Vintage Food?

joshkatybell

Is there such a thing? We are having a vintage feel wedding, music from the temptations and lace/mason jars lining the isle. At we want to tie this feeling into the recpetion, but I dont know how to do so? For centerpieces we are having old style candies in bowls (which people can put in baggies and take home) we are having an ice cream sundae bar, and we have the old vintage glass soda bottles, but any ideas for food?

  I know food doesn't have to fit the theme but I would just like it if it did! TIA

ElisabethJoanne

Yes, there are foods people associate with different eras. Ambrosia, jello salad, tuna fish casserole, spam - these are all "vintage" or "old fashioned" foods. A library will have history books and old cookbooks for more ideas and recipes. I have a colonial cookbook. A friend in high school found recipes from WWII and rationing. I'm sure you can find things online, too.

If you find real, old recipes, the directions will be different than today's cookbooks. I have a cookbook from the 1950s that doesn't state oven temperatures, just "low" "moderate," etc. But a professional cook or caterer will be able to take the basic ideas and re-create them.

tldh

Keep in mind that a lot of "traditional" foods are very low on flavor if it is English/Early American traditional that you are looking for. I once bought a White House cookbook and realized while reading through it that all of these recipes were created before there was any Latin, Asian, Indian or even French influence to the cooking.

Sue-n-Kevin

What you are describing is essentially the 1950's and 1960's. I have a hard time considering this "vintage" but that's my fault...........I was alive then, LOL.

Foods that were popular during that time, regardless of the geographic area, were things that families sat down to eat (in the old "Donna Reed", "Father Knows Best" era..........never mind, LOL)

Basically, comfort foods: meatloaf, mashed potatoes, whole turkeys or chicken, ham, maybe scalloped potatoes, macaroni and cheese, and at that time most of the veggies came from cans, like green beans, corn, etc. I see you are in the south, so maybe some soul food like black eyed peas, cornbread, greens.

Desserts were things like jello molds (I wouldn't go there, LOL), pudding, nice home made cakes like a chocolate cake, or white cake with coconut (Paula Deen has a great recipe for this). Pies were also very popular, and my mom made the BEST Apple Crisp, one of my favorite memories.

If you can, see if your servers can wear old fashioned full frilly aprons........those were what women used to wear when they cooked. It would be fun. I've seen them on a few websites.

It sounds like fun. Good luck!

harpsdesire

For that era, I would say I associate it with picnic and comfort foods, like meatloaf, abrosia salad, roast chicken, mashed or scalloped  potatoes, etc.

Maybe serve sweet tea and lemonade with it, that would be tasty!