As life speeds up and becomes more complicated (and in some cases more dangerous) people of a certain age are yearning for the simplicity, warmth and certainty of bygone eras. Hence the growth in comfort food eating and retro recipes. A good example is the food hall in Marks & Spencer (UK) where you can re-live the nineteen seventies with dishes like prawn cocktail, mousaka, chicken Kiev and Black Forest Gateau. Over in the US meat loaf sales are booming and Black Jack gum has been re-introduced.