Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Dining Car Cookbook

by E Mooneyhan

  RAISIN SAUCE

  1 pound raisins

  2 cups sugar

  2 Tablespoons vinegar

  Juice of 1 lemon

  1 stick of cinnamon

  2 Tablespoons cornstarch

  1 ounce butter

  3 whole cloves

  2 whole allspice

  Melt the butter in a pot, add the sugar and spices, and cook until a golden brown. Add 2 quarts of water, bring to a boil, and thicken with cornstarch dissolved in cold water. Let boil again and strain through Chinese strainer. Return to range, and add drained raisins which have previously been soaked in water until soft, the vinegar, and the lemon juice. Allow to simmer for 10 minutes.

  RED CURRANT SAUCE

  1 pound currant jelly

  4 ounces water

  Juice of half lemon

  One pound red currant jelly in saucepan, add the water and lemon juice, and cook until of a syrup consistency. Strain through China cap and cool. Transfer to a clean jar and keep cool in chill box.

  LEMON BUTTER

  Place one cup of butter in a pan and, when it begins to simmer, add the juice of one lemon, a few grains of nutmeg, and ½ teaspoon finely chopped parsley.

  SAVORY SAUCE

  Cream 1 cup of butter and add:

  4 Tablespoons chopped parsley

  4 Tablespoons lemon juice

  1 teaspoon minced onion

  1 Tablespoon minced green pepper

  Spread 1 Tablespoon Savory Sauce on each order of broiled fish when serving. Makes 1½ cups.

  TARTAR SAUCE

  1 cup mayonnaise

  1 Tablespoon finely diced onions

  2 finely diced dill pickles

  1 Tablespoon capers

  1 Tablespoon finely chopped parsley

  Dry the onions, pickle, and capers by wringing them in a towel; then add them to the mayonnaise. Mix well and add the chopped parsley.

  TOMATO SAUCE

  1 ham bone, cracked

  1 cup chopped carrots

  1 cup chopped celery

  1 gallon whole tomatoes, or tomato puree

  1½ cups flour

  ½ cup bacon grease

  1 chopped green pepper

  1 gallon turkey, chicken, or veal stock

  1 cup chopped onions

  Mixed spices, consisting of 6 whole peppercorns, 4 whole cloves, 4 whole allspice, and 1 bay leaf

  Braise together with the bacon grease, the ham bone, the vegetables, and the spices until soft. Add the flour to absorb the grease for roux and cook for five minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and the stock. Boil for 1 hour and strain through Chinese strainer. Season with salt, white pepper, and a pinch of grated nutmeg. If bitter in taste, add a small amount of sugar.

  VANILLA SAUCE

  Place 1 quart milk and 1½ cups sugar in a pot and bring to a boil. Thicken with 2 Tablespoons cornstarch dissolved in cold water. Remove from range, and whip in 3 egg yolks that have been beaten with ¼ cup warm milk. Season with vanilla extract.

  VELOUTE SAUCE – Instructions for 1 quart

  ½ cup butter or other shortening

  ¾ cup flour

  1 qt. strong chicken, veal, or turkey broth

  Make a roux from the butter or other shortening and flour which should be cooked for at least 10 minutes; add the boiling broth slowly, beating sauce well with a wire whip to prevent lumps. Season with salt and white pepper to taste.

  SANDWICHES

  No extra charge to be made for toasting or grilling.

  All sandwiches served in dining cars to be cut diagonally and plate garnished with pickle or sliced tomato and sprig of parsley. Use lettuce on all sandwiches except cheese and peanut butter. Use liberal filling in all sandwiches.

  Any sandwich served hot with potatoes and gravy should be priced in accordance with Bulletin Number 65.

  Use only fresh toast in making sandwiches. Sandwiches should be made at any meal upon request of guest, if ingredients are on car.

  CLUB SANDWICH

  Spread three slices of freshly made toast with mayonnaise. Cover two slices with crisp lettuce leaves. On the lettuce neatly arrange slices of white meat of turkey or chicken, as specified on the menu, and place a slice of crisp bacon on top of the meat. Season lightly with salt and white pepper. Put sandwich together, trim edges, fasten together with wooden toothpicks, and cut in four triangular sections. Arrange the four sections neatly around the center of a warm service plate on bed of lettuce leaves. The points of the sections should be pointing upwards with the outside of the toast resting on the plate. Garnish with 1 ripe and 1 green olive, 2 slices of dill pickle, and 1 slice tomato cut in two. Do not place tomato slice in sandwich. Hot tea plate for service.

