Digging up old grandma’s recipes has become a popular trend and a way to reconnect with our old heritage. So, here are some of the most classic recipes our grandparents used to cook and eat!
Beef Wellington
Wrapping meat in pastry has been a favored culinary technique in many countries for many centuries. The Greeks were probably the very first to wrap a flour and water paste around their meat to seal it before cooking. One can also refer to how the traditional Cornish Pastry has been around since the 14th century.
Beef Wellington is an excellent, if not fancy, main course where the juiciest and tender part of the cow is blanketed with fresh shallots and mushrooms and then wrapped in different layers in buttery puff pastry. This decadent dish is meant to impress, which is the reason why it’s always expensive –even when it’s out of culinary fashion – and only prepared for special occasions like Thanksgiving.
Unlike the Cornish Pastry, Beef Wellington does not appear in any English cookbook you can find before the 1970s. In fact, this dish is often considered as thoroughly English and completely Victorian. This classic British meat was first made famous by the American TV chef Julia Child. Her well-known French version of filet de boeuf en croute, which she entitled “Filet of Beef Wellington,” was broadcasted on New Year ’s Day in 1965 and quickly became hugely popular in North American social circles.
The origin of the name of the recipe is still unclear, but many have linked it to Arthur Wellesley, the first Duke of Wellington or to the soldier who had no concern at all for what food he was served and so allowed his cook to indulge his own fancies, of which this is one. Some have also claimed that the name arose because its form resembles the Wellington boot. Conspiracy-culinary theorists – if we can call them that – have argued that Beef Wellington is actually a French dish that was most probably renamed during the 19th century.
If you want to recreate a modern version of Beef Wellington, you must try Gordon Ramsay’s recipe!
Tuna Noodle Casserole
Even if this store-cupboard recipe came back in culinary fashion some years ago, there are still many who consider it “old-people food” or old-fashioned US comfort food.
Believe it or not, once you taste this classic tuna dish, it’s what you’ll constantly be craving as your go-to comfort food. And, unlike the common perception, tuna and egg noodles aren’t the only stars of this dish; there’s a yummy creamy sauce that consists of mushroom soup, heavy cream and sour cream; there are crunchy and tasty bell peppers, green peas and celery; and, there are lots of shredded Cheddar. And, did I mention that some people like adding chips on top?
Egg Salad
The most famous and tastiest salads most people know today are Caesar salads, Caprese salads and Greek salads. However, there was a time –maybe during the 1940s and 1950s – when the egg salad was a hit in both US and UK.
Eggs are a great source of protein and back then, instead of throwing away leftover hard-boiled eggs, people would just throw them together with some creamy mayonnaise, diced onions, sweet paprika, salt and pepper.
According to some culinary experts, the traditional egg salad was initially created from a spin-off from deviled eggs where half-boiled eggs were cut; the yolks were removed and mashed with mustard, mayonnaise and pepper. The flavored yolk was then put back into the egg and served as an appetizer.
Jellied Chicken
Yep, it sounds like another old grandpa’s food! However, this congealed salad was a favorite during the 1940s. Chicken in jelly may look like pet food, but if cooked properly with the right spices and herbs, it can actually be quite tasty.
