Holy Cow, am I excited about this one! It has been so long since our amazing, spine-tingling Worst Recipe Contest that I just cannot stand it another second.  I must have another contest. I must see what recipes are lurking out there your cupboards and drawers.  I must give some of my overflowing collection of cookbooks and vintage kitchen whatsis to the winners!

This time, I decided to go a little crazy and pick an actual THEME.  I decided on tuna.  Canned tuna, to be precise. Canned tuna was first sold in 1903 by an industrious fisherman who had a terrible sardine harvest, and needed something to fill all his empty cans with.  It rose in popularity during World War I, and then boomed in 1940-1960, which happens to be my very favorite time for vintage recipes. So, it only made sense to pick canned tuna as the “special ingredient” for this contest.

So, here’s the deal.  Send me your vintage recipes!!! The recipes MUST contain tuna in some form and they must be pre-1980. It can be a scanned recipe from a vintage cookbook, a handwritten recipe, something your mom made as a kid, or even a vague recollection of a family tradition. It can be a casserole, a sandwich, an appetizer or, God help us, a dessert. Anything goes here, except the traditional Campbell’s tuna noodle casserole made with cream of mushroom soup. We will take variations of it, but NOT the original. Send your vintage recipes to me at ruth@midcenturymenu.com or upload them to our Facebook page.

Tom and I will go through the entries and select the top 4 submissions, which we will make for the Mid-Century Menu. Then it is up to you guys.  You, the readers, will vote on the one that you think is the winning tuna recipe.

The Grand Prize Winner will receive this lovely prize package:

1. A 1963 edition of Better Homes & Gardens Meals with a Foreign Flair

2. The New Joys of Jello cookbook (a classic!)

3. The Better Homes & Gardens New Garden Book (because it isn’t just all about the kitchen)

And

4. A gorgeous vintage red and gold California Pottery leaf serving dish

Also, the winner will receive a couple of fun, secret bonus items picked out by Tom himself!

In addition to that, ALL of the other three finalists will receive a vintage cookbook. Pretty sweet, huh? 

Oh, and since Tom actually LOVES canned tuna, he wanted to make sure we don’t leave out the good recipes as well. If you send us a “good” tuna recipe, and if Tom and I make it and love it, you will receive an additional fun vintage prize as well.

So, send us those recipes, because there is a huge chance you will win a prize!!! Email them to ruth@midcenturymenu.com or upload them to our Facebook page. The deadline for entries is June 15th, so send us your vintage recipe ASAP and help us “Sing A Tune to Tuna”!