Favorite Food from the '90s?
Hi All!
I'm hosting a 1990s theme party this weekend (strange, I know). And I'm wondering if there are any suggestions for appetizers or other light dishes to make? I'll have ringpops, gushers, and bagel bites on hand, but can anyone think of anything a little less... disgusting? :)
Bonus points if you can figure out how to incorporate poprocks into a recipe...
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63 Comments:
Snackwells come to mind, oatmeal, anything fat free (gummi bears, jelly beans, and so forth) sugar be dammed, and I think pizza bagels and Hot Pockets were sort of from that 'era.'
HeartofGlass at 1:25PM on 01/14/09
Hawaiian pizza is one thing I always associate with the 90's--you could cut it into bite size pieces. I also think of sundried tomatoes being really big in the late 80's and early 90's--maybe a spread with sundried tomatoes for crackers? Poprocks--sundae bar with poprocks instead of sprinkles!
dhorst at 1:41PM on 01/14/09
What about Luncheables? They prob had those around for awhile, but I do associate them with the 90s. And what about John Macy's cheesesticks? Those became popular in the 90s. and those dipping sticks that were themed around a kangaroo? Dunkaroos? This is all kind of disgusting stuff. Didn't Boboli and caesar salad kits come out in the 90s? As for the pop rocks, why not incorporate them into a graham cracker crust and make a cheesecake with raspberry preserves? Or lemon meringue pie with pop rocks in the curd?
laurelie at 1:54PM on 01/14/09
Handi Snacks!!! I love spreading that fake cheese on the crackers with those little red sticks.
I actually can't think of anything less disgusting. Haha.
LHSK12 at 1:57PM on 01/14/09
Pop rocks make a fun glass rimmer for cocktails
SSMom at 2:09PM on 01/14/09
According to one of the best chefs in Chicago, Pop Rocks make an excellent topping for foie gras!
beano at 2:09PM on 01/14/09
We had ring pops, gushers, bagel bites and poprocks and a lot of the other stuff mentioned in the 70s. I guess if you were a kid in the 90s that's what you were eating. I was eating a lot of pub food and drinking a lot of microbrewed beer in the 90s.
VerasTastyFreeze at 2:12PM on 01/14/09
Food products whose proceeds helped save the rainforest (distinguished from the current fair trade emphasis).
renzata at 2:21PM on 01/14/09
I was watching a rerun of "No Reservations" and he was at a dinner that was given by this private "members only" (yes, 80's jacket reference there) "foodies" club and they made a cheesecake and the crust had Pop Rocks in it. Seemed to go over very well with the guests and Bourdain. Don't know if his site has a recipe for it, but seemed pretty straight forward that the Pop Rocks (strawberry) were incorporated into the graham cracker crust.
radley24 at 2:30PM on 01/14/09
You should check out this site - I am an mid 70's/80's kid, so I wasn't really aware of what came out in the 90's.
http://www.inthe90s.com/food/index_b.shtml
radley24 at 2:33PM on 01/14/09
Isn't that when we started eating sushi?
I was all ready to win the prize with my sugar cookie recipe or my pretend sushi and then her comes SSMom with her brilliant glass rimmer idea. =(
Drizzle cookies with melted chocolate or white chocolate and sprinkle with pop rocks.
The "sushi" is a little more complex:
Make rice krispie treats and spread them on a large sheet pan cut into strips about 4 inches wide. Spread gummy or fruit snacks down the center of the strip and fold around to make a long roll. Wrap in fruit roll-ups (for the seaweed) and slice into sushi pieces. Get it? the rice krispie is the sticky rice, the fruit snacks are the fish and the fruit leather is the seaweed. If you want some rolled in "roe", paint with a little melted white chocolate and roll in pop rocks. They look great on a platter and people young and old go nuts.
I, apparently, am the only one who doesn't eat them.
carolrsfMISSESTEXAS at 2:41PM on 01/14/09
I think sushi got popular in th 80s, at least in NYC, cause my mom ate it all the time and then had to stop when she got pregnant with me.
laurelie at 2:54PM on 01/14/09
Coffeehouses hit it big (again) then, didn't it? You could serve flavored lattes and whatnot...
BangieB at 3:04PM on 01/14/09
Sorry to double post - but chai. Seriously. Not the real deal masala chai we all love, but that pumpkin pie in a cup - didn't we all start drinking that in the 90s?
