Cooking With Astrology: Omarr & Roy Entertain an Aquarian (1969)

What’s the formula for a superb dinner party? Choosing your guests and your food with care and savoir faire. Who can guide you in achieving this delicate balance? Astrologist Sydney Omarr can tell you who will give you the pleasantest companionship by consulting the stars. Radio/TV Food Consultant Mike Roy can supply menus and recipes that will make the evening a culinary success…All the recipes are here, written simply and clearly so that even an amateur cook can cope with them. And there are interesting serving suggestion, too, lots of them flambe!

From Cooking With Astrology by  Sydney Omarr and Mike Roy (1969)

Mr. Sauce, Esq and I are both Aquarians (today is my actual birthday) so, last weekend was the perfect time to give this cookbook a go.

First a little about our sign–according to Sydney Omarr, Aquarians like cucumber, yogurt, eggplant and have a fondness for potato and Caesar salads. Other Aquarian delights: lemon desserts, avocados, angel food cake, champagne, cheese, as well as food that contains air: puffs, light crusts, fluff, and flakes.

I guess that tracks.

I picked this particular menu because it’s featured on the back cover of the book.

Let’s face it, they had me at “Planetary Ham.”

This menu definitely includes a lot of the Aquarian favorites. But did this dinner speak to my Aquarian sensibilities?

Let’s find out!

Ah, the famous puff! I nixed this recipe and instead followed the directions for the best guacamole ever.

As for the puffs themselves, I had reservations. Because: baking.

I will admit that I did a bit of research on this before starting. Slight modifications: used bread flour, baked at 375 degrees for 30 minutes (rotating sheets mid way)and beat the eggs all together in a measuring cup before putting them into the flour.

Somehow, someway, they worked.

The little fuckers totally puffed up and were fit to be stuffed.

These were absolutely delightful! I used the leftover puffs to make tiny curry chicken salad sandwiches.

100% would make these again! Aside from my arm getting insanely overworked from the wooden spoon in the batter, this was easy peasy.

Simple. I have no idea what makes it “planetary” unless you secure the cherries and pineapples a la Shrimp Sputnik. But I made a ham slice, so the point was moo. 

I have never watched that and not laughed.

As for the next course,

A new way that’s really an old way…?

I did this one as-is but did sprinkle a bit of Schitt’s Greek (clever) herb blend by my pals over at the BookClubCookbook.

So here is my Aquarian dinner: Flaming Yams, Greek-style Green Beans, and Planetary Ham.

THE FLAMING YAMS!

Omarr and Roy promised  interesting serving suggestions, too, lots of them flambe! and they delivered:

 

Lots of flaming.

Dessert was basically throwing together pre-made foods and not baking.

It was like a poor man’s cheesecake.

And I could eat it all.

This menu is fabulous in that all of the elements came together at the same time. But all were a bit off (with the exception of the green beans. The green beans were great).

The ham was a bit too salty.

Obligatory:

And the yams were too rummy. I don’t like rum. I guess not enough of it cooked off during the flambe.

However, the main event was bookended by a fun starter and an easy dessert, so I will say that this Aquarian was sufficiently entertained.