30 Bizarre Vintage Recipes That Will Make You Ask “What Were They Thinking?”

If you ever browsed an old cookbook, you probably have stumbled upon some sort of strange recipe that makes you go “What?”. These sorts of recipes usually try to combine completely incompatible ingredients and pass the whole thing off as being “savory” or “piquant” when in reality “absolutely disgusting” sounds more suiting. And we’re not talking about things like salt and caramel. We’re talking about bananas and mayo, or cheese and lime.

#1 Banana Candle

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#2 Seven-Up In Milk

#3 Ham And Bananas Hollandaise

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#4 Almonds In A Haystack

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#5 Terrine Of Garden Vegetables

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#6 Igloo Meatloaf

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#7 Cup Steak Puddings

#8 Lettuce Salad

#9 Lime Cheese Salad

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#10 Celery Victor

 

Image source: vintagerecipecards

1 bunch celery

1 cup water

1 beef bouillon cube

1/4 cup low calorie Italian salad dressing

Pimiento strips

Trim root end off celery but do not separate stalks. Remove leaves and coarse outer stalks. Cut celery bunch crosswise once so bottom section is 5 inches long. Cut bottom section crosswise into quarter; tie quarters with string.

In skillet, heat water to boiling; dissolve bouillon cube in water. Add celery bundles. Cover; heat to boiling. Cook about 15 minutes. Drain celery; place in shallow glass dish. Pour salad dressing over celery. Refrigerate 3 hours, turning bundles twice.

To serve, place a bundle cut side down on each salad plate; remove string. Top with pimiento strips. 4 servings (30 calories each).

CELERY VICTOR II

Pour 1/4 cup low calorie Italian salad dressing over 2 cans (16 ounces each) celery hearts, drained, and 2 medium tomatoes, cut into wedges, in shallow glass dish. Cover; refrigerate 2 hours. To serve, arrange vegetables on Bibb lettuce. 6 servings (25 calories each).

#11 Ham ‘N’ Lima Bean Sadness Casserole

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#12 Crown Roast Of Frankfurters

#13 Philadelphia Cream Cheese

#14 Ham In Aspic

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#15 Tuna Mold

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#16 Potato Fudge

#17 Frozen Cheese Salad

 

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2 2/3 cups cottage cheese

8 ounces blue cheese

1/2 cup buttermilk

2 tablespoons chives

2 teaspoons grated lemon peel

1 teaspoon barbecue spice

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

2 cups raw broccoli florets

Green pepper strips, to garnish

Let cheeses stand at room temperature for 30 min-utes. Place in blender container with buttermilk, chives, lemon peel, barbecue spice, and Worcester-shire, process at medium speed until mixture is smooth. Transfer to freezer tray. Freeze at least 3 hours. Remove from freezer 15 minutes before serv-ing. Unmold on serving platter. Surround with broc-coli florets. Garnish with green pepper strips. Divide evenly. Makes 8 luncheon servings.

#18 Cranberry Candles

#19 Chilled Celery Log

#20 Party Sandwich

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#21 Monterey Soufflé Salad

#22 Hostess Tree

#23 Perfection Salad

 

Image source: vintagerecipecards

2 envelopes unflavored gelatine

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon salt

1 can (12 oz) apple juice

1/2 cup lemon juice

2 tablespoons vinegar

1 cup shredded carrot 1 cup sliced celery

1 cup finely shredded cabbage

1/2 cup chopped green pepper

1 can (4 oz) chopped pimiento

1. In small saucepan, combine gelatine, sugar, and salt; mix well.

2. Add 1 cup water. Heat over low heat, stirring constantly, until sugar and gelatine are dissolved. Remove from heat.

3. Stir in apple juice, lemon juice, vinegar, and 1/4 cup cold water. Pour into medium bowl. Refrigerate 1 hour, or until mixture is consistency of unbeaten egg white.

4. Add carrot, celery, cabbage, green pepper, and pimiento; stir until well combined.

5. Turn into decorative, 1 1/2-quart mold. Refrigerate 4 hours,or until firm.

6. To unmold: Run small spatula around edge of mold; invert onto serving plate. Place hot dishcloth over mold; shake gently to release.

Repeat, if necessary. Lift off mold. refrigerate until ready to serve. Makes 8 servings.

