Book Description
"The most sensitive treatment of Irish culture... [and] the most complete history we have of the Irish female experience." -- Labor History
Customer Reviews:
Questionable scholarship.......2001-02-22
The second half of the book is clearly superior to the first half. The lack of hard data from prior to and immediately after the Famine seems to lead the author to some curious and questionable conclusions regarding the economic motivation of the Irish women in America. She repeatedly attributes late marriage and spinsterhood to the "traditional" cultural separation of Irish women and men along with the general lack of character of the Irish male. She fails to examine the profound impact of the Famine on women--watching their families and friends starve to death along with forced immigration--and their determination to prevent this from happening again. I found her theories rather determindly sexist.
A worthwhile addition to anyone's Irish library.......2001-01-29
Although at first glance Diner's exhaustive study appears to be fraught with the political correctness and feminist biases that plague so many American academics, in reality _Erin's Daughters_ portrays the story of a gallant group that was able to overcome barriers of poverty, ignorance, and disease to succeed in a New World. The Irish women received no help from the government, from existing charities, or from the Catholic Church, but they were still able to reach the promised land of middle-class America due to their focus on economic goals. The women of Ireland carried their cultural values to America with them, playing a key role in the development of the greatest nation on earth. In order to understand this role, I urge you to read this book.
Amazon.com
So, okay, Cindy Pawlcyn adds butter to her mashed potatoes before she adds the milk, which is all backwards according to those who have initiated intense experiments to resolve such issues. But so what? Her food (it's her name on the cover of the cookbook, even though any food coming out of a restaurant as popular and free-spirited as the original Fog City Diner in San Francisco is likely to be something of a group effort--kind of like the Manhattan Project) brightened palates back in 1985 when the diner opened, and it serves adventurous palates just as well today.
Remember when attaching "California" to food actually meant a thing or two? Fog City Diner Cookbook is something of a time capsule in that regard. You have seen similar-looking food on menus in your town. But that's now, and this book (and the food before it) came out back when it was news. What's interesting to note, however, is that Pawlcyn bases her dishes on sound culinary principles. She isn't throwing oddball ingredients together to grab attention or to appear to be clever, she's combining flavors and textures and cultural heritage to achieve specific effects, with new and powerful results. In other words, she shows restraint on the one hand, and knows what she's doing on the other.
For that first blush of that brash California "thang" with food, don't hesitate to hang your hat inside the Fog City Diner. The cookbook, that is. --Schuyler Ingle
Customer Reviews:
Good Diner Food Made Easy.......2006-04-13
I like to browse different types of cookbooks, and to find recipes that I may not find anywhere else. This cookbook did not disappoint. Even though I have not visited the Fog City Diner, I have been to many diners in my day. I was surprised at the large variety of recipes available, and the eclectic ingredients included in the book.
Some of my favorite recipes include: Split Pea and Apple-Smoked Bacon Soup, Mushroom Toast, Cheesesteak Sandwich, Cobb Sandwich, Chicken Curry Pot Pie, Apple Dumplings, Vanilla Caramel Custard, Hot Toddy, and Seasoned Nuts.
Enjoy!
secrets revealed about diner food.......2005-04-11
for many years i was wondering what that german deli down the block from me, was putting in its' tuna salad that gave it a unique wonderful taste. i could never figure it out and was addicted to the tuna salad so was spending a good chunk of my food allowance on it.
tuna is a food that if you can get it to taste great you have a very cheap meal that is good value. tuna as a whole i don't care for except for this german deli tuna.
well i relate this story because the secret ingrediant that i could never figure out is in this book.
for this alone the book was worth the money spent on it.
Okay.......2002-11-04
That's about it. Lots of recipes the average person just would not use.
The recipes work and are fun - a cookbook you will USE.......2000-06-03
Sad to say, I have never been to the Fog City Diner, so I cannot compare my outcomes with the originals. But, the book is great! Enough detail so that even I can get it right, and where necessary (i.e. pie crust) the measurements are PERFECT. The ceviche recipe is an especially excellent one (orange+lemon+lime juice marinade - who knew?). Hearty comfort food with a lot of spirit and panache.
