The Beer Plant – Chicken and Waffles & Avocado Eggs Benedict
Pyeong Chang Tofu House – Mung Bean Pancakes & Mushroom Tofu Soup
Barley Bean – Tofu Scramble Bowl & Impossible Biscuit Sandwich
Tag: comfort food
Wordless Wednesday: Glorious Gluten
Mr. Natural – Banana-Chocolate Chip Muffins
Orchard Grocer – The Miles
Bodhi Viet Vegan – Spicy Lemongrass Seitan
Bistro Vonish – Gnocchi Special
Zazzy’s – Vegan Slice
The Forking Vegan – Gingerbread Bundt + Pumpkin Cupcake
Wordless Wednesday: Greasy Spoon
Poutine
Strawberry and Peanut Butter Chocolate Milkshakes
Pierogi Quesadilla
Backyard Griller
Truffle Mushroom Lentil Loaf
The Chicago Diner
3411 N Halsted St. and 2333 N Milwaukee Ave.
Chicago, IL
Good Garbage
You say “garbage” like it’s a bad thing.
In Rochester, New York, it means something else entirely. The Garbage Plate was born here, specifically at Nick Tahou Hots, a roadside fast food stand catering to truckers and college students that ate like them. No two Garbage Plates are exactly the same, but the general idea is that you take copious amounts of protein and carbs, slap it on a griddle, slather it in sauce, and serve it in one heaping pile. True to form, it looks a bit trashy, but tastes like everything you’re craving after a long night on the town, or when you’re recovering the day after.
Served alongside a stack of generously buttered white bread, it’s an iconic American institution that is sadly unknown outside of its immediate birthplace. Surely the combination isn’t entirely unique, easily fashioned from leftovers or scraps to make ends meet, but that’s also what makes it so special. The flavors are universal, accessible, and comforting on a primal level. Everyone can eat garbage, regardless of social status or income, and in fact, everyone should eat garbage every now and then.
Ready to get trashy? Let’s break down the plate and evaluate our options.
What is a Garbage Plate made with?
- Base: Hash browns, home fries, or French fries
- Carbs: Macaroni salad or plain pasta and/or baked beans
- Protein: Hamburger (optionally with cheese), sausage, or hot dogs
- Sauce: Hot meat sauce and mustard, plus optional ketchup and/or hot sauce
- Topping: Diced onion
Personally, my preference is to start with a solid foundation of hash browns for a satisfying crunchy contrast to the more tender layers on top. Refrigerated or frozen hash browns make this a snap, or you can start from scratch with whole starchy potatoes. If you do shred your own, it’s essential to squeeze out any excess water, using a length of cheese cloth to wring them out, for the best golden brown sear. The process takes an extra minute or two, but will elevate your garbage plate from good to great.
For the primary protein, I always seem to have some sort of burger patty in the freezer, so that’s an automatic win for me. Whether it’s animal-identical or a more earthy combination of beans and grains, my secret is to season the outside with a generous pinch of Sugimoto shiitake mushroom powder.
A little bit goes a long way in added volumes of flavor that transcend the barrier between the plant and animal kingdom. “Delicious” is the only way to really describe the effect. You could chop your seasoned patties up into small pieces for better forkablility, or leave it whole for faster service. Grill, sear, bake, or air fry; use anything you’ve got to create a nice brown sear and cook it all the way through.
Hot meat sauce might need the most explanation. No, it’s not meat hot sauce, as I initially though. Syntax matters, people. It’s more like a loose bolognese without tomatoes, or if chili was made into a sauce instead of a stew. As the primary carrier of flavor in the whole meal, this is the most important part of the recipe. That’s why I leave nothing to chance by bringing umami bomb Sugimoto shiitake mushrooms into the equation.
There’s no need for ground beef when finely chopped shiitake mushroom caps are every bit as rich, meaty, toothsome, and savory. Best of all, you can use all the stems you might have saved from other recipes, since no one will know the difference once finely minced and slowly simmered.
