Food Fit For Flappers
Have you ever wondered how people ate 100 years ago? The answer is: pretty similarly to how we do now. Sure, there was less exposure to global cuisine, microwaves didn't exist, and the 1920s mind couldn't comprehend some of the processed snacks we chow down. Other than that, they enjoyed a lot of the same foods that we do today.
1. Icebox Cake
Iceboxes first gained popularity in the 1920s, and with it came the icebox cake. Not only did this cake not require an oven—making it ideal for hot days—but there was very little mixing involved. Icebox cakes are one of the most accessible forays into baking.
2. Deviled Eggs
Deviled eggs were one of America's favorite appetizers in the 1920s. With just a few simple additions, an ordinary plate of boiled eggs was dressed up as something completely new and exciting. Toppings such as caviar or capers give this dish a little extra flair.
3. Spaghetti & Meatballs
Most of the Italian food we know and love today comes not from the old country, but from the immigrant neighborhoods of the East Coast! Italian immigration boomed between 1880 and 1920, leading to a ton of new recipes and a taste for all things Italian. Meatballs could satisfy carnivorous Americans on a budget, and we wouldn't dream of pairing them with anything but spaghetti.
4. Pineapple Upside-Down Cake
Upside down cakes are nothing new under the sun, but pineapple upside- down cake exploded onto the scene in 1925. The Dole company held a contest for pineapple recipes, and a whopping 2500 suggestions (out of 60,000) were for pineapple upside-down cake! If you want to be technical, the first recipe for an upside-down cake was for prunes in 1923, but we would much rather stick with pineapple.
Kimberly Vardeman from Lubbock, TX, USA on Wikimedia
5. Waldorf Salad
Waldorf salad is one of those dishes that stretches the definition of the word "salad". The mixture of apples, celery, and grapes all dressed in mayonnaise (walnuts didn't show up until 1928) was associated with the swanky Waldorf-Astoria hotel in Manhattan.
6. Shrimp Cocktail
Some sources link the invention of the shrimp cocktail to the Prohibition; after all, you had to fill those empty cocktail glasses with something. Whether or not this is true, it makes for a pretty good story. Shrimp cocktail was also the perfect combination of two things the American public loved in the Twenties: seafood and tomatoes.
7. Parsnip & Celery Root Bisque
The humble parsnip is underappreciated in modern cooking, not so much in the 1920s. This smooth, warming soup is perfect for curling up on cold winter nights. Lightly season and garnish with pomegranate seeds for a little pizzazz.
Andy / Andrew Fogg from near Cambridge, UK on Wikimedia
8. Chicken A La King
This creamy dish served over pasta or rice was a menu mainstay in the 1920s. Chicken a la king is one of the more complicated recipes on this list, but we promise it's worth it at the end of a long, cold day. This is a dish, if you'll pardon the pun, fit for a king.
9. S'mores
The first recipe for a "graham cracker sandwich" appeared in a 1920s cookbook, when it was already popular among Scouts. However, the sandwich didn't get its iconic name until 1938 in a manual aimed at summer camps. You don't have to have a campfire to make s'mores; if you're careful you can do it over the stove.
10. Tea Sandwiches
While sliced bread is a few years shy of its centennial, tea sandwiches were popular enough before it. These cute, crustless sandwiches could entertain large groups of grazers without the host spending all day in the kitchen. Tea sandwiches are also cheap; their beauty comes from their presentation.
Sebastian Coman Photography on Unsplash
11. Chiffon Cake
Chiffon cake was first created in 1927 by the aptly-named Henry Baker. The airy cake, which uses vegetable oil rather than shortening, spread like wildfire by word of mouth but Baker refused to reveleal his recipe for 20 years! Thank goodness he eventually shared it with the world, because we can't imagine a world without chiffon cake.
12. Salmon Mousse
Salmon mousse may look like like cat food (especially when it's in the shape of a fish, complete with olive eyes!) but we promise this savory mousse is delicious. It's so easy to make that anyone with two working limbs can do so, according to Downton Abbey. Top cucumber chunks with a dollop of mousse, or surround with crackers for guests to dip at their leisure.
13. Cranberry-Orange Roast Duckling
Maybe this is just our opinion, but duck has really fallen out of favor in the past century. While it's an iconic element of Chinese cooking, British families tend to enjoy it more than American ones. This cranberry and orange roast duck is perfect for smaller Christmas celebrations, or anytime year-round!
14. Peach Bavarian
A fruit mold there's no need to be scared of, peach Bavarian is lighter than air. This soft and sweet dessert is bursting with flavor and is sure to be a hit at potlucks, showers, or parties—especially if you use a sheet pan rather than the traditional Bundt pan. And yes, peach Jell-O was available at the time.
15. Duchess Potatoes
Sometimes, there's no need to mess with the classics, and duchess potatoes are a prime example of that. Like many recipes on this list, duchess potatoes predate the 1920s by quite a bit, but they were a quick and creative way to feed a family on a budget, especially when the Great Depression hit. With the addition of egg yolk, duchess potatoes also provided a helping of protein.
16. State Fair Cream Puffs
The Wisconsin Bakers Association first served their iconic recipe at the 1924. Like many recipes, these cream puffs have become supersized in the ensuing century, but you'll never find us complaining. In case you can't get to Wisconsin, there are plenty of Wisconsinite-approved recipes online.
Photo By: Kaboompics.com on Pexels
17. Oysters Rockefeller
Though oysters Rockefeller was created all the way back in 1889 at Antoine's restaurant in New Orleans—which you can still visit today—they hit their peak in the 1920s. The dish consists of oysters on the half-shell topped with a rich, buttery sauce with breadcrumbs, then baked or broiled. This dish was easy to eat in between dances and could be held in one hand with an illicit martini in the other.
18. Cranberry Mousse
If there was one thing that 1920s people loved more than jazz, it was gelatin—especially when the Depression hit. We decided to be merciful and spare you from some of the more...creative uses of gelatin and aspic in the '20 in favor of this frothy pink cranberry mousse. Serve in a ring mold for maximum authenticity.
19. Baby Ruth Bars
Baby Ruth was one of the most popular candy bars of the 1920s, going head to head with Oh Henry! Though Babe Ruth was alive and swinging in the '20s, the name of this candy bar comes not from him but from Grover Cleveland's daughter, deceased some 17 years prior. We think this is in somewhat bad taste.
20. Manhattan Clam Chowder
People have strong opinions on clam chowder, specifically its provenance. There's your classic New England chowder made with a thick, creamy broth, there's your Rhode Island chowder made with clear broth, and then there's Manhattan chowder made with tomato broth. While naysayers will claim that the Manhattan name is from 1934, it appeared on labels and advertisements as early as 1920.
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