Diners, Drive-ins and Dives: An All-American Road Trip . . . with Recipes! Author: Visit Amazon's Guy Fieri Page | Language: English | ISBN:
0061724882 | Format: EPUB
Diners, Drive-ins and Dives: An All-American Road Trip . . . with Recipes! Description
From Publishers Weekly
The iron-stomached Fieri, restaurant owner and Food Network personality, has probably choked down more burgers, bacon, pancakes, hash browns and fried eggs than any person should have to, and this dense, photo-packed retrospective allows viewers to replicate many of his favorite restaurants' recipes at home. Like the show, Fieri takes diners on a tour of the country's best local eateries, like Kansas City favorite YJ's Snack Bar, which uses two electric burners and a sidewalk grill to crank out exotic fare from around the world; James Beard Award-winning Al's Breakfast in Minneapolis; and all culinary points in between. The book contains a fair number of predictable classics like coconut cream pie, macaroni and cheese, meatloaf and burgers (including one that's dipped in batter and deep-fried), but has an equal number of interesting riffs such as Cap'n Crunch French Toast, Nut N' Honey Pancakes, Pork and Sweet Potato Empanadas and Chicken Fried Lamb Chops. Viewers' requests are also featured, including the Red Arrow Diner's American Chop Suey. Rounded out with plenty of behind-the-scenes anecdotes and local color, this tour of off-the-beaten-path establishments has enough regional entries to keep culinary road-trippers busy (and full) for many, many miles.
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Review
A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER (No Source)
“Rounded out with plenty of behind-the-scenes anecdotes and local color, this tour of off-the-beaten-path establishments has enough regional entries to keep culinary road-trippers busy (and full) for many, many miles. ” (Publishers Weekly)
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- Series: Food Network
- Paperback: 256 pages
- Publisher: William Morrow Cookbooks; First Edition edition (October 28, 2008)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 9780061724886
- ISBN-13: 978-0061724886
- ASIN: 0061724882
- Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.3 x 0.7 inches
- Shipping Weight: 4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
I really wanted to LOVE this book, I really did. I'm such a huge fan of Guy Fieri's "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" television show, and I've been hoping he'd come out with a cookbook containing recipes featured on his shows.
I'm a sucker for great road food, and often go out of my way to try a "hole in the wall" diner. Guy has traveled the US highlighting exactly the kinds of places I love to visit. His show on Food Network is loads of fun. No one can describe food like Guy, with his blend of humor and killer adjectives.
The humor doesn't translate all that well in print, and the jokes just aren't that funny. But I didn't get this book for the jokes -- I got it for the recipes.
The recipes that are included are OK -- but if you're a fan of the show, don't expect to find very many of the dishes Guy spotlighted. There are a few (the Cap'n Crunch French Toast from the Blue Moon Cafe in Baltimore, for example), but the bulk of the recipes are "new."
It was more than a little frustrating to read about the wonderful dishes in Guy's descriptions of the restaurant, only to find few recipes for any of them. While each establishment is represented by a recipe, almost none of the recipes are described in the narrative.
For example, Baby Blues Bar-B-Q in Venice, CA -- Guy waxes rhapsodic over the "killer mac and cheese made from four cheeses" and "grilled corn with chipotle-poblano butter and cotijo cheese sprinked on top." The featured recipe: sautéed okra. Huh?
That's not to say these are not GOOD recipes -- in fact, most of them look pretty darned tasty. And if your expectations don't include recipes for dishes featured on the show, these will be just fine.
As a travelogue, it's probably OK, too.
I'm addicted to Guy Fieri's Food Network show, "Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives." Whenever I have a chance, I tune in; normally, it's a cool one hour trip across the country. His enthusiasm comes right through the screen as he tries out different dishes at each establishment.
This book provides a sampling of some of those establishments across the country. The format is simple: a brief description of the diner or deli or dive, a photo of the place, and one or more illustrative recipes. In a sense, using one of his own terms, this is a trip to "Flavortown." One nice touch: his recognition of key players in his crew, as they work together as a team across the country.
Some examples of the places he looks at and the recipes that he spotlights. The "Blue Moon Cafe" in Baltimore, Maryland. I am looking forward, in the near future, to a long weekend in Baltimore; it's an enjoyable visit. This time, I may choose to try out this place. He focuses on breakfast in his two cafe examination of this cafe. The recipe given is intriguing--but not for me, Cap'n Crunch French Toast. I'm not going to ever make this, but it's fun to imagine making it and tasting it. Ingredients: heavy cream, eggs, vanilla, Cap'n Crunch, sugar, bread, sugar, berries. The 5 steps in the recipe sure look doable for amateur chefs. Interesting. . . .
Then, there is "Panini Pete's," located in Fairhope, Alabama. One interesting aspect: the head cook is a classically trained European chef. One recipe: Pete's Rubbed and Almost Fried Turkey Sandwich. Focaccia bread, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, Kosher salt and pepper, Dijon mustard, fried turkey (a menu provided for that, too), roasted red pepper, baby greens, mozzarella, and garlic mayo. Oooh. Read the recipe and imagine the tasty results!
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