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Bowls aren’t just for bowl cuts
The swinging ’70s were known for putting things in bowls. Classic Ambrosia salad comes to mind. Bold Jell-O incarnations. Keys were another popular choice. This weighty glass server’s modern good looks were made for onion dip as well as that pseudo-healthy food of the era, Green goddess dip. Chippity-doo-dah!
Luigi Bormioli Michelangelo 2-Piece Chip and Dip Set, $38 on Amazon.com
In your face, kitchen table!
The TV tray table as you know it just got a makeover. Now, your perfect perch for watching reruns and devouring homemade meatloaf looks cooler than tube socks and short shorts. And this sturdy little number folds away to make space for Funky Chicken dance parties.
Atlantic Chevron Folding Tray, Set of 2, $59 on Amazon.com
Mastering the art of Dutch oven cooking
If anyone inspired us to invite more elegance to dinner, it was Julia Child. Serving her coq au vin in this stunning example of the 70s mainstay, the Dutch oven, will make sure you receive the accolades you deserve. Le Creuset’s bold colors and quality workmanship help you cook like Julia herself. And, natch, her recipe calls for setting the cognac aflame.
Le Creuset Round Dutch Oven, $400 from Le Creuset
Catch you on the flip side
Crepes, that quintessential ’70s dessert, are back and ready to be flambéed. All you need is this cute crepe pan, matches, and a deft wrist flick. Lightweight and nonstick, it’s perfect for whipping up a post-Jazzercise nosh.
9.5-inch De Buyer Crepe Pan, $25 on Amazon.com
Do you fondue, darling?
What’s that? You want another flame-based 70s food trend? Fondue, baby. This set has been updated for the times with an electric element and temperature control to expertly maintain cheese, chocolate, broth, or oil at ideal serving conditions. If you can dip it, you can fondue it.
Cuisinart Electric Fondue Pot, $60 on Amazon.com
Don’t just stand there…mix!
We’re not sure what else to tell you about stand mixers. The high-tech mixing action of this powerhouse will bring you and your bacon-smothered cheese ball into the now. Seriously, it’s worth it just for the snacks you can make.
Kitchenaid 6-Quart Stand Mixer, $500 on Amazon.com
Foods made just for fingers
The ’70s were the heyday of finger foods and deviled eggs were a trend that started and just never stopped. This stunning ceramic plate holds 24—yes, 2 dozen—of those mayo-filled appetizers that we all still crave.
Casafina Stoneware Deviled Egg Serving Platter, $50 on Amazon.com
Real men do eat quiche
Brunch was another brilliant innovation of that groovy decade. And what quickly became synonymous with brunch? Quiche. An instant power couple. This elegant anodized tart pan will help make all your dainty, faintly pretentious, and quaintly French dreams come true.
Fat Daddio’s 10-inch Aluminum Fluted Tart Pan, $16 on Amazon.com
Spend your clams on seafood
There are actually a few truly elegant dishes you can serve at a retro-themed dinner. We’re looking at you, baked seafood imperial. A luscious blend of seafood and cream piled high on these delicate natural shells will be the night’s superstar.
Nantucket Seafood Baking Shells, Set of 4, $26 on Amazon.com
Glamming up yesteryear’s staples
Another mainstay from 50 years ago? Preserving. Also experiencing a glow up is the lip-smacking sloppy Joe. Our current fave riff on the classic recipe are these Korean-Style Sloppy Joes that rely on zingy pickled red onions as a foil to the cheesy beefy filling. The superior storage of Le Parfati’s terrine jars is perfect for those—and any—pickles.
Le Parfait Terrine Jars, Pack of 4, $35 on Amazon.com
Get your cooking groove on
The ’70s were nothing if not a time to rethink how we approach life. This paved the way for the time-saving pervasiveness of the food processor. Females–housewives and hippies alike—whizzed and pulsed their way to all manner of deliciousness. And not just for practical put-dinner-on-the-table-like-Marion-Cunningham sorta cooking. We bet you have a dog-eared recipe card for bourbon balls that’s been handed down for generations.
Cuisinart Food Processor, $100 on Wayfair.com
Join hands, start a loaf train
Your mom’s waste-not, want-not attitude probably resulted in a steady stream of quick breads. You might find yourself carrying on that tradition. Slicked with silicone, Le Creuset’s lightweight loaf pan means releasing your golden brown bounty has never been easier. The most difficult decision? Banana bread or walnut zucchini bread.
Le Creuset Loaf Pan, $22 from Le Creuset
Carry on, wayward Bundt
Remember when you discovered Twinkies and realized that you were, in fact, living in the future? Our stunning blue, nonstick 12-cup Bundt pan is outta site for letting you relive the glory days of sweet, cream-filled cakes of your childhood with our Twinkie Bundt Cake.
Nordic Ware 12-cup Bundt Pan, $13 on Amazon.com
Chafe and bake
Swedish meatballs may be the ultimate buffet throwback to bite-size servings of don’t-I-feel-hip-ness. This flame-heated chafing dish easily holds at least a double recipe. With so many leftover meatballs, you’ll never again have to make a trek to a warehouse for your Swedish food fix (or impulse spend a fortune on flat-pack bookshelves).
Cuisinart Stainless 11-inch Round Buffet Server, $70 on Amazon.com
Flour power
The innovation of combining cheese and crackers into a single entity might be the saving grace of a decade known for bell-bottoms and canned meat. Homemade cheese crackers merit a sturdy baking sheet. This threesome includes a nonstick silicone mat and a wire cooling rack for all your salty, cheesy, crunchy cravings.
The French Pantry, 3 Piece Baking Set, $20 on Amazon.com
Take your daiquiri for a spin
More popular than shag carpet, icy blender drinks came of age in the technicolor ’70s. And ice, rum, apricots, and lime juice for this unforgettable Apricot Daiquiri come together in a snap with this blender’s powerful blades. A modern version of those original countertop beasts, this one boasts a high torque motor that’s both efficient and quiet so you won’t miss a beat of Disco Inferno.
Breville Fast & Furious Blender, $200 from Breville
Seriously still hilarious
If you were a kid in the ’70s, you definitely thought pupu platters were a curiosity. Here’s your chance to relive all that sniggering around the table while noshing on coconut shrimp and crab rangoon. This burnished wood centerpiece—it rotates for sharing, natch—means everyone can get a bite of everything. That is, if you can stop giggling.
Update International 12-inch Pupu Platter, $42 on Amazon.com
