Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives: An All-American Road Trip ... with Recipes!

Mike's Maine Crab Cakes

Make 16 (3-ounce) crab cakes

Adapted from a recipe from A1 Diner: Real food, Recipes, and Recollections by Sarah Rolph, Tilbury House Publishers, 2006

These are loaded with crab, and even in a state that is famous for this dish, people come to Gardiner to track them down.

Ingredients:

1½ pounds fresh crabmeat, picked over for shells
1½ cups fresh corn (or frozen corn, thawed)
¾ cup diced red bell pepper
¾ cup chopped celery
¾ cup finely chopped yellow onion
1½ cups mayonnaise
¾ teaspoon dry mustard
¾ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2½ cups saltine cracker crumbs, divided
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more as needed

Instructions:

1. Mix the crabmeat, corn, bell pepper, celery, onion, mayonnaise, and mustard in a medium bowl. Season with the salt and pepper. Gently fold in the beaten egg and 1½ cups of the cracker crumbs, taking care not to overwork the mixture.

2. Place the remaining 1 cup crumbs on a plate or in a shallow dish.

3. Form the crab mixture into 3-ounce patties, about 3 inches in diameter. Coat the cakes with the cracker crumbs, on both sides, by placing each cake in the dish of crumbs and pressing gently.

4. Heat a large skillet over ­medium-high heat, add the butter, and cook the crab cakes until golden brown, about 6 minutes per side. Serve.

Cap'n Crunch French Toast

Serves 4 to 5

Adapted from a recipe courtesy of Blue Moon Café

I know it's tough, but try not to eat all the cereal beforehand.

Ingredients:

¾ cup heavy cream
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 cups Cap'n Crunch cereal
8 to 10 slices bread, such as Texas toast or French bread
Butter for cooking

Topping

1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups assorted fresh seasonal berries

Instructions:

1. Mix the cream, eggs, sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl and whisk until combined.

2. Put the cereal in a storage bag and use a rolling pin to crush cereal until it resembles cracker meal. Transfer the cereal to a shallow dish.

3. Dip a couple slices of the bread into the cream mixture until soft but not completely soaked. Let excess liquid drip from the bread, then press into the cereal crumbs to coat evenly. Place on a sheet pan and repeat with the remaining slices.

4. Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium heat, add butter as needed, and cook the bread until caramelized on both sides, about 6 to 8 minutes total.

5. For the whipped cream topping: Beat the cream, confectioners' sugar, and vanilla in a large bowl with a hand mixer to soft peaks. Dollop on top of the French toast and serve with the berries.