Dawn Welch’s story of as a young Oklahoma woman who became the successful owner of the historic Rock Cafe, served as the inspiration for Sally in the hit Disney/Pixar animated film “Cars,” and then resurrected the restaurant after a devastating fire last year, would serve as compelling material for a book.
But her first book, “Dollars to Donuts: Comfort Food & Kitchen Wisdom from Route 66’s Landmark Rock Cafe” (Rodale Press, 288 pages, paperback, $19.99), became a lot more than a biography. Co-written with Raquel Pelzel, “Dollars to Donuts” serves as a cookbook that’s terrifically practical — especially for those who want to stretch their food budget.
Welch’s book aims to help readers cook at home inexpensively by packing the book with 150 recipes and, most importantly, a truckload of advice.
For instance, she recommends investing in a stand-alone freezer to help preserve large quantities of food and tells what features (Energy Star rating, an exterior power light) are the most important.
In another example, Welch says that adding a teaspoon of fresh lemon juice to a cup of regular milk will act as a buttermilk substitute if the real stuff isn’t around. In another, she provides instructions on how to make your own breadcrumbs.
Almost every page of “Dollars to Donuts” contains advice such as this that will help a reader recover the cost of the book many times over.
One of the “Dollars to Donuts” chapters concentrates on what are called Big Bag Relays, in which one main course will yield several days’ worth of other dishes. For instance, two rosemary and thyme roasted chickens can be converted into meals of chicken and dumplings, almond chicken salad with honey-mustard dressing, cheesy baked chicken enchiladas, and chicken udon soup — nearly all for under $4 per meal.
The book’s number of recipes far exceeds the Rock Cafe’s large menu. However, those who wish who re-create some of the restaurant’s creations at home will find instructions for spaetzle, beignets, bread pudding with hot buttered rum sauce, and its signature chicken-fried steak with bacon gravy.
Many of the recipes contain short asides about Welch’s experiences in running the restaurant. But Route 66 fans probably will find most rewarding the book’s preface and introduction, which delve into Welch’s and the Rock Cafe’s history. This excerpt provides an inkling of why Welch became a highly regarded restaurateur:
Gifting the kids with the gift of cooking gives me peace of mind that they’ll know how to fend for themselves once they leave the nest. I’m passing all the recipes in Dollars to Donuts not just to you, but to them, too. Many of these recipes were handed down to me by my mom, grandma, and even by customers, and I regard them as a legacy of sorts. This is the food we all hold close to our hearts, the comforting slow-roasted meat dishes, the hearty stews, the satisfying sandwiches — it’s the stuff we grew up on, whether cooked by our moms and grandmas, aunts, neighbors, friends or neighborhood bistro. This is why people love the Rock. They can count on it, lean on it, and know there will always be something on the menu that brings them home. Food is for sharing, after all. It’s a common thread that connects us no matter where we’re from or what our food budget is.
“Dollars to Donuts” could have become a straight-ahead, consumer-oriented cookbook that would have been as entertaining as a Consumer Reports product-comparison grid. But it’s the book’s heart that elevates it into something more.
Highly recommended.
(For a good introduction to the book and its format, go to Welch’s “Dollars to Donuts” blog here.)