Cooking from vintage recipes can be a fun adventure for eager home cooks, but the outdated terminology can be difficult to follow. While basic cooking techniques have remained largely the same, the terms we use to describe them have changed over the years.
To make sure your retro culinary endeavors are successful, familiarize yourself with the slang and terminology of your grandmothers. Once you understand the vintage words, you’ll be able to easily whip up delicious, nostalgic dishes that will have your family wanting more.
Wire Whip
A wire whip and wire whisk are the same kitchen utensil. “Whip” is an older term for “whisk,” but they refer to the same tool used for blending ingredients or incorporating air into mixtures. Julia Child used “whip” in her books, but if you watch reruns of her show The French Chef, you can see her using a standard wire whisk.
Butter the Size of a Walnut
Although it may seem like a simple instruction to many, it can be difficult to conceptualize measurements. Back then, walnuts and other raw ingredients weren’t exclusively stored in specialty shops, and people had wider access to them.
These days, no one is going to stroll to Whole Foods and eyeball something to determine how much butter a recipe needs. I think it’s best to measure with your heart when cooking, but if you want to stick to the instructions, a walnut’s worth of butter is two to three tablespoons.
A Tin Cup
A “tin cup” in old recipes equals about 1/2 cup (118 ml). This is equivalent to a small 6 oz can of tomato paste, or — for the non-Americans – about 62 grams of all-purpose flour.
Coddled Egg
Many home chefs will be familiar with this way of cooking eggs. It’s similar to poaching, resulting in firm whites and a runny yolk, but instead of cooking the egg in water, you’re going to cook it in a small dish or ramekin that you place in the cooking liquid. The ramekin will heat up and slowly cook the egg, resulting in a delicate and delicious breakfast addition.
Confusing Oven Temperatures
Like most technology, ovens have radically changed in the last sixty years. The precise machines with custom temperatures in our homes today were not standard back then. As such, cookbooks of the day requested you preheat your oven to “quick,” “hot,” and “moderate.” These terms refer to temperature ranges rather than an exact oven temp.
Green Bacon
Green bacon isn’t formed when you leave the meat out of the fridge for too long- and by the way, if your bacon is green, throw it out immediately. This is simply another word for cured bacon that hasn’t been smoked.
Bray
When old recipes tell you to “bray” your ingredients, they’re not asking you to imitate a donkey’s ear-splitting call. In this context, “bray” simply means to grind or crush the ingredients into a fine powder or paste, typically using a mortar and pestle.
This method was commonly used to process herbs, spices, and other small ingredients before the widespread availability of electric grinders and food processors. Braying helps to release the flavors and aromas of the ingredients, making them more potent in the final dish.
Seethe
Don’t get angry with your food when you see this term. It merely means to heat a liquid. While some folks might interpret “seethe” as an instruction to bring the liquid to a full, rolling boil, that’s not always the case. More often than not, a gentle simmer will do the trick just fine.
Blanching
There are so many terms for heating water, so it’s no surprise everyone is confused! Blanching is commonly used to prepare vegetables for freezing because it helps preserve their quality and texture. It’s also a great way to remove the skins from tomatoes or peaches or to partially cook ingredients before adding them to a dish that will be cooked further, helping ensure even cooking and better texture.
So, when a vintage recipe asks you to “blanch” your ingredients, just remember to give them a quick dip in boiling water, watch for the color change, and then shock them in cold water to lock in their goodness.
Shortening
When a recipe calls for “shortening,” it’s referring to any type of solid fat that remains semi-solid at room temperature. While Crisco is a common choice, there are other options you can use as well, such as lard, butter, margarine, or coconut oil. These fats are used in baking and cooking to create a tender, flaky texture in pastries, biscuits, and pie crusts.
Folding
Folding is the act of combining two ingredients, but it is tricky to explain. The ingredients you’re mixing have to be of two different densities and textures. Don’t expect the help of Moira and David if you’re struggling with this part of your recipe.
Aspic
One food that has passed into history is aspic, and I’m pleased to see it go. Aspic is a savory jelly containing meat, fish, or vegetables. After tasting eels in aspic, I think this dish should stay in the 1950s.
While aspic was considered a fancy and sophisticated dish during its heyday, it has since lost its appeal to most contemporary palates. The texture of the gelatin combined with the savory ingredients can be off-putting to many people, and the preparation process is quite labor-intensive.
Coffin
This sounds alarming, but it’s not as sinister as it sounds. The term may be spelled “coffin” or “coffyn,” but whichever version is used, it refers to a free-standing pastry.
Back in the day, these pastry shells were used as containers for various savory fillings, such as meat, fish, or vegetables. The sturdy crust acted as a cooking vessel, helping to keep the contents moist and flavorful while also making the dish easy to serve and transport.
Salad Oil
In vintage recipes, the term “salad oil” can be a bit puzzling, especially for modern home cooks. You might scour the grocery store shelves in search of a bottle labeled “salad oil,” only to come up empty-handed. But fear not! The mysterious “salad oil” is not some elusive, specialized ingredient; it simply refers to any light, neutral-flavored oil that’s suitable for making salad dressings.
Back in the day, the most common oils used for salad dressings were vegetable oils like canola, soybean, or corn oil. These lightweight oils have a mild flavor that doesn’t overpower the other ingredients in the dressing, allowing the flavors of the vinegar, herbs, and spices to shine through.