Book Description
Jump back through time to an era when sitting at the counter in your neighborhood diner was sure to bring hearty made-from-scratch food, friendly service, and an atmosphere all it own. Those sleek stainless steel eateries can still be found with lines of faithful and appreciative customers waiting to scoot into a red leather booth and sink their appetites into true American comfort food. The waitress may holler out your order in slang only a diner-phile may understand, but if you're a regular she probably remembers your name. Look! Here's that slice of Mile-High Meringue Pie to top off your meal! The first luscious mouthful will take you away to where Elvis is on the nickel jukebox and friends walk in the door.
Featuring a fun, colorful journey through diner history, Retro Diner offers over 115 of the best comfort food recipes from the American roadside, including Blue Moon Diner's Patty Melt, Steeltown Meatloaf, Dixie Diner's Blueberry Pancakes, and Peach Cobbler from Jake's.
Customer Reviews:
One of the best diner cookbooks out there.......2007-08-08
I really love this cookbook! Not only are the recipes all from diners across the country, but they all contain ingredients you would find in a typical cupboard. It also has wonderful images from back in the day and a history of the diner. I would buy this as a gift and I plan to buy the other cookbooks for myself!
THE GOLDEN AGE OF DINERS!.......2005-07-22
In an era where generic, noisy, bar & grill restaurants crowd every street corner, the days of mom & pop diners and their home-cooked specialties are sorely missed. Retro Diner from Collectors Press is an ode to the golden age of diners and diner foods. Filled with over 115 recipes as well as vintage photographs, menus and advertising, Retro Diner is a look back at those days of spinning seats and gum stuck under the counter.
The book begins with a short introduction of the history of diners and how they originated out of the need to fill hungry workers who worked late shifts when most restaurants were closed. They hit their peak in the 1950's in the time of juke boxes and car hops and those magnificent train car-style diners that most of us only know from seeing in film and TV. Thankfully diners have undergone a resurgence in popularity in recent years, thanks in part to TV and film. Many have taken on the task of restoring the old places and many new diners have been built in that classic 50's and 60' styling.
Retro Diner presents the authentic recipes, culled from these various diners, arranged into sections such as breakfasts, soups, sandwiches, and the ever-popular "Blue Plate Specials". Start your day with easy home made biscuits, southern-style corn fritters, or corn beef hash and eggs.
Soups & Sandwiches were always a popular choice among diner patrons. Enjoy the Corn Chowder from the Sweetheart Diner or Cream of Mushroom from Harry's Midnight Diner. How about a Count of Monte Cristo sandwich in all it's battered, deep-fried glory or the patty melt from Blue Moon Diner.
Every diner had it's "Blue Plate Special" and Retro Diner presents no less than ten classic recipes for an all-time diner favorite, meatloaf. Then there's the Dinner Pie from Jack's D.C. Diner and Hungarian Goulash from Zippy's; chicken-fried steak, chicken and dumplings, BLT's, Apple Pie, and so much more. Even if you don't enjoy the recipes, you're sure to enjoy this trip down memory lane.
Retro flash back..........2005-06-10
The book has some really good recipes and I would give it a full 5 stars if it included some recipes for classic diner drinks. Then the book would be complete.
I love the sandwhiches, country fried steak with gravy and pie recipes. Great retro pictures of ads and people from the 40's-50's. It's a great coffee table book to thumb through and the recipes are really interesting too.
