The KKNY Retro Recipe Project

I've been collecting vintage cookbooks and pamphlets since I was in college (inspired by an image in my first purchase, The Metropolitan Cookbook). These little books run the gamut from serious cuisine to marketing tools, and so far dates from the 1920s to the 1970s. From Good Housekeeping manuals to party guides, crazy banana concoctions to canned meat ideas, the ideas are a window to what was supposed to go on in many American kitchens throughout the mid-twentieth century.

They also take up a sizable chunk of bookshelf real estate, and as I live in a tiny mid-Manhattan apartment, I've decided they need to earn their keep...

So, this is the beginning of the KKNY Retro Recipe Project. Once a week I (along with some lucky partners in crime) will make something from one of these cookbooks. Some of the recipes are frightening, some are inspiring, some are...well...mysterious. Regardless, I will sacrifice my sanity and stomach to explore the world of retro American cuisine and entertaining.

And to boot, this project isn't only a fun look back, it's also a "Can KKNY actually stick to the recipe?" challenge. This is a nearly impossible task, which will undoubtedly cause reality show-type chef hysteria. Wish me luck!