You say “Boomers.”
I say “Sex, Drugs and Rock and Roll!” I also say: “Lentil Loaf and Tofurkey. And Vegetarian, Vegan, Macrobiotic, and Organic.”
If you relate to those foods and labels, you might remember how they became familiar when the Boomer generation, with its accompanying seismic social changes, were redefining American culture and cuisine.
It’s been a long and eventful ride from those early assaults on the meat and potato habits that many Americans took as their standard approach to what they want and expect to eat.
To be fair, Americans began exploring a wider range of foods after WWII when the men and women who fought in that conflict came back having experienced the foods of different cultures. The late 1940’s and 1950’s started providing and exposing non-ethnic, mainly urban Americans, to the cuisines of our European allies and Asian foes.
Post-war wealth and enthusiasm with the many new time-saving appliances touted making homemaking easier and more convenient. Women who had replaced men in the workforce were encouraged to return to their homes and families with fresh new ideas about what to serve their families or offer guests for special occasions. You might remember the famous advertisement of a woman decked out in a fancy apron, pearl necklace, and high heels smiling manically while vacuuming, embodying the joys of being a happy and fulfilled housewife.
Cookbook writers Julia Childs, Marcella Hazan, Madhur Jaffrey, and others broke ground with their books on French, Italian, Indian, and other cuisines, making them accessible to American home kitchens.
When the Food Network launched in 1993, the world was already hooked on TV food shows.
I admit to having my own relationship to those changes societally and culinarily. I grew up in a family with not just the comforting Eastern European foods of my grandmother, but the exploratory eating my family did once settled into one of the new suburbs on Long Island outside of New York City.
We ate broadly. We went regularly to a nearby Cantonese restaurant where we ordered what the staff ate—pork with 100 year eggs, freshwater snails in black bean sauce, and broiled squab with soy salt. We never looked at the menu, which meant I was appalled and snobbish about the choices of my college friends in Madison, Wisconsin, at the one local Chinese American restaurant. Chow mein and cloying and gooey sweet and sour chicken were among the offenders.
My family frequented an Italian restaurant a few towns away where we had lobster bisque with enough sherry to give a buzz, fried polenta diamonds—crispy with a sweet hit from sugar applied at the end, lobster fra diavolo, and a rum-soaked cake that finished the inebriation process. I think my parents counted on my sister and me sleeping on the way home from those meals.
Now we can find Vietnamese Pho in most cities in the country. Tacos are as popular as pizza and we take for granted tofu as a protein choice at Asian restaurants. We welcome the increasing presence of beans, legumes, and pulses (you might search the differences among them to learn more about these versatile foods.)
We have also rediscovered or expanded the many vegetables we can grow ourselves or find at farmer’s markets and grocery stores. From avocados, artichokes, and asparagus to zucchini and heirloom tomatoes, our choices of both products and processes might seem unrecognizable to the early Boomers.
We are also aware of the variety of food allergies and preferences that play a role in what we cook and serve. More than a decade ago, a reader asked the food editors at The New York Times if they had to ask their guests about their food preferences and design menus accordingly. I imagine the resounding “Yes” might have distressed many readers. The advice was that not only should we ask before serving food to people with specific dietary restrictions, but we should also make sure there is something on the menu for them to eat.
The following recipes can be good templates for making food that continues and updates the Boomer legacy.
Cozy Lentil Bake
Ingredients
- 1–2 T olive oil
- 2 T spice mix (Herbes de Provence, 1 T cumin, 1 tsp. oregano, ½ tsp. red pepper flakes; other favorite spices can be used for this part)
- 1 lb. tomatoes, cut in half or quarters depending on tomatoes (grape, Campari, Roma)
- 1 red or white onion, coarsely chopped
- 1–2 lbs. waxy potatoes cut in quarters
- 1 package (17.6 oz) cooked lentils
- 1 c. mixed grated cheese (I prefer cheddar and feta)
Directions
- Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees
- In a large bowl, mix spices and oil and toss the cut-up vegetables with the mixture, coating them all.
- Spread on a foil-lined sheet pan
- Roast for 30 minutes, turning once or twice, until potatoes are cooked. The mixture will become jammy.
