c/forgotten-recipe-box

My aunt's old church cookbook from 1975 has a recipe for 'tomato soup cake' that everyone says is gross.

I made it last weekend and it was actually a really moist spice cake, you just have to get past the name. Has anyone else tried a weird-sounding recipe that turned out surprisingly good?

Looking for my grandma's 'mock apple' pie recipe that used crackers

I keep seeing people online call any pie with a crumb topping a 'mock apple' pie, but my grandma's from the 1930s specifically used crushed soda crackers soaked in lemon juice and spices to mimic the texture of apples. I found her old recipe box, but that card is missing. Does anyone have a version that sounds like this, or know what I should search for?

My neighbor told me her mom's 'depression cake' didn't use eggs or butter, which got me thinking about what else we've lost.

Found my great-aunt's recipe card for 'Depression Cake' next to a modern vegan version online.

Her 1930s recipe used cold coffee, vinegar, and no eggs or butter. The new one had fancy stuff like flax eggs and coconut oil. I baked both last Tuesday. The old one was denser but had a richer flavor, honestly better. The modern one just tasted sweet and kind of greasy. Has anyone else tried an old 'make-do' recipe that beat a new fancy version?

My great aunt's vinegar pie recipe from 1952 is a total family fight starter

Cleaning out my grandma's house in Peoria, I found a stained card for 'Depression Era Vinegar Pie' in my great aunt Clara's handwriting. I made it, and it's this weird, tangy custard thing. My mom says it's a sad memory of hard times and we should let it go. But my uncle insists it's part of our story and we need to keep making it, even if it's just once a year. He got real quiet and said, 'Throwing this away is like saying their struggle didn't matter.' Where do you draw the line between honoring a tough past and just holding onto food that makes you feel bad? Do you have a recipe like that?

My great-uncle's goulash finally clicked for me.

I've messed it up a dozen times. Tonight, it tasted just like childhood.

Faded attic card for pickled beets has a smudged vinegar measurement.

I'm hoping to recreate this for my dad's birthday. Any tips on restoring old recipe instructions?

Hot take: Adjusting my grandma's secret mole sauce recipe gives me a guilty conscience

I've noticed more relatives swapping out ingredients in classic dishes for health reasons, and it's creating a quiet tension. My grandma's mole sauce recipe has been in our family for generations, with specific chilies and a bit of chocolate. I recently left out the chocolate to reduce sugar, and the flavor profile shifted completely. My uncle tasted it and quietly said it lost its soul, which hit me hard. Now I'm caught in a bind between keeping traditions alive and making modern choices. It feels wrong to alter something that connects us to our past, but also selfish to ignore dietary concerns. I'm not sure where the line is between respect and necessary change. Has anyone else dealt with this kind of cooking guilt?

Ngl, my coworker's shock made my day when I brought my grandma's ambrosia salad

Honestly, she called it a weird dessert from the 50s. Tbh, she ended up having three servings and asked for the recipe.

Pro tip: My nana's 60s meatloaf glaze hack still slaps.

Mix ketchup with a dash of Worcestershire for tang.

Stumbled upon a turtle soup recipe that's now a moral gray area

I was cleaning out the attic and found a card for turtle soup. It was a hit at family events, but we stopped making it years back. Turtles are protected species now, so using them feels bad. Should I try a substitute or leave the recipe as history?