Food Across America: Route 66 Day Three

Much like yesterday, the "food" day started out with some challenges and got better with each meal.  Here were today's breakfast options:

The oatmeal with dried cranberries plus an apple were just the ticket. Lunch was a pinto bean burrito with guacamole and pico de gallo at Casa Blanca in Winslow, AZ.

En route from Winslow, AZ to Albuquerque, NM, we stopped for a break and found the frybread shack pictured above.  We tried two styles ~ salted and sweetened.  Both good, though neither were something I'd eat every day.  Here's the recipe sold by the lovely folks at Chee's, the proprietors of this particular stop.

Navajo Fry Bread
Makes 8-10 bread

4 c flour
1 T baking powder
1 t salt
1/4 c shortening
2 c lukewarm water

Mix dry ingredients together in a large bowl.  Cut shortening into dry ingredients.  Mix well.  Add water and mix with your hands until it forms a soft dough and does not stick to the bowl.  Cover and let it stand.  After 30 minutes knead it some more.  If it's sticky use a little flour then form the dough into small balls about the size of a small peach.  Stretch and pat until dough is flat and round.  Punch a little hole in the center of the bread.  The shape should be a little smaller than the frying pan you are using for deep frying.  If you cannot handle the dough with your hands use rolling pin to roll the dough out until round.

Heat 2 cups vegetable oil in a frying pan.  This needs to be very hot.  Oil should just start to smoke.  Regulate that temperature (the best bread is cooked in a pan on an open campfire over cedar wood).  Place the fry bread in the hot oil until brown on one side then turn it over and fry the other side until golden brown.  We eat bread with our meals like mutton stew and Navajo tacos.  Many people enjoy bread with honey or powdered sugar.

For dinner tonight, once again, Yelp saved the day with solid recommendations. Tonight we chose Jennifer James 101 in Albuquerque.  It was fantastic and thought-provoking.  I'd classify it as local, organic "fusion-fusion" as each course combined different cuisines or unexpected combinations.  For example, I had:

• Grilled giant cremini with celery, capers, lemon and truffle oil
• Poblano stuffed with quinoa and vegetables on black bean sauce topped with pickled radishes and micro-cilantro

Odd, but spectacular.  We'll certainly return if ever in the area again.

I can't wait to see what's in store tomorrow...