The Route 66 Cookbook: Comfort Food from the Mother Road; 1926-2001 [Paperback]

Marian Clark (Author), Michael Wallis (Introduction)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 2003

Next year will mark the 75th anniversary of America's most legendary highway, Route 66. This 2,400-mile stretch of interstate runs across eight states and straight through the American psyche. John Steinbeck, Woody Guthrie, and carloads of nuclear families from the 1920s to the 1960s threaded their way through the heartland, and the unique restaurants that blossomed along Route 66 are justly celebrated. There are other successful road guides, but Marian Clark's The Route 66 Cookbook is the only culinary guide to what Steinbeck dubbed "The Mother Road." It includes over 250 delicious, time-tested recipes from places like the U Drop Inn, the Covered Wagon Trading Post, the Pig Hip, and the Bungalow Inn. It is also a nostalgic recreation of the Route 66 of the past, with stories from the waitresses and cooks who poured the coffee and baked the pie. With 105 b&w illustrations--as well as a new 16-page color section--this is a gem of Americana, and a treasury of comforting dishes from a time when the flavors along the road changed as dramatically as the landscape and accents as you sped across the heartland.

--This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Editorial Reviews

Book Description

With a new introduction, additional recipes, & a 16-page color insert, this deluxe edition celebrates the 75th Anniversary of America's legendary Route 66. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From the Inside Flap

Ever find yourself hungry and nostalgic at the same time? Do you dream of cruising down the old two-lane highway and pulling in to someplace belly- and soul-satisfying for some classic comfort food? Sometimes you can go home again: let The Route 66 Cookbook guide you down historic Route 66, as you feast in the landmark eateries along the way--or simply travel from your armchair to the kitchen, savoring the history and following the recipes. The year 2001 marks the 75th anniversary of America's most celebrated highway. In the years since it was bypassed by the interstate, this 2,400-mile-long artery--stretching from Navy Pier in Chicago to the Santa Monica Pier in California--and the restaurants and people alongside it have come to be recognized as a beloved national treasure. For legions of aficionados, Route 66 is a destination, not just a means of getting somewhere. Marian Clark's The Route 66 Cookbook is the only culinary guide to what John Steinbeck dubbed "The Mother Road," including over 250 time-tested recipes from places like the U Drop Inn, the Pig Hip Restaurant, Caveman Bar B-Q and Steak House, Miz Zip's Cafe, Cotton Eyed Joe's, and the Yippie Yi Yo Cafe. It's a living history of a time when the flavors along the road changed as dramatically as the landscape and the accents. Many of the places described are still very much in action, just waiting for you to pull up, slide into a booth or sit at the counter, and ask,"What's good today?" This deluxe anniversary edition offers a vivid celebration of some of the most memorable sights and singular dining experiences along the way. The author's substantial new introduction delivers loads of updated information, new recipes shared by veteran Route 66 restauranteurs like Norma of Norma's Diamond Cafe, and a check-list of A Dozen Unforgettable Flavors of Route 66. Also new: sixteen pages of color photos that beautifully spotlight the striking terrain and character of this Yellow Brick Road through the heart (and tastebuds) of America. Join the thousands of fans from around the world who've traced the Mother Road with a well-worn copy of this book beside them on the front seat--and save room for the pie! --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Council Oak Books; 75th Annv edition (March 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1571781285
• ISBN-13: 978-1571781284
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 8.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #959,093 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

My home is in the Texas panhandle - Hereford, Texas. I attended Texas Tech in Lubbock,have a degree in Vocational Home Economics and have done graduate work in foods and nutrition. After college I worked for a utility company in the home service department and traveled extensively. Wanting summers free for more travel, I took a teaching position after 2 years and went to west Texas - McCamey then Odessa - where I met my husband. Ken is a petroleum engineer with his BS and Masters from UC in Berkley. We lived there for a few months then went back to Odessa where he worked for Amoco and I taught until our daughter was born. We soon transferred to Tulsa and have lived here, a few blocks off Route 66, for over 30 years. We have two children and 4 grandchildren and Ken has had his own business since the mid '80s.
We love Tulsa, our friends, our home, our church, and the beauty of this area. Route 66 has opened a wonderful window to the world where I have met fantastic friends and made lifelong memories.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars To me, a disappointment., January 2, 2001

By 

A Reader (Columbus, IN USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Route 66 Cookbook: Comfort Food from the Mother Road Deluxe 75th Anniversary Edition (Hardcover)

I began this book reading it as though it were a novel--devouring every word. I have driven Route 66 some, have several books about it, and enjoy the lore and history. And I love reading about food of all kinds, as well as cooking. Marian Clark has certainly done a lot of research and included many interesting anecdotes, but I sometimes had the impression that some could have been fleshed out a little more, to advantage. A number of interesting-sounding people and places got only a sentence or two. By the half-way mark in the book, I was convinced that travelers had better be prepared to subsist on chili, pie, salad dressings, and barbecue sauces, if this is a representative cross section of what's available along the Mother Road. Recipes for these seem to make up close to half of the offerings. And by then I was merely scanning the pages.

Michael Wallis's introduction is touching and lyrically written, and a sheer pleasure to read. I'd like to have seen recipes for more of the gustatory delights that he recalls so vividly, but alas, nary an omelette, nor a single biscuit and gravy. 'WAY more than enough gooey desserts for the overweight, glucose-intolerant traveler, though.

The color photos that fill sixteen pages of this Deluxe 75th Anniversary Edition seem to be only of snapshot quality, pretty amateurish, and in my opinion the book deserves better. Some are obviously reproductions of old photos, and can't be helped. The others, though...

So, am I sorry I bought this book? Am I glad to have it in my library? No, and yes. But I'm still disappointed. There are better books on Route 66 out there, and better books on comfort food, though perhaps none that present the two together as this one does. But I have a feeling I'll be referring to those other works more often in the future than I do this one.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great trip down memory lane with all the trimmings, November 26, 2001

By 

Todd C. Spears (Valley Village, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Route 66 Cookbook: Comfort Food from the Mother Road Deluxe 75th Anniversary Edition (Hardcover)

I originally bought the first edition of this fantastic book and had to buy the deluxe update as well. This book is truly fantastic. I spent a good part of last summer driving from Los Angeles to Missouri on old route 66 and this book was a welcome friend along the way (how many people plan trips with cookbooks in hand, I have no idea).

From the standpoint of the trip it was great to be able to find some of the same restaurants that my parents ate at 30+ years ago. The book is also full of menus, pictures and stories - and it's the stories that set the book apart. The stories about the restaurants and people along the way made the entire trip seem like visiting old friends.

The recipes are also second to none. I've tried over two dozen of the recipes and none have disapointed me so far. All of them are simple, tasty and relatively simple to make. You can't go wrong by using these recipes.

Finally, I love the changes from Chicago to Los Angeles in terms of the regional recipes offered. I've long been a fan of American regional cooking and this book, while not a "regional cookbook", shows a flair for the subtle changes in restaurant fare as you travel the mother road.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Yum, May 21, 2010

By 

Momma Llama (Springfield Il) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Route 66 Cookbook: Comfort Food from the Mother Road; 1926-2001 (Paperback)

Great cookbook. Since ordering I've tried 5 recipes- all have turned out great! This is def home cooking style and not for those dieting.