A compendium of nostalgic, yesteryear cuisine.......2003-01-10
Retro Diner: Comfort Food From The American Roadside by Linda Everett is a compendium of nostalgic, yesteryear cuisine that is a kind of birthright culinary legacy for every American. Profusely illustrated throughout, Retro Diner is a celebration of great eating as experienced by generations of men and women who ate "blue plate specials" and other palate pleasing, appetite satisfying, pocketbook friendly fare from a local diner. From Granny Glenn's Biscuits n' Gravey; Corn Chowder from the Sweetheart Diner; and Off the Grill Ham n' Cheese; to Countryside Chicken n' Dumplings; Big Daddy's Diner Meat Loaf; and Mushroom Burgers from Mooney's, Retro Diner is a pure and highly recommended celebration of a distinctive American cuisine and individualistic dining ambiance that was to pass into cultural history with the introduction and coming dominance of the fast-food franchise.
Step into the past with top recipes from top diners.......2002-12-18
Dive into the specialty dishes that made the old-time diners famous. "Retro Diner: Comfort Food from the American Roadside" won't make it onto the top healthy foods list, but it sure makes some old-time favorites come to life.
With recipes from the 1930's to the 1960's you are sure to find your favorite diner meals here. Alabama Sweet Potatoes, Monte Cristo Sandwich, Butterscotch Pie, you'll find recipes here that you won't find anywhere else. But don't look for any shortcuts here; these are the original recipes, which means the recipes don't start with a plain cake mix but with flour, eggs, and salt.
The book can be confusing at times like where step seven of Dixie Diner's Blueberry Pancakes say to "bake in your waffle iron", which would make it a waffle and not a pancake, or the Chipped Beef recipe that does not include toast or biscuits in the ingredients list but does state to serve it over toast or biscuits, a bit of an annoyance if you are done preparing it and then find out that you have no bread. Things like this are the only reason this did not receive a full five star rating.
Still, even with the small annoyances, the book is a pleasure to read. To add to the enjoyment of the book, it is filled with illustrations, advertising, and photographs from the appropriate years. For those who would like to travel back to a time of simple pleasures the book is a wonderful nostalgic trip and the recipes sure to delight.
Book Description
With a surge in fascination with Americana and a nostalgia for simpler times, a once vanishing treasure is finding its way back into the popular culture and back onto the roadsides of the country. Their names once tempted customers with a little magic to go along with a meal—the Miss Albany, the Mayfair, Webbies, the Night Owl. Now their warmth and great food draw us toward a grand dining adventure. Indeed, the American roadside diner is a place like no other, with excellent service, reasonable prices, and conversation as plentiful as the coffee.
The story of the diner began more than 100 years ago when coffee and sandwiches were first served from the back of a horse-drawn lunch wagon in Providence, Rhode Island. Slowly these roadside treasures evolved into the stainless steel railroad cars that are now associated with diners. While their popularity declined in the 1960s as fast-food chains became popular, today they are gaining in favor as more people want the personal touch present in a homey environment.
The American Diner Cookbook contains more than 450 recipes for delicious foods that can be found on diner menus nationwide. Interviews with owners and others who have worked in diners and more than 100 black-and-white photographs appear throughout.
Customer Reviews:
Bring on the memories..........2007-09-16
Each page is chock full of memories, from photos to recipes. These are simple, tasty and easy recipes to recreate your diner experience at home. A very complete book with so many recipes, this one is a must for any cookbook collector.
Great Cook Book.......2006-01-15
Purchased this for my parents, who are diner fanatics, and they absolutely loved it. My dad particularly enjoyed the pictures of diners-old and new-from across the country. And my mom loved trying to duplicate some of her favorite recipes-liver and onions, apple pie, etc. Makes a great gift to tuck into a basket with a favorite diner gift certificate.
The Diner experience - at home.......2003-05-30
If you are looking for recipes that contain wheat sprouts and tofu you won't find them here. On the other hand, if you are looking for those wonderful, delectable foods served by diners all over America in the forties or fifties you will find them.
"The American Diner" has everything from diner classics like the Monte Cristo Sandwich (two recipes) to French Onion Soup and everything in between. Other common diner recipes include omelets, Delmonico potatoes, chili, baked beans, barbecue beans, Reuben sandwich, chili-burgers, maple barbeque spareribs, Santa Fe chicken, beef stew, Hungarian goulash, sauerbraten, shepherd's pie, and chicken and dumplings. Of course it also has popular desserts like apple spice cake, Black Forest cake, apple crisp, cheesecake.
