1940's - SPAM! WWII dictated the culinary trends during the 1940's. SPAM was a staple for soldiers as well as families. The 40's was all about rationing and rediscovering with less.
1950's - Casseroles! Hot dishes traditionally made entirely from processed ingredients, including canned tuna, tater tots and the popular binder, cream of mushroom soup.
1960'- Food companies flooded the market with NASA-inspired just-add-water products, such as instant mashed potatoes, freeze dried coffee, powdered cheese mix and scientifically-engineered Tang. Easy Cheese, Bac-Os bacon bits and Cool Whip are still popular today. Signature dishes included: ice berg wedge, fondue, Swedish meatballs, Julia Child, Tang and bundt cakes.
1970's - Fondue - crusty bread dunked in melted cheese; strawberries drowned in chocolate! Pineapple, quiche & cheese balls were also popular. Signature dishes included: fondue meals, pasta primavera and wacky cake.
Dinner started with plenty of apps... corn chowder, cheese spreads, meatballs.... followed by two types of 'pies' for dinner and wrapped up with a couple of desserts. Our goal was to bring an item from the year we were born. The food trends seemed to blend thru the decades... but we represented the 40's, 50's, 60's and yes 70's with accuracy and creativity.
The 1940's were a time of rationing. Food was needed to feed the soldiers fighting WWII. Farmers and manufactures were focused on providing for the soldiers thereby creating a shortage for domestic use. Jeanne opted for "corn" and "cream"... items that were available in the 40's and made a creamy corn chowder.
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| Creamy corn chowder |
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| Cream cheese & blue stuff celery |
The meatballs were easy to make and a great way to use the grape jelly that I canned from 2 falls ago!
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| Cocktail meatballs with Grape Jelly |
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| Denise & Cindy enjoying a good laugh |
Cindy served the classic deviled eggs and smoked salmon rolls. The 1950's cookbooks highlighted these appetizers and canapés.
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| deviled eggs |
Angi brought crostini and chopped chicken liver and cheese olive cocktail spread both popular for the 1950's.
Betty brought a Vintage Pie Pan Meatloaf. The "crust" is made of meat... then filled with stuffing and finally topped with bacon! Meat lovers delight! This was a recipe from a 1952 cookbook "Guaranteed to impress your husband's boss"....
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| meat 'crust' |
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| Stuffing |
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| bacon lattice topper |
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| Vintage Pie Pan Meatloaf |
Nina brought a quiche... the classic Quiche Lorraine with gruyere cheese and bacon - YUM!
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| dinner plate with 'meat pie' and quiche |
The grande finale was celebrated with two desserts! Love when we have the duplicate desserts!!
Denise brought chocolate cream pie - my daughter's favorite! Rich - creamy - yummy!
Jen brought a classic sour cream bundt cake. The bundt pan was invented in the 1950's. However, the bundt cakes became popular in the late 1960's.
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| Betty, Angi, Nina, Denise, Jen, Jeanne, Jen & Cindy |