BangieB at 3:05PM on 01/14/09
Might be when I discovered tilapia. Even then, fresh fish was outrageously expensive, but talapia was a mild flavored white fish that was affordable. I believe that's when I first tasted Kashi cereals, too.
PerkyMac at 3:09PM on 01/14/09
Well done SSMom! I was going to say that!
I think of : Bubblelicous gum and McDonald's Pizza?
Sounds fun though! Good luck :)
hungrychristel at 3:17PM on 01/14/09
oh lets see...
i was in elementary school in the 90's so for lunch i was eating
kids cuisine
clear pepsi
squeeze-its
gushers
bagel bites
fruit by the foot
drinks called Orbitz that were disgusting but i still wanted them...they had strange gel things floating in the sickeningly sweet flavored drink...
lunchables
Trix yogurt
Stoffers Mac n Cheese
Cambells Soup in a thermos (do kids take that to school anymore? i'm a teacher and never see kids bring in a thermos... that was my fav. lunch)
and i wish i could find...Koala yummies...
hungrygrl7 at 3:29PM on 01/14/09
sundried tomatoes. on anything.
jlbrach at 3:42PM on 01/14/09
Crystal Pepsi
VioletCrumble at 4:02PM on 01/14/09
Three words: Sun Dried Tomatoes. I still love them and include them in a lot of dishes, but I think we all had them coming out of our ears in the 90's.
I don't know if it's still made but wasn't that when Zima was all the rage?
Not that I would EVER do this to a lobster but there was a horrible trend of serving it with vanilla sauce of one incarnation or another. Shudder...
therealchiffonade at 4:10PM on 01/14/09
@Chiff~good memory--that is when Zima was all the rage. Syracuse was one of their first test markets and it was all over the place. I preferred microbrews myself, something that was relatively new for us.
dhorst at 4:15PM on 01/14/09
If you're in or near Cincinnati, you can find Koala Yummies at Jungle Jim's on OH Rt. 4 in Fairfield, Ohio. I think they're www.junglejims.com, but if not Google should find them.
Jungle Jim's is a serious foodie experience even if you're not looking for Koala Yummies...pretty extensive wine section too.
akk328 at 4:38PM on 01/14/09
AChiff: Oh God, Zima! They hit it big right about when I became drinking age, and we college girls were really big on it. For shits and giggles I tried it years later - it tasted like somebody bumped a beer into a Sprite. Yeesh.
BangieB at 5:01PM on 01/14/09
sadly, Zima was just discontinued. Good one though.
I'm thinking that the 90's is when thai food started to give chinese food a run for its money as the takeout of choice after pizza.
andshewas at 6:07PM on 01/14/09
These are so 'on-target'--especially the Lunchables, because I didn't have them as a child in the 80s, but after I entered high school in the 90s, I remember my friends' younger siblings begging for them.
@dhorst I also recall babysitting some Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle fans with a fondness for Pizza Hut Hawaiian pizza.
I still say you need a fat free candy and Snackwells table in honor of the diet craze of the era, including Sour Patch Kids--perhaps with some fat free frozen yogurt! Remember TCBY?
Chiff--another good call with the sun-dried tomatoes. Wasn't this when fancy lettuce became popular? And kiwi...
I recall eating bagels quite a bit as a teen--and although I did not partake, even sundried tomato bagels.
HeartofGlass at 6:36PM on 01/14/09
I also remember getting some 6' hoagies in the 90's for various lunch events I hosted. I can't remember if they were available earlier?
PerkyMac at 6:45PM on 01/14/09
Jello shots with vodka, Cosmos. The 90's was all big on theme parties such as "white trash" and 80's parties. I seem to remember alot of pizzas with different types of toppings started to show up like pesto, bar b q, and thai pizzas different toppings. Thai, Vietnamese and Indian foods. I believe the Caesar salad came back in the ninties, wraps and pinwheels. Hummus and felafals (sp) became big.
pjracz10 at 7:54PM on 01/14/09
@Radley: I was at the food section of inth80s.com just 2 days ago looking something up. :)
It's weird to see Yakult, Pocky, and POG in the 90s list, since I ate/drank them all through my childhood and still do. Might be somewhat costly to produce these in large quantities.
