Book Post - Food Truck Road Trip--A Cookbook

About the Book
Reading a good cookbook is like a food journey. Each recipe is a culinary experience that can transport you to a different place and the process of cooking can connect you with cooks from all over the globe. For bloggers Kim Pham and Philip Shen, of the award-winning BehindtheFoodCarts.com - named Best Culinary Travel Blog by Saveur magazine - and foodwriter Terri Phillips, their love of food has literally taken them on a journey—a journey across the United States as they try out famous food trucks in various cities and have documented their meals along the way. The result is their new book, FOOD TRUCK ROAD TRIP—A COOKBOOK [Page Street Publishing, November 2014, $21.99 US/$23.99 Canada].

Part cookbook, part photography book, and part history book, FOOD TRUCK ROAD TRIP—A COOKBOOK has it all. The chapters cover all the food truck favorites, from soup and sandwiches, to American comfort food, to Latin American, Asian and fusion foods from all corners of the Earth—plus drinks, sides, desserts, and snacks. And every recipe is accompanied by gorgeous photographs taken by the authors, both trained photographers, as well as the history of the food truck, its owner, and the story behind the spectacular food.

“We’re humbled by the opportunity to tell a little bit of our story, but we’re more excited for you to hear the stories of these chefs and owners who have inspired us to make this book.”says Philip Shen.

With FOOD TRUCK ROAD TRIP home cooks can explore and enjoy amazing recipes from all over the U.S. Recipes include:

• Jalapeño Corn Cakes – Bid D’s Grub Truck - Dennis Kum, New York, NY
• Fopo Cristo – The Egg Carton – Sarah Arkwright, Portland, OR
• Oxtail Mac N’ Cheese – Flat Iron – Timothy Mark Abell and Caleb Patrick Orth, Los Angeles, CA
• Fried Chicken Sandwich with Fennel Slaw – Doc’s of the Bay – Zak Silverman, Oakland, CA
• The Matador – American Meltdown – Paul Inserrra, Durham, NC
• Grilled Chicken Cordon Bleu Sliders – Nola Girl food Truck and Catering – Dannielle Judie, New Orleans, LA
• Seafood Soup – Fishey Bizness Seafood Co – Dennis White, Austin, TX
• Santa Fe Black Bean Burger – Mix’d Up Food Truck – Brett Eanes, Atlanta, GA
• Roasted Roots Salad – The Moral Omnivore – Ross and Linnea Logas, Minneapolis, MN
• Brisket Barbarcoa Empanada – Taco Mondo – Michael Sultan and Carolyn Nguyen, Philadelphia, PA
• Japanese Curry with Chicken Kara-Age – Japacurry – Jay Hamada, San Francisco, CA
• Coconut-Cashew Kaffir Lime Trout with Fresh Pineapple Slaw – Carte Blanche – Jessie Aron, Portland, OR
• Rosemary Olive Oil and Blood Orange Cake – La Bella Torte – Joe Glaser, New York, NY

FOOD TRUCK ROAD TRIP—A COOKBOOK allows readers to travel all over the country without leaving their kitchens and gives them the tools to re-create favorite food truck dishes from cities such as Raleigh, New Orleans, Austin, Los Angeles, Portland, Las Vegas, Minneapolis, and New York. This book is ideal for every foodie, traveler, and story-lover out there.


CRAB A HOLD OF ME
MELTS MY HEART—WES ISIP—SAN JOSE, CA
Makes 1 Sandwich

Owner Brian Aflague’s love of grilled cheese came from homemade childhood meals in his grandfather’s kitchen. It was a nostalgic meal that never quite gave up its spot as his #1 favorite food. At Melts My Heart, Brian pays tribute to the classic grilled cheese by constantly looking for new ways to offer up the cheese and- bread combo. His favorite place of inspiration is his own crew, often putting their ideas into practice and creating instant favorites. One such favorite is the signature crab melt made with fresh crab, mild Cheddar cheese and a touch of Old Bay.

• 1 (16-oz [454g]) can premium quality super or jumbo lump crabmeat (not imitation)
• 1 stalk celery, diced
• ¼ red onion, diced
• 1 scallion, chopped
• Old Bay seasoning to taste
• Black pepper to taste
• 2 to 3 tbsp (28 to 41g) mayonnaise
• Butter
• 2 slices fresh sourdough bread
• 3 slices mild Cheddar cheese
• 2 slices tomatoes

Combine the crab, celery, red onion, scallion, Old Bay and black pepper in a small bowl and mix thoroughly. Add the mayonnaise and mix thoroughly again.

Place a skillet over medium-high heat. Butter one side of each slice of bread. Place both slices of bread buttered-side down onto the skillet. Add the cheese to both slices of bread. Scoop 4 ounces (112g) of the crab mix on top of the cheese on one slice of bread.

Place 2 slices of tomatoes directly on the pan and grill for a few seconds on each side. Place the tomatoes on the other slice of bread and toast for 3 minutes. Flip the slice of bread with the tomatoes onto the other slice of bread with the crab mix. Press down firmly and toast both sides for 2 to 3 minutes, until golden brown and crispy.
About the Authors:

Philip Shen and Kim Pham are the creators of BehindtheFoodCarts.com, which has over 200,000 subscribers and was named Best Culinary Travel Blog by Saveur Magazine in 2013. They live in San Francisco, California.

Terri Phillips is a freelance food writer who lives in Portland, OR.




My Take on the Book
The cookbook contains over 100 recipes collected from the best street food vendors in the United States. The recipes include Asian choices, sauces, soups, sandwiches, desserts, drinks, vegetarian, and much more.

The authors gave a short bit of information about the chef/owner. You will find a photograph of the chef/owner and the truck. The photographs of the food choices will make your mouth water. The recipes were written in the United States measurement and metric. I found the directions easy to read and use.

One entry, among the 100, was a stuffed French toast that had strawberries, maple syrup, triple sec, Nutella, and marcarpone cheese. Wouldn't that be delicious for breakfast?

I plan to also use the recipe for the citrus vinaigrette as a marinade, although it could be a salad dressing too.

I feel the recipes in this cookbook will give the reader a feel for what is new on the food scene. You will be amazed at the creativity of the chef. Maybe you will find some inspiration for future meals.

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