Hawaiian Hop Party Prep

There are just certain cookbooks that keep on giving and one of my favorites is 1964's The Seventeen Cookbook. This particular volume was published before I was born, but I loved Seventeen Magazine as a teenager. This was before there were approximately 85 gajillion YouTube channels and websites aimed at teens, so Seventeen was where I learned about things like clothes and makeup and read about teen models like Whitney Houston, whose lives seemed a lot more glamorous than mine. 

No, I'm not sure I CAN deal with jealousy

The Seventeen Cookbook features not just recipes, but tips for parties, dates, family get-togethers and so much more. The nation was a little Hawaii-obsessed at the time, so that theme features prominently, including plans for a Hawaiian prom. The Hawaiian Hop looks like a lot of work, but they do instruct young prom planners to enlist a lot of help. I would love to see this actualized. Maybe we'll rent a gym and try it one day. If you'd like to in the meantime, here's all you need to know to create the Polynesian prom of your dreams!

Fill that punch bowl with Islander's Punch. If you're not serving it to actual teens you can switch out that lemon-lime for chilled prosecco and throw in a little amber rum.

Take it from Seventeen - "It's going to be a marvelous evening!"

A Visit to 1979 for Holiday Hospitality

Part of the stash of vintage bar guides recently sent to us by our pal Mod Betty of Retro Roadmap was this little gem from the American Forces Network:

A bar guide at holiday time is, indeed, pretty handy and one sent with your TV-Guide? Genius! The American Forces Network, a.k.a. the Armed Forces Network, provides radio and TV to Americans serving overseas. In 1979 they were pleased to share some recipes to liven up the holidays. Even the ads had recipes! Here are some traditional Christmas beverages to start, including a couple of mocktails. I'll bet you hadn't thought of Coke, yogurt and cherry jam in your drink, but that's what this guide is for! And I like the instructions to use the "cheaper table wines" and forego your best crystal bowl. It's not underachievement - it's following directions!

How about a rum cake featuring rum and more rum, along with a cake mix and Jell-O instant pudding?

Lest you think that this booklet didn't feature actual gelatin, never fear! Here it is in an intriguing chicken dish. Today you'll find it called Heering Cherry Liqueur and it makes a lovely addition to a nice cheese fondue.

And here are some classic cocktail party appetizers, several with vegetarians in mind:

So...much...cheese. You need something to soak up all that booze! Here's to the holiday season! 

Christmas Recipes for the Impatient

Connoisseurs of fruitcake know that many such cake recipes call for being started well in advance of Christmas - in some cases up to a year in advance! If you fall into that fruitcake loving group, yet didn't get your act together to begin macerating your fruit weeks or months ago, McCall's Book of Merry Eating (1965) has a recipe especially for you! You'll probably have trouble finding an applesauce-raisin cake mix, so go ahead and use a spice cake mix and throw in some raisins. Who's going to know?

We have a YouTube playlist of Christmas cocktails that are pretty darned easy to make (more on the way!), but if you mean business and want that drink NOW, this one is traditional and has only two ingredients (three if you want to fancy it up).

Cheers!

1950s Appetizers & Classic Cocktail Recipe - the Algonquin!

On today's menu we have four 1950s appetizers by request, along with the classic Algonquin cocktail! Travel back in time with us for a happy hour cocktail party laden with retro favorites! Many may scoff at this menu in 2017, but I guarantee they will still scarf down these tidbits like it's their job. Cheers!

What's for Brunch? RUM!

The last few days have been insanity here at the Kitsch-en, since we have a couple of ambitious episodes lined up for next week. I'm grateful that the weekend is almost here, since weekends mean brunch! They say that brunch is a portmanteau of "breakfast" and "lunch," but it is also an excuse to day drink. Otherwise it would just be late breakfast with lunch foods added. In that spirit (no pun intended), here are some brunch ideas from 1956's The Puerto Rican Rum Host and Hostess Book, published by Rums of Puerto Rico, part of the fabulous bar book haul we recently received in the mail from the fabulous Mod Betty of Retro Roadmap fame. Many of these offerings involve rum, but some do not, giving you options for the abstainers in your crowd.