What’s the best way to assemble a garbage plate?
Originally invented as a way to repurpose disparate leftovers, it’s a much easier and more enjoyable meal when the main components are prepped in advance. The pasta salad can keep in the fridge for up to 9 days in an airtight container; the hot meat sauce will be good for up to 2 weeks. In fact, I think the flavors get even better over time, melding and harmonizing, becoming richer and deeper with age. However, it’s best to make the hash browns fresh and cook the burger patties to order, for the best textures and taste.
The most important part of a Garbage Plate is less about the specific components or assembly, but the spirit of the concept. Go ahead, use boxed or leftover mac and cheese, frozen French fries, and whatever else you already have on hand. If you’re short on time, you can just simmer some marinara with shiitake powder and a handful of meatless grounds. No one will judge you for taking shortcuts here. It should be hearty, comforting, and deeply savory, above all else.
Food for Fathers
Fathers, as a group of people, are not a monolith. Making a blanket statement about such an infinitely diverse and varied population would be incredibly shortsighted, to put it lightly. Fathers should absolutely be celebrated and appreciated, but not in the way that Hallmark cards seem to think.
To treat all fathers the same way is reductive, completely opposite to what we’re trying to convey in the first place. If it comes from a genuine place, Father’s Day is about recognizing the people that raised us for all their unique quirks, habits, and mannerisms. It’s a chance to reminisce about the lessons they taught us early on, our challenges and struggles together; all the things that make them who they are, and in turn, make us who we are.
That kind of depth defies stereotypical gift guides. You can’t put that in a cooler filled with ice or wrap it up in a tool set. I may not be able to speak as a Father myself, but I promise you, they don’t all want beefy burgers or “man caves” or golf sets. Once and for all, almost none of them want neckties.
I’m not going to offer you a recipe roundup of The Best Father’s Day Recipes for the simple reason that I don’t know your father or what they like. Instead, this is a roundup of things I think my father would like. Maybe you’ll find some overlap here for inspiration. Whatever you make, just make sure they know they’re loved. That’s the real point of this holiday.
Pretty Patties
For the longest time, I didn’t understand what the fuss was about patty melts. Weren’t they just cheeseburgers with a funky new name? Such ignorance could only come from someone that’s never experienced their glory.
Let’s get it straight: A patty melt IS a cheeseburger, but with distinct, important differences that set it apart from the other sandwiches.
Patty melts use toasted and thoroughly buttered bread, ideally rye, instead of a fluffy bun. This gives them a more satisfying bite, with a resounding crunch as you shatter that crisp outer layer that’s been lacquered to a shiny brown finish. More crucial is the addition of caramelized onions that add worlds of rich savory flavor, almost outshining the protein itself. This is the key to a perfect patty melt.
My slightly controversial take is on the build. Contrary to popular belief, I think it’s best with the cheese on the bottom slice of bread, beneath the patty, placing the caramelized onions on top. This ensures that it’s properly melted and helps glue the whole assembly together. The caramelized onions have the most bold flavor, so they go on top, to hit your tongue at the end of the bite, allowing the other flavors to shine first. It’s a beautiful harmony of tastes that accentuate each other throughout the eating experience. That’s what elevates simple ingredients into unforgettable meals.
Other tips:
- Season each layer thoroughly. Salt and pepper the patty and the onions; make sure each component is worth eating on its own AND plays well with others.
- Vegan butter works great for crisping up the bread, but for next level flavor, try spreading a thin layer of vegan mayo on top instead.
- Make the patties THICC, with two c’s, to get that perfect sear on the outside and pink interior (if you’re using a meat-like substance such as Impossible or Beyond Meat). The same principal applies to more vegetable-based patties but without the beefy results.
What do you prefer: Cheeseburgers or patty melts? If you’re still in team cheeseburger, just give this approach a try. I bet I can win you over to the patty melt side.