We adore keeping up with—and sometimes even launching—drink and food trends here at the BHG HQ. From the Lone Ranger cocktail that took over in summer 2024 to the endlessly-riffable viral cucumber salad that continues to appear in many of our team members’ lunch menus, keeping up with what’s new and next means that our bites and sips are guaranteed to never seem stale.
Still, there’s undeniable appeal to the tried-and-true. (No wonder twists on old-school cocktails are poised to become one of the biggest 2025 drink trends!) Our most-clicked recipes of 2024 include many dishes that are part of our million dollar recipe series, which highlights our “ultimate” version of crowd-pleasers like Tater Tot Casserole, Glazed Ham, Chicken Casserole, and Pound Cake. So it’s clear we’re not alone in our desire for a dose of nostalgia now and again.
One of the best, coziest, and heartwarming ways to cure those cravings is via a treasured family heirloom recipe like Grandma’s Caramel Slice or your mom’s signature potluck contribution. (I still dream about my Mom’s frosted brownies that she adoringly describes as “squidgy.”)
Because we’re always on the lookout for more old-school recipes that stand the test of time, our ears perked up when we heard cookbook author and Milk Bar owner Christina Tosi share a trick for how to unearth the best and most beloved vintage recipes.
The No. 1 Trick to Find the Best Vintage Recipes, According to Milk Bar’s Christina Tosi
During an interview on the This is Taste Podcast, the pastry chef opened up about her days at Momofuku, David Chang’s restaurant group that launched her Milk Bar empire and gave her professional opinion about the best holiday Reese’s. (She’s partial to the football.)
When host Matt Rodbard asked Tosi where she finds inspiration for innovations like cereal milk and for the playful recipes in her latest book, Bake Club, she admits there are a few common sources:
“I let my belly be my guide,” Tosi says, which is the spark that set her on a recipe muffin-baking quiet.
“I like to make people happy through food,” she continues. You never know where you might land when you “interrogate” friends about their preferred flavors.
“I like to go to thrift stores and yard sales and look at other peoples’ cookbook collections,” Tosi adds. “I’m always so curious…so many things on the Milk Bar menu that are classics are spurred from something that has come before.”
That last tip was the nugget that made our eyes well up as we reminisced about the recipe boxes and cookbooks that were treasured in our childhood homes. While some pages were pristine and rarely, if ever used, others are splattered, tattered, and so well-loved because the recipes have become such staples in our home.
The same holds true for cookbooks and recipe boxes you might discover at used bookstores, estate sales, yard sales, or even the kitchen of your parents, grandparents, or more senior pals. The secret to finding the best vintage recipes is to seek out the dirtiest pages in a cookbook or recipe card collection, then peek at the creation. If it speaks to you, take a photo—or better yet, buy the book or box—so you can bring this cherished recipe into your home, too. These are well-loved for a reason!
Before we send you off on your mission to dredge up some of the best vintage recipes in your neck of the woods, we couldn’t resist leaving you with a few timeless recipes that are among the most-stained in our Test Kitchen’s recipe box:
Read the original article on Better Homes & Gardens