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Whoever said you can't time travel clearly has not stumbled upon Jess's Instagram page, "Weird Old Food." With a hefty collection of vintage cookbooks at her fingertips, Jess takes us way back, serving up photos of rather interesting recipes that might make you go, "Wait, people actually ate that?"

The charm of "Weird Old Food" lies in the mystery, with Jess sharing just enough to keep her followers intrigued and staying tuned for more. Each post reveals a scanned snapshot of a dish from the vintage cookbooks she owns, and the bare essentials—just the name of the dish, the year, and the cookbook it's pulled from. However, looking past all that, this page isn't just about the food itself, rather it’s a collection of the strange and quirky culinary trends of the past.

Also, don't forget to scroll down and check out an interview with Jess, the owner of the 'Weird Old Food' page!

#1

Shrimp Cucumber Aspic (Southern Living 1983 Annual Recipes)

Shrimp Cucumber Aspic (Southern Living 1983 Annual Recipes)

weirdoldfood Report

Bored Panda reached out to Jess, the curator of the "Weird Old Food" Instagram page. As you might've guessed, Jess's unique hobby involves exploring vintage cookbooks and sharing particularly unusual or intriguing recipes with her audience.

When asked about how her interest in vintage cookbooks began, Jess shared, "I have always loved paging through cookbooks. I was very interested in vintage illustrations and I began collecting vintage cookbooks that had beautiful mid-century line illustrations. Now I collect any books from 1990 or earlier." The oldest books in her collection date back to the late 1800s.

#2

Salmon In Bladder Of Pork (Loving French Cuisine, 1995)

Salmon In Bladder Of Pork (Loving French Cuisine, 1995)

weirdoldfood Report

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jack23458 avatar
Mavis
Community Member
9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Early footballs were made from inflated pigs bladder. Why you would want to cook your dinner in one I have no idea.

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#3

Ham Buffet Mold (Campbell’s Great Restaurant Cookbook, U.s.a.)

Ham Buffet Mold (Campbell’s Great Restaurant Cookbook, U.s.a.)

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Regarding a recipe that genuinely surprised her, she revealed a peculiar one, 'Salmon in Bladder of Pork' (also mentioned in the post) from the book 'Loving French Cuisine, 1995'. She commented, "It’s from the nineties, which is very modern for my collection, but the photography is horrifying. It looks so anatomical."

#4

Rice And Salmon Mould (Gelatine Home Cooking Secrets, 1975)

Rice And Salmon Mould (Gelatine Home Cooking Secrets, 1975)

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#5

Ducklings Afloat On A Pond Cake (The Wilton Way Of Cake Decorating, 1979)

Ducklings Afloat On A Pond Cake (The Wilton Way Of Cake Decorating, 1979)

weirdoldfood Report

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The most challenging dishes in her collection, she explained, come from classic French cuisine. She mentioned recipes such as "Galantine of Duck" from "Classic French Cooking, 1971", and "Chicken in Chaud-Froid Sauce" from "The Creative Cooking Course, 1975", admitting, "As a home chef I wouldn’t ever attempt those... I don’t see myself ever attempting chaud-froid sauce."

#6

Molded Egg Salad (Betty Crocker’s Smart Cook, 1988)

Molded Egg Salad (Betty Crocker’s Smart Cook, 1988)

weirdoldfood Report

#7

Spaghetti Ring Florentine (Better Homes And Gardens 1988 Best-Recipes Yearbook)

Spaghetti Ring Florentine (Better Homes And Gardens 1988 Best-Recipes Yearbook)

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Discussing her process for selecting which recipe to feature next on "Weird Old Food", Jess noted, "My process is very casual. When I’m looking through my collection and I see something odd or interesting I take a photo of it... My photo library looks wild- old cookbook pictures, cat pictures, and pictures of my niece and nephew. It’s mostly food pics though." She picks something that amuses her at that moment, demonstrating a light-hearted and spontaneous approach to her unique hobby.

