What To Know Before Trying Out Vintage Recipes In Your Kitchen - Tasting Table

"There's a certain thrill to the air of uncertainty that comes with making something old new again. For all you know, nobody's picked up that cookbook or made that particular wacky-looking casserole in over 40 years. Before you dive headfirst into the unknown, we spoke with Bobby Hicks, founder of Retro Recipes Kitchen and author of "Retro Recipes," for some advice about what you need to know before trying those vintage recipes in your kitchen."

"After years of research, some of Hicks' best advice is that "most retro recipes lack enough salt to properly balance the recipes for our modern palate," so if you're accustomed to more salt-heavy foods, you'll want to take those salt measurement instructions a bit liberally. Just be sure that you know the differences between unrefined and refined salt before you start."

Vintage cookbooks can offer unexpected recipes that have not been prepared in decades. Many retro recipes are under-salted for modern tastes and require more liberal salt additions, while older recipes often call for more sugar than preferred today, so reducing sugar is advisable. Tasting at each stage helps achieve balanced, flavorful results. Cooks should learn differences between unrefined and refined salt and avoid following measurements blindly to prevent disappointment. Some vintage ingredients, such as zwieback for a Brown Betty, may be unfamiliar or hard to source, so finding suitable substitutes or adaptations is often necessary.

Read at Tasting Table