Have a fabulous weekend! Bon appetit and cheers!

MORE FUN at Cocktail Time

We recently received a gift of amazing cocktail guides from our fabulous friend Mod Betty, of Retro Roadmap fame (fans of all things vintage and retro, her site is a must visit!). Included in this amazing haul was a little pamphlet from 1935 entitled MORE FUN at Cocktail Time and published by the Seagrams Distillers Corporation. The "more fun" involves "rollicking games and tricks" to make drinking, well, more fun! Here are some cocktails and recipes that will get the hilarity started, along with a Party Log to keep track of the shenanigans. I just love these 1930s graphics. Doesn't the gal on the cover look like Bette Davis?

The weighing of guests is optional and not necessarily recommended!

Enjoy!

Vintage Cocktails For When You're Not Having It

Is it just me, or have you noticed lately that everyone seems to have an opinion about you, your life and the things you do and that, furthermore, they're determined to share those opinions with you, regardless of how uninterested you may be in hearing said opinions? If this sounds familiar to you, here are some on-theme vintage cocktails to help dull the pain of unwelcome input. If you aren't suffering fools these days, lucky you. Go ahead and celebrate your success in avoiding the annoying with one of these lovely libations, brought to you by one of my favorite bar guides, Bar Guide: Published by TRUE, The Men's Magazine (1950), which is both "authentic and hilarious" if they do say so themselves. I think we could all use a laugh!

You'll find that, after a couple of these medicinal brews, the screeching, opinionated, negative voices gently melt into the background along with the ambient noise of everyday life. Isn't that better?

Too Busy To Host A Party?

Lately, summer seems to fly by in a blur. There are so many events and parties that it feels as though you're cooking out for Memorial Day and the next thing you know the stores are pushing Pumpkin Spice Everything and Halloween items are fully on sale. Were you too busy to plan a gathering of your own this summer? Do you still wish you could, but have no time? Never fear, help is here from 1977 and the Party Book from Lexington Liquor Mart, in Lexington MA, a gift from our fabulous friend Mod Betty, of Retro Roadmap! These "Party Books" were something a liquor store could obviously order with their own name printed on it, since we have many that are identical between the covers from other stores, but that is what makes them fascinating. They often advertise "Ample Parking" and all have the exact same photos, recipes and ads. They're also full of party tips, which makes them amazing windows into the past. Here are some tips for entertaining with "The Magic Sherries of Spain" and pairing wine and cheese. According to this Party Book you can get away with zero cooking whatsoever. But don't call it lazy. Call it vintage!

Entertaining so easy even Glendora could handle it! And if it's just not going to happen before Labor Day weekend, don't worry. Everyone still loves wine and cheese in September. Start sending those evites!

Burger and Hot Dog Creativity, Mid-Century Style

Burgers and hot dogs are summer traditions for a reason, but what if you're feeling creative and want to try something different? Here are some ideas you probably hadn't thought of for summer entertaining (or entertaining during any other season, for that matter). These appetizers all feature hot dogs. Have you ever minced hot dogs before? Get ready to mince and grind! Frankly (you should pardon the expression), I want to pass a tray of these appetizers at a party so that I can say "Chunkette?" and watch the reactions!

Chunkette?

For the main course we move on to ground beef, which 1967's Ground Beef Cookbook calls "one of the most 'talented' of meats," (sic), with a couple of meat loaf recipes that promise to be real conversation starters! You don't have to use beef for these recipes - I won't tell! First up: Unusual Ground Beef Loaf, courtesy of Mrs. Fred Merk of Drain, Oregon:

Not to be outdone, Mrs. Herbert Laroche, of Domremy, Saskatchewan, Canada, offers us her Piquant Meat Loaf, complete with Piquant Sauce:

I'm positive these ladies had first names, but, alas, we'll never know them. One day I will serve Unusual Ground Beef Loaf so that I can answer "Unusual Ground Beef Loaf" when asked what we're having for supper. By the way, you're invited for supper!

