The Sainsbury Book of Children's Party Cooking (1983)

As a youngster, there's nothing like the thrill of a party. From the frantic games through to the obligatory tantrums and pleasing finale of a goodie bag, they're fantastic experiences for all involved (aside from the hosting parents). But a party is nothing without a fine spread of food to soothe the rumbling tums of rampant children in need of fast-digesting carbohydrates. That's why The Sainsbury Book of Children's Party Cooking by Carole Handslip was such a must have for parents in the 1980s.

British cuisine in the 1980s was a rather terrifying blend of the bland, the beige and the stodgy alongside some of the most disgusting fusions of flavours ever seen. The Sainsbury Book of Children's Party Cooking tends to stick with the former, and it does this across the whole gamut of children's parties: the tiny tots, Christmas, fancy dress, bonfire, barbecue, disco, teenage and, finally, a selection of novelty cakes and basic recipes.

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As the book's introduction informs us, children's parties should be fun. In fact, it goes on to state that "Everything must be bright, colourful and gay" and you can't really argue against that. The cake should always be the centerpiece but you need plenty of nibbles along the way. And The Sainsbury Book of Children's Party Cooking is a treasure trove of vintage snacking and imaginations let off the leash.

There's nothing overly unusual contained within the pages, although I dare say that Chinese Cabbage Salad, Chicken a la King and Fried Rice with Almonds would reduce modern children to tears (and, indeed, my adult self) if confronted with these at any form of social gathering. But aside from these offences against taste and decency, all the staples are here: pizza, burgers, ice cream and, for the teenagers, cider. I was also rather taken with the Sausage and Bacon Kebabs, all fatty and artery blocking but essentially a deconstructed pigs in blankets on a stick.

The best section of The Sainsbury Book of Children's Party Cooking is, naturally, the cakes section. If, as a young pup, I'd be confronted with the Pirate Galleon on the front cover, I would have been awestruck by its construction. The Postbox and Mushroom House cakes are equally beguiling and very cutesy, but they're also very 1980s compared to the works of art conjured up by the modern arms race to deliver the most showstopping children's party cake.

I picked The Sainsbury Book of Children's Party Cooking up at one of those community library things housed in a bus shelter and it's proved to be an invaluable insight into an important aspect of life in the 1980s. Originally costing 99p, it would also have proved equally valuable at the time. I'm yet to attempt a recipe from the book, but with my daughter's birthday only a few months away, maybe it's time to start perfecting my Fruit Jelly Rabbit.