Dining Car to the Pacific

The “Famously Good” Food of the Northern Pacific Railway

2004
Author:

William A. McKenzie

A tribute to the lost era of the railway dining car, with 150 authentic recipes—back in print!

William A. McKenzie offers a lavishly illustrated and richly detailed account of hospitality on the Northern Pacific Railway. McKenzie includes authentic recipes used on the line, such as the Great Big Baked Potato and Washington Apple Pan Cake. Dining Car to the Pacific will be a treasured addition to the libraries of historians, cooks, and anyone with nostalgia for the dining car experience.

Super-spud history is just one of the mouth-watering details in Dining Car to the Pacific. A fascinating and readable book. Train lovers, historians, travelers and cooks alike will enjoy the book.

Missoulian

In a prevailing atmosphere of optimism and excitement, workers broke ground for the transcontinental journey of the Northern Pacific Railway in 1870. Recalling a time when travelers were treated with geniality and respect, Dining Car to the Pacific is a tribute to the most unforgettable part of the rail journey westward—a meal in the dining car.

William A. McKenzie offers a lavishly illustrated and richly detailed account of hospitality on the NP—a service that many considered to be the best in the industry—drawing on sources ranging from railroad records of the 1860s to anecdotal accounts from the people who were there. In addition, McKenzie includes more than 150 authentic recipes used on the line, such as the Great Big Baked Potato, Washington Apple Pan Cake, and Northern Pacific Fruit Cake. Dining Car to the Pacific will be a treasured addition to the libraries not only of historians and cooks, but also of anyone with nostalgia for the dining car experience.

William A. McKenzie (1926–2003) worked for nearly thirty years as an editor, public relations manager, and corporate historian for the Northern Pacific Railway. He spent two years as a consultant to its corporate successor, Burlington Northern Inc., organizing the company's archival records. His wife, Violet, has standardized and tested each of the recipes for use in modern family kitchens.

Super-spud history is just one of the mouth-watering details in Dining Car to the Pacific. A fascinating and readable book. Train lovers, historians, travelers and cooks alike will enjoy the book.

Missoulian

A gustatory trip down memory lane.

Seattle Times

Dining Car to the Pacific is a tribute to the most unforgettable part of the rail journey westward—a meal in the dining car. William A. McKenzie offers a lavishly illustrated and richly detailed account of hospitality on the NP—a service that many considered to be the best in the industry—drawing on sources ranging from railroad records of the 1860s to anecdotal accounts from the people who were there. This new edition in a handsome trade paperback rekindles fond memories and wets the appetite for nostalgic rail dining. Dining Car to the Pacific will be a treasured addition to the libraries not only of historians and cooks, but also anyone with nostalgia for the dining car experience.

Outrider News Service

A coffee table book that evokes the glories of the past in American railroading.

Hometown Source

Contents

Personal Observations
Acknowledgments

1. A Trip in a Dining Car
2. Eating on the Road
3. Building the Northern Pacific
4. Henry Villard and the Dining Cars
5. Across the Continent
6. Hazen Titus and the Great Big Baked Potato
7. Waiters and Unions
8. Dining Car Line to the Pacific
9. The End of the Dining Car Service Notes
10. Recipes

Beverages
Breakfast Dishes
Soups
Salads and Salad Dressings
Fish and Seafoods
Meats
Poultry and Stuffings
Sauces
Potatoes
Vegetables
Breads
Fruit Cakes
Pies
Desserts
Miscellaneous

Index

Recipe Index