Regrettable Retro Food from the 50's

[RadishRose]

I was an adult before I found out that *most* people make their ham salad out of... well....ham. My mother would grind up a big hunk of boloney (or bologna, if you want to make it sound better), mix it with mayo and pickle relish and VOILA! ham salad. And we ate a lot of it.

I guess, to be totally accurate, bologna *can* be all pork, which being cheaper than "all-beef bologna" was probably what she used, frugal being my mother's middle name.....thus it was distantly related to ham as we know it. There's even veal bologna for the connoisseur and turkey bologna for the health-conscious among us and even tofu bologna (not-so-fondly known as "phony boloney) for the Vegans.

To wander no farther down this gustatory minefield, I'll say I dislike ham salad to this day, no matter *what* it's made of.

Now that you mention baloney or bologna, it seems to me that was the mystery meat in those childhood sandwiches after all, and I wish I had some right now! @jujube

 

[RadishRose]

 

[caroln]

I thought Moon Pie and RC Cola were a southern thing.

And not a 50s thing, but lutefisk. Ewwwww! Who can eat that stuff when it's stunk up the house while it's cooking? I hated it

I grew up in a Swedish family and my grandmother had lutefisk every Christmas. As a kid, I couldn't even look at it much less eat it. That and creamed herring. Blech!

 

[RadishRose]

creamed herring.

Yes, herring in sour cream or usually in wine sauce.....
so traditional and so delicious

 

[RadishRose]

I grew up in a Swedish family and my grandmother had lutefisk every Christmas.

I have seen this on TV but never in real life.

 

[caroln]

I have seen this on TV but never in real life.

I remember it as being a gross gelatinous lump of fish that stunk to high heaven. Thanks RadishRose...now I can't get that image out of my head!

 

[RubyK]

How about this for breakfast?

 

[GeorgiaXplant]

I have seen this on TV but never in real life.

No need to be anywhere near it in RL!

No need to be anywhere near Spam, either. I had to eat more than my share of it during the war (WWII, that is). Spam, powdered milk, powdered eggs...yuck.

 

[RadishRose]

How about this for breakfast?

Probably more nutritious than any other cold cereal in a box or donuts or sugary Danish pastries which many people eat all the time for breakfast.

I may try it someday if I remember.

 

[Don M.]

The "retro" food I kind of miss is Calf Brains. My old Mom used to make that a few times a year, and it was quite good. My wife never wanted to try that stuff, so the last time I had that was decades ago. Then, too, there are concerns about "Mad Cow" disease. I haven't seen brains for sale in the stores in many years.

 

[caroln]

The "retro" food I kind of miss is Calf Brains. My old Mom used to make that a few times a year, and it was quite good. My wife never wanted to try that stuff, so the last time I had that was decades ago. Then, too, there are concerns about "Mad Cow" disease. I haven't seen brains for sale in the stores in many years.

Thank God! Haven't seen head cheese either...gross stuff.

 

[funsearcher!]

Pardon Diva, it's wine "sauce";

Pardon Diva, it's wine "sauce";

My brother's favorite thing--I buy it for him for his birthday

 

[hawkdon]

My father ran the local slaughterhouse in small indiana
farm town....he always had his pick of meats when
prepping meats for farmers, always brought home brains and
the tongues too I believe....brains n eggs for breakfast......lol...

 

[Marie5656]

I have to admit, being I always hated to cook, when I was younger I ate T.V. dinners, so have partaken of Swanson's Hungry Man dinners. The rest of that stuff looks disgusting. BUT I also used to eat this....wouldn't today:View attachment 188122

OMG, my dad always had a jar of that stuff in the house.

 

[OneEyedDiva]

OMG, my dad always had a jar of that stuff in the house.

Did you ever try it Marie?

 

[Marie5656]

Did you ever try it Marie?

Yes, I sort of liked it, but have not had any since I was a kid. Maybe some day

 

[OneEyedDiva]

How about this for breakfast?

I know at least once when I was on vacation, I used vanilla ice cream on either my farina or oatmeal because I didn't have milk. It was good.

 

[RadishRose]

 

[RadishRose]

 

[RadishRose]

 

[Marie5656]

So, it's basically chocolate (or butterscotch) on a potato? Huh!

My father used to eat the creamed herring, He would often give me a piece or two. I did not love it...bit it had an interesting flavor

 

[RadishRose]

I love pickled or creamed herring. We used to eat it on New Year's Eve for good luck,

 

[RadishRose]

 

[PeppermintPatty]

I’m afraid to ask what’s inside that.

Speaking of not knowing what it is….
What the heck is this? It’s like food volcano

 

[RadishRose]

I’m afraid to ask what’s inside that.

Speaking of not knowing what it is….
What the heck is this? It’s like food volcano
View attachment 292107

Seems to say "Almonds In A Haystack".... but the almonds are the haystack.
Under that, a layer of what must be cream cheese, then chopped ham and pickle mixed with Miracle Whip in the center.

If it were Hellman's Real Mayonnaise, I'd eat it.
Ham and pickle was a big deal when I was a kid.