As a chef, I’m always searching for the next best thing; the next best recipe, dish, vegetable. But it is just as important to investigate history. I asked myself one day, where did Caesar Salad come from? It led me down a crazy path including Tijuana, prohibition, an Italian immigrant living in California, and an origin I did not suspect. That got me searching for other classic recipes and “Dining Across the Decades” was formed. Elevating recipes and spinning them to have a modern twist, I’ve reimagined some classics that are perfect for our lifestyles today. In food, and everyday life, it’s important to remember when being creative, it’s not always about making something new, but sometimes about rediscovering the past. Looking into the history of recipes shows many different qualities that speak through the food.

Recipes tie into people’s culture, food availability, geography, economy, significant historical events happening, and even how busy their day was. Not to mention the entertaining stories that go with many recipes out there.

I hope the next few pages encourage you to dig through your family cook books, scour the internet for old recipes, and see how you can tweak and adjust to create familiar yet exceptional dishes.

Enjoy!

Chef Carly

1920

1950

Fondue became popular in the 50s and 60s and is still popular today! Part of the fun of fondue is the versatility. You can make cheese fondue, broth fondue, and chocolate fondue. I created this recipe for a savory broth that gets better and better as you fondue the night away! Perfect for date night, this slow meal takes little work but gets flavorful results.

Roasted Garlic Broth Fondue

Ingredients:

3 heads roasted garlic

1 onion, chopped

6 cups chicken broth

Salt

Pepper

Fresh thyme

Olive oil

Directions:

Sauté onion in olive oil until tender. Add in roasted garlic and a cup of chicken broth. Simmer until reduced. Add the remaining chicken broth and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. With an immersion blender, blend broth until smooth. Transfer to a fondue pot and top with a few sprigs of fresh thyme. Once simmering, fondue items until fully cooked. 

What to fondue:

Tenderloin

Shrimp

Chicken

Mushrooms

Zucchini

Peas

Potatoes

Baby Corn

Pearl Onions

Broccoli

Carrots

Cauliflower

Red Pepper

1970

A lot of weird things came out of the 80s, but the best may just be tiramisu! This delicious Italian dessert, although invented centuries earlier, did not become popular until the 80s. This spin is a simple parfait-style approach that will encourage any tiramisu lover to try making it themselves!

Tiramisu for Two!

½ block cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup kahlua

1 T sugar

1/4 cup strong brewed coffee

6 Lady fingers

1 cup heavy whipping cream

3 T powdered sugar

Directions: 

Mix kahlua, sugar, and coffee. Mix ½ of coffee mixture into cream cheese. Whip powdered sugar and heavy whipping cream until stiff peaks form. Fold in ¾ of the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture.

To assemble:

Dip one lady finger, broken in half, in remaining coffee mixture. Place in glass. Top with a layer of cream cheese mixture and continue layers until you reach the top. Smooth a spoonful of whipped cream over the top. Sprinkle with cocoa powder, if desired. Let chill for 1 hour. Enjoy!

1990

Avocado toast hit the streets in 2010 and we haven’t stopped eating this breakfast dish since. The creamy avocado mixed with a runny egg yolk and a crispy toast crunch is a satisfaction you can’t find elsewhere. In this recipe, it’s important not to skimp on ingredient quality. Use farm fresh eggs, a ripe avocado, good quality olive oil, and fresh, crusty bread for the ultimate meal. Sure to please Millennials and other generations alike, this toast is bursting with healthy fats and sprouts.

Avocado Toast

Fresh, crusty bread

One farm fresh egg

Ripe avocado

Microgreens

Balsamic reduction

Olive oil

Himalayan pink salt

Pepper

Black and white sesame seeds for garnish

Directions:
Bring a small pot of water to a boil. Carefully place egg in water and boil for 6 minutes and 13 seconds. Remove from water and run under very cold water for a minute. Carefully peel.

While the egg is boiling, toast bread and thinly slice avocado. Arrange on top of toast artfully. Drizzle with olive oil and balsamic reduction and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Top with microgreens and repeat seasonings. Top with egg and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and sesame seeds.

In 1885 a man by the name of Charles Nagreen, a.k.a. “Hamburger Charlie”, invented the hamburger in Seymour, Wisconsin when he was 15. While this is wildly debated, Seymour is legally declared the birthplace of the hamburger. I bet he never imagined that two centuries later they’d be making that burger out of plants. 2020 is known for its food trend of plant-based meat alternatives, and boy, have they come far! This smoked gouda burger with garlicky mayo is, in fact, a plant-based burger. But if that’s not for you, just substitute meat!

Plant-Based Burgers – Serves 2

2 plant-based burger patties

Sautéed mushrooms

Caramelized onions

Garlicky mayo

2 slices smoked gouda

2 Brioche buns

2 pieces lettuce

Caramelized Onions

2 T butter

1 yellow onion

Slice onion. Melt 2 T of butter. Add onion. Sauté until caramelized (15-20+ minutes). Deglaze the pan with a bit of water, as needed. Set aside.

Sautéed Mushrooms

3 baby portobello mushrooms

Olive oil

Salt

Garlic powder

In the pan you used for caramelizing onions, heat a bit of olive oil. Add sliced mushrooms and season with salt and garlic powder. Cook until tender. Set aside.