dinners of the past

I found this and was fasinated. I am always trying to cook traditional old time meals but its hard to fine recepies and such about vintage retro foods.

The 1920’s

Brand name products (such as Maxwell House Coffee) became popular among Americans. Chiffon pies were quite the rage also. In fact they were very popular among Americans for several decades. Several new vitamins were discovered during this century such as Vitamin C (identified in 1921), Vitamin E (discovered in 1922) and Vitamin D (identified and named in 1922).



MENU- 1920’s

Main Course-

Chicken Pie

Salad- Golden Glow Salad

Dessert- Jelly Roll



The 1930’s

The 1930’s were the years of the Depression. During these Depression years, many people were unemployed and poor. Kitchen appliances were few. Families harvested, preserved, and pickled their own foods due to their lack of money. Store bought bread was popular, especially Wonder Bread. However, Pepperidge Farm bread was better, but cost almost three times more.

Menu- 1940's

Main Course-

choice of: macaroni & cheese, meatloaf, spaghetti & meatballs or casserole

Side dishes- Choice of hotdogs, canned pork and beans

Dessert- choice of: Rice Pudding baked custard or Chiffon cake

The 1940’s

These were the years of World War II. Food rationing had a big influence until 1946. Families were given a limited amount of sugar, meat, coffee, and fats.



MENU- 1940’s

Main Course-

Tuna Noodle Casserole

Side Dish- Green Beans

Salad- Ginger Ale Salad (made with unflavored gelatin, fruit juice, ginger ale, and either canned or fresh fruit)

Dessert- Chocolate cake (made from a mix)

The 1950’s.

The 1950’s were a decade full of rock ‘n’ roll music and jukeboxes. This decade was known as the "Casserole decade". Americans became quite interested in foreign foods such as Italian lasagna and pizza and German sauerbraten. Other interesting events in the history of food include the creation of the TV dinner (1951) and the first sushi bar in America (opened in NYC in 1957).

MENU- 1950’s

Main course- Either Lasagna or Pizza

Side dish- Garlic bread

Salad- Tossed Green Salad

Dessert- Chiffon Cake

1960’s

Food writers were quite popular ever since Julia Child went on public television with her food program (The French Chef). Popular foods included granola and tofu.



MENU – 1960’s

Main Course- Beef Burgundy

Side Dishes- Rice, Buttered Broccoli

Salad- Raw Spinach Salad

Dessert- Mile High Pie (strawberries, sugar, egg whites, and whipped cream in a cookie crust)

The 1970’s

The 1970's weren’t just about disco music and funny hairstyles, it was also about cuisine cooking. It was during this decade that chefs started to cook in the cuisine style. This style was very fancy. There were several types of cuisine cooking including Californian cuisine and Nouvelle Cuisine. Cuisine cooking was so popular that French chefs started to abandon their traditional ways of cooking for the Nouvelle cooking style.

Interesting facts about food during this decade are- the opening of the first "salad bar" and the first Starbucks coffeehouse.

MENU- 1970’s

Main course- Crock Pot Stew

Side dishes- Brown Serve Rolls and Margarine

Salad- Three Bean Salad

Dessert- Mud Pie