The 1950s brought a renewed vivacity to the country. Hope soared, giddiness rippled and money flowed. As long as I Love Lucy was on the newly invented television, life was good. So good, in fact, that over 16 million babies were born during the first half of the decade.
Experts enthusiastically denigrate the decade as the nadir of American cuisine.
The mass distribution of processed foods, thanks to transportation, is often blamed. It was at this time that we got all those ads about appliances and prepared foods freeing us from the kitchen. So we turned to the well-advertised can, package and pouch. Soups were available both in liquid and dry form, Tang landed on supermarket shelves and frozen dinners poised precariously on trays in front of TV sets nationwide. A flick of the wrist turned back foil revealing turkey and stuffing floating in gelatinous gravy, whipped sweet potatoes and peas.