  HAMBURGER SANDWICH ON TOAST, TOMATO SLICE, PICKLE

  This is to be served as an OPEN sandwich. 4 sandwiches to pound of hamburger.

  Place two slices trimmed, freshly made buttered toast, on hot service plate. On one slice, place fried hamburger (4 ounce portion), on other slice of toast place 1 slice of tomato. Garnish plate with a few potato stix, piece of dill pickle, and a sprig of parsley.

  CUBAN SANDWICH – Spanish Luncheon:

  Spanish Bean Soup

  Cuban Sandwich, Ybor City Style

  Beverage

  SPANISH BEAN SOUP

  The ACL prepared the soup at the Jacksonville Commissary and provided it to the trains frozen. This recipe is a close approximation of the ACL’s recipe, which has been lost to time.

  ½ lb. uncooked garbanzo beans (chickpeas), dried

  1 ham bone

  1 beef bone

  2 quarts water

  1 tablespoon salt

  ¼ lb. salt pork, cut in thin strips

  1 onion, finely chopped

  1 chorizo (Spanish sausage), sliced in thin rounds

  2 potatoes, peeled and cut in quarters

  Pinch of saffron

  ½ teaspoon paprika

  Wash garbanzo beans. Soak overnight with 1 tablespoon salt in enough water to cover beans. Drain the salted water from the beans. Place beans in 4-quart soup kettle; add 2 quarts of water and ham and beef bones. Cook for 45 minutes over low heat, skimming foam from the top. Fry salt pork slowly in a skillet. Add chopped onion and sauté lightly. Add to beans along with potatoes, paprika, and saffron. Add salt to taste. When potatoes are tender, remove from heat and add chorizo. Serve hot in deep soup bowls. Serves 4.

  CUBAN SANDWICH, YBOR CITY STYLE

  Cuban bread, cut loaf crosswise into 7 inch lengths. Split each sandwich through center, lengthwise. Butter one slice of bread with soft butter, 1 pat equivalent. On other slice of bread prepare sandwich as follows:

  Cover bread with thinly sliced baked ham (1 ounce)

  On top of ham place thinly sliced white meat of turkey (3/4ounce)

  On top of turkey, place two thinly sliced pieces of salami (1/4 ounce each slice)

  Place 1 pickle chip on each piece of salami

  Cover with slice of Swiss cheese, whichis½ of full slice (see below)

  Close sandwich and place in oven until bread is hot but not dried out. Serve hot.

  Bakery in Tampa will make delivery of bread to diner each day at Tampa at about 11:30 AM at which time steward can determine number of loaves needed to last a round trip. Each loaf of bread should make about 5 sandwiches as they are about 36 inches in length. This bread should be kept under refrigeration to keep bread fresh.

  Requision Bean Soup from Jacksonville only. This will not be available in Washington. Other ingredients may be ordered at either point. Swiss cheese will come in½ pound packages, cut 6 slices to the half pound. Each slice of cheese is to be cut in half lengthwise. Each½ pound package will make 12 sandwiches. Salami can be ordered by the pound, Each pound should yield 64 slices, or 32 sandwiches.

  PASTRAMI SANDWICH – Today’s Special

  Tomato Juice

  Pastrami Sandwich on Rye Bread

  Potato Salad Dill Pickles

  Choice of Beverage and Dessert
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  Pastrami is to be ordered from Washington, except in emergency it may be obtained at Jacksonville.

  This item will be sliced and issued in one pound packages. Each pound will yield 11 sandwiches (about 1½ ounces per sandwich), and you should bear this in mind when ordering. Keep Pastrami in original wrapper as it is furnished to you, under refrigeration in high kitchen chill box, and use as needed. Be sure you keep an ample supply of fresh rye bread on car to meet requirements. Only Kosher Dill Pickles are to be used and, when ordering for this special, be sure to specify Kosher Dills. We will continue the use of regular dills for garnishing other items.