While there are not a lot of cookbooks that specialize in recipes from American diners, there are a few. That brings us to the question of what makes this book different from the others and why should you prefer it? The answer to that is easy. Not only does it have more recipes than most but it also includes a section on the traditional diner fountain. This is one of the things that I remember most about diners when I grew up and the recipes are here. Fountain specialties include favorites like the Black Cow, Black Jack, and Chocolate-Peanut Butter Milk Shake. Included are the recipes to make the syrups for the fountain specialties. Try one of my favorites, make the orange syrup and then make a wonderful Orange Cream Milk Shake.
This is a highly recommended read for anyone wanting to bring home the taste of the American diner.
A welcome addition to any kitchen cookbook collection.......2003-03-08
The roadside diner was once a fixture of American popular culture and to be found in almost every community. A place where good food, reasonable prices, friendly service, and great conversation all came together. In The American Diner Cookbook, Elizabeth McKeon and Linda Everett collaborate to present more than 450 recipes for dishes that were the staple of the diner era. From Hush Puppies; Roadside Chili; Sea Captain's Chowder; and Mushroom Burgers; to Veal Parmesan; Chicken & Dumplings; Sloppy Joes; and Chocolate Chiffon Pie, The American Diner Cookbook is a nostalgic and welcome addition to any kitchen cookbook collection, which features the added bonus of numerous historic black and white photos.
true americana cooking, hometown cooking at its best!.......1999-09-18
This is a truely complete cookbook right down to making your own ketchup. The reciepes cover the full gambut of the american roadside diner fare, everything you can think of in home style food is there. It takes you back to being a kid again with your folks going on a vacation and eating at those great roadside eateries of the fifties and sixties. A must have for every cook to have in your library of cookbooks.
Book Description
When Everybody Ate at Schrafft's is a lavishly illustrated book about the Schrafft's restaurant empire and the era in which it thrived. It will bring back memories to former customers and provide recipes from the past, as well as awaken interest for those long-gone days in people unfamiliar with Schrafft's.
Customer Reviews:
The perfect gift for "everybody.".......2007-01-15
Tuna sandwich on toasted cheese bread, hot fudge over vanilla ice cream (and the agony of deciding whether I should choose hot butterscotch), out on a teenage date with my Irish boyfriend. Schrafft's has special memories for so many of us. I discovered this when I presented several friends with the wonderful Christmas gift of "When Everybody Ate at Schrafft's." Everybody loves to receive this treasure.
Remembrance of Things Past.......2007-01-10
I grew up going to Schrafft's every week... It was always magical, and this book brings the magic back!
There are even recipes for my all time favorite Schrafft's specials! All in all, a charming treat for the palate, the eyes, and the memory.
Schraft's lover.......2007-01-10
My mother was the recipient of this gift and she worked in Schraft's in the 40's. She loved the book and it brought back a lot of memories and even taught her a few things she didn't know - a real task with my mother.
She recommended it for anyone who worked or ate there.
Wonderful nostalgia.......2006-10-18
Bring them back...Schrafft's, of course! Brings back memories of Aunt Lillian and Mary Jane shoes!
Fantastic.......2006-09-24
For nearly eighty years Schrafft's was the place to eat in cities around the country: it took the products of a local Boston chocolatier named Schrafft and translated it to comfort food restaurants around the country. Once over fifty such venues peppered just the New York area. From Andy Warhold's wild contribution to the effort to private groups who used the stores, the varied and colorful history of Schrafft's lively venues are fantastic. And don't forget the recipes: they're included and are a large part of what made it a notable venue.
Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch
Average customer rating:
- The classic American diner is an image embodying American culture
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Classic American Diners: Collectible Postcards and Matchcovers (Schiffer Book)
Don Preziosi
Manufacturer: Schiffer Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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American Diner Then and Now
ASIN: 0764326104 |
Customer Reviews:
The classic American diner is an image embodying American culture.......2007-08-04
The classic American diner is an image embodying American culture, and here matchcovers and postcards which captured these images and were giveaway promotional items are presented in a collection which could've been featured in our Collector's Corner, but deserves a spot here for artistic and historical significance. Over 400 examples in color are included, along with a history of the diners and details on postcards and period matchcovers. Perfect for both collector's libraries and for art and American history holdings.
Book Description
Here is a larger, redesigned edition of a tried-and-true classic cookbook inspired by the favorite Maine diner of travelers and natives alike! Like its famous namesake eatery, this cookbook almost needs no introduction. The original edition went into 15 printings, because recipes such as these simply never fall out of fashion. However, even more good recipes have been approved and appreciated by the clientele of Moody's Diner in the past decade or so and more great anecdotes and photographs have been collected, so clearly it was time for a bigger and better edition of What's Cooking at Moody's Diner. Fifty-nine new recipes were added, and -- by popular demand -- the diner-size recipes are now presented in family-size versions as well.
Customer Reviews:
Great diner, great cookbook!.......2003-12-27
This cookbook has a variety of recipes that I haven't seen served at Moody's, however, they are wonderful. I especially like the Sweet and Sour Chicken and Enchiladas Supreme. It is a great buy and offers a variety of recipes which allow you to cook from scratch while living on a budget.
Average customer rating:
- Lighten up and read this one!
- Brisk, hilarious debut
- A Great Read!
- Put this down? Not on your life.
- Absolute entertainment
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Gil's All Fright Diner
A. Lee Martinez
Manufacturer: Tor Books
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Binding: Mass Market Paperback
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Unshapely Things
ASIN: 0765350017
Release Date: 2006-06-27 |
Book Description
Welcome to Gil's All Night Diner, where zombie attacks are a regular occurrence and you never know what might be lurking in the freezer. . . .Duke and Earl are just passing through Rockwood county in their pick-up truck when they stop at the diner for a quick bite to eat. They aren't planning to stick around--until Loretta, the eatery'snbsp;owner, offers them one hundred dollars to take care of her zombie problem. Given that Duke is a werewolf and Earl's a vampire, this looks right up their alley.But the shambling dead are just the tip of a particularly spiky iceberg. Seems someone's out to drive Loretta from the diner, and more than willing to raise a little hell on earth if that's what it takes. Before Duke and Earl get to the bottom of the diner's troubles, they'll run into such otherworldly complications as undead cattle, an amorous ghost, a jailbait sorceress, and the terrifying occult power of pig Latin.And maybe--just maybe--the End of the World, too.Gory, sexy, and flat-out hilarious, Gil's All Fright Diner will tickle your funny bone--before ripping it out of its socket!
Customer Reviews:
Lighten up and read this one! .......2007-08-23
A really entertaining, gruesome, hilarious, sexy, horrific vampire/werewolf/ghost/witch/end of the world story. A quick read that you won't be able to put down. Engrossing characters, outlandish situations, and lots of killer action.
I had great fun reading this book and you will too.
Brisk, hilarious debut.......2007-08-22
A. Lee Martinez' hilarious debut novel flips all of the stagnant tropes of the horror/monster genre on their collective head and delivers a brisk, entertainingly self-conscious introduction to the adventures of Duke and Earl -- werewolf and vampire, respectively -- and the Anomalous Phenomena Attraction that finds them caught up in all kinds of "weird [ish]". The main plot revolves around a teenaged vixen/sorceress determined to bring about the end of the world, but it's grounded by a compelling cast of characters who come to vivid life through Martinez' skillful dialogue and comic timing.
The Douglas Adams comparisons are apt but unnecessary beyond a marketing hook -- if anything, Charlaine Harris' southern vampire novels are a more fitting reference -- as right from the first chapter's zombie attack and its simultaneously straightforward and tongue-in-cheek tone, Martinez' tale and talent stand on their own merits. He's set the bar rather high for himself, and I'm greatly looking forward to reading the further adventures of Duke, Earl and friends.