Bon appetit!

Easy Party Fare from 1953

Summer means entertaining! Looking for a little vintage flair for a shindig? 1953's Today's Woman Cook Book has got you covered! Here are a bunch of easy appetizer ideas and inexpensive wine coolers with 1950s credibility. And there's even a bonus: a rum ball recipe that was stuck into the book, written on the back of a machine-readable computer card. It's positively "Desk Set!" I can just imagine the original owner of this book jotting down this recipe at work, standing beside her huge computer.

Recipes for Record Store Day

Tomorrow is Record Store Day, celebrating independent record stores, along with those who work in them and those who love them. As a bonafide record lover, I think this calls for a celebration! The leaflet, Three Wiki Wiki Parties for Teens by Dole (I'm going to guess early 1960s) even has a special recipe that's perfect for the occasion, a pineapple pizza for your platter party!

You could take their suggestion and accompany it with tall, cool glasses of milk (and, if you're actually entertaining teens I highly recommend it). However, you may just want a libation that's a bit lovelier. In that case, how about a big bowl of Champagne Delight Punch?

We have the Anchor Hocking Party Starter Punch Recipe Book (I'm going with early 1970s for this one) to thank for this punch. That's a lot of hooch! Whatever you imbibe, put some records on the turntable (find your nearest record store and purchase some if you don't have any) and lift a glass to Record Store Day! 

Vintage Ideas for Easter Tables

Are you looking to give Easter dinner a little flair? Later this week we'll have cocktails guaranteed to add sparkle to Easter celebrations! For now, here are some ideas for a memorable Easter tabletop, courtesy of Better Homes & Gardens Holiday Cook Book (1959) some edible and some not. Go outside, find a branch and some spray paint, and create a spectacular Easter tree!

If you're after a more mid-century modern look, here's a centerpiece you can start making now, with some Perky Platter Trims to start practicing:

These adorable serving vessels are both Easter-themed and edible! And these Easter Bonnet cookies are merely a jumping off point. Everyone knows that the best Easter bonnets are over-the-top, so let your creativity run amok!

Just think how much better they'd look in color! If you're celebrating, I hope you're enjoying your Easter prep!

The Man In The Kitchen Recipes

I was browsing through my cookbooks and came across this masterpiece, which I adore on so many levels that I just had to share. It's The Man In The Kitchen Recipes, by actor Van Johnson, and is a tie-in with Kmart and their Kmart K-lectables line of kitchen appliances. There is no publication date, but Kmart filed for a trademark on the K-lectables name in 1980, which dovetails with Van Johnson's dinner theater period, which is when this book was published. Also, as you'll see, the K-lectables SCREAM early '80s. Mr. Johnson claimed to love cooking and eating (he explains that he'd stopped smoking and couldn't stop eating) and he certainly amassed quite a collection of fascinating recipes here! It's a challenge to find any without meat, but I did find one for the vegetarians, plus booze-spiked coffee because, well, booze-spiked coffee! Without further ado, The Man In The Kitchen!

That jacket!

K-lect them all for your '80s kitchen!

Recipes on the Record

Last night we had the good fortune to appear on the fabulous YouTube series "Thrifty Business with Jay and Nay," talking about one of my favorite topics, kitsch!



One of my favorite categories of kitsch is what I think of as "housewife records," and one of my favorite subsets of that is records with recipes on the back cover or inside, if the cover folds out. Last night I made recipes from two different records, including this Pineapple Refrigerator Dessert from the card party-themed album "Foursome."

Of course we need cocktails! We recently discovered this album in a thrift store and it has become one of my favorites. Ready for some "Smooth Sounds" (and smooth drinks)? I won't tell if you don't actually mix with Gordon's. ;)

Have a fabulous weekend!