You remember the ’80s: shoulder pads, big hair and a whole lot of pesto. TV dinners and questionable casseroles were on the outs, making way for new ingredients (sun-dried tomatoes! goat cheese!) and lots of big, crunchy salads. Books like The Silver Palate (think: Barefoot Contessa of the ’80s) and The Moosewood Café Cookbook (everyone’s guide to their newfound vegetarianism) were all the rage. And while we’re not trying to go back to a world where no one has heard of kimchee, we’re finding ourselves a little nostalgic for some Yuppie cuisine. Here are ten recipes primed for a comeback.
10 ‘Yuppie’ Dinner Recipes That Should Definitely Make a Comeback
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Published Jan 11, 2018
A Family Feast
Chicken Marbella
Every hip early-’80s dinner party served this signature recipe from The Silver Palate cookbook. The salty-sweet combo of prunes, brown sugar, olives, capers and plenty of red wine vinegar was revolutionary (and still totally holds up today).
Damn Delicious
Pesto Pasta With Sun-dried Tomatoes And Asparagus
If we had to pick two ingredients that defined Yuppie cuisine, they’d be pesto and sun-dried tomatoes. This veggie-packed pasta has it all.
Food, Fitness, Fresh Air
Gypsy Soup
Vegetarianism was just getting hip in the ’80s, and everyone turned to Mollie Katzen’s Moosewood Café Cookbook for inspiration. Her famous Gypsy Soup is packed with sweet potatoes, chickpeas and even kale—long before it was cool.
Salmon Mousse
Another Silver Palate favorite, salmon mousse is great with veggies or crackers as an appetizer, or with a salad for a light lunch. (And if you want to go full ’80s, mold it in the shape of a fish, with an olive for an eye.)
Berry Spinach Salad With Raspberry Vinaigrette
Fruity salads with matching vinaigrettes were all the rage in the ’80s and ’90s. We love the classic raspberry, a perfect balance of sweet and tart.
Half Baked Harvest
Lobster Ravioli
If you were going out for a decadent dinner in the 1988, there’s a good chance someone at your table ordered it. This version is a bit updated for the modern palate, with brown butter and tomato cream sauce.
Get the recipe
Warm Goat Cheese Salad
Remember when these crispy little medallions were on absolutely every salad you ate? Sigh, those were the days.
Raspberry And Walnut Baked Brie
Baked Brie was the very height of sophistication. But who are we to knock melted cheese topped with something sweet and gooey?
Chinese Chicken Salad
The crunchy, sesame-dressed starter has been on the menu at Wolfgang Puck’s Beverly Hills restaurant Spago since the ’80s. Hundreds of restaurants and cookbooks have their own versions, but there’s nothing like the original.
Chocolate Mousse
Never mess with a classic. Case in point? This decadent throwback dessert—it’s just as easy to whip up as it is to totally devour in one sitting.