#8

Chutney Aspic (Trader Vic’s Pacific Island Cookbook, 1968)

Chutney Aspic (Trader Vic’s Pacific Island Cookbook, 1968)

weirdoldfood Report

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#9

Shrimps In Aspic (Grand Diplome Cooking Course, Volume 8, 1972)

Shrimps In Aspic (Grand Diplome Cooking Course, Volume 8, 1972)

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#11

Sugar Cube Castle (Holiday Cookies, Sweets, Appetizers And Meals, 1986)

Sugar Cube Castle (Holiday Cookies, Sweets, Appetizers And Meals, 1986)

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#12

Frankfurter Crown With Kraut (34 Selected Recipes For Delicious Dishes And Dinners With Kraut)

Frankfurter Crown With Kraut (34 Selected Recipes For Delicious Dishes And Dinners With Kraut)

weirdoldfood Report

#13

Stuffed Flank-Steak Roll (Time Life Illustrated Library Of Cooking: Appetizers, Beef, Breads And Rolls, Breakfast Quick Breads, 1969)

Stuffed Flank-Steak Roll (Time Life Illustrated Library Of Cooking: Appetizers, Beef, Breads And Rolls, Breakfast Quick Breads, 1969)

weirdoldfood Report

#14

Piped Clown (The Wilton Way Of Cake Decorating, 1979)

Piped Clown (The Wilton Way Of Cake Decorating, 1979)

weirdoldfood Report

#15

Lemon Dill Shrimp Mold (Wilton Entertaining Appetizers To Desserts, 1994)

Lemon Dill Shrimp Mold (Wilton Entertaining Appetizers To Desserts, 1994)

weirdoldfood Report

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ericka_abraham avatar
Bibmibap
Community Member
9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I might eat this despite its looks. All listed ingredients are some of my faves.

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#16

Lobster Salad Heligoland (Gourmet’s Old Vienna Cookbook, 1959)

Lobster Salad Heligoland (Gourmet’s Old Vienna Cookbook, 1959)

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tinyd avatar
Tiny Dancer
Community Member
9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

We're gonna need a banana here, people. Either those are teeny tiny lobsters or the rest of the meal is gigantic!

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#17

Shrimp Tree With Curry Sauce (Great Recipes Of The World)

Shrimp Tree With Curry Sauce (Great Recipes Of The World)

weirdoldfood Report

#18

Whole Fish In Aspic (Gelatine Home Cooking Secrets, 1975)

Whole Fish In Aspic (Gelatine Home Cooking Secrets, 1975)

weirdoldfood Report

#19

Lettuce-Wrapped And Stuffed Fillets Of Fish (Victory Garden Cookbook, 1982)

Lettuce-Wrapped And Stuffed Fillets Of Fish (Victory Garden Cookbook, 1982)

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#21

Rag Doll Cake (The Wilton Yearbook Of Cake Decorating, 1978)

Rag Doll Cake (The Wilton Yearbook Of Cake Decorating, 1978)

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#23

Brain Salad With Cream Dressing (The Good Cook Salads, 1980)

Brain Salad With Cream Dressing (The Good Cook Salads, 1980)

weirdoldfood Report

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Ample Aardvark
Community Member
9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

My mum actually like boiled cow brains. Nothing like coming back from school and see a brain in a pyrex bowl in the fridge. No wonder old horror movies never scared me.

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#24

Golden Gate Saucy Burgers With Spaghetti Topping (Family Circle Illustrated Library Of Cooking Volume 3, 1972)

Golden Gate Saucy Burgers With Spaghetti Topping (Family Circle Illustrated Library Of Cooking Volume 3, 1972)

weirdoldfood Report

#25

Cold Glazed Salmon (Gourmet Magazine, 1964)

Cold Glazed Salmon (Gourmet Magazine, 1964)

weirdoldfood Report

#26

Hard Sauce Clowns (How To Have The Most Fun With Cake Mixes)

Hard Sauce Clowns (How To Have The Most Fun With Cake Mixes)

weirdoldfood Report

#27

Summer Day Salad (Holiday Cooking For Kids, 1982)

Summer Day Salad (Holiday Cooking For Kids, 1982)

weirdoldfood Report

#28

Noodle Ring (The Good Housekeeping Illustrated Cookbook, 1980)

Noodle Ring (The Good Housekeeping Illustrated Cookbook, 1980)

weirdoldfood Report

#29

Fun At The Fair Cake (Wilton Yearbook 1977 Cake Decorating)

Fun At The Fair Cake (Wilton Yearbook 1977 Cake Decorating)

weirdoldfood Report

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Brittania Kelli
Community Member
9 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Why were these cake people so obsessed with clowns? I get serious Gacy vibes from these cakes.

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#30

Clown Cake (1989 Wilton Yearbook Cake Decorating!)

Clown Cake (1989 Wilton Yearbook Cake Decorating!)

weirdoldfood Report

Note: this post originally had 99 images. It’s been shortened to the top 30 images based on user votes.

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