  INSTRUCTIONS FOR PREPARATION AND SERVICE

  Tomato Juice – Regualr service, be sure it is cold.

  Use 2 slices of fresh rye bread. Do not remove crust. Make up sandwich without the use of either butter or mayonnaise, unless the check indicates the guest desires mayonnaise. This information is to be developed by waiter from guest when he reads the check back to guest and if mayonnaise is desired, check is to be so marked.

  Cover one slice of bread with a single layer of Pastrami, then cover other slice with another single layer of Pastrami. Close sandwich. Note this will provide two (2) layers of thinly sliced Pastrami in each sandwich. Do not use lettuce.

  Cut sandwich diagonally, and arrange neatly on cold service plate. Mold potato salad in egg cup and turn out onto single lettuce leaf on same plate (see page 104 of recipe book). Garnish plate with 2 strips of Kosher Dill Pickles, 1 ripe and 1 green olive, and sprig of parsley.

  Waiter will place mustard, served in China mustard cup with AD spoon on table of guest at time of service of all Pastrami sandwiches.

  REUBEN SANDWICH, COAST LINE STYLE

  There are many variations on the traditional Reuben Sandwich (corned beef, sauerkraut, Russian dressing, and Swiss cheese on rye bread). The ACL had their version which is as follows:

  Use 2 slices of fresh rye bread. Do not remove crust. Cover one slice of bread with 2 thin layers of corned beef (if corned beef is not available, Pastrami may be substituted.) Add a layer of cole slaw. Cover with a slice of Swiss cheese and top with Russian dressing. Cover with second slice of bread. Grill in frying pan with a little melted butter, turning once, until cheese is melted. Be careful not to burn bread.

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  MISCELLANEOUS

  SPAGHETTI WITH MEAT BALLS

  Use Kitchen Craft Spaghetti Sauce.

  Cooking Instructions for Spaghetti:

  Fill saucepan¾ full of water. Bring to a brisk boil. Add salt and spaghetti (do not break up), and cook until done. Pour into colander and rinse well under faucet. Then place in a baine marie, cover with cold water, and place in chill box until ready for use. IMPORTANT—Do not overcook as spaghetti becomes soggy and loses flavor when cooked too long.

  MEATBALLS – 2½ pounds of hamburger meat

  Season meat with 3 teaspoons salt,½ teaspoon pepper, 2 eggs, and 13 slices bread, soaked in cold water and squeezed dry. Mix well. Shape mixture into small balls, about 1 inch in diameter. Partially cook meatballs in 4 Tablespoons hot bacon fat, adding 3 small, finely chopped onions, and cook until onions are browned. Place meatballs into Kitchen Craft Spaghetti Sauce and cook until done.

  Service – Place a very liberal supply of spaghetti on a hot dinner plate. Cover spaghetti with spaghetti sauce and place two meatballs on top of sauce. Serve Parmesan cheese on side in baker. If vegetables are ordered by guest, serve in side dishes. Under no circumstances is spaghetti to be cooked or mixed with the sauce. Sauce to cover the spaghetti at time of service only.

  SPAGHETTI WITH MEAT SAUCE

  To cook spaghetti: Break spaghetti as received in two. Cook in salted boiling water until tender, from 15 to 20 minutes, depending on the quantity and thickness. Drain off water, rinse under faucet to prevent sticking. Cook tender, not too done. After rinsing in cold water, keep in jar for use as needed. To warm up, dip the quantity needed in boiling water, remove, strain well until dry, and spaghetti is ready to serve with whatever sauce is shown on menu.

  MEAT SAUCE: Use Kitchen Craft Spaghetti Sauce. Grind or chop finely any scraps of meat available—beef, pork, veal, or ham—NO LAMB.Sautee in butter or oil one cup of finely minced onions until tender, but not brown. Then add the ground meat and let braise for 15 minutes. Add the“Kitchen Craft” Spaghetti Sauce and an equal amount of stock. Cook slowly and reduce until of proper consistency.

