Getting Kicks on Route 66 - Part 1

On June 17, 2011 I, Eric Stephens, and my fiancé at the time, Ashley, would embark on a bucket list dream trip to take a custom car and drive it across The Mother Road… Route 66. We would start in Chicago and end in Kingman, Arizona before taking the turn north to Las Vegas to get hitched. This trip was not only a test to see if two people that were madly in love could survive each other for a week on a 2,000 mile road trip, but also a chance for Ashley to visit states west of the Mississippi (she is a typical Alabama girl) and for both of us to enjoy the different cuisines along the way.

We took notes of some of the places we dined at and wanted to share it with all those interested so if you are ever in some of these areas you could check them out. Due to our schedule getting a tad behind, we were not able to enjoy as many restaurants as we had hoped, but we did find some gems along the way.

June 19- Grill Marx

Located in Shorewood, IL just off Interstate 55 heading south, Grill Marx was a rare find. We took the exit in search of food and were just about to give up when we came across a small shopping center. That’s when we saw the restaurant and decided we would check it out. Being in a small strip mall, the place just kind of blended in and had the same outside décor of the surrounding stores, but it was a very new looking and seemed promising. Inside the restaurant was very nice and modern looking and had a classy feel to it. You didn’t have to be dressed up to belong. The staff was dressed very professionally and was quick to make sure each person was taken care of.

I ordered sweet tea (it was shocking to me that they offered it since that is something hard to find up north) and Ashley had water. We were ready and hungry enough to do the whole experience so we started with an appetizer of Calamari. This is a popular item on just about any menu. My friend Mark turned me on to these during one of our trips and I turned Ashley on to them. I have yet to get any that I didn’t like.

Moving on to the main course, we both settled on a fish dish and by settled I mean there were so many good things to choose from. I went with the local flavor of a Lake Superior White Fish that came with whipped cauliflower, mashed garlic potatoes, and a salad. Ashley went with the Santa Fe Salmon and a Chicken Mediterranean soup. The White Fish was fantastic and the whole concept of whipped cauliflower was new to me, but worked well and, to be honest, would be great for kids that struggle with eating their veggies. I was not a fan of the garlic mashed potatoes simply because it was too lumpy and dry, plus I still
question why everybody has to put garlic in their mashed potatoes nowadays! Ashley thoroughly enjoyed her soup and the Salmon was cooked perfect with just enough spice but not overbearing. Upon hearing what Ashley was eating for dinner, and my dad being from New Mexico, he jokingly informed us that there are no salmon in Santa Fe.

With the dinner portions being just right, we were able to leave room for dessert. We decided to share the Caramelized Banana Split. A banana split alone is good, but brought out like this is it becomes an even better treat.

I would rate Grill Marx as a must visit if you are ever in the area. The price was perfect for the quality of food and dining atmosphere and it didn’t come close to breaking the bank. Even being Fathers Day, the restaurant never got too crowded and was a nice dining experience. With our bellies full, we were back on the road to put some miles behind us and stumble upon our next dining experience.

Cactus Salad- A New Favorite!

So recently I was in San Antonio, TX for a conference. Always, looking for something different to eat I stumbled upon a “cactus salad” (Nopale Ensalada) at a wonderful little Mexican restaurant next to my hotel. And now? I’m totally hooked. As a matter of fact, I think I have eaten some everyday for the last week, which means it holds up well and that’s definitely a bonus. It was easy to make simply because the waiter made it right in front of me!

What you need:

Cactus Strips (actually found these in the Mexican foods section of Wal-Mart)
Cherry and Grape Tomatoes
Onions (I use green onions in pretty much everything but you could use any)
Hot Peppers (I used a mix of Wax and Jalapeno)
Vinegar (My preference is Rice Vinegar)
Oil (I like Sunflower Oil the best but, again, dealer’s choice!)

What to do:

Drain and rinse the Cactus Strips
Chop the tomatoes in half
Dice the onions and hot peppers together (the smaller they are the better their flavors will blend in)
Mix them all together in your favorite bowl
Pour a little vinegar on top
Pour a little more oil over the mixture
Stir some more
Refrigerate for a bit and enjoy!

If you are looking for something to make it even better, add some sliced avocado on top or drench it in your favorite hot sauce! This is an easy to make, super amazing dish that is perfect for hot weather!

Why Cleveland Rocks - Melt's Bar And Grilled

So, my buddy Tim and I were in Cleveland, OH not so long ago. We traveled to the land of “all the little chicks with the crimson lips” to witness the awesome spectacle of Heavy Metal icons Manowar live. While planning our trip it was decided that we would look up some tour stops from Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives in the area and hit a couple up.

Our first stop was at Melt’s Bar And Grilled, which is exactly as it says it is. The primary menu items are about 100 different incarnations of grilled cheese and an entire menu of beer ranging from local to wildly named imports. The Melt we ate at is their newer location in Cleveland Heights but we chose it because it looked much more touristy than the original! Adorned with a giant grilled cheese and crossbones sandwich above its door and old-school plastic Christmas lawn decorations around the restaurant, we knew we were in the right place.


I had a Tokyo Tuna Melt, which was unbelievably good. It had a nice thick piece of seared tuna steak, globs of cheese, and some wasabi mayonnaise, in between the thickly buttered sourdough bread. When you consider the homemade fries and slaw on the side to complete the platter, it’s a wonder that I ate again for a week! This was a whole lot of food, but the price tag wasn’t much above what you’d pay for a nice dinner at Applebee’s or Ruby Tuesday or any comparable chains.

