Retro Holiday Recipes Resurface, Revealing a History of Culinary Quirks
Indianapolis, IN – A dive into the Indianapolis Star‘s archives has unearthed a collection of vintage holiday recipes that showcase a dramatically different approach to festive feasting. from flaming wax-inspired fruit salads to mustard-flavored gelatin molds, these dishes offer a engaging glimpse into mid-20th century American culinary trends.
The recipes, originally published in 1958 and 1969, demonstrate a penchant for elaborate presentation and unexpected flavor combinations that woudl likely raise eyebrows at today’s holiday tables. While tastes have evolved, these historical dishes provide a unique window into the past and the evolving relationship between food, celebration, and cultural norms.
Candle Salad (Dec. 19, 1958)
Ann Harrington, then-Star food editor, presented this treat “especially for the small fry.” The ornate fruit salad is designed to resemble a candle and includes pineapple, bananas, chopped nuts, cherries, and carrot curls, all bound together with mayonnaise.
Ingredients:
* 1/2 head lettuce,shredded
* French dressing
* 4 large pineapple slices,well drained
* 2 large bananas,shaped as straight as possible
* Mayonnaise
* 1/4 cup chopped nuts
* 4 cherries
* 4 carrot curls
Instructions:
moisten lettuce with dressing and line four salad plates.Place a pineapple slice on each plate. Peel bananas, cut in half crosswise, and dip the tapered end in mayonnaise. Roll in chopped nuts and stand in the pineapple hole. Top with a cherry and insert a carrot curl as a candlestick handle. Serves four.
Mustard Mold (Nov. 16, 1969)
Submitted by Mrs. Fred E. Schlegel, this recipe offers a “wintry, presumably wobbly take on the classic summer picnic deviled egg.” It features a mustard-flavored gelatin base.
Ingredients:
* 4 eggs
* 1 1/2 tablespoons dry mustard
* 1/4 cup water
* 1/2 pint whipping cream
* 3/4 cup sugar
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1 envelope unflavored gelatin
* 1/2 cup vinegar
Instructions:
Soften gelatin in 1/4 cup water. Beat eggs in a double boiler, then add vinegar. Mix sugar, gelatin, mustard, and salt, and add to the egg mixture. Cook over boiling water, stirring constantly. Cool, then fold in whipped cream and pour into a 6-cup mold. Chill overnight and garnish with parsley. Makes 12 servings.