If you have a fondue pot in your cupboard or a pasta maker gathering dust in your garage, you know firsthand that food prep is vulnerable to the whims of fashion. We may be getting our recipes off the Internet these days, but in wanting to try the newest gadget or cooking process, we aren't that different from our grandmothers. Today it may be goat cheese and marinated figs, but whatever the latest food fad happens to be, in a couple of decades it will become a culinary footnote in the cultural summary of the times. To get a good take on 1930s party foods, you have to explore the trends. They may seem tame today, but back then, they were oh-so chichi. Think of them as the food superstars that could make or break a host's reputation:
- Devil it - Think deviled eggs, deviled ham (or ham salad) and deviled chicken, and you've got the general idea. Grind it up, mix it with mayo and serve it on a cracker or piped into the hollow of a hard cooked egg and you have elegant finger food. Our Spicy Deviled Eggs are a great place to start.
- Give it some jiggle - That kid-friendly gelatin mold in your pantry was once so fashionable no 1930s food fest would have been complete without it. You had to have an ice box or refrigerator to make a gelatin mold, which made it a dish that required modern technology. Gelatin molds also sported ritzy ingredients like mayonnaise, nuts and tropical or seasonal fruits. Our Cranberry-Apple Gelatin Salad is a good representative example. If you were really on the cutting edge of food fashion, you might have served aspic -- a savory gelatin mold using ingredients like tomato juice, cream, salmon, crab or minced chicken. Aspics were served cold like the fruity molds you're used to, so they were often warm weather or light afternoon fare.
- Make it into a ring - If you've discovered how easy it is to slice and serve Bundt cake, you can see why placing food in a ring was considered convenient and attractive. The shape was considered unique, and it could be achieved using a simple mold and inexpensive ingredients. In the 1930s, gelatin molds and aspics were often ring shaped and served with assorted vegetables in the open center. Rings were also made out of rice and even pasta. Want to create the right note for your party? Give our Festive Cranberry Ring Mold a try.
- Stuff it - Filling the hollowed core of any of a number of vegetables with chopped or ground ingredients was also huge. Recipes like tomatoes stuffed with chicken salad, bell peppers stuffed with ground beef and mushrooms stuffed with bacon and breadcrumbs were popular. We've got the perfect stuffed tomato dish to show you how it's done. This one's delicious and pretty to look at: Pesto-Pasta Stuffed Tomatoes.
- Form it into a loaf - Meatloaf may get groans from your kids, but way back when, serving a loaf of magical meat was too cool. Lamb loaf, veal loaf and salmon loaf were all considered party food. A hostess could layer a loaf pan with ingredients like bacon, mushrooms and even mashed potatoes for a striped effect that was bound to elicit oohs and ahhs from guests.
Using the right ingredients was important, too: A lavish shrimp co*cktail appetizer like our Pineapple-Ginger Shrimp co*cktail, carried as much cache in the 1930s as it does today. Including ingredients like lobster, squab, oysters, tongue, crab, fruit punch, prunes, peaches, pineapple, honeydew melon and orange marmalade in the menu helped gentrify the meal and add that touch of elegant refinement that was so important. A 1930s dinner party menu would probably also have included dishes that mirrored what Hollywood considered sophisticated European taste with items like scones, crumpets, cucumber or watercress sandwiches, salmon croquettes, trifles, tortes and meringues. A smart hostess could also show her sophistication by serving big city menu items like Waldorf salad or curried lamb.
Now that you understand a little about the food, let's explore some ways to make your 1930s-era party look and sound as good as it tastes.
Did You Know?
See how many of these colorful 1930s slang terms you know: the big house (prison), hooch (whiskey), sweet patootie (a pretty girl), lettuce (money), copper (policeman), keen (good), shake a leg (hurry), slip me five (shake hands), scram (leave), snipe (a cigarette), squat (nothing).
FAQs
A 1930s dinner party menu would probably also have included dishes that mirrored what Hollywood considered sophisticated European taste with items like scones, crumpets, cucumber or watercress sandwiches, salmon croquettes, trifles, tortes and meringues.
How do you come up with a dinner menu? ›
How to Create a Dinner Menu Like a Pro
- Selecting a Flavor Concept. First, you should determine the concept or main flavor. ...
- Designing a Menu: First, Second and Dessert Course. Next, I think of the overall menu: appetizer and main course. ...
