A new episode of Astronauts Wives Club airs tonight! I am very excited about this and I am hoping tonight’s episode has more food footage in it. Episode 3 was pretty light on the food, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t there. Here is all the food that was made, but that you didn’t get to see in the background.
I am happy to bring you some close-ups of this food courtesy of food stylist Emily Marshall, who worked like crazy to make sure that the food from Astronauts Wives Club was the most mid-century it could be! So, let’s dig in!
Cheese Porcupine
What a cutie this guy is! According to Emily, she made this one and froze it ahead of time, pulling it from the freezer at the last minute and putting the pretzels into pre-poked pretzel holes.
Perfection Salad
This next set of food is from Rene’s luncheon, which was out of focus in the background of some scenes, so you really didn’t get a good look at it. Which is a shame, because this coleslaw gelatin mold (aka Perfection Salad) with tuna salad in the center is…well…perfection.
2 envelopes unflavored gelatine
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 can (12 oz) apple juice
1/2 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons vinegar
1 cup shredded carrot
1 cup sliced celery
1 cup finely shredded cabbage
1/2 cup chopped green pepper
1 can (4 oz) chopped pimiento
1. In small saucepan, combine gelatine, sugar, and salt; mix well.
2. Add 1 cup water. Heat over low heat, stirring constantly, until sugar and gelatine are dissolved. Remove from heat.
3. Stir in apple juice, lemon juice, vinegar, and 1/4 cup cold water. Pour into medium bowl. Refrigerate 1 hour, or until mixture is consistency of unbeaten egg white.
4. Add carrot, celery, cabbage, green pepper, and pimiento; stir until well combined.
5. Turn into decorative, 1 1/2-quart mold. Refrigerate 4 hours,or until firm.
6. To unmold: Run small spatula around edge of mold; invert onto serving plate. Place hot dishcloth over mold; shake gently to release. Repeat, if necessary. Lift off mold. refrigerate until ready to serve.
White bread!
Cold Cut Plate
This lovely thing was inspired by a French’s ad.
Green Salad With Hard-Boiled Eggs
Surf ‘N Turf Dinner
The next set of plates are some of my favorites so far. I know that sounds strange with all of the gelatin molds I’ve been flinging about, but growing up in Wisconsin I ate a lot of meals like this when we went out to “fancy” restaurants. That is a plate of nostalgia right there! These were used during the restaurant/bar scenes involving Trudy, and later Scott Carpenter.
Here is a recipe for macaroni salad, if you feel like whipping up a nostalgia plate of your own to go along with your next steak. It is from the Sexton Cookbook and is, appropriately for a restaurant, scaled for 50 servings.
These plates were inspired by a Howard Johnson’s ad, which I absolutely love!
Triple Layer Cake
This lovely cake makes my mouth water. And I swear it isn’t just because of the dish it is being served on. I LOVE mid-century dishes!
In any case, this isn’t exactly the same cake recipe as the one Emily used, but you will get a similar-looking two layer cake, especially if you drop some orange food coloring into one pan. And the frosting is serious the best. This is from Favorite Foods, a community cookbook put out by the Lutheran Children’s Friend Auxiliary of Michigan in 1967.
A big thanks to Emily Marshall, who was so generous in sharing all her awesomely styled food pictures! And if you like this and want to see more, make sure to tune in tonight at 8 pm on ABC to watch more of Emily’s food in Astronaut Wives Club, and come back next week when we showcase food from Episode 4!
I am SO making that cheese porcupine the next time there is a party to go to!
Very cool. Half of this food looks edible. I definitely would eat the steak and potato any night. Yum!
My great aunt used to make perfection salad for every family gathering. She included sliced pimento-stuffed olives. Ugh! My sisters and I don’t like jello with chunks in it so we didn’t touch it. But, my dad ate it. Every. Single. Time. As I recall, Mona (that’s the aunt) didn’t use a mold. She just put it in a bowl and had people scoop it out with a spoon.
I’m totally making that adorable porcupine. With the original Spanish olives because nothing says retro like stuffed olives.
So fun.
Again, I have one s m a l l quibble (and PLEASE tell me if you don’t want to know this stuff!).
Cherry tomatoes hadn’t yet been invented.
We can pretend they are spiced crabapples. 🙂
Speaking of which, do they sell these anymore? I have looked high and low in my supermarkets in Michigan and haven’t been able to find spiced crabapples. It seems like they were very popular in the 1950s and early 1960s, and I need them to test some recipes!
Best show ever! I love the clothes, the food, the furnishings. OMG!
Spiced crabapples might be a seasonal thing, my grandmother always had them on the relish tray at Thanksgiving. You might have to call around some stores and ask if they have them (be very specific) and where in the store they might be. Or do like I do and order online!
Yes, there were cherry tomatoes in the 60s (and earlier). Not sure when they became popular, but my grandpa grew them in his garden before I was born and we had cherry tomatoes at picnics throughout the 60s. Us kids loved them because they were bitesized.
In the macaroni salad recipe… 3 quarts celery, 1/3 cup onion. Now that is an unusual ratio.
I think “Madmen” got the feeling of the era pretty well too.