  Service – Place the hot, well drained spaghetti in casserole with generous amount of sauce poured over. Two basting spoons full is sufficient. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese. Green salad served as garnish for this dish to be prepared in the pantry, chopped greens, lettuce, radishes, end pieces of tomatoes, cucumbers, seasoned with French dressing an served on cold tea plate. Casserole underlined with tea plate.

  CASSEROLE OF BAKED MACARONI WITH HAM

  Break macaroni into pieces about 3 inches long. Cook in boiling water until tender, about 20 minutes. Macaroni should be firm, not too done (al dente). Drain off water in which cooked and rinse under cold water to prevent sticking. DRAIN THOROUGHLY. Mix a generous amount of ham and rich cream sauce with the macaroni. Season with salt and white pepper. Sprinkle with cracker meal, grated cheese, dash of paprika, and bake in shirred egg dish. Dot with butter and cook until well browned. Caution: Keep macaroni, ham, and cream sauce mixture ready, baking only enough individual portions to take care of your requirements. Bake a few at a time, otherwise the product will be dry.

  Service – Shirred egg dish underlined with tea plate, hot dinner plate for service.

  WELSH RAREBIT, CHEF’S SALAD, DRY TOAST, BEVERAGE

  Welsh Rarebit will come in 6 ounce cans, serve one can to each order. Do Not Thin With Milk.

  Add nothing to cheese. Melt cheese in double boiler but be sure cheese is thoroughly melted before serving. Serve in large shirred egg dish. Place shirred egg dish on top of range and get it very hot before pouring cheese into dish. Underline with service plate. This item must not be removed from range until waiter is ready to take it to guest, and should be sizzling hot when taken from kitchen, and must be taken to the table of patron by waiter immediately. Hot service plate for service.

  Serve two slices dry toast cut in the usual manner on tea plate. Butter on butter chip.

  Chef’s Salad – Serve same salad as with ACL Steak Platter (page 54).

  Welsh Rarebit, Toast, and Salad to all be served at same time. Beverage as patron may desire.

  BOWL OF CHILI CON CARNE, MIXED SALAD, SALTINES, BEVERAGE

  We will use Hormel’s canned chili which comes in 8 ounce cans which is an individual serving. Follow directions on can. Place a very small amount of water in bottom of pan you are using to heat chili so it will not burn. Serve in hot oatmeal bowl, underlined with tea plate.

  MIXED SALAD – Same as served with ACL steaks.

  One medium large head of lettuce shredded (not chopped), one medium onion finely shredded, four or five raddishes, thinly sliced, and a little chopped parsley. Mix all together and keep in ice box until needed. Serve on cold tea plate and pour a little French dressing – about one ounce – over the salad just before serving. This makes six orders. Do not prepare too much in advance.

  Note that no soup or dessert or juice is served with this item and must be charged for extra if ordered by guest. Bread may be served in lieu of crackers should guest desire.

  HITCHING POST FOODS—A BRIEF HISTORY

  In researching Hitching Post Dressing and Hitching Post Mint Syrup, I found the following history of the company from the February, 1949 issue of Gourmet magazine:

  “Hitching Post Foods is a woman's business, that of Mrs. C. Wesley Frame, who was Rosalind Kress, daughter of the late Claude W. Kress, former president of the five-and-ten-cent store chain. It was two years ago that Mrs. Frame stopped at the Hitching Post Inn at Aiken, South Carolina, and marveled at the goodness of the salad dressing. A woman of impulse, she decided to go
into business and start with this dressing. She asked the restaurant owner to sell the exclusive recipe rights, and they agreed on a price.”

  “It's a sauce rich of oil, a combination of olive and vegetable, rosy with tomato, zesty with good vinegar, and fragrant of many herbs and spices, accented with garlic. The dressing has enough authority to win favor generally, yet enough subtlety to please those of knowing palate. Good for almost any type of salad, on cabbage, over greens, nice with fruit. Blend with snappy cheese to use as canape spread or stuff it into celery. Add to cottage or cream cheese when preparing a dunk for potato chips and carrot jackstraws. Excellent as a moistener when deviling the eggs. Shrimp takes on a new and lively flavor dipped into this sauce. Brush it over steaks, chops, fish, poultry—then broil for new flavor. Use it sparingly when you season freshly cooked spinach, broccoli, green beans.”