My mother, Pearl Geneen, was a huge influence on me. She loved good food, was a superb self-taught cook and became an aficionado of all things stylish. She was equally good at perfecting main dishes and desserts and could coax taste out of any ingredient. I still remember her Thousand Layer Cake with multiple layers of puff pastry (her own, of course) and a chocolate and custard filling.

Now I have learned we have more in common than I thought. Last week, a friend who had been going through his mother's old recipe file sent me an article that my mother wrote for the "Women's Globe and Mail" 41 years ago.

She details three sumptuous dinner parties for those who love to entertain. Her menu choices range from Beef Wellington and sweetbreads to tongue salad and chicken in a cream sauce - all with French titles and French cooking methods. In the 1960s, people not only cooked, but they thought nothing of spending two days in the kitchen to prepare fabulous dinners for friends.

Noticeable in the recipes are the generous amounts of butter and cream - hardly heart-healthy choices.

As a tribute to her and to the way we used to cook, here are some recipes from her article, which I think stand the test of time.

Mum's final word: It is not the food but the people who make a dinner party successful. Amen to that and Happy Mother's Day.

Coquilles St. Jacques à la Bretonne

Mum made these in the ubiquitous scallop shells, but I would serve them as hors d'oeuvre in spoons. Either way, they are superb and contain not a drop of cream.

1/4 cup unsalted butter

1/3 cup minced onion

3 tablespoons minced carrot

2 tablespoons minced green onion

1 tablespoon minced parsley

1 bay leaf

1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

2/3 cup dry white wine

1 lb (500 grams) large scallops, cut in quarters

1/3 cup fresh breadcrumbs

Salt and freshly ground pepper

Heat 2 tablespoons of butter in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add onion, carrot, green onion, parsley, bay leaf and thyme and sauté for 5 minutes or until softened. Add the wine and bring to a boil. Add the scallops and 2 tablespoons breadcrumbs, season and cook, simmering gently for 5 minutes and turning scallops as needed or until they are just cooked through.

Remove from heat, add 1 tablespoon remaining butter and season with salt and pepper to taste. Place mixture in scallop shells or spoons, sprinkle with remaining breadcrumbs, dot with remaining 1 tablespoon butter and place under the broiler for 1 minute or until sauce is bubbling and crumbs are brown. Serves 6.

Épinards à la crème

Essentially a steakhouse approach to rich, creamy spinach, Mum's recipe calls for rolling the spinach mixture in balls, coating them in nuts and baking them. This is very time-consuming - I prefer the recipe as a gratin.

2 pounds (1 kilogram) spinach, stems removed and washed

½ cup whipping cream

½ cup unsalted butter

Salt and freshly ground pepper

2 ounces (60 grams) sliced almonds

Working in batches, add damp spinach to a wok or large skillet on medium heat and cook for 2 minutes or until wilted. Repeat until all spinach is wilted. Drain spinach in a colander and thoroughly press out all the water. Chop spinach.

Place whipping cream and butter in wok over high heat and bring to a boil. Boil cream mixture for 2 minutes or until slightly reduced. Add chopped spinach and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes longer or until well combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Sprinkle with almonds and serve as is or transfer to an oven-proof serving dish and bake in 350 F oven until cream is bubbling and spinach is hot. Serves 6.

Poulet à la mode de Beaune

I am not sure why this is "à la mode de Beaune," which I thought would include wine. But if you have ever hankered after the most delicate, creamiest chicken, this is the recipe for you.

1 chicken about 3 pounds (1.5 kilograms), cut into 4 pieces

½ lemon

Pinch nutmeg

Salt and freshly ground pepper

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 tablespoons butter

12 mushrooms

2 tablespoons brandy

1 cup whipping cream

2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Rub the chicken with the lemon and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Heat the oil and butter together in a frying pan over medium-high heat and fry the chicken, skin side down, until golden (about 3 minutes). Turn over and fry second side about 2 minutes. Place the chicken in one layer in a large shallow casserole.

Discard all but 2 tablespoons fat from pan. Add mushrooms and sauté for two minutes over medium-high heat or until browned and softened. Deglaze pan with brandy. Add cream and tarragon and bring to a boil, scraping bottom of pan to incorporate any brown bits. Tip sauce and mushrooms into casserole with chicken and bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until juices run clear. Serves 4.

Ananas au rhum

This is essentially rum-soaked pineapple with a sauce that is a cross between a sabayon and a curd. Simple and tasty.

6 or more slices pineapple

2/3 cup rum

4 egg yolks

1/3 cup unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

1/3 cup sugar

Place pineapple on long dish and pour 1/3 cup of rum over it. Allow to marinate for at least 1 hour.

Pace the egg yolks and the butter in the top of a double boiler and cook over simmering water, whisking constantly so that the egg yolks don't congeal, until butter is melted and mixture is blended.

Add the sugar and remaining 1/3 cup of the rum and continue to cook, whisking constantly for 2 minutes longer or until the sauce thickens. (Don't worry if the butter appears to separate out; just whisk it back together as it cools). Drain the pineapple, cover with the sauce and chill until serving time. Serves 6.

P.S. On the flip side of the old Globe and Mail recipe page, an ad for the now-defunct Ada Mackenzie shop features a drawing of a classic suit and a description that says it is wonderful for lunches, dinners, the theatre or travel, but not one word about work.