A Great Read!.......2007-08-03
This is the first book that I've read by A. Lee Martinez.
Wow. What a fab read. I normally read romance but decided to pick up one of his books after hearing about him in a group I'm in. So after debating if I should buy this book or not since I don't normally read this genre of book - I finally decided to give it a try. You don't know unless you read it if you'll actually like it or not - right?
So I did and I was not disappointed with it at all and I'm very glad that I did pick it up. A. Lee Martinez is now on my must buys list.
If you haven't read this book - you should. I enjoyed the characters (how great were they???), the plot and the humor. I would say all the funny parts were in the right places - but that's not all this book offers.
He has created some very interesting - and whether you want to admit it or not lovable characters (well I LOVED them). I had to know what the characters were doing, what they were going to do next and how it all ended.
A very creative mind, a great read and now a must buy author - I'm so glad I took the chance and picked it up. Not always the case - but this time it was.
Put this down? Not on your life. .......2007-07-26
Have you ever had a story grab you, pull you in, and not let go? Gil's will do that for you. I've always been a fan of stories that enthrall me. I need to be carried off to the world the writer has created, or I lose interest by the 2nd chapter. A. Lee Martinez was kind enough to drag me along for the ride in Gil's.
I got the book from the guy who slept in the rack above me on my last ship, the USS Samuel B. Roberts. He said "Read this." Nothing more. Since flight ops were delayed, I gave it a go. 2 days later, between shifts, drills, and occasional sleep I was done, and a permanent fan.
So take a chance, read something off beat. It's truly creative, and will make you beg for more.
Absolute entertainment.......2007-07-21
I bought this book on a whim, having run out of reading material before a flight. My expectations were low, and as a huge fan of Chuck Palaniuk and anything horror, I expected this book to be one which I would get into the first chapter and quit. This fast paced, truly original story grabbed me by the seat of my pants in the first five pages. It's an amazing story fit to be read by anyone at any age. I couldn't put the book down until I had read it from cover to cover. I would strongly urge anyone with a mind and a sense of humor to read "Gil's All Fright Diner", a book that instantly became my personal favorite.
Book Description
Part diner, part family-style restaurant, the Famous Dutch Kitchen Restaurant in Frackville, Pennsylvania, north of Lancaster County, serves up some of the best food in this popular tourist area visited by more than five million people each year. Feast on turkey pot pie, ham and cabbage casserole, and delicious vegetables. The cornbread is moist, flavorful, and nearly as sweet as cake. And top it all off with shoofly pie or the Famous Dutch Kitchen's signature Atomic Banana Split.
Pennsylvania Dutch Country is a land of rolling farmlands dotted with one-room schoolhouses where you will encounter horse-drawn buggies, beautiful quilts, and industrious "Plain People."
The Famous Dutch Kitchen Restaurant is the seventh restaurant to be chosen by authors Jane and Michael Stern for their Roadfood cookbook series which celebrates the finest regional restaurants in the United States. It includes an 8-page color insert.
Previous Roadfood cookbooks include:
Blue Willow Inn Cookbook-1-55853-991-3
El Charo Cookbook-1-55853-992-1
Durgin Park Cookbook-1-4016-0028-X
Harry Carey's Cookbook-1-4016-0095-6
Louie's Backyard Cookbook-1-4016-0038-7
Carbone's Cookbook-1-4016-0122-7
Customer Reviews:
An Very Good Book if You Like Central Pennsylvania Diners.......2004-04-20
This book appears to be the eighth `Roadfood Cookbook' by Jane and Michael Stern who also write a `Roadfood' column for Gourmet magazine. Aside from the fact that this book has just been published, I got a copy to review because I grew up on the same kind of Pennsylvania Dutch cooking described in this book. Thus, I was sure I was doubly qualified to evaluate this volume.
