Santa Fe Railroad French Toast: Classic of an Era

My father was a railroad engineer for the Santa Fe Railroad, known at that time as the Atchinson, Topeka and the Santa Fe (ATSF). Today ATSF is blended into the Burlington Northern and almost nothing exists that was from that time – except for some of us who have train travel memories.

I count it as a blessing that I cannot count the number of times I traveled from the Midwest to California on the Super Chief, the Chief or the El Capitan. This was when the train actually stopped at stations and the passengers disembarked. A favorite stop was Albuquerque in central New Mexico. We arrived at breakfast time and my sister and I always had the cooked-from-scratch oatmeal with real cream and brown sugar. Then, whistle would blow, we’d get back on the train and off we’d go. Another fond memory was looking at stars from our bunks as we would fall asleep to the clickety clack of the wheels on the rail.

Culinary memories flood my mind, as those were the days of the dining car, white linens and classic menu choices. How all was accomplished in the diminutive train kitchens is still a wonder. Fortunately, there are no questions about the Santa Fe’s French Toast. I had the pleasure as an adult to interview a Santa Fe chef and he shared the secrets of this nearly ethereal concoction: the French toast was browned in oil and then baked. Probably the first step was done much in advance and then as orders were taken, the pre-done toast would be popped into a hot oven to be heated and puff. In those good ole days, the French toast would come accompanied by fresh sliced strawberries and wonderful crisp bacon. For me whenever I make this French toast a part of me returns to those childhood memories. Would that my grandchildren might travel on trains and dine as I did. Maybe I’ll make them this French toast and tell them how it was in the days now passed.

Santa Fe Railroad French Toast

3 slices three-day-old bread, cut ¾ inch thick

4 eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup light cream

¼ tsp. salt

Confectioners’ sugar

Warm syrup

Cut firm homemade-style bread into ¾-inch slices. Trim crusts from bread and cut each slice into a triangle.

Combine beaten eggs, cream and salt. Dip bread triangles in the mixture, allowing the bread to absorb as much of custard as possible.

Meantime, preheat ½-inch oil in an electric skillet to 350 degrees. Also preheat an oven to 400 degrees.

Using tongs, transfer the soaked bread to preheated oil. When first side is brown, turn to second side. Remove browned pieces to a shallow sided pan such as a jelly roll pan.

Bake the browned French toast in a 400-degree oven until puffed, about 3 to 5 minutes.

Drain quickly on paper toweling. Transfer to a warm platter. Sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar and serve with warm syrup. Makes 3 servings, two triangles per serving. For those of us who like eggnog, the season will soon be over. So as ’tis said, we’ll make hay while the sun shines and create eggnog desserts for a few more weeks. Then, we’ll wait until next holiday season for this special dairy concoction.

Eggnog Pie

1 baked 8-inch pie shell

1 small pkg. vanilla instant pudding mix

1 ¾ cup dairy eggnog

¼ tsp. grated nutmeg

½ cup whipping cream

Fresh grated nutmeg

Prepare pudding mix according to package directions, substituting cold eggnog for milk. Blend in grated nutmeg. Pour into baked pie shell. Chill until set. Whip cream to soft peak stage. Cut pie and garnish each piece with dollops of whipped cream. Grate a bit of nutmeg over whipped cream.

Like cheesecake? Like pie? Combine both in this deliciously simple cheesecake pie with a sour cream topping. The dessert has all the appeal and flavor of cheesecake but comes together more quickly, bakes quickly and is ready to eat… quickly!

Cheesecake Pie

-Crust

1 ½ cups Zwieback crumbs

¼ cup melted butter

-Filling

2 (8-oz. pkgs) cream cheese

3 eggs

2/3 cup sugar

½ tsp. almond extract

-Topping

1 cup dairy sour cream

3 tbsp. sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

Toasted almonds, optional garnish

For crust: Combine Zwieback crumbs and butter. Press on sides and bottom of a 9-inch pie plate.

For filling: Beat cream cheese, egg, 2/3 cup sugar and almond extract until mixture is smooth, thick and lemon-colored. Pour into crust-lined pie plate. Bake in a 350-degree oven for 25 minutes or until knife inserted halfway between edge and center come out clean. Cool 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine sour cream, 3 tablespoons sugar and vanilla. Blend well. Pour sour cream mixture over top of baked and cooled pie. Return to 350-degree oven and bake 10 minutes. Cool pie before serving. Chocolate and peanut butter make a dandy sauce for cheesecake, cake, fruit or ice cream.

Chocolate Peanut Dessert Sauce

2 squares unsweetened chocolate

½ cup milk

¾ cup brown sugar

½ tsp. vanilla

¼ cup chunky-style peanut butter

Chop chocolate into fine pieces. Combine with milk in a saucepan over very low heat. When chocolate has melted, beat with a whisk to blend. Add sugar and cook over low heat just until mixture bubbles. Add vanilla and peanut butter. Stir to blend. Serve over cheesecake, fruit, pound cake or ice cream. For thinner sauce, thin with a little corn syrup, honey or cream. Beef rolls are a classic German specialty. This version is seasoned with onion, bacon and mustard. Serve the rolls with the accompanying sauce and boiled potatoes.

Rinderrouladen (German Beef Rolls)

1 lb. round steak, sliced thin

Salt and pepper

2 tbsp. prepared mustard

4 slices Canadian bacon, finely chopped

1 small onion, finely chopped

3 tbsp. flour

½ cup butter

Water

2 tbsp. cream

2 tbsp. beef stock

2 tbsp. flour

2 tbsp. butter

Sour cream, optional garnish

Chopped chives, optional garnish

Pound beef until ¼-inch thick. Cut into four pieces. Sprinkle each piece with salt and pepper. Spread with mustard. Blend chopped bacon and chopped onion; spread over mustard. Roll each piece and secure with wooden pick or kitchen string. Put flour onto a plate and gently roll beef rolls in flour. Melt butter. Brown beef rolls in butter. Add water to depth of ¼-inch. Cover and cook at a simmer 1 to 1 ½ hours, or until meat is tender.

Remove beef rolls to a platter. Remove wooden picks or string. Add cream and beef stock to pan juices. Thicken with 2 tbsp. flour blended with 2 tbsp. butter. Taste and season as needed. Serve beef rolls in sauce. Garnish, if desired, with sour cream and chopped chives.

Good chicken doesn’t need to be smothered, sauced or otherwise gussied up. Good chicken is delicious with just a bit of herbs and butter. Try this simple version and enjoy the unadorned flavors.

Herbed Chicken

1 chicken, cut into pieces

1 tsp. marjoram

1 tsp. thyme

1 tbsp. chopped parsley

Fresh ground pepper

¼ cup unsalted butter

Rinse chicken and pat dry with paper toweling. Place chicken in a shallow baking dish.

Sprinkle with marjoram and thyme. Sprinkle with parsley and dot with butter. Bake in a 400-degree oven for about 35-45 minutes or until tender.