Cassaendra at 8:34PM on 01/14/09
I remember Crystal Pepsi and Zima being part of that trend with all things clear. Not something you could really find today, though. How about dippin' dots? I remember those being huge for a minute.
buffy at 9:59PM on 01/14/09
Oh, btw---is '90's-themed attire required too? That would be sweet!
buffy at 10:00PM on 01/14/09
don't forget to serve HAZELNUT coffee at your party.... that was big in the 90's....
personally i never heard of some of these foods.... pop rocks? what are they?
eating sun-dried tomatoes, no doubt. i just bought a huge jar of them, btw.
pooch at 10:11PM on 01/14/09
Bubble Tape!
sailordave at 10:38PM on 01/14/09
Wow, thanks everyone! These are all AWESOME ideas. I'm thinking of making homemade bagel bites with sundried tomatoes and definitely using poprocks as a rimmer. It sounds like I am better off doing less cooking and letting the store-bought packaging and branding speak for itself. (That should make hosting a breeze.!)I can't wait to go to the store this afternoon and see what else I can find.
Also, just a random thought-- remember Butter Buds during the "no butter" diet craze? what WERE those?? Little balls of cancerous chemicals? Oh, the things we'll do when told we'll lose a pound...
I'll have to track some down in case any of my guests need a little sprinkle on their bagel bites :)
rdrnr44 at 9:28AM on 01/15/09
Pizza with stuff like grilled chicken, smoked salmon or sun dried tomato (think Wolfgang Puck)
ag3208 at 4:40PM on 01/15/09
Krystal chicken sandwiches masquerading as KFC Chicken Littles.
greenolivemedia at 4:43PM on 01/15/09
@ag3208: Oh yes, barbecue chicken pizza. So very '90s. A barbecue chicken 'mini-pizza' made on a bagel with sun-dried tomatoes, washed down with a Zima or a bottle of someone's god-awful and gritty home-brewed ale.
NotAmerican at 5:36PM on 01/15/09
All things portobello mushroom. Stuffed, burger, in a pasta sauce. I feel like they were soooo popular in the 90's.
njfoodiegirl at 8:44PM on 01/15/09
Handy-snacks. My adult love for brie spread on multi-grain crackers began with my childhood diet of ambiguous cheese smeared on rectangular crackers with a red stick.
CafePhine at 8:59PM on 01/15/09
Oh man! I remember Zima now! Thank you, thank you for that memory. When were the gyro's popular? I think the 80's actually.... Now there are some good years! Remember when the rumor was started everywhere that a kid ate pop rocks and drank Coke and his guts exploded? Or was that a rumor only in my hick town? Oh God, it was a rumor right?AAARGH! My brain hurts... Gotta go get some sleep.
floridagirl at 9:04PM on 01/15/09
Buffy- I am bummed. Dippin Dots were only popular for a minute? That sucks, 'cause I would like to think that I gave up my first born for something that was popular for more than a measly minute. O.K, I didn't give her up, but the strawberry dots are my downfall. Even now. Thanks for the info, now I will be Dippin Dot closet eater.
floridagirl at 9:13PM on 01/15/09
Pizza in the mornin'
Pizza in the evenin'
Pizza at suppertime;
When you put pizza on a bagel,
You can eat pizza anytime!
That little jingle will be in my head for the next several weeks...
NotAmerican at 5:22AM on 01/16/09
As a child of the 90's...
I ate a lot of frosted poptarts, bagel bites, Rice Krispie treats cereal, McDonald's non-all white meat chicken nuggets, strawberry shortcake Hostess icecream bars, Velveeta shells and cheese and Fruity pebbles.
LOL. What a diet I had as a kid.
sweethunibabi at 1:00PM on 01/16/09
chilean sea bass. ah the carefree days when we could rape the seas without guilt.
dmarina at 1:59PM on 01/16/09
I remember kraft macaroni and cheese being popular when I was a kid.
I'm surprized that no one seems to have mentioned dunkaroos on this post...I'm not even sure if they make them anymore.
I also think capri sun (I'm not sure if it's one word or not) was the drink of choice for kids in school back in the 90's.
cstone at 2:16PM on 01/16/09
In the early '90s I was a natural and organic food reviewer. I can tell you that a few things made their debut then:
1. Gardenburgers
2. Salad in a bag, specifically Fresh Express
3. Sun-dried tomato pesto
4. Chocolate with chili peppers in it
I notice that a lot of the items listed above date from further back in history than the 1990s.
While biscotti are much older than that, I remember that there was a biscotti explosion in the coffee/tea houses in the 1990s. Hope your 1990s party is a blast.
hereandthe at 2:28PM on 01/16/09
Does anyone remember drinking Zima with Jolly Ranchers dropped in it?
Emsev333 at 2:45PM on 01/16/09
@cstone - I mentioned Dunkaroos! And weren't those the best? Much better than Handy Snacks in my opinion.
