Vintage Recipe Photos Make Us Question How Humanity Survived The 20th Century

Maybe it's because my family didn't eat a lot of of Jell-O salads, but I am absolutely fascinated by vintage American recipes. I'm sure a lot of you are too, based off the links people send me all the time. LoveFOOD posted a slideshow (yes, your favorite, a slideshow) to give us all a stroll down a weird culinary memory lane. Let's take that walk together.

Honestly, there are a few photos in the mix that are fine and reminiscent of kid versions of arts and crafts, like a tree of pickles all fixed to a block of cheese. Good for grazing. Shit gets a little more animated after that, with a recipe for "Curry in a Hurry," with tuna, cream of chicken soup, peach slices, mushrooms, onions, curry powder, and almonds. Ah yes, tuna, chicken, and peaches, the three cornerstones of scrumptious cuisine.

I'm actually pretty impressed with the recipe called Spam Brittany, published in 1967 in Women's Day, which alternates slices of Spam with apple, both poked with cloves, all glazed with orange marmalade. I may actually try this at home sometime. Life is short, you know? Might as well live it to the fullest.

Okay, now here's the thing I think I need to understand the most. I am trying to understand why someone down the line decided to mix mayonnaise into gelatin, and why that was just widely accepted. Did anyone object to this? Like, any one person? Because this did not need to happen. And check out this suggestion for lime Jell-O salad with olives, celery, and cheese. The slideshow's definitely a good morning distraction if you've got Monday brain, so take a look and marvel along with us.