#24 Sweet And Sour Fish

 

Image source: vintagerecipecards

INGREDIENTS:-

One fish (about 1 1/2 lb; use either yellow fish or garoupa)

2 tbsps oil

Oil for deep frying

Seasoning for fish:-

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. glutamate

1 tbsp. cornflour

1 1/2 tbsps. dry sherry

Sweet and sour sauce:-

1/3 cup white vinegar

3 tbsps. tomato sauce

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup diced onions

1 big red pepper (diced)

1 tbsp. cornflour

1 tbsp. oil

METHOD:-

1) Wash fish and dry thoroughly with clean cloth

2) Cult slanting slits along the fish.

3) Marinate fish with seasoning.

4) Deep fry fish in hot oil until golden brown. Remove from pan, cool for a few seconds. Fry again for 5-6 minutes (to ensure crispness).

5) While the fish is still deep frying, heat 2 tbsps oil in another pan; add in the diced vegetables and saute for a few seconds. Pour in the sweet and sour sauce mixture; thicken the sauce with cornflour and stir in 1 tbsp oil.

6) Dish out the ready-fried fish and drain off the excess fat. Place on a heated dish and pour sauce over it. Serve hot.

#25 Salad Loaf

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#26 Jellied Tomato Refresher

 

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1 envelope unflavored gelatin

1/4 cup cold water

3 cups tomato juice

2 tablespoons dehydrated green pepper flakes

Artificial sweetener to equal 2 teaspoons sugar

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1 packet instant beef broth and seasoning mix or 1 beef bouillon cube

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/4 teaspoon garlic salt

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 medium green pepper, cut in rings (optional)

Sprinkle gelatin over cold water to soften. Combine tomato juice. green pepper flakes, sweetener, lemon juice, broth mix, Worcestershire, garlic salt, and cloves in saucepan. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat. Add softened gelatin; stir to dissolve. Pour into bowl. Refrigerate until set. Just before serving. beat lightly with fork. Spoon mixture, evenly divided, into 4 dessert dishes. Garnish with green pepper rings, if desired. Makes 4 servings.

#27 Prawn Stuffed Apples

 

Image source: vintagerecipecards

Preparation time: 10 mins.

Main cooking utensils:

bowl, wooden toothpicks

For 6 people you need:

6 red-skinned eating apples lemon juice

Filling: 3 tablespoons thick mayonnaise

1 teaspoon tomato paste

dash Tabasco sauce

2 pickled cucumbers, finely sliced

4 stuffed olives, chopped

2/3 cup peeled prawns or shrimp

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

Garnish:

6 whole prawns or shrimp

6 stuffed olives

1. Cut off the tops of the apples, and scoop out the insides to hollow them.

2. Remove all core and pips and dice remaining flesh.

3. Sprinkle the apples with lemon juice to prevent discoloration.

4. Mix the chopped apple with all the other filling ingredients.

5. Just before serving, pile into the apple cases.

6. Decorate with prawn and a stuffed olive on a wooden toothpick.

TO SERVE: With a green salad.

TO VARY: Use same filling with addition of chopped celery or omit the olives and add extra chopped gherkins and a few capers instead.

#28 Baked Bologna Jubilee

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#29 Piquant Herring Salad

 

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Preparation time: 15 mins.

Main utensil: sharp knife

For 4 people you need:

4 pickled herrings

1 small onion

1 eating apple

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1/4 pint soured cream (or 1/4 pint single cream and 1 dessertspoon lemon juice)

salt

white pepper

To pick 6 herrings:

Brine: 2 oz. salt

1 pint water

Spiced vinegar:

1 pint vinegar, preferably white

1 tablespoon pickling spices

Fillet 6 large herrings, soak in the brine for 2 hours. Roll herrings, cover with cold spiced vinegar made by boiling vinegar and spices. Put into screw top jars with sliced onion, bay leaf. Leave 5-6 days.

1. Drain herrings. Cut in half lengthways; cut each half into 4 strips.

2. Arrange on serving dish.

3. Slice onion. Cover with boiling water, drain after 1 minute.

4. Core and slice apple, sprinkle slices with lemon juice. Reserve a few apple slices for garnish.

5. Blend rest of apple, onion rings, cream and 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice. Season well.

 

TO SERVE: Spoon dressing over herring pieces, garnish with apple slices – watercress may be used if desired.

TO VARY: Use yoghourt instead of soured cream, add a few capers and finely chopped gherkin to the mixture.

Pickled herring and beetroot salad: Mix chopped herrings with diced cooked potato, diced cooked beetroot, diced apples. Toss in mayonnaise.

TO STORE: Cover lightly with foil and keep in a cool place.

#30 Silhouette Salad