Valentine Diner Fare . . . as featured in KANSAS! magazine

 In a nod to by-gone days and a tribute to the owners who are currently operating Valentine diners, I wrote an article titled “Space Age Diners” for the vol. 80, issue 5 2024 issue of KANSAS! magazine (pp 50-57). It was easy to get caught up in the history of those diners that were manufactured in Wichita  I discovered that ValentineManufacturing Company constructed portable, self-contained, prefabricated metal units in Wichita from the late 1930s into the mid-1970s. It has been estimated that 2,200 Valentines were built and shipped across the country; over 90 of those remained in Kansas. 

While over 90 Valentine structures have been documented in Kansas, I discovered just 17 that are either still serving food or have plans to open in the near or distant future (see list that follows the recipes). 

 After many years of wear and tear, they are showing their age and are in various states of repair but on our trek across Kansas, Barry and I ate some fantastic food. We didn’t make it to all but we have hopes of sampling more diner food in the future. 

As always, recipes were included with the Taste feature . . .  

SWEET TREATS — Behind the front counter in the LoMar Diner in Eureka is a vintage Taylor Soft-Serve Ice Cream machine that is used to crank out all kinds of sweet treats—cones, cups of ice cream, hand-blended milkshakes and malts made with real malt powder. A diner reviewer from Texas called their chocolate milkshake “the best from here to the west coast.” Owners and operators Daniel & Desiree’ McVey tout other ice cream favorites that include Tornados (soft-serve ice cream mixed with a large choice of candies), Peach Milkshake (a LorMar original milkshake made with real peaches and the same secret ingredient used by the original owners Loy and Mary Browning), and The Marshmallow Nut Cup. Specialties such as these were just one of the reasons this iconic diner represented Kansas as “The Best Drive-In Restaurant in Every State” in the May 2023 online edition of Mash.

 

LoMar Drive In MARSHMALLOW NUT CUP

Yield:  1 serving

Total preparation time: About 2 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

1 (9-ounce) clear plastic PET cup or any clear cup/glass

4-ounces (1/2 cup) marshmallow crème 

4-ounces coarsely chopped roasted and salted peanuts

6-ounces (3/4 cup) soft-serve ice cream, vanilla, chocolate or twist ice cream

 

DIRECTIONS

1.   Drizzle 2 ounces of gooey marshmallow crème around the sides of the cup. 

2.   Sprinkle 2 ounces of the peanuts around the sides of the cup, allowing it to stick to the marshmallow crème. 

3.   Fill cup with 4 ounces of soft-serve ice cream (most popular is vanilla). 

4.   Pat the cup 2 to 3 times lightly on a hard surface in order to shift the ice cream into the cup more evenly and push out any air pockets. Fill the cup with the remaining ice cream, allowing a gap around the inside rim of the cup, forming a peak in the middle. 

5.   Drizzle the remaining 2 ounces of marshmallow crème over the peak, allowing it to drip into the open gap. 

6.   Top with the remaining peanuts. 

7.   Add a spoon and serve immediately!

 

The Grinder Man Tuna Salad Sub is based on a sandwich that Paul Donyon’s Italian grandmother made for him back in Rhode Island. It features simple ingredients punched up with the addition of chili sauce and crunchy celery. Like all their subs, it is served on locally baked white or wheat Italian rolls.

THE GRINDER MAN TUNA SUB

Yield: 4 to 6 serving 

INGREDIENTS 

3 small (5 –ounce) cans water-packed tuna, drained  

10  ounces (1 ¼ cups) mayonnaise

2 ½ ounces (heaping ¼ cup) chili sauce

2 ribs of celery, finely chopped

 

INSTRUCTIONS

1.     Combine all ingredients and lightly mix. 

2.     Serve on Italian sub rolls with lettuce. 

 

Travel guide to vintage Valentine Diners that still serve food or are in the process of renovation. (Details about each are included in the article.)   

1.     Dighton — Frigid Creme, 433 E. Long St., (620) 397-5512. 

2.     Eureka — LoMar Drive In, 916 East River, (620) 583-7810. 

3.     Galena — Hotrod Hangout, Speed Shop & Diner, 201 S Main, (785) 577-9752.  Opening later in 2024.

4.     Grandview Plaza (near Junction City) — Stacy's Restaurant, 118 W Flint Hills Boulevard, (785) 238-3039. 

5.     Hugoton — Acosta’s & Nieto’s Café, 110 W 4th St, (620) 544-4004. T 

6.     Meade — Bob's Drive-In, 801 Carthage St, (620) 873-2862. 

7.     Ness City — Frigid Cream, 501 E. Sycamore St., (785) 798-2424. 

8.     Mission — The Snack Shack on Johnson Drive, 6018 Johnson Drive, (913) 381-3200. N 

9.     Parsons  — Big Sky Bistro, 1500 Main St. Undergoing major remodeling and renovation, this Valentine Burger Bar model is set to reopen in 2024.   

10.  Overland Park— Grandstand Burgers, 4942 Merriam Dr. (913) 362-0111.

11.  Pleasanton — Cookee's Drive-In, 102 E 12th St, (913) 352-8789. 

12.  Smith Center — Pete’s, 114 E. Hwy 36, (785) 686-3223. 

13.  St. John  — The Diner, 106 N. Main. In the process of a major renovation. 

14.  Wichita — Chicken Chicken, 2419 E 13th St, (316) 295-3848.

15.  Wichita — Grinder Man, 510 E Pawnee, (316) 264-3462. Cash only. 

16.  Wichita —Mr. Taco/Tacos Alex, 711 W 25^th St N., (316) 663-5019. 

17.  Wichita — Sport Burger Drive-In, 134 N Hillside, (316) 350-7679. 

Cool summer dessert — Cappuccino Ice Cream Parfait

LaVetra Brown provided this recipe for the February 2008 cooking column, “Capturing the Present and Remembering the Past,” I wrote for the Abilene Refletor-Chronice. She

credits Kathleen Wedel, Minneapolis KS, for this easy-to-make but absolutely delicious dessert.   

Prepare ahead of time and hold in the freezer until just before you are ready to serve.

By the way, the Butterscotch Sauce is delicious and would be a great topping for vanilla ice cream, a sundae, or for any recipe that calls for butterscoth sauce.

Cappuccino Ice Cream Parfait    

To prepare parfait: Stir 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon and 1 teaspoon grated orange rind into 1 1/2 cups butterscotch sauce (recipe follows).

Alternate 3 pints coffee* ice cream and Butterscotch Sauce into parfait glasses. Freeze until serving time. 

Top with whipped cream and additional grated orange rind.

*Coffee ice cream at our grocery store runs almost $5.00 a pint so we bought a half gallon of premium vanilla and I added 1 tablespoon+ instant espresso coffee powder to approximately 6 cups of vanilla (about 3/4 of the carton or 3 pints) to create my own coffee ice cream. (Add more or less instant espresso coffee powder to taste and be sure to stir it in completely – it helps if the ice cream is just a bit soft. I then put the ice cream back in the freezer to harden slightly before I assembled parfaits.)

Butterscotch Sauce 

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter

1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons corn syrup

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1. Melt butter; add brown sugar, salt & syrup.  
   
2. Bring to a boil & cook until sugar is dissolved. 
   
3. Gradually add 1/2 cup cream, stirring constantly, and bring to boil again.  
   
4. Cool and then add 1/2 cup chopped walnuts. 
   

Recipe without photos . . .

Cappuccino Ice Cream Parfait     

To prepare parfait: Stir 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon and 1 teaspoon grated orange rind into 1 1/2 cups butterscotch sauce (recipe follows).

Alternate 3 pints coffee* ice cream and Butterscotch Sauce into parfait glasses. Freeze until serving time. Top with whipped cream and additional grated orange rind.

*Coffee ice cream at our grocery store runs almost $5.00 a pint so we bought a half gallon of premium vanilla and I added 1 tablespoon+ instant espresso coffee powder to approximately 6 cups of vanilla (about 3/4 of the carton or 3 pints) to create my own coffee ice cream. (Add more or less instant espresso coffee powder to taste and be sure to stir it in completely – it helps if the ice cream is just a bit soft. I then put the ice cream back in the freezer to harden slightly before I assembled parfaits.)

Butterscotch Sauce 

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter

1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons corn syrup

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1. Melt butter; add brown sugar, salt & syrup.  
2. Bring to a boil & cook until sugar is dissolved. 
3. Gradually add 1/2 cup cream, stirring constantly, and bring to boil again.  
4. Cool and then add 1/2 cup chopped walnuts.

Peppermint Crunch Ice Cream Pie -- easiest Christmas dessert every

I just made the EASIEST Christmas dessert ever! Made with just four ingredients. No baking involved.
Inspired by an ice cream pie that Nancy Kassebaum Baker recently made, I melted the butter and chocolate, combined them with crispy rice cereal for the pie crust and the piled ice cream into the chilled crust. How easy is that? Very.
This dessert features the festive flavors of peppermint ice-cream in a crunchy chocolate crust. How good is that? Scrumptious.  
The Rice Krispie® website includes a recipe for Chocolate Crunch Ice Cream Pie filled with coffee ice. 

Peppermint Crunch Ice Cream Pie    Makes one 8 or 9" pie
1/3 stick butter
3 squares (1 oz. each) semi-sweet chocolate
2 cups crisp rice cereal
46 oz. peppermint ice cream (I used Blue Bunny® Peppermint Party w/ streaks of fudge), slightly softened

1. Melt butter and chocolate over low heat.
   
2. Stir in crisp rice cereal. 
   
3. Pack into a sprayed 8 or 9" pie plate. I then put a piece of sprayed plastic wrap over the top and used my hands to push the cereal crust into an even layer that conforms to the shape of the pie pan. (Spraying the plastic keeps it from sticking to the cereal mixture.)
   
4. Chill pie crust and then add slightly softened ice cream.
   
5. Store in freezer; remove about 5 to 10 minutes (or more) before ready to cut. 

Recipe without photos . . .

Peppermint Crunch Ice Cream Pie    Makes one 8 or 9" pie

1/3 stick butter
3 squares (1 oz. each) semi-sweet chocolate
2 cups crisp rice cereal
46 oz. peppermint ice cream (I used Blue Bunny® Peppermint Party w/ streaks of fudge), slightly softened

1. Melt butter and chocolate over low heat.
2. Stir in crisp rice cereal. 
3. Pack into a sprayed 8 or 9" pie plate. I then put a piece of sprayed plastic wrap over the top and used my hands to push the cereal crust into an even layer that conforms to the shape of the pie pan. (Spraying the plastic keeps it from sticking to the cereal mixture.)
4. Chill pie crust and then add slightly softened ice cream.
5. Store in freezer; remove about 5 to 10 minutes (or more) before ready to cut.

Forgotten Torte — a dessert that you will NOT forget!

Forgotten Torte is literally that — a 

whipped egg white mixture that's placed inside a very hot oven. The oven is then turned off and the torte is forgotten for a couple of hours or more! The soft meringue is then the basis for toppings such as fresh berries with whipped cream, or ice cream and praline or chocolate sauce. YUM!

Forgotten Torte

4 large egg whites

3/4 teaspoon vanilla

Dash of almond extract

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

Pinch salt

1. Set oven at 450°. 
2. Beat egg whites until fluffy. 
   
3. Add 3/4 teaspoon vanilla and dash of almond extract. 
4. Add cream of tartar and  sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time, making sure that the sugar is thorougly incorporated and that stiff peaks have formed.
   
5. Pour into greased pie plate or oblong cake pan. 
6. Put in oven and and turn off ; leave for a couple of hours or more. 

Fruit-filled Torte – top torte with sweetened whipped cream and berries that have been allowed to macerate in sugar (add sugar to berries allowing them to create their own syrup). Add toasted almonds if desired.

Forgotten