- Transfer mixture and its foil to a 2–4 inch deep casserole dish.
- Spread cooked lentils on top (you might have to break them up to do that)
- Sprinkle cheeses evenly on top
- Bake for 20 minutes until the cheeses are melted and the mixture bubbly.
Serves 4
African Squash and Peanut Soup
This can be made with different vegetables including a combination of potatoes and greens. Recipes often call for yams but taste even better with pumpkin or other squashes. Leave out the peanut butter if there is someone allergic to peanuts.
Ingredients:
- 6 c. 1–2-inch cubed raw yams, pumpkin or other winter squash like Kabocha or Red Kuri
- 1 can cannellini or other mild white beans (for additional protein)
- 2 c. fresh greens
- 1 box vegetable stock or Pacific Pumpkin Soup
- 1 can tomato paste or small can tomato sauce
- 2 slices fresh ginger root
- 2 tsp. ground cumin
- 1 tsp. dried thyme
- 2/3 c. chunky or smooth peanut butter
- Red chili flakes to taste (add early)
- 1/2 to 1 full onion, chopped
- 2 T lime, lemon, or key lime juice
- 6–8 garlic gloves
- 1/2 c. red wine added at the end
Directions
- You can roast the peeled pumpkin or yams in oven for 20 minutes with drizzle of olive oil (can skip that step as flavor is fine either way.)
- Sautee chopped onion and chopped garlic in 2 T oil until they start to soften (2–3 minutes).
- Add pumpkin, dry spices, tomato paste or sauce, 1–2 cups water and stock. Bring to boil, lower heat simmer until pumpkin starts to soften.
- Add drained and rinsed can of beans
- Stir in peanut butter
- Add washed greens (can be just spinach). Simmer 1–2 minutes then blend everything with the immersion blender.
- Stir in wine and adjust thickness as needed with more water.
Baked Tofu–The NY Times
INGREDIENTS
Yield: 2 to 3 servings
- 1 (14- to 16-ounce) package extra-firm or firm tofu, cut crosswise into 1-inch-thick slices
- 1-½ tsp. kosher salt (Diamond Crystal), plus more as needed
- ½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper, plus more as needed
- 3 T extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for finishing
- 1 T cornstarch
- 1 tsp. garlic powder (optional)
- 1 tsp. dried oregano
- 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved if large, kept whole if small
- 1 large red onion, cut into ¼–inch wedges (about 2 cups)
- 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1-½ tsp. balsamic vinegar, plus more for finishing
- ½ c. fresh cilantro or parsley leaves and tender stems, roughly chopped
PREPARATION
- Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees and line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
- Arrange tofu slices on a clean kitchen towel or on paper towels. Cover with another kitchen towel (or paper towels) and place a flat cutting board or baking pan on top. If your cutting board or pan is lightweight, stack a few cans or a skillet on top to weigh it down. Let tofu drain for at least 15 minutes (or up to 45 minutes.)
- Transfer tofu to a cutting board and cut slabs into 1-inch cubes. Pat them dry with paper towels and season both sides of the tofu with ¾ tsp. of the salt and ¼ tsp. black pepper.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together 1 T oil, cornstarch, garlic powder (if using) and ½ tsp. of the oregano. Add tofu to cornstarch mixture and gently toss until tofu is evenly coated. Dump tofu onto one side of the prepared sheet pan.
- In a large bowl, toss together tomatoes, onion, garlic, balsamic vinegar, remaining ½ tsp. oregano, ¾ tsp. salt and ¼ tsp. pepper. Drizzle in the remaining 2 T of oil, tossing to combine.
- Arrange vegetables on other side of the prepared sheet pan. Bake until tofu is crisp and golden brown, and tomatoes are condensed, 25 to 35 minutes. Halfway through baking, flip tofu and toss vegetables, while keeping the tofu and veggies separate.
- To serve, sprinkle cilantro or other chopped herbs on top and drizzle with balsamic and oil, if you’d like.
Rebecca Crichton is executive director of Northwest Center for Creative Aging and presents programs on that topic in the Seattle area. She worked at Boeing for 21 years as a writer, curriculum designer, and leadership development coach. She has master’s degrees in child development and organizational development, and is a certified coach.