Particularly loved in Virginia, a savoury recipe called chicken pudding was popular at the start of the 20th century. Imagine the textures of quiche and cake combined and it’s similar to this dish of chicken pieces baked in batter with herbs. Imagine it covered in gravy and it still sounds strangely appetising.
In the early 20th century ambrosia was nothing like the white, fluffy, fruit salad-dessert hybrid we see at dinner parties today. It was light and refreshing, simply orange slices and coconut layered in a dish with sugar. However, over the years in the US, Southern cooks have taken the recipe and given it their individual family twist which is how ingredients such as maraschino cherries, nuts, raisins, Cool Whip, whipped cream
In the late 1800s Americans became very good at harvesting oysters and by 1910 they cost half as much as beef. Eaten by rich and poor, they were used to bulk out meat dishes or served with alcohol, just like burgers and fries are today.
Invented in 1917 at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in New York, this elegant soup was a hit with customers. French chef Louis Diat got the idea from the hot leek and potato soup his mother made him which he cooled with milk in summer. Served chilled and as an appetiser, it’s made with puréed onions, leeks, potatoes, chicken broth and cream.
During the First World War, when home cooks wanted something tasty they made applesauce cake. Recipes for it started appearing in cookbooks in the 1910s, and it was popular because it used very little sugar, fat and flour – all rationed ingredients. Sweet, moist and spiced with cinnamon, ginger, cloves and vanilla
Recipe books in the 1920s were rife with recipes for clam chowder. New England’s version is thick and rich with cream and sometimes potatoes and onions are thrown in too. Its Manhattan counterpart skips the cream and offers a tomato base instead.
Although the Roaring Twenties were about opulence, the average household wasn’t quaffing Champagne but eating chicken à la king for dinner. Comfort food at its finest, the dish consists of mushrooms, peppers, diced chicken and creamy sauce served over rice or toasted bread