History

When my partner and I decided to run away to Scotland to get married, we thought nothing could be more romantic. Bagpipes, whisky, and local venison for an intimate wedding party of four. And then came the delicious sweet finale, that symbol of riches and good fortune served at every British wedding: the fruitcake.

It might be entertaining to browse through vintage recipes (they put everything in Jell-O!), but what if you actually had to make and eat them? The editors at Buzzfeed Life took one for the team and made and tasted five different vintage recipes, just to see if any of them held up. Spoiler alert: they didn’t.

It’s easy to imagine the circumstances: A social function, gathering that worldly stratum of government officials whose members go by titles such as consul, attaché, and ambassador. The drinks are flowing, the pressures of one’s post are at their most acute, and yet the wisest of the group know well that conducting sensitive state business could be gravely jeopardized by dulled faculties. Enter the Diplomat.

This week we’ve been looking at the recipes and foods that defined the past decades, starting with the 60s. Today we’re tackling the 2000s. Although they wrapped up only a few years ago, it’s interesting to look back and already see a change in food trends. The 2000s were a decade of culinary contradictions: We loved fruit smoothies, organic salads, and raw diets, but we also were obsessed with cupcakes, cake pops, and the Atkins Diet.

This week we are talking about the recipes that defined the decades, those dishes that may no longer be popular, but that still hold a special place in our hearts (and bellies). We’ve covered all the hits from the 60s, 70s and 80s, and today we are shining a light on a few favorite 1990s recipes that are about as cool as the collection of velvet chokers I had circa 1993.

This week we’re looking at the recipes that defined a decade from the 1960s all the way through the 00s. Today we’re talking all things 90s. Compared to other decades, it’s hard to look at food in the 90s without talking about processed snacks like Dunkaroos and Gushers. The decade was also filled with more non-fat dishes, and bougie plates of “tall food.” Of course, regardless of what you ate it was all washed down with a can of Surge or Clearly Canadian.

This week we are talking about the recipes that defined the decades, those dishes that may no longer be popular, but still hold a special place in our hearts (and bellies). We’ve covered the stuffed celery and porcupine meatballs of the 1960s, the Baked Alaskas and taco pies of the 1970s, and today we are talking to food writers about their favorite recipes of the 1980s. Baked brie? Check. Poppy seed dressing? Of course. And don’t forget the pine nuts! Vodka Pasta.

This week we’re talking about the recipes that defined a decade, like the Lipton onion dip of the 60s and the popularity of quiche in the 70s. Today we tackle the 1980s. Beyond incredible dance music and neon outfits, the 80s offered up some new and sometimes surprising developments, including the rise of nouvelle cuisine and the beginning of the reign of Lean Cuisine meals. But of course, no matter what you were eating you had to wash it all down with a wine cooler.

Retro Find: The 1971 Betty Crocker Recipe Card Library This week we are talking about the recipes that defined the decades, those dishes that may no longer be popular, but still hold a special place in our hearts (and bellies). Yesterday we we were all about green Jell-O and onion soup dip when we talked to food writers about their favorite under-appreciated recipes of the 60s, and today we’re onto the decade with possibly the most unappealing food photography in history: the 1970s!

Yesterday we talked about the recipes that defined the 1960s, and today we’re delving into the popular recipes of the 70s. While some food trends stayed strong into the 1970s, like fondue, Jell-O, and really anything from a mold, new recipe contenders also stepped into the ring. There was more of an emphasis on fresh vegetables and fruit in the 70s which corresponds to the opening of Alice Water’s Chez Panisse in 1971. What are your favorite recipes from the 1970s?

Cheese Porcupine from Bon Appétit October 1964 This week we are talking about the recipes that defined the decades, the dishes that popped up at every party spread or dinner table across the country for a time, enjoying a brief yet fierce popularity before disappearing almost entirely from our kitchens. No longer popular, no longer cool, they still hold a special place in our hearts (and bellies).

Every week I write the 10-Minute Happy Hour to allow each of us permission to make a moment. No overly involved dinner party or stress-filled gatherings touted here. Just 10 minutes and you get to take a beat and toast the week behind or the weekend to come. Following suit, the newly released book Storied Sips, page after page, highlights how a simple cocktail can “strip away the mundane, gild an evening … and add a little flair.