And your bringing up Capri Sun reminded me of another drink that came out in the 90s - Mondo. It came in a wax bottle and had fairly nasty juice inside. Their commercials were pretty cool though. I don't think they make Mondo anymore.
laurelie at 2:51PM on 01/16/09
poprocks chocolate, there is also apparently a gourmet version but i forget who makes it i think i might have read about on seriouseats.com
sustarz at 2:52PM on 01/16/09
@Emsev333--We used to drink Bartles and James Wine coolers with gummy bears dropped in them.
dhorst at 3:08PM on 01/16/09
Snapple. Duh.
KBestOliver at 3:34PM on 01/16/09
I was going to suggest pop rocks chocolate bark too, like sustarz. Had some last Christmas and it was addicting mostly because the pop rocks would sizzle as the chocolate melted in your mouth....
anonymoose at 4:12PM on 01/16/09
@NotAmerican -- oh my god, I STILL get that stupid jingle stuck in my head from time to time! I have no idea why my brain has held onto it for this long.
& @rdrnr44 -- your mention of Butter Buds reminded me of another essential '90s "food" -- "I Can't Believe It's Not Buhhhhhhter...Spraaaaaaay." (said in best Fabio impersonation). maybe you should have a bottle of that lying around if your guests can be trusted not to start using it as a weapon after a few Pop-Rock-rimmed cocktails. :)
courtguerra at 4:53PM on 01/16/09
@KBestOliver -- I'll see your Snapple & raise you a Fruitopia! (although Snapple is actually still available for purchase, which probably makes it a more useful suggestion.)
courtguerra at 4:55PM on 01/16/09
I suggest pearl jam, smashed pumpkin, and maybe a side of screaming trees (broccoli with hot sauce).
Kristen Swensson at 5:10PM on 01/16/09
. . . and, yes, the all time favourite - those large, round, revolting hockey pucks of styrofoam, rice cakes - if you were on a diet, you were on those things.
bareneed at 5:41PM on 01/16/09
I was in pre school when the nineties began but i loved Yoo Hoo, and i still do! I think Quesadillas were kind of big in the 1990's and chicken fingers, chinese chicken salad and ranch dressing on anything!
Oh and all those dips and dressing mixes.
JacquelineS at 6:40PM on 01/16/09
@kristen: lovin' it! i think that if you want non-gross food, that's the best way to go.
are lucky charms still around? btw, you could have a bunch of different cereals to choose from, as a nod to "seinfeld," which seems to have defined that decade for people a bit older than me.
callmenaomi at 7:23PM on 01/16/09
NotAmerican, that totally reminds me of Chicken Tonight, also a contender for 90s food:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mJ9M7bsx10I
renzata at 8:22PM on 01/16/09
Oh, yes, Chicken Tonight! VERY '90s.
You could also do an Atkins diet theme, although that did bleed over into the Noughts. I used to have a morbidly obese customer who would order two bacon cheeseburgers, no bun, and steamed vegetables with extra Ranch dressing. We had good sized burgers (close to half a pound) and I insisted on a healthy dose of cheese and bacon on every one. It was probably in the neighbourhood of 2000 calories. He didn't lose the weight.
NotAmerican at 2:16AM on 01/17/09
make something similar to capio - the cold espresso drink with the cool commercials.
bingsy at 1:19PM on 01/17/09
Do they still make that citrus drink "Five Alive"?
BreadAndButtercream at 7:04PM on 01/17/09
I was in high school in the 90s, and the Lunchables and Capri-Sun comments are on-point. Another alternative use for Pop Rocks would be to sprinkle a few atop cupcakes. I think that would be pretty fun.
Remember the Orbitz drink with the little balls that were magically suspended in the beverage? That stuff was barely on shelves for a year, it seems.
Just nothing with Olestra, please. Good luck with your party!
tastyfever at 1:25AM on 01/18/09
I went to lots of dinner and eating parties back then -- both corporate-office-bought and on the fly potlucks that were more my style. Ceasar salad and cosmos for sure. I think I had my first wedge salad in the 90s. Thai was popular. Lattes or even cafe au laits. Chilean and Spanish wine. So were micro brews. At the lower end for beer, Henry Weinhard's was big in the northwest where I lived. Prosciutto wrapped around things. Raw oysters. Cigars. Smoking of anything out in the open more or less. Sorbet for dessert.
kathy in oakland at 10:37AM on 01/18/09