- Tell a Story with Food. ...
- Tap into Your Creativity.
Plan for at least 2-3 servings per person. Type of meal - Some meals like soup and salad require less food per person, while meals with multiple courses will need more. Buffets also require more food overall. Appetizers - If serving appetizers before the meal, plan for 1-2 appetizers per person.
How to plan a menu? ›
The steps in meal planning are writing down days of the week and meal ideas, finding recipes, collecting and saving recipes, adding these recipes to a personal collection to save time in the future, finalizing the menu calendar, and finally creating a grocery list based on the meals and recipes chosen.
How do you write a simple menu? ›
How to Make a Restaurant Menu
- Write Out all Menu Items.
- Categorize Menu Items. Categorize all the items into apps, entrees, desserts, or any other categories. ...
- Set Menu Prices. Notice that we haven't added prices to our spreadsheet yet? ...
- Create Menu Descriptions.
It's all about providing a good balance of texture and variety. So try not to have rich and creamy dishes following each other. Make sure your dishes have a mix of textures; it enhances the meal experience. Flavour: Don't have too many strong flavours and make sure they compliment the main item.
How to design a menu layout? ›
Forewarned: you might leave hungry.
- Be aware of eye scanning patterns. ...
- Divide the menu into logical sections. ...
- Use photos sparingly. ...
- Consider using illustration. ...
- Don't emphasize currency signs. ...
- Consider using boxes. ...
- Typography. ...
- Choose appropriate colors.
A general rule of thumb is to estimate around 1.5 times the amount of food for a full meal per person to ensure that there is enough variety and plenty to go around. Factors such as the duration of the event, the type of dishes being served, and the eating habits of the guests should also be taken into consideration.
How should a menu be organized? ›
A well-organized menu will make it easier for guests to decide what they want. Divide it into logical sections, such as appetizers, entrees, beverages, desserts, and the like. Keep the section titles unassuming and straight to the point.
How many items should be on a dinner menu? ›
But How Many Is Too Many Menu Items? The magic number is 7. According to menu engineer Gregg Rapp, “When we include over seven items, a guest will be overwhelmed and confused, and when they get confused they'll typically default to an item they've had before.”
For a one hour party, typically 4 – 5 bites per person would be appropriate. For a two hour party, because people will eat more the first hour than the second, you'll still need the 4-5 bites and also about 2-3 more per person for the second hour so a total of 6-8 bites per person.
What time should dinner be served at a party? ›
It's best to serve dinner one to two hours after the guests arrive or between 6 PM to 8 PM. Serving dinner immediately when guests arrive may cause them to feel rushed and uncomfortable.
What are three basic rules in menu planning? ›
The fundamental principles of meal planning include balance, variety, consistency, and flexibility.
What are the golden rules of menu planning? ›
6 Golden Rules You Need to Abide By While Designing Your Menu!
- Right pricing.
- Choose the right material.
- Design your menu logically.
- Keep the words appealing.
- Promote your signature dishes.
- Collect customer feedback.
- Step 1: Keep it short and sweet. ...
- Step 2: Divide and conquer into categories. ...
- Step 3: Price your menu items for profit. ...
- Step 4: Make your dishes pop with mouth-watering pictures. ...
- Step 5: Persuade clients to order with menu descriptions. ...
- Step 6: Add allergen information. ...
- Step 7: Go a step further with nutritional information.
Here is a guide to menu planning with tips and tricks to help you create the perfect menu for your event:
- Know Your Guest List Before planning your menu. ...
- Determine Your Budget. ...
- Choose Your Cuisine. ...
- Balance Your Menu. ...
- Seasonality and Freshness. ...
- Presentation Matters. ...
- Consider Beverage.
Sending a Dinner Invitation Email
- Include the date, time, and address of the party. ...
- Specify the dress code for the event. ...
- Tell the recipient's what the occasion is for. ...
- Do you expect donations or don't want anyone to bring gifts? ...
- Give them a contact and deadline to send in RSVP's.
Five Tips For Writing A Dinner Table Scene
- Reveal Your Characters Through Subtext. Subtext is a very powerful tool for exposing the true nature of relationships. ...
- Use Tension as a Weapon. ...
- Explore Culture Through Food and Setting. ...
- Use Entrances/Exits to Change Dynamics. ...
- Play with Movement to Change Beats.