The value of this book to a reader will be directly proportional to the degree to which they really like diner food of eastern Pennsylvania. Like many other local cookbooks, the food is simply not as interesting as you will find in just about any cookbook by a professional culinary journalist such as Patricia Wells; top rated restaurant chef such as Tom Colicchio or Alfred Portale; or TV program host such as Sara Moulton or Tyler Florence.
All the recipes for non-Pennsylvania Dutch specialities are pale imitations of, for example, Italian or New England specialities. The recipes rely very heavily on canned products and the amount of butter used in many of the recipes would make a French chef blanche. Oddly enough, some recipes occasionally use margarine instead of butter for no apparent reason.
One example of a classic recipe done with an inferior recipe is the offering for creamed chipped beef. This book's recipe adds no spices whatsoever. A very good recipe in Craig Claiborne's New York Times cookbook uses a technique that is much more familiar to cooks who are used to making roux and bechamel sauces. It also suggests adding nutmeg, Worcestershire sauce, and cayenne.
Another classic with an inferior recipe is the cole slaw recipe. It is just one of a long string of vegetable and vegetable / protein salads where mayonnaise is a major ingredient. James Beard gives a far superior recipe for cole slaw with no mayonnaise. I am entirely familiar with the fact that there are hundreds of variations on cole slaw. I am only indicating that the version offered here is not the best.
All recipe instructions are fairly simple because so many of the dishes are fairly simple, relying on rich ingredients such as butter, mayonnaise, half and half, cream, or canned soups for their punch. The instructions for preparing most vegetables is to `chop' them, where most cookbooks would specify a quarter inch dice or smaller. Some recipes call for grating onions by a food processor. Most other writers would suggest a dice, as the food processor can turn onions into slime.
Most of my comments are really not relevant to true Pennsylvania Dutch specialities, as the book is pretty true to my experience of this style of cooking. The recipes for the famous `Dutch' relishes such as chow-chow are pretty close (although my experience is that the green beans are usually cut, while the authors put them in whole). The recipes for breakfast sticky buns are as good or better than I have seen from similar local sources, but not as good as the Julia Child book on baking.
One really surprising exception to the very ordinary type of recipe to be found here is the pancake recipe. This is one of the very few places where I have seen people take the trouble to separate yolks from whites and whip the whites and fold them into the rest of the batter. I am impressed.
If you want an ethnologic picture of central Pennsylvania diner fare, you cannot find any better source than this book. It is also a reasonably good book of Pennsylvania Dutch recipes, but it leaves out several classics such as stuffed pig stomach and apple dumplings. If you are fond of the authors' series of Roadfood books, you do not want to miss this offering. It's picture of coal region life, as someone who lives on the outskirts of this area should know, is excellent.
If you want a good Pennsylvania Dutch cookbook, I recommend you pass on this book and get a book by Betty Groff, Mary Showalter, or Phyllis Pellman Good.
Recommended with qualifications. I give it four stars rather than three because of its relatively low list price.
Book Description
The authors have packed up their bags and hit the highways once again in search of the tastiest dishes and most fascinating chefs. The result is an amazing journey across America's heartland, with stops along the way for a few down-home meals and delightful desserts at the coziest, friendliest, and busiest diners and roadside cafes.
Customer Reviews:
Celebrating the (lunch-) counter culture.......2003-03-22
If the excellent "Roadfood" can be thought of as the complete guide to America's roadside eateries, "Blue Plate Specials" would be the Greatest Hits collection, at least in the opinion of our tireless guides, Jane and Michael Stern. This book is a fine collection of some of the Sterns' most distinctive and interesting roadside restaurant experiences, along with a memorable recipe (or facsimile of one) from each. Sadly, some of the restaurants discussed here are no longer in business, but the Sterns help keep them living in memory.
Personally, I found this title less evocative than "Roadfood." That book made me want to toss a copy of it in the glove compartment and head out on a cross-country tour, hitting one great-sounding diner or rib shack after another. This book didn't. It was nice to read about the Sterns' experiences in their travels, but I didn't catch the passion of it all like I did with "Roadfood." Your mileage may vary.
