The Silver Screen Oasis

Jezebel38 wrote:Hi Gang - I've been on a search for Retro/Vintage recipes for dishes from the 1930's-1950's as I am planning on attending an event one of our local historic preservation groups is hosting. Been perusing some old cookbooks and will most likely settle on some kind of molded Jello salad, but I don't want to end up being the 7th person at this buffet to bring one. I thought perhaps some of you here might have attended or even hosted a Retro Food party, and might have some suggestions (no "candlestick" salads please)

You might want to peruse the James Lileks Gallery of Regrettable Food, Jez. He is a Minnesota-based journalist with a keen eye for memorable American Jello (and he has a keen sense of humor, which helps make this even more palatable. Oh, and fair warning: once you start to look at Lileks multi-layered site there is no turning away, or so it seems).

Kingrat--your Mom sounds like a really good gal.

Jezebel38, the New York World's Fair Cook Book, published in 1939, might have some good ideas for you. Perhaps a Red Flannel Hash, with a side of Rinktum Tiddy?

Guess I am OLD ...made a jello salad last night, it's called "Gompus".... No idea where the name came from, I got it from the mother of a friend. Lemon jello, crushed pineapple, cream cheese, celery, pecans, and mayo. Yum. and I DIDNT make it to take somewhere..

knitwit45 wrote:Guess I am OLD ...made a jello salad last night, it's called "Gompus".... No idea where the name came from, I got it from the mother of a friend. Lemon jello, crushed pineapple, cream cheese, celery, pecans, and mayo. Yum. and I DIDNT make it to take somewhere..

Knitty,

My own Mother makes this every Friday for Dinner - we have GOMPUS for dessert and the ingredients listed here is exactly what she did - but she made one change to it. She exchanged the pecans for walnuts. After 3-4 years of eating this - My Mom decided to stop making it for good.

I'm to mentioned this!


P.S. ... We never took it anywhere - Honest!

Moira - I did come across Lilek's book REGRETTABLE FOOD at the library, and it is a hoot, but gosh darn it - no recipes included! I did find a book called FASHIONABLE FOOD - SEVEN DECADES OF FOOD FADS which is a good resource.

PT - That link for the NY Worlds Fair cookbook looks interesting, but it takes forever to load on my computer, so I may need to go back to the library and their high speed internet to search this. I did see in the TOC a reference to "Delicious Oddities Found in New York and Pennsylvania" and I must check that out! I've only recently become fond of beets since I discovered they taste WAY better when you roast them, rather than those kind that come in the cans, so I think I'll try the Red Flannel Hash soon just for myself.

Knitty - your Gompus salad is just what I had in mind - anything with cream cheese and pineapple is up my alley. I have been also looking at the salads that have Ginger Ale in them, so if I opt for a Jello salad, I'll probably do one with 2 layers.

One of my childhood favorites was creamed chipped beef (SOS anyone?), and I found an old recipe where you make a noodle casserole with it. I haven't eaten dried beef in about 40 years so although I did find it in the grocery store, it looks different than what I remember. I do see that Stouffer's still makes a frozen version, so I could cheat and use that rather than make from scratch.

Thanks for the suggestions everyone.

I have a cookbook called Square Meals by Jane and Michael Stern which is a collection of vintage recipes from the 1940's-60's. Are you looking for a main dish, side dish, dessert? There is a tuna casserole recipe in there that I've made quite a bit.

Sandy k

ETA: I replied to Jezebel before going to the next page! Missed all of the replies. I have the Gallery of Regrettable food book--more for laughs than for recipes.

One jar of peanut butter. One spoon. My favorite snack!

RedRiver wrote:One jar of peanut butter. One spoon. My favorite snack!

I do that one better - instead of One spoon - Bunches of Cold Fresh Celery Sticks dipped in a jar of Peanut Butter - no SPOON to clean!

I just baked up some goodies for MrC to take to work tomorrow for his crew and thought I would share them with you guys! Beware, they aren't exactly dietary.

Raspberry Sour Cream Pound Cake:
2 cups soft butter
2 cups turbinado sugar (sugar in the raw)
1 mashed banana
6 eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup milk
2 tsp. vanilla
4 cups flour
1 tbsp. baking powder
1 cup raspberries, fresh or frozen

Preheat oven to 350.

Blend the first 7 ingredients together in a mixer. Add flour and baking powder and mix well. Pour half the batter into bundt pan. Sprinkle raspberries, careful not to touch the edges of the pan. Cover with remaining batter, filling to 2" below the top of the pan.

Bake 75-85 minutes, until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes and remove from pan. Slice and serve warm.


Pumpkin Apple Bread

Great in bread loaf pans

1/2 cup melted butter
1 1/2 cups turbinado sugar (sugar in the raw, available at most grocers and Trader Joe's)
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 medium apples, peeled and diced
1 cup canned pumpkin
2 cups flour
1 tsp. each baking soda and baking powder
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. each ground nutmeg, cloves and ginger
2 tsp. zested orange peel

Combine wet ingredients in mixer and blend well. Add dry ingredients and mix gently. Pour into loaf pans and bake 45-55 minutes or until inserted toothpick comes out clean. Sprinkle with brown sugar and slice.

Enjoy!

Sounds sooooo yummy!

My son and his half-brother love Dinosaur Food.

Melt 1 stick of butter with 4 tablespoons cocoa powder and a cup of peanut butter. Add 1 cup and a half of sugar, and blend it well while it's still warm on the stove. When all ingredients are thoroughly mixed, put in 2 tsps vanilla and stir. Then add 2 cups of uncooked oatmeal and a 1/2 cup of pecans or walnuts. Scoop the mixture by spoonfuls onto a cookie sheet covered with foil and set in the fridge until the goodies are solid.

Delish! Boys who gallop around the house like wild antelope love this...

We had a friend over for dinner a couple of weeks ago.

I grilled the usual steaks and roasted rosemary potatoes.

But it was the dessert I wanted to share:

Grilled bananas with chocolate, rum and ice cream.

OMG!

and it's easy.



Take three (increase if you have more or fewer diners) bananas, leaving them in their skins. Cut the skins lengthwise without cutting through the tough skins.

Insert chocolate squares into the cut bananas.

Wrap loosely in foil and place on grill over medium heat for 3-5 minutes until the inside bananas are squishy and the chocolate is melted.

Remove from heat and take out of foil.

Scoop the banana and melted chocolate into a bowl. Add ice cream and drizzle with dark rum.

Enjoy!