuck in a candle on the cover.
But then the book gets open, and some very odd recipes are in this one. Otherwise, I wouldn't have bought it!
Here's Hors d'Oeuvre Birthday Cake:
1 1-lb. round loaf pumpernickel
1 jar or pkg. cheese spread (um, a little vague)
2 21/4 oz. cans deviled ham (oh boy)
1 4-oz can liver pate (yes, together)
3 3oz. pkg. cream cheese
1/4 cup top milk or light cream
Birthday candles
Red carnations and laurel leaves
How many recipes do you know that start with pumpernickel and end with red carnations/laurel leaves? You know this has to be a winner; I just wish they had put a picture.
Several hours ahead: Cut 1/2" thick slice of pumpernickel from bottom and top of loaf (save these to use next day) (How?). Then slice remaining loaf into 5 layers.
Starting from bottom, put layers together with the following fillings; cheese spread, olive spread, deviled ham, and liver pate. Refrigerate until ready to use. YIKES.
To serve: Place 'cake' on round tray. In bowl, rub cream cheese with milk till smooth; use to frost loaf. (Uhoh, another sandwich loaf disguised as a birthday cake this time.) Around cake on tray, put candles, securing them with melted wax. Place red carnations and laurel leaves between candles.
Seriously. Would someone really want this as a birthday cake? Olives, deviled ham and liver? It's not a birthday cake without tons of sugar.
No real time to read now and I want to get to my friend Norm Cowie's manuscript of his upcoming Fang Face as my son has strep, but I did read Barbara Delinsky's Suddenly recently. It's about a small town pediatrician practice, and what happens when one commits suicide. It's not a downer - it causes them all to reasses. Great book.

1 comment:

Norm Cowie said...

Lessee ... put some blood on two slices of neck ... and you have Fang Face.

Hope you enjoy it!

Norm

http://fangplace.blogspot.com