Still, if you're a fan of the Sterns, this is a title worth checking out -- not, perhaps, as a guide to your own future travels, but as a good example of "foodie lit" and the vicarious excitement of sitting down and studying a never-before-seen menu.
Fun and Entertaining.......2002-02-19
Although there are recipes in this book, it is much more than a cookbook. It is an interesting and entertaining look at America's eateries. Each entry contains a short history or background on the establishment, its food, and the people who work there and eat there, followed by a recipe or two.
Anyone who travels and has eaten "roadfood" (or just dreams of it!) will enjoy this well-written book. And for those of us who will never get to visit even a small percentage of the eateries examined, it is a wonderful glimse at these businesses and the people who love working at them and eating at them.
Another reviewer stated that some of the places listed are no longer in business. With a book of this nature, that's inevitable. So many small, family-owned businesses are closing up fast. I'm just glad that the Sterns were able to document their existence for us enjoy, if only from the comfort of our easy chairs. I put this book on my list of must-haves and look forward to reading other books by the Sterns.
As much fun to browse through as it is to cook from.......2001-12-10
Some of America's most unique and talented cooks serve in humble roadside cafes and friendly neighborhood eateries. Jane and Michael Stern have gone "on the road" to encounter and retrieve outstanding recipes from the culinary heartland of American "blue plate specials" and showcased them in Blue Plate Specials & Blue Ribbon Chefs: The Heart And Soul Of America's Great Roadside Restaurants. As much fun to browse through as it is to cook from, this compendium of roadside cafe introductions and wonderful dishes ranges from Every-Friday Haddock Chowder; Becky's Whoopsie-Pie Cake with Poor-Man's Icing; and Enrico Biscotti's Almond Macaroos; to Tennessee Cornbread; Horseradish Pickles; and Mrs. Rowe's Summer Squash Casserole. Blue Plate Specials & Blue Ribbon Chefs is a wonderful addition to any personal or professional cookbook collection.
In Praise of the Sterns.......2001-11-05
Had to counter the only other review on this book. Also a big fan of the Sterns, didn't think of this as "rehashed" from earlier Sterns material, but rather, a celebration of all the great places they've discovered in their years of searching out the off-the-beaten-path shrines to American food. I loved this book--it reads like a National Geographic special on home cooking! To me, anyone who can get you excited about the thought of trying fried chicken from the Bon Ton Mini Mart must be doing something right--they've got my attention!
A Disappointment for the Sterns.......2001-10-17
I have been a fan, and buyer, of the books of the Sterns since the original Square Meals many years ago. I've enjoyed their books on all sorts of different subjects, not only their food books. Therefore, I picked this book up without even looking inside.
What I found in this book, more than new material, was the impression that this was a book made up on short notice out of the Sterns's existing files. It was neither as comprehensive or descriptive as earlier food reviews. Certainly nowhere near as comprehensive as Road Food, sort of like a little abridgment. Additionally, a bunch of the eating places in the book aren't in business anymore.
I'm looking forward to trying the fried chicken recipe given in the review of the Bon Ton Mini Mart, but this book left me feeling like a hungry man on a diet--satisfying somewhat, but left feeling like something was distinctly missing. I really got the impression that this was a 'quickie', and not up to the standards of their other books.
I love reading the Sterns, and seeing them on TV, and hope this isn't the beginning of a trend.
Books:
- Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds
- FAT!SO? : Because You Don't Have to Apologize for Your Size
- Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: A Savage Journey to the Heart of the American Dream
- FEMININE MISTAKE, THE: ARE WE GIVING UP TOO MUCH?
- Foreign to Familiar: A Guide to Understanding Hot - And Cold - Climate Cultures
- Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything
- Groovy in Action
- Handbook of Hypnotic Suggestions and Metaphors
- Hashish!
- Hell's Angels
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