Customer Reviews

Blue Plate Special: The American Diner Cookbook

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

I had bought this book as I had the authors other book, Blue Plate special. But be warned, this is the same book only in a different wrapper. I could find no difference, and if anything was added, I couldn't find it. So get one or the other, you won't need both.

Kudo's to Amazon for a great return policy.

The book is full of recipes that were collected by a man who has a passion for the American Diner. At first glance I thought the book was just that, a cookbook. But after receiving it, I discovered much more. This is a guy who share with others the love of the American Diner. In the book he showcases diners across the country. Each one has a page dedicated to it with a picture and description giving the read not only a written narrative but also a pictorial one.
Probably the most interesting reading in this book is the author's forward statement in which he gives the reader a reason as to why he put this cookbook together. In that you see his passion.
I recommend this book to those who love the little place where the waitresses know there customers by name and what they eat. I recommend this book to those who like going into a place that is owned by someone who lives in the same community his restaurant serves.
As for myself, I'm not one who is a literary expert but as an owner of a diner, I really enjoy this book. Not only does it give one a lot of recipes but also shares with the reader a passion for the American Diner.

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.

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.

This is an excellent book with many simple and absolutely delicious recipes. If you don't have a diner nearby, try these recipes at home. You won't be disappointed.

Tons of fun! This volume sings the praises of diner food--by providing some of the classic recipes. A bonus is brief descriptions of some diners, one of which I have actually eaten at (The Wellsboro Diner in Wellsboro, Pennsylvania; by the way, the food is good there!). There are also numerous photos of other diners, without discussion of these.

Many of these recipes are not overly healthy for one. But the recipes in here comprise an homage to diner food and, as such, provide a little residue of our culture. It is, simply, most enjoyable to relive the standard diner fare in this paperback book.

Here are some standards: corned beef hash and eggs (against my healthier instincts, I routinely order this at a local diner, "Kuppy's," in Middletown, PA) . Potatoes, butter, a small onion, corned beef (chopped), black pepper, and eggs. Put them all together? Yummy! Another standard breakfast dish--the Western omelette (I enjoy fixing omelette's for breakfast and lunch when I have a yen), with butter, onion, green bell pepper, cooked ham, eggs, milk, salt, pepper, and garlic salt.

Other dishes that sound enjoyable to me--chili supreme, sweet and sour cabbage, Philly cheesesteak sandwich, macaroni salad, chicken gumbo, asparagus with cream cheese, French toast, potato pancakes, a huge variety of hamburgers, Santa Fe chicken, corned beef and cabbage, and fish and chips. You want blue plate specials? They are here. Just so, dessert. . . .

Anyhow, this is a lot of fun. It's kind of neat to see the array of diner recipes laid out, page after page. I look forward to playing around with some of these recipes in the future.

This book is great at offering all the BASIC diner recipes, but doesn't clarify which diner they came from. At any rate, it is a new bible of simple cookery in my kitchen.