Monte Melugin – Grub Americana

Stay-Crisp French Fries

French fries have a way of disappointing when they don’t hold their crunch. You’ve had them—perfect when they hit the table, but soft and lifeless just minutes later. This method solves that problem.

This creamy, tangy dipping sauce is the perfect accompaniment for your French fries. It’s also great on hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken fingers, and just about anything that could use a little extra flavor—you may never go back to plain ketchup again.

Oven Baked French Fries

Trying to cut back on fried foods but still want a good plate of fries. This oven-baked version delivers crisp, well-seasoned fries with a light interior—no deep fryer required.

From Pont Neuf to Main Street: The Rise of the French Fry

Roughly 80% of America enjoys French Fries on a regular basis, consuming an average of about 15 to 20 pounds per person each year.But what is the origin of this humble potato dish.

Quiche Lorraine

Long before bacon and eggs settled into their place on the American breakfast table, the combination had already found a home in European kitchens. Quiche Lorraine, with its rich custard of eggs, cream, and bacon, is one of the best-known examples. It’s a reminder that what we think of as “our” breakfast has deeper roots—and that good ideas in the kitchen tend to travel well.

Bacon and Egg Breakfast Sandwich

At some point, breakfast had to get out the door. What began as a sit-down meal made its way into paper wrappers and drive-thru windows. The bacon and egg sandwich is the natural evolution of the plate—same ingredients, same flavors, just built for a faster pace.

Classic Bacon and Eggs

There was a time when bacon and eggs were not breakfast—they were simply food. But somewhere along the way, they became the American morning meal. This is the version most of us grew up with. Nothing fancy, nothing dressed up—just a hot skillet, a few good ingredients, and a way of starting the day that feels like it has always been there.

The Breakfast I Thought Had Always Been There

Bacon and eggs weren’t always breakfast.
For centuries, they were simply food—eaten when available, not confined to the morning table. It wasn’t until the early 20th century that the idea of a “proper” breakfast began to take hold, shaped as much by culture and industry as by tradition.

Homemade Butter

The fresh milk rested covered on the table allowing the cream to rise slowly to the top. It was then skimmed off, placed into a stoneware butter churn, where it was churned until soft yellow clumps gathered against the wooden dasher. The butter was scooped, washed, and saved in a bowl. The thin, slightly tangy, leftover liquid was traditional buttermilk grandma used for baking.

Buttermilk Biscuits

These biscuits trace back through my maternal grandmother, who learned to make them at her mother’s side—long before buttermilk came in cartons. In those days, it was the thin, fresh liquid left behind after churning butter, and it gave these biscuits a lightness and flavor that’s hard to forget.

Grandma’s Kitchen: Before Convenience Came to the Table

Before modern conveniences found their way into the kitchen, there was a rhythm to cooking—one shaped by fire, patience, and the steady hands of grandma’s who knew no other way.

Cedar Plank Salmon

This salmon recipe does not attempt to recreate the sacred preparations of our Native Americans. Instead, it borrows from the simple wisdom of cooking salmon over cedar, allowing smoke and wood to deepen its natural richness–food both rooted and relevant.

Acorn Persimmon Bread

This bread brings those two native ingredients together in a way that feels both old and new: earthy acorn flour balanced by the honeyed depth of American persimmons. It is not a recreation of any single tribal preparation, but rather a respectful nod to the flavors that once defined this continent’s fall harvest.

Pemmican

This pemmican recipe follows the traditional method while adapting it for the modern kitchen. It is dense, rich, and sustaining—food meant to be respected rather than rushed.

Before the Settlers’ Pantry: Six Indigenous Foods That Sustained the American Continent

Across forests, prairies, rivers, and deserts, Indigenous communities developed foods that could withstand hard travel, lean seasons, bitter cold, and long journeys. No printed labels, no measuring spoons, no standardized recipes—only observation, patience, and knowledge carried forward from one generation to the next.

Irish Potato Candies

Despite the name, these charming little sweets contain no potatoes at all. Instead, they’re smooth, coconut-studded confections rolled in cinnamon so they resemble tiny potatoes. Irish potato candies are a beloved seasonal treat found in Philadelphia candy shops around St. Patrick’s Day—a sweet example of how Irish-American traditions sometimes take on a life of their own.

