The Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad Sixties Cookbook by Rick Rodgers

desired.

VICHYSSOISE
    MAKES 6 TO 8 SERVINGS
    Here’s another popular cold soup from the period, this one French in name but American in origin. Vichyssoise (pronounced VEE-shee-swahz, with a hard “z” on the end) was invented by Louis Diat, the chef at the Ritz-Carlton in Manhattan. He recalled cooling a potato and leek soup with cold cream during the summer when he was growing up, and named the soup for the French town of Vichy. It’s a perfect soup for the cool host or hostess because it must be cooked well ahead of serving, leaving you less to stress about on party day.
4 large leeks
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
5 cups canned reduced-sodium chicken broth
1½ pounds baking potatoes, such as russet or Burbank, peeled and cubed
½ cup heavy cream
Salt and freshly ground white pepper
Sour cream, for serving
Finely chopped fresh chives, for garnish
1. Chop the white and pale green parts of the leeks, discarding the green tops. You should have 3 packed cups of chopped leeks. Transfer the leeks to a bowl of large water and agitate them in the water to dislodge any grit. Let stand for a few minutes, letting the grit sink to the bottom of the bowl. Lift the leeks from the water, leaving the grit behind. Spin the leeks in a salad spinner to remove excess water.
2. Heat the oil in a soup pot over medium heat. Add the leeks and onion and cover. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the broth and potatoes and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and partially cover the pot with the lid. Simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 25 minutes.
3. In batches, with the lid ajar to avoid a geyser of hot soup, puree the soup in a blender, transferring the puree to a bowl. Stir in the cream, then season with salt and pepper. Let cool until tepid. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, at least 3 hours or overnight.
4. Just before serving, taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Ladle into soup bowls. Top each serving with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of chives and serve chilled.

SIXTIES SECRET GRILLED CHEESE SANDWICH
    MAKES 4 SANDWICHES
    Think grilled cheese sandwiches are the same now as they were in the Sixties? Not according to our source, the former grill cook at a popular midcentury diner. They used white bread and American cheese, but shunned butter for a not-so-secret Sixties ingredient: mayonnaise.
4 slices white sandwich bread
8 slices American cheese
About 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1. Using 2 slices of bread and 2 slices of American cheese for each sandwich, make 4 sandwiches. Spread a thin schmear of mayonnaise on the outsides of the sandwiches.
2. Heat a large griddle or two heavy skillets over medium heat. Place the sandwiches on the griddle and adjust the heat to medium-low. Cook until the underside is golden brown, about 2 minutes, adjusting the heat as needed so the sandwich doesn’t cook and brown too rapidly. Turn and cook until the other side is golden brown, about 2 minutes longer. Transfer to plates, cut in half on the diagonal, and serve hot.

CREAM OF TOMATO SOUP
    MAKES 6 SERVINGS
    As pop artist Andy Warhol’s 1962 painting 100 Soup Cans affirms, the early Sixties was the age of canned soup. Campbell’s first ready-to-serve soup flavor was tomato, and it remains one of its three most popular soups to this day. While cracking open a can is perfectly acceptable when you’re alone, it’s hardly a way to treat company. Try this simple, homemade tomato soup recipe (especially with our Sixties Secret Grilled Cheese Sandwich, page 61 ), and you might just retire your can opener.
2 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 medium onion, chopped
1 medium celery rib, chopped
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups canned reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes in juice, juices reserved, chopped (see Note, page 57 )
1 bay leaf
⅓ cup heavy cream
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1. Melt the butter in a large