Totally 80s: Why Nostalgic Food Still Has a Place at Our TableI was back on air with Gerry Kelly on LMFM recently, and this time our conversation took us on a very enjoyable trip back to the 1980s.

Gerry had spotted my Totally 80s cookery class and was delighted to see it. As it turns out, he has a real soft spot for the food of the 80s too, so we had plenty to talk about!

And what started as a conversation about food became something much more nostalgic.

We talked about the dishes we grew up with, the things that appeared at family gatherings and parties, and those foods that can instantly transport you back to another time.

Food has a wonderful way of bringing us back

There are certain dishes you only have to see, smell or taste and suddenly you're somewhere else entirely.

You're back in your childhood kitchen. You're sitting around your grandmother's table. You're at a family party. You're remembering a person you haven't thought about in ages.

That's one of the things I love most about food. It isn't simply about feeding ourselves. So much of our lives and our memories are wrapped up in what we eat.

And perhaps that's why I've loved revisiting some of these 80s dishes so much.

Of course, food has changed enormously since then. Our tastes have changed, ingredients have changed and the way we cook has changed.

But that doesn't mean we can't still enjoy some of those old favourites.

A little nostalgia when life is busy

There's something particularly comforting about nostalgic food at this time of year.

The days are getting shorter and darker. The weather is colder. Work, school, family life and everything else seem to get busier as we head towards the end of the year.

We don't always need another new idea or another trend to follow.

Sometimes it's lovely to make something familiar.

A dish you haven't eaten in years. Something your mother or grandmother used to make. A dinner you remember from childhood. Even one of those gloriously retro party foods that immediately makes you smile.

Cooking something familiar can feel like a little pause in the middle of all that busyness.

And I think there's room for that in our kitchens.

Bringing an 80s favourite back

For my Totally 80s class, I've been revisiting some of those dishes with all the nostalgia and fun that comes with them.

And this recipe is one of them.

Loaded Baked Potato Skins

Serves 4 

Ingredients:

4 potatoes (Roosters are perfect)

3 tblsp Sour Cream

2 rashers of  bacon, grilled and chopped or crumbled

2  Spring Onions, chopped

100g strong Cheddar, grated

A little Olive Oil 

Sea salt & pepper

Method:

Preheat the oven to 200˚C

Scrub the potatoes pop them onto a skewer. Brush a little olive oil on the skin & sprinkle with sea salt & pepper

Place in the oven for 45-55 mins or until cooked through

Allow to cool until you can handle them

Cut the potatoes in half and scoop the insides out into a bowl using a spoon

Add the salt, pepper, sour cream & most of the cheddar (reserve some for on top) along with the bacon, to the potatoes along with most of the spring onions (reserving a few to garnish).

Sometimes looking back is exactly what we need

My chat with Gerry reminded me that food doesn't have to be complicated to be meaningful.

A recipe can bring back a person, a place or an entire period of our lives. And in a world where we're constantly being encouraged to look for what's new, there's something rather lovely about occasionally looking backwards instead.

So if the darker evenings and busy days are getting to you, perhaps this is your excuse to pull out an old recipe you haven't made in years.

Make it exactly as you remember it-or give it your own modern twist.

And enjoy the memories that come with it.

I'd love to know: what dish instantly takes you back to the 80s?

And if you'd like to see more from my Totally 80s cooking, you can also find me over on Instagram, where I've shared the recipe Reel and more from the kitchen.