The other day a friend of mine was going through her old cookbooks when she came across a recipe for Hot Chicken Salad. Do you remember hot chicken salad? It’s shredded bbq chicken, celery (and a few other ingredients) topped with crushed potato chips and cheese? Well I remember it, it made a regular appearance at picnics and family lunches in the early 90′s and I haven’t seen it since.
Anyway, this got me thinking. Do recipes expire?
Are recipes like fashion and go through cycles, disappearing and then coming back 5, 10, 20 years later, or do recipes disappear forever as new ones appear?
SURELY SOME RECIPES EXPIRE…
I went through Warne’s Model Cookery and Housekeeping Book, the 80-year-old cookbook my grandmother gave me to see what kind of recipes they ate 80-100 years ago and how many were still regularly cooked in homes or restaurants. Whilst many of the recipes still exist today, like roast beef, stews, scones, bread and butter puddings and so on, it is clear that some recipes have gone out of fashion. I pray that some of the recipes featured in the book never make a return, like savoury calf’s foot or boiled neck of mutton, but who knows.
BACK ON THE SCENE
Years and years ago Lambs Fry was a popular dish, especially amongst Aussie men. Well its back. Only the other week I was walking past a pub in the country where they were promoting a Sunday special of Lambs Fry and apparently it was very popular! Disgusting Lambs Fry isn’t the only dish back from the grave. Red Velvet Cupcakes, Chocolate Fondue, Trifle, Scotch Eggs, Beef Wellington and Baked Alaska’s are also reappearing on tables in restaurants and the home.
It isn’t just dishes that are making a reappearance, but also cooking methods. On every wedding gift registry in the 1970′s was a crockpot which was used multiple times a week. Today, the crockpot has been replaced by the slow cooker and is once again appearing on wedding gift registries.
I was also interested to learn that 20+ years ago, cuts of meat like corned beef and pork belly were cooked regularly as they were considered cheap cuts of meat that were easily accessible. Nowadays those cuts are considered ‘gourmet’ and are usually only cooked/consumed every once in a while or for special occasions.
LET’S BRING BACK
There are a few recipes that I really want to bring back from the dead and over the next few weeks I’m going to make them.
Hamburger Pie
Bacon & Egg Pie
Hot Chicken Salad
Cheese fondue
7-layer dip
Spinach dip in a breadroll
Chicken Curry Casserole
Shall we bring back the fondue party??
I’m happy to never taste savoury calfs foot, I’m excited to taste what’s yet to be invented, and I’m relieved to know that a few of my favourite recipes will always return.
WHAT RECIPES DO YOU WANT TO BRING BACK?
WHAT RECIPES DO YOU WANT TO NEVER SEE AGAIN?
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
I think I want to bring back butterfly cakes. Maybe that is something that I have just been missing, but I used to remember them being made all the time when I was younger, and now I never see them in bakery’s or anywhere.
maybe that was also because they are a cute thing to do with kids when you are younger, and now that I am ‘all grown up’ I shouldn’t be pining over butterfly cakes…
Great idea! Gotta love retro recipes and I absolutely LOVE cob dip – sooo delicious! I saw it at an engagement party a few months ago so can’t be completely dead yet!
YES! Bring back butterfly cakes. I haven’t had one of those in years
I am going to make cob dip next week and I’m going to have a whole cob to myself. I’m so excited about making it Christine!
Any recipes you’d like to see come back from the dead?
Fondue, fondue, fondue!