The homemade fries were about on par with anyone’s fries but the slaw had a really lasting taste- primarily the taste of onion. It was a memorable slaw that I really liked but anyone that had to smell my breath over the next few days I’m sure would advise me to skip it on my next trip. The Tokyo Tuna Melt was easily the highlight of the platter (as it should be). It was seared just right, allowing you to taste all the spices but also the full flavor of the tuna steak. It reminded me of how little canned tuna fish actually tastes like tuna. I think Tim was les impressed with his choice but he raved about the import beer he had. He also later noted that (and this was very true) that the flavors of the melt were so powerful that you literally tasted it still three days later. Admittedly, that was a wee bit annoying.



Our trip to Melt’s Bar And Grilled was truly wonderful. If you are ever in the Cleveland area I would suggest hunting this down and experiencing it for yourself. The novelty of it all is as much fun as the actual food, making it worth the wait to get a table. Good food and good company always make for an enjoyable time though, right?!

Seafood Chowder!

The weather is getting colder. In our house, that roughly translates into “lots of soup.” Seafood Chowder is one of my very favorites, as I like a thick and hearty soup. This one can get kind of pricey BUT it’s worth every penny. You’ll want to leave lots of time to prep because it takes a good long time to get the sautee going and get everything together and ready to go. Once you get past the sautee part though, it cooks pretty fast.

What You’ll Need:

A bag of frozen corn
Green onions
Celery
Green bell pepper
1/4 cup white rice
Flour

Thick-sliced bacon
Haddock, Whiting, or Cod filets (I sometimes use monkfish as well but it has stronger taste)
Shrimp
Imitation Crab (this holds up in the chowder better than real crab)
Large scallops

Butter
Chicken stock
Heavy Cream (you may use Whole Milk to lighten it up a bit if you don't like it thick)

Coarse salt
Black Pepper
Cayenne Pepper

How To:

• Cook the corn and then mix half of it with whole milk or heavy cream and put in blender to make a cream corn mixture
• Sautee bacon, onions, pepper and celery in butter - when they are just about done add a quarter cup of rice and a tbs or two of flour to thicken it up
• Add chicken stock
• Add whole milk or heavy cream
• Bring mixture to a boil
• Once boiling turn heat to medium and add shrimp, scallops, imitation crab, and fish
• Let cook for about 20 minutes
• Add cream corn mixture (if its not thick enough for your taste, add some flour and water mixed together- just a tablespoon or so though)
• Add coarse salt, black and cayenne pepper- stir in and let cook another 15 minutes or so

Canned Banana Peppers Stuffed With Pepperoni

This is a personal fall favorite of mine. You can can them in whatever way you are most comfortable with. I find that “cold packing” (described below) is a pretty quick and very efficient way to do it. Less mess and less time overall.

What You Need:

Reasonably wide banana peppers – you can fit approximately four to six per jar
Stick pepperoni (Sugardale is the least greasy but Hormel seems to hold up the best in my opinion)
Vinegar, water, salt, sugar, pickling spice
Quart size jars and lids

Suggested Pickling Solution:

Two cups of vinegar, one-half cup of water, a tablespoon of salt, one-half cup of sugar, and a third of a jar of pickling spice per quart jar.

What To Do:

Cut tops off peppers and remove seeds
Cut small “X” in the bottom of each pepper (for drainage)
Cut pepperoni into sticks

Put pepperoni sticks into peppers and place in jars
Place pepper and pepperoni filled jars into 250 degree oven until fairly warm
Pour boiling vinegar, water, salt, sugar, and pickling spice mixture into jars
Place lids on quickly and as tightly as possible
Place upside down on a countertop and allow to sit until cool
Be sure to check that lids are sealed about an hour after you have placed them upside down.

An Appetizer and A Dessert

From Eric Stephens:

Tortilla Chips. We all like them when we head over to our favorite Mexican restaurant and have always wondered how they make them or where they get them from. Ashley found out from a friend that knew someone that worked in a Mexican restaurant the secret to making those delicious Tortilla Chips they always give you before your meal arrives. This is very simple, but the reward is eating those restaurant style chips any time you want.

Ingredients:
White or Yellow Corn Tortillas, I would buy the ones that are delivered by one of your authentic Mexican food vendors like Mission or Ole' in this area.

Directions:
Cut the Tortillas up into triangles of whatever size you want

Deep Fry your triangles in Vegetable Oil until they are just a golden brown, don't get them too brown or they will taste burnt

There you go now you have your own Tortilla Chips just like the Mexican Restaurant makes. So next time you have a Mexican food night you can impress your friends.



From Adrin Fisher:

Syrupy Fried Apples

This one is a great use for apples slightly past their prime. It’s awesome alone or on vanilla ice cream.

Ingredients:
Apples
Sugar
Cinnamon

If you feel like it, peel the apples. Cut apples into slices. Put into a frying pan with a splash of water. Cook the apples over medium heat. Add cinnamon and sugar to taste. Don’t walk away for too long—burnt fried apples are totally disgusting. When the apples are soft, sweet, and syrupy, eat them!

Here’s an interesting stir fry idea that Kent McChesney sent us. He’s a chef so we’ll definitely be trying it out!

What You Need:
Your favorite vegetables (water chestnuts are ideally included)

*Kent also told us that if you want to go with frozen vegetables then you should go with Bird’s Eye brand*

Cooked chicken breast
Soy sauce
Dry mustard
Honey

What to Do:
Cut up your favorite vegetables and the chicken into bite size-ish pieces
Add the soy sauce and dry mustard and fry it up
Use the honey to thicken up the stir fry whenever it is cooked almost to your liking

Interesting Alternatives:
Marinate your chicken breasts in a Mayo and Hot Sauce mix and cook it on the grill, adding it to the finished stir fry.