Irish Coddle

Like many traditional dishes, the recipe for Irish coddle varies widely from family to family. Born in eighteenth-century Dublin, it’s very much a grab-what-you-have kind of stew that simmers low and slow to peak deliciousness. The building blocks of the dish—bacon, sausage, onions, potatoes, and plenty of parsley and black pepper—add up to more than the sum of their parts, creating a dark, flavorful broth and a warm bowl of nourishment best enjoyed with slices of soda bread.

Cheddar and Herb Boxty

Boxty are traditional Irish potato pancakes, long associated with rural kitchens where potatoes were a daily staple. Recipes vary widely, but most combine mashed or grated potatoes with a little flour and egg to hold everything together. Crisp on the outside and tender within, these cheddar- and herb-laced boxty make a fine brunch dish—or a perfect companion to a hearty corned beef dinner.

Irish Soda Bread

Few breads are more closely associated with Ireland than soda bread. Made with simple pantry ingredients and leavened with baking soda instead of yeast, it became a practical staple in rural Irish kitchens during the nineteenth century. Its crisp crust and tender, dense crumb make it equally at home alongside a hearty meal or spread with a little butter and jam.

Corned Beef and Cabbage

While often thought of as a traditional Irish dish, corned beef and cabbage is really an Irish-American creation. In the nineteenth century, Irish immigrants in cities like New York discovered that salted beef from Jewish butchers was far more affordable than pork, the meat they commonly used back home. Over time, the combination of corned beef, cabbage, and root vegetables became the centerpiece of many American St. Patrick’s Day tables.

At the End of the Irish Rainbow Lies a Pot of Culinary Gold

St. Patrick’s Day is often celebrated with parades, green decorations, and the familiar plate of corned beef and cabbage—but long before green beer and the festive parades Irish immigrants were quietly shaping America’s foodways. From potatoes and soda bread to whiskey distilling and hearty boiled dinners, Irish immigrants left behind a culinary legacy that still flavors our kitchens today.

Saskatoon Muffins

These muffins lean into that tradition. The Juneberries remain pleasantly firm, lending a subtle sweetness that feels less like confection and more like something gathered by hand. Served warm with a pat of butter, they remind us that not every fruit was meant for pie alone.

Juneberry Cheesecake

There is something satisfying about folding an old, nearly forgotten fruit into a thoroughly modern dessert. Cheesecake, with its smooth richness and faint tang, offers a steady canvas for the Juneberry’s deeper notes of almond and cherry. This is perhaps how we reclaim it today — familiar enough to invite a first bite, distinctive enough to make one pause and ask what exactly it is they are tasting.

Juneberry Crisp

A crisp may be the most honest way to prepare a berry like this. There is no fussing with crust, no shaping or trimming — only fruit, sugar, and a buttery topping baked until the juices rise and bubble at the edges. In many ways, it mirrors the Juneberry itself: unpretentious, seasonal, and best enjoyed while it lasts. Spoon it warm into a bowl and you will understand why this quiet fruit once held a place at so many early American tables.

The Berry That Lost to the Blueberry

Before blueberries were branded and shipped coast to coast, another native berry ripened quietly along fence lines each June. The Juneberry once fed a young nation — and now waits patiently to be remembered.

Italian Meatballs and Spaghetti with Sugo di Pomodoro

This recipe, featuring authentic Italian meatballs (polpette) and tomato sauce (sugo di pomodoro), focuses on creating tender, juicy meatballs by using a blend of lean beef and pork and milk-soaked bread (panade), slowly simmered in a classic sauce.

Lobster Risotto for Two

This decadently delicious lobster risotto makes a wonderful side dish for almost any red-meat dinner. Try it—you won’t be disappointed!

Strip Steak with Chianti Pan Sauce

Knowing when a steak is done is not an exact science. We recommend using an instant-read digital thermometer for perfectly cooked, hassle-free meat every time.

Wedge Salad with Bacon and Gargonzola Dressing

Adapted from the recipe of a famous New York steakhouse, this salads creamy dressing utilizes a combination of the young, mild Italian blue cheese known as Gorgonzola dolce, rich sour cream, and quality mayonnaise to stand up to the bacon, grape tomatoes, and crisp iceberg lettuce.

Valentine’s Day in America

From paste-and-glitter valentines exchanged in elementary classrooms to candlelit dinners shared at home or out on the town, Valentine’s Day in America has always been as much about ritual and memory as it is about romance.

Peanut Butter Chiffon Pie

Among my momma’s recipes was this one for peanut butter chiffon pie, clipped from an early McCalls magazine.

Rosalynn Carter’s Peanut Butter Pie

While this rich, sweet, custardy pie is not in my momma’s collection, I’m including it because of its significant historic value, as well as its flavor, which is said to remind one of peanut butter fudge. The First Lady served this pie a number of times during her time in the White House.

Presidential Prune Whip

I’m not sure from what magazine my momma clipped the article about President Dwight “Ike” Eisenhower’s favorite foods, but stapled to it was his recipe for beef stew, as well as this one for prune whip.

Wacky Cake

This recipe was scribbled on the back of a slightly soiled business-size envelope in what appeared to be my momma’s writing. While I can’t be certain she ever made this recipe, it’s the type of cake she just might have baked a few times—which may explained the soiled envelope.

Chocolate Biscuit Pudding

I’m not sure where this recipe originated, as it was typed on the front and back of an index card. I’ve rewritten it to fit my recipe style.

Grandma Etchieson’s Applesauce Cake

This recipe was in my momma’s old recipe collection for her mother’s Applesauce Cake. I’ve transcribed it exactly how it was written, using my style.

Five All-But-Forgotten Mid-Century Desserts America Once Loved

Some history about five retro desserts–some you may remember fondly, and others may never have tasted at all.

Wassail Recipe

A steaming bowl of wassail feels like Christmas wrapped in spice and old-world tradition. This warm cider punch has been part of winter feasts for centuries.

Here We Come A-Wassailing: A Toast, a Tradition, and a Winter Drink With Deep Roots.

A conversation about Christmas plans turned into an unexpected journey into the history of wassail — a drink once shared by orchard keepers, carolers, and families gathered on Twelfth Night. What began as curiosity became a rediscovery of an almost forgotten holiday ritual.

Hoppin’ John

Black-eyed peas and greens have carried more than flavor to New Year’s Day tables—they’ve carried hope. Long a symbol of coins, this humble dish has become a quiet ritual of resilience, prosperity, and new beginnings.

Country Style Collard Greens

For generations, greens have carried more than flavor to New Year’s Day tables. Rooted in history and strengthened by family tradition, this humble dish has long represented “folding money” and the hope of prosperity in the coming year.

Peas, Greens, and Hope: The New Year’s Tradition That Endures

For generations, black-eyed peas and greens have carried more than flavor to New Year’s Day tables—they’ve carried hope. Rooted in history and strengthened by family tradition, this humble meal has become a quiet ritual of resilience, prosperity, and new beginnings.

Potato Lefse

A traditional Norwegian flatbread—soft and delicate like a tortilla—made from a potato-based dough that’s rolled out into large, thin circles and cooked on a griddle. Often filled with butter and sugar (known as Kling) or used to wrap savory ingredients.

Meyer Lemon Bars

The ultra thick and creamy Meyer lemon custard, with its unique citrus flavor, atop buttery shortbread crust–the last lemon bar recipe you’ll ever need!

Pozole Rojo (Mexican Pork & Hominy Stew)

Rooted in centuries-old Mexican tradition, it’s a dish often shared during holidays and family gatherings, where the garnishes are as colorful as the company around the table.

Shrimp Étouffée

A classic, rich, and flavorful Louisiana dish featuring succulent shrimp smothered in a thick, spicy sauce and served over rice. The name comes from the French word “étouffer,” meaning “to smother”.

Ultimate Smith Island Cake

Born on the windswept shores of Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay, Smith Island Cake, has long been a sweet symbol of community and celebration. With its signature nine paper-thin layers and glossy chocolate icing, it’s the kind of dessert that feels both homey and grand—a cake meant to be shared, one slender slice at a time.

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