Diner food

[BC.]

Was a short order cook at Besecker’s Diner in Stroudsburg, PA in HS the summers of 1988-89…Worked the morning shift (6am-2pm) with the owner’s son Mickey. I was known the “pancake guy” in the am….and the “burger guy” at lunch.

The memories of how “hot” it was in that small diner kitchen in those summer months….brutal.

*My favorite shift meal (as a HS kid)….was a cheeseburger and fries/cheese/gravy….

 

[Uncle-A]

Funny you should mention that. I grew up with disdain for American cheese. It was just processed flabby, no taste nonsense compared to a good swiss or cheddar, not to mention dozens other international and artisan cheeses. This coming from a poor working class American farm kid mind you. I'd never order a cheeseburger with American cheese--always a better option--at a diner let's say...we didn't have McDonnalds or the like in my town when I was a kid. So fast forward to adulthood, maybe ten years ago, I'm watching a Food Network show, can't remember the show name. There was Mario Batali ( yeah the me 2 guy), I think Michael Symon, and maybe Bobby Flay in it. They were filming at a NYC burger joint where the chefs like to eat--so a chefs chefs place. Not a fancy joint just good. And these three chefs were singing the praises of American cheese as the choice for a cheeseburger, even a gourmet burger. Something about the soft creamy melty gooeyness melds with the fat of the beef burger and food alchemy happens ( I'm beyond paraphrasing here .) So I tried it. I have to say, they were right. It works. So now I buy American cheese, just for cheeseburgers.

As for diner food - patty melts

You do know that there are two types of American Cheese. One is actually cheese and the other is processed cheese food. The processed cheese food is not made from dairy but from vegetable oil. They usually come sliced with paper in-between or wrapped individually because they will stick together if they weren’t.

 

[Philpug]

You do know that there are two types of American Cheese. One is actually cheese and the other is processed cheese food. The processed cheese food is not made from dairy but from vegetable oil. They usually come sliced with paper in-between or wrapped individually because they will stick together if they weren’t.

And the latter is the one you want.

 

[scott43]

And the latter is the one you want.

He's making me hungry...

 

[wooglin]

You do know that there are two types of American Cheese. One is actually cheese and the other is processed cheese food. The processed cheese food is not made from dairy but from vegetable oil. They usually come sliced with paper in-between or wrapped individually because they will stick together if they weren’t.

Well, no. There are not. As you say, one is cheese and the other is not.

 

[Uncle-A]

And the latter is the one you want.

Not on my burgers, I like the real stuff. When I go to purchase cheese at the deli I even ask the person to slice it thicker than normal when I know it is going to be on my burgers.

 

[Uncle-A]

Well, no. There are not. As you say, one is cheese and the other is not.

Technically you are correct but they call both cheese so I went with the standard nomenclature.

 

[James]

Phil has some culinary support. Though it appears milk is the main ingredient.

———————————-
It turns out that the more wholesome sounding "American Cheese" (Deli Deluxe and Hotel Bar) held no significant advantages over the "Prepared Cheese Products," despite having real cheese as the first item in their ingredients lists. In the end, they were downgraded for their inferior melting qualities.
——————————

In Search of the Best American Cheese | The Burger Lab

It's no secret that we here at AHT love our American cheese. Nothing else has the same melty, gooey texture and milky, salty flavor that accentuates, but doesn't compete with a burger. Of course we realize that it's a stretch to even call the stuff "cheese," but if <a...

www.seriouseats.com

 

[scott43]

I'm still hungry...

 

[chilehed]

American bacon is almost always rubbish - small streaky rashers not like a decent back bacon with some meat on it.

Rubbish back at'cha. Back bacon ain't bacon at all, much less decent bacon. Loin's the least flavored cut of the entire hog.

I just threw a 3# vacuum sealed bag of thick-cut (American) bacon from the store into a sous vide bath at 145F. In 24 hours I'll let it cool, and sear 1/4" thick strips on cast iron. It'll beat the crap out of anything you can make with a loin.

 

[KingGrump]

Rubbish back at'cha. Back bacon ain't bacon at all, much less decent bacon. Loin's the least flavored cut of the entire hog.

I just threw a 3# vacuum sealed bag of thick-cut (American) bacon from the store into a sous vide bath at 145F. In 24 hours I'll let it cool, and sear 1/4" thick strips on cast iron. It'll beat the crap out of anything you can make with a loin.

The flavor of pork is in the fat. Loin has no fat.
Chinese braised pork belly with preserved vegetable is one of my favorite comfort food of all time. Rich, tender, delicate and flavorful. Fantastic on a cold winter night.

In NYC, many of the diners are Greek. They do the usual breakfast decently. The attraction for me are the Greek specialties for lunch. Roasted lamb, moussaka, pastitsio, Greek salad and spanakopita.

 

[dbostedo]

Lemon Meringue pie. Like 6 inches high.

I'm a big meringue fan... pies, pavlovas, meringue cookies... bring 'em on. I've made these a bunch of times... they're just baked meringues...

Vanilla Meringue Cookies

Get Vanilla Meringue Cookies Recipe from Food Network

www.foodnetwork.com

 

[chilehed]

In NYC, many of the diners are Greek. They do the usual breakfast decently. The attraction for me are the Greek specialties for lunch. Roasted lamb, moussaka, pastitsio, Greek salad and spanakopita.

When I was a kid in Miami there was a little Greek lunch place on Coral Way at 27th Ave. Anna's Kitchen. What I'd give to be able to eat there again! Best I've ever had. I hope her grandkids have the recipes, I sure wish I did.

My dad told me that her husband Zach was in the Free French Underground during the war, blew up bridges and shot Nazi officers and stuff. That there's some legendary badassery, major props.

 

[Philpug]

Besecker’s Diner in Stroudsburg, PA

I remember that place.

 

[Philpug]

In NYC, many of the diners are Greek.

 

[Uncle-A]

The flavor of pork is in the fat. Loin has no fat.
Chinese braised pork belly with preserved vegetable is one of my favorite comfort food of all time. Rich, tender, delicate and flavorful. Fantastic on a cold winter night.

In NYC, many of the diners are Greek. They do the usual breakfast decently. The attraction for me are the Greek specialties for lunch. Roasted lamb, moussaka, pastitsio, Greek salad and spanakopita.

Don't forget the Bacakavala. Most of the diners in NJ are also Greek.

 

[KingGrump]

Don't forget the Bacakavala. Most of the diners in NJ are also Greek.

The menu weighted about 5 pounds.

 

[Tricia]

Was a short order cook at Besecker’s Diner in Stroudsburg, PA in HS the summers of 1988-89…Worked the morning shift (6am-2pm) with the owner’s son Mickey. I was known the “pancake guy” in the am….and the “burger guy” at lunch.

The memories of how “hot” it was in that small diner kitchen in those summer months….brutal.

*My favorite shift meal (as a HS kid)….was a cheeseburger and fries/cheese/gravy….

My favorite shift meal as a HS kid when I waited tables was a cheeseburger with extra cheese and fries with gravy.
I weighed 97 lbs back then. No way I could live on that kind of diet today.

 

[Joby Graham]

NJ diners have split pea soup on Thursdays. If you're lucky, there'll be some left on Friday- even better the next day.

 

[fatbob]

Rubbish back at'cha. Back bacon ain't bacon at all, much less decent bacon. Loin's the least flavored cut of the entire hog.

I just threw a 3# vacuum sealed bag of thick-cut (American) bacon from the store into a sous vide bath at 145F. In 24 hours I'll let it cool, and sear 1/4" thick strips on cast iron. It'll beat the crap out of anything you can make with a loin.

How thick does bacon have to get before it becomes pork belly?

And your sous vide prep etc is the sort of care I was trying to allow for in "artisan" bacon as opposed to basic diner grilling.

It's all good in the end - variety in food is what makes travel interesting and allows multicultural influences and fusion.

Just don't tell me an American processed slice is better than melty Brie on a burger!