Some dishes have names that are designed to impress. Spaghetti Aquitania is one example, with a reference to a historic French region known for its wine and black truffles. If you saw it on a menu, you'd probably expect something luxurious and sophisticated, prepared with imported ingredients or fancy techniques. But pull out an old recipe card, and you'll realize that the dish is actually an unfussy vintage casserole made from extremely common ingredients. No labor-intensive prep or trip to the specialty grocer required.
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.
When it comes to sweet treats, referring to vintage recipes is a great source of inspiration. Between long-loved cakes and other vintage Southern dessert recipes, there are plenty of historic treats that taste just as delicious now as they did back in their heyday. One such cake is famously named after a catchphrase of its time. The Sock-It-To-Me cake can be traced back to the 1970s, having made one of its first appearances on the back of a box of Duncan Hines cake mix.
A home-cooked meal is arguably even more satisfying when it's been whipped up in one pot. This fuss-free approach saves time and effort, while allowing you to build rich, complex flavors and making serving a breeze. One-pot cooking has been a go-to in busy households for generations, and many modern favorites lean into this convenient technique. But today we're focusing on some forgotten one-pot classics that bring just as much simplicity, comfort, and deliciousness.
When we rounded up eight appetizer recipes people loved in the 1950s, we found plenty of gems, and one, in particular, is especially easy, tasty, and even varying degrees of healthy (depending on the filling you choose). We're talking about stuffed celery. Starting with a base of crisp, cool, refreshing celery and then having the freedom to add really whatever creamy, savory, sweet, or salty filling you want,
With so many options between buckles, crumbles, crisps, cobblers, grunts, slumps, and more, a brown betty stands apart from these vintage go-tos for its unique casserole-like composition. Take, for example, the difference between a buckle and betty. Whereas a typical brown betty is made by layering fruit and buttered breadcrumbs in a dish and baking until golden brown, a buckle uses more of a coffee cake-style batter mixed with fruit.