A Vile Collection of Disgusting Vintage Recipes and Foods

Ada Elder

Jul 1, 2022 11:00 AM EDT

I was never a picky eater growing up. But I had friends who would turn up their noses at the mention of tuna salad. They seemed to only respond to chicken nuggets or tenders, white rice, and buttered noodles. It was bleak. I always thought that as New Yorkers who are surrounded by different cultures, we should be a tad more adventurous. Their weak palates disappointed me, and my family struggled to inspire open-mindedness. It recently occurred to me, however, that we were using the wrong tactics. Trying to convince someone - verbally - that Indian food tastes good can be a futile task. What if, instead, the cuisine in question was out-crazied by whatever else we were serving? This strategy would be pretty simple if we were serving up lightly sauteed offal. But it would really work if our table was cursed by the presence of the uniquely gelatinous vintage recipes of yore. For some reason, in the middle of the last century, aspics were in. Jell-O molds were filled with meaty bits, cabbage, pimento-stuffed olives, and even fish. The horror. We'd rather eat liver than indulge in these jiggly atrocities - many of which are featured in this here gallery. If you're struggling with a picky eater in your life, try showing them these unique dishes. They'll eat the fish sticks with enthusiasm. And probably lots of ketchup.