You can't escape your background

So food is a strangely politicised element of our lives. Where you shop, what foods you buy - all means you are judged, put in a demographic group, assumed to have certain views or beliefs. Waitrose Woman is, after all, very different from Tesco Mum. Or so shops/politicians would have us believe.
I am, and always will be, a Sainsbury's Girl. It's were, largely, we shopped when I was a child, it isn't the cheapest or the most expensive, and in the main I think it is nice. I know Tesco is a bit cheaper, Morrison's is closer and Waitrose has better quality, but it will always be Sainsers for me. But that doesn't mean I'm not partial to a Findus Crispy Pancake or too. And this is where it all goes a bit strange.
If you think back to when you were a child, we all ate some odd food. My mum was a bean-loving hippy who didn't like us eating shop-bought cakes etc. But I still remember eating KFC and Angel Delight. Even people who were taken on holiday to France and given Fruits de Mer as children remember the odd bit of yellow breaded on their plate. But, if you listen to a bunch of thirty somethings now, you'd think Fish Fingers were only enjoyed ironically and sausages were always gourmet.
So I say, it's time to reclaim the reconstituted. And I don't mean reformed ham that hasn't seen a pig in years or Barbie-shaped turkey bits. That's just plain wrong. But the foods that seemed exciting and futuristic. That your cousins-who-were-allowed-fizzy-drinks would have and we would sometimes have on special occasions. Because food wasn't always Finest, hand-reared, sourced from Tuscany. Once it was just food.

My list would include:

Viennetta - but only the original flavour
Angel Delight - I'm sure you used to be able to get more flavours. Peach for one. And raspberry...
Those chocolate mousses that had swirls of cream on top.
Smash
Potato Croquettes or Noisettes
Frozen mousses that took ages to defrost
Tinned fruit cocktail. In syrup.
Findus Crispy Pancakes
Tinned ravioli

The theme seems to be: canned, frozen or will keep for years. Bliss.


Until next time

GG