What might you bring to a 1950's dinner party?

BlondieBoomer

BlondieBoomer

Senior Member
Location
California
As we look ahead to the New Year, wouldn't it be fun to look back at some retro recipes from the 50's? (Some of these made it well beyond that decade!)

IMG_2270.JPG

So how about this Tangy Tomato Aspic to start things off. (You don't really need to post recipes unless you want to.)

IMG_2271.JPG

[h=3]Tangy Tomato Aspic Recipe:[/h]
Print


Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 0

Yield: 4 to 6 servings



[COLOR=#4A4A4A !important]Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups boiling water
1 (3-ounce) package regular lemon-flavored gelatin*
1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon finely-minced onion
1/8 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
Ground cloves to taste
2 cups diced celery
Lettuce
* If you are cutting calories, use sugar-free lemon-flavored gelatin

[COLOR=#4A4A4A !important]Instructions:[/COLOR]
In a small bowl, pour boiling water over gelatin, stirring until dissolved. Stir in tomato sauce, wine vinegar, salt, onion, hot pepper sauce, and cloves; refrigerate until slightly thickened but not set.
When slightly thickened, remove from refrigerator and stir in diced celery. Pour into a 4-cup mold. Refrigerate until firm.
To serve, unmold onto a bed of lettuce.
NOTE: I usually need to double this recipe for my family.
Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Tips to unmold gelatin:
Allow gelatin to set until completely firm, several hours or overnight.
Before unmolding, dip knife in warm water and run knife around edge of gelatin to loosen.
Dip mold in warm water, just to rim, for 10 seconds.
Lift from water and gently pull gelatin from edge of mold with moist fingers. Place moistened serving plate on top of mold. Gently remove mold.




[/COLOR]
 

Five cup salad.

1 cup mini marshmallows
1 cup mandarin orange segments, drained or 1 cup seedless grapes
1 cup pineapple tidbits, drained
1 cup shredded coconut
1 cup sour cream

Mix together and chill for 4 or 5 hours until the marshmallows begin to melt and disappear.

Or

A crock pot of miniature meatballs in a sauce made with equal parts currant jelly and bottled chili sauce.
 
The menu above has White Cake with Lemon Sauce as a dessert, it reminded me of Cottage Pudding with Nutmeg Sauce.

Cottage Pudding is a simple one egg cake and the nutmeg sauce is just sugar, cornstarch, nutmeg, boiling water, a little vanilla extract, combined and cooked until the sauce thickens and clears, stir in a small piece of butter at the end. Nutmeg sauce is also great on leftover fruitcake that has been wrapped in foil and warmed in the oven.

A great dessert on a cold winter night when you don't have much in the way of groceries to work with.

and a little Ronnie Milsap...

 
Rice Krispies Treats

rice-krispies-original-treats.jpg


(Rice Krispies Treats were invented in 1939)
 
There's always room for Jello with whipping cream and stuff added in. It's been ages since I've eaten anything like this. Actually, it looks kind of good.

IMG_2272.JPG
 
Things on sticks, like bits of pineapple and ham, mini sausages, stuffed cherry tomatoes and stuffed pea pods, chequerboard sandwiches, Whole hams with the bone sitting in special porcelain ham holder, chicken vol a vents. If in the UK in 1950 there were still some things on ration from the war.Eggs and cream were not derationed till 53,butter, fats, cheese and meat in 54 so maybe a few jars of assorted pickles or rhubarb and custard might be taken!!
 
Pappy said:
I loved the white codfish gravy my grandma use to make. Pour in on boiled potatoes. Yum....
Click to expand...

Another fan of codfish gravy!

It used to be an inexpensive meal, now it's a luxury. I'm amazed that some companies still put it up in the little wooden boxes with the slide tops, my grandfather had several of those in his workshop to hold various bits and pieces.
 
Some of those ration point meals seem pretty silly these days. This one is for a Crown Roast made with hotdogs and sauerkraut, I've seen others that used bread stuffing instead of the kraut!

6f15bf99221005de331a4e5e79214474.jpg
 
BlondoeBoomer, re the layered loaf. You can use whatever you like really as long as it is something not to wet and it is made into a pread. Chopped ham with pickle and mayo with or without other bits like chopped celery etc, egg salad again with what you prefer, tuna, I only use Albacore and seasonings, shrimp or crab, devilled mam from a can blends in well, corn beef from a can with put through a chopper is OK . The frosting is mostly cream cheese bit with a bit of sour cream to soften it, about 2 tablespoons to an 8 ounce packet.

I mostly make my own bread and for this I would use a pulman man to get it very squared but a bakery would do that, don't buy the bread with a domed top, get a true sandwich loaf, and get them to cut it lengthwise, you need to decide how many layers you are making, some folks repeat the layers . some just do three. You will need a bottom a top. I use seven slices of bread lengthwise, after discarding the crusts. Butter one side only for first slice and place slice on platter, use half of first filling, add another buttered layer this one buttered both side, then a different filling, repeat till all three fillings have been used twice, only butter the last slice on the side that is on top of the last filling. I find it easier to do it all with almost frozen bread especially if it is very fresh. Frost with cream cheese mixture all over sides and top then if to wish pipe a fancy edge around like a cake and garnish with cherry tomatoes or whatever..in a rush now, visitor just turned up get back to em if you need more XX Jeannine
 
Jeannine said:
BlondoeBoomer, re the layered loaf. You can use whatever you like really as long as it is something not to wet and it is made into a pread. Chopped ham with pickle and mayo with or without other bits like chopped celery etc, egg salad again with what you prefer, tuna, I only use Albacore and seasonings, shrimp or crab, devilled mam from a can blends in well, corn beef from a can with put through a chopper is OK . The frosting is mostly cream cheese bit with a bit of sour cream to soften it, about 2 tablespoons to an 8 ounce packet.

I mostly make my own bread and for this I would use a pulman man to get it very squared but a bakery would do that, don't buy the bread with a domed top, get a true sandwich loaf, and get them to cut it lengthwise, you need to decide how many layers you are making, some folks repeat the layers . some just do three. You will need a bottom a top. I use seven slices of bread lengthwise, after discarding the crusts. Butter one side only for first slice and place slice on platter, use half of first filling, add another buttered layer this one buttered both side, then a different filling, repeat till all three fillings have been used twice, only butter the last slice on the side that is on top of the last filling. I find it easier to do it all with almost frozen bread especially if it is very fresh. Frost with cream cheese mixture all over sides and top then if to wish pipe a fancy edge around like a cake and garnish with cherry tomatoes or whatever..in a rush now, visitor just turned up get back to em if you need more XX Jeannine
Click to expand...

Going with fillings that kind of go together, like ham salad and egg salad sounds good. Using bread that's almost frozen sounds like an easier way to assemble it, keeping the slices from getting mashed while applying the spreads. I can't believe I've never seen one of these and everyone else has. (I asked a couple of business associates and they knew what they were.) It sounds interesting. I'm going to have to try one one of these days. Thank you for the explanations and instructions.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Back
Top