The winter holidays are here, which for many means a bounty of joy, gratitude and, at least for a couple decades there in the mid-1900s, a frightening volume of gelatin.
A succulent spiral ham. A bristling glass of eggnog. Multiple gallons of lime Jell-O.
These, we can surely all agree, are the foundations of a successful holiday feast. At least, they sure seemed to be for a stretch during the last century when recipes for molded gelatin salads, stuffed vegetables and seafood mousses ran rampant through the food sections of many newspapers, the Indianapolis Star included.
With the winter holidays fast approaching, we’ve dug back into the IndyStar’s archives on newspapers.com and selected four recipes for your consideration and/or amusement this festive season. Who knows: If you’re bold enough to try a Retro-giving, you might find a few of them might actually taste good.
Nov. 17, 1968: ‘Christmas salad’ features most wonderful brine of the year
It’s important to note that many of the recipes featured in mid-century newspapers came from everyday home cooks, each with their own approach to research and development in the kitchen. Though many of the dishes may seem strange to those of us living in a largely post-Jell-O salad world, these enterprising home economists relied on them to feed crowds of people each year. Keep this in mind as you peruse Mrs. Myle N. Record’s 1968 recipe for a concoction of lime-flavored gelatin, stuffed olives and sweet pickles dubbed “Christmas salad.”
Ingredients
1 package (3 ounces) lime-flavored gelatin1 can (1 pound) pineapple chunksWater1 to 2 canned pimento peppers2 sweet pickles1 cup (scant) chopped English walnuts3 or 4 stuffed green olives
Instructions
Drain the pineapple chunks. Add sufficient water to measure 1 3/4 cupful. Combine with lime-flavored gelatin, following package directions. Allow to set until sirupy (sic). Cut the pimentos into small pieces. Slice the olives. Fold the pimentos, pickles, walnuts and olives into the partially set gelatin. Pour into a 1-quart mold and chill until firm.
Dec. 11, 1966: Broken glass torte threatens with calories, not actual glass
This one is a relatively straightforward dessert with a bit of a marketing problem. What other confectioners have called a “stained glass” cake, this dish from Mrs. Mike Bagnoli features asymmetrical chunks of different-colored gelatin suspended in whipping cream to create the shattered church window effect. The recipe notes that while the broken glass torte can be served year-round, if you’re making it during the holidays Mrs. Bagnoli suggests adding a splash of rum.
Ingredients
Crust:
2 cups graham cracker crumbs1/2 cup sugar1/2 cup melted butter or margarine
Torte:
1 package (3 ounces) cherry or raspberry gelatin1 package (3 ounces) lime gelatin1 package (3 ounces) lemon gelatin1 cup pineapple juice1/4 cup sugar1/2 cup cold water1 pint whipping cream2 tablespoons rum, optional
Instructions
For the crust: Combine ingredients and mix well. Reserve 1/2 cup for topping. Press remainder into 9- or 10-inch spring-form pan. For the torte: Dissolve the red and green gelatin separately in 1 1/2 cups each boiling water. Pour into separate 8-inch by 8-inch by 2-inch pans. Chill until firm (overnight if possible). Heat pineapple juice to boiling, add sugar and lemon gelatin, stir to dissolve. Stir in the 1/2 cup cold water. Chill until sirupy (sic). Whip cream, fold into sirupy (sic) mixture along with the rum. Fold in red and green gelatin cubes. Pour into crumb-lined spring-form pan. Sprinkle reserved crumbs on top. Chill for at least 8 hours before serving.
Dec. 19, 1958: Candle salad for the children
Following broken glass, naturally the next bit of aesthetic inspiration for your holiday spread would be flaming columns of wax. This ornate fruit salad, which then-Star food editor Ann Harrington billed as a treat “especially for the small fry,” features a perfectly reasonable assembly of pineapple, bananas, chopped nuts, cherries and carrot curls all shaped to resemble, yes, a candle. Surely, you didn’t think you could finish this recipe without mayo?
Ingredients
1/2 head lettuce, shreddedFrench dressing4 large pineapple slices, well drained2 large bananas, shaped as straight as possibleMayonnaise1/4 cup chopped nuts4 cherries4 carrot curls
Instructions
Moisten lettuce with dressing and line four salad plates with mixture. Place a pineapple slice on each plate. Peel bananas and cut in half crosswise. Dip tapered end in mayonnaise about an inch down. Roll in chopped nuts and stand in pineapple hole. Place cherry on top and stick carrot curl in side for candlestick handle. Feeds four.
Nov. 16, 1969: Don’t put all your eggs in one basket; do put them in Jell-O
Printed mere inches from a different holiday recipe that features the haunting term, “cheese-gelatin-mayonnaise combination,” Mrs. Fred E. Schlegel’s mustard mold recipe offers a wintry, presumably wobbly take on the classic summer picnic deviled egg.
Ingredients
4 eggs1 1/2 tablespoons dry mustard1/4 cup water1/2 pint whipping cream3/4 cup sugar1/4 teaspoon salt1 envelope unflavored gelatin1/2 cup vinegar
Instructions
Soften gelatin in 1/4 cup water. Beat eggs in top of double boiler. Add vinegar to the eggs. Mix sugar, gelatin, mustard and salt. Add to egg mixture. Cook over boiling water, stirring constantly. Cool. Fold in whipped cream and pour into 6-cup mold. Chill overnight and garnish with parsley. Makes 12 servings.
Contact dining reporter Bradley Hohulin at bhohulin@indystar.com. You can follow him on Twitter/X @BradleyHohulin and stay up to date with Indy dining news by signing up for the Indylicious newsletter.
Dining and Cooking