The Route 66 Cookbook

Tasty Tuesday (On a Saturday)–Dining Down the Mother Road (At Home)–Part Five (Fourth of July Edition)

Today I have a very special Tasty Tuesday (On a Saturday) because our Fourth of July dinner was inspired by restaurants along Route 66!

For dinner, I decided to go with an American classic, the BLT. But in keeping with our our Route 66 Summer, I prepared the “Heart-Stopping BLT” like they make at St. Louis’ own Crown Candy Kitchen, according to the recipe in The Route 66 Cookbook. Their sandwich calls for a full pound of bacon, so this was for display purposes only…the ones we actually ate had far less, but it was fun to see what it looked like!

For dessert I made Root Beer Bread Pudding like they serve at Pops Soda Ranch in Arcadia, OK. I think this is the best bread pudding I’ve ever made…it was really delicious!

And you can’t have Independence Day without watermelon, so I made a watermelon Agua Fresca to go with dinner:

It was nice to celebrate the centenary of Route 66 on the country’s semiquincentennial!

What We’re Reading (and Watching)–Route 66

This year’s summer school is all about the 100th anniversary of Route 66! This is the first time that we’ve had a unit built more around field trips than anything else, but I do still have a short list of books, documentaries, and a few bonus fun activities, too:

  • The Best Hits on Route 66: Essential Stops on the Mother Road
  • Route 66: A Tribute to An American Icon
  • Driving the Green Book
  • Route 66 Road Trip Activity Book
  • Illinois Route 66 Passport (a fun freebie we picked up along the way)
  • Henry Reed’s Journey (not technically a story about Route 66 specifically, but it captures the spirit of the Great American Road Trip!)
  • The Route 66 Cookbook
  • Rand McNally Official Route 66 Centennial Map
  • Modern Marvels: “Route 66”
  • Show Me 66: Main Street Through Missouri
  • Cars (a just-for-fun selection that actually captures the spirt of 66 better than any documentary I’ve ever seen!)
  • Lego Speed Champions Lightning McQueen

I’m not going to lie…I think this is one of the best summer schools I’ve put together, and I’m thrilled that the Route 66 Centennial lined up with it so well!

Tasty Tuesday–Dining Down the Mother Road (At Home)–Part Four

Our next Route 66 dinner featured “New Mexican Posole” like they serve at the Silver Moon.Cafe in Santa Rosa, NM, according to the recipe in The Route 66 Cookbook. This was a new experience for us…we’ve never tried hominy before. It was super delicious, and we’ll definitely be making it again!

For dessert I made a “Strawberry Whipped Cheesecake” like they make at the historic Ariston Cafe in Litchfield, IL. It’s a no-bake cheesecake with a shortbread-style crust, a lovely fluffy cheesecake layer, and strawberries on top…I really enjoyed it!

We love breakfast-for-dinner, so our next Route 66 dinner was “Grilled Thick French Toast” like they serve at Chicago’s own Lou Mitchell’s Restaurant and Bakery…it was pretty similar to my regular recipe, but with even more vanilla, which I love!

I still have quite a few Route 66 recipes left to make this summer…stay tuned!

Tasty Tuesday–Dining Down the Mother Road (At Home)–Part Three

We’ve had another pair of Route 66 dinners in the last week!

First, I made “Bang Bang Burgers” from The Route 66 Cookbook like they serve at Hoppers Pub in . Waynesville, MO. The Bang Bang Sauce was amazing, and an onion ring is a great topper for a burger!

For dessert we had “Butter Spritz Cookies” like they serve at Jubelt’s Bakery and Restaurant, a Route 66 stop a little closer to home in Litchfield, IL.

Next up was a German feast…all items I’ve made before, but with new twists from The Route 66 Cookbook. The main course “Pork Wiener Schnitzel” like they serve at Westside Lilo’s in Seligman, AZ. It was very similar to how I usually make schnitzel, but with lemon pepper added to the breading…I will definitely be using that tip from now on!

To go with the schnitzel, I made Späetzle like they serve at the Rock Cafe in Stroud, OK. I make Späetzle A LOT, but this recipe was very different from what we’re used to. It was still good, and it’s nice to have another option!

I kept the German theme going with dessert, and the recipe for apple strudel was from a restaurant near and dear to my heart…The Berghoff in Chicago. I’ve never made strudel with phyllo dough before…it was light and lovely and the recipe is a definite keeper!

I already have a few more meals planned for our culinary journey down Route 66!

Tasty Tuesday–Dining Down the Mother Road (At Home)–Part Two

We had two Route 66 dinners and desserts from The Route 66 Cookbook in the last week!

For the second dinner of our Route 66 Summer I made the Super Burger from the Western View Diner & Steakhouse in Albuquerque, NM. What really set the burger apart is the green chile sauce served on top! Also, this was the first time I made the hamburger patties myself instead of just buying frozen ones, and I’m pretty sure my family is never going to let me go back!

And is there a more classic Route 66 dessert than a malt? The recipe for the most chocolatey malt ever (and I’ve made chocolate malts pretty often in the past!) was from the Fair Oaks Pharmacy in South Pasadena…so delicious!

Our third dinner featured Goulash from the Streetcar Station Coffee Shop in Galena, KS. And when I say goulash, I mean the American kind, made with chili seasonings and macaroni. It was tasty, but confusing because we’re used to Hungarian goulash!

For dessert we had a classic Egg Cream like they serve at the Monarch Pharmacy and Soda Fountain in Baxter Spring, KS. Again, confusing, because there is neither egg nor cream in this chocolate soda, but again, super tasty!

We’re looking forward to more culinary travels down Route 66!

Tasty Tuesday–Dining Down the Mother Road (At Home)–Part One

We’re having a Route 66 summer! We kicked off the centennial celebration last week with a dinner from The Route 66 Cookbook, a volume that has recipes made famous at restaurants from one end of the Mother Road to the other. The main course was the “Route 66 Pup,” a hot dog with chili, onions, mustard blend, and homemade jalapeño spread, all topped with French fries, inspired by the menu at Tail o’ The Pup near the end of the route in California

For dessert I made the “Docs S’mores Sundae” inspired by the one served at Docs Just Off 66, a location a little closer to home in Girard, IL.

Stay tuned as we try more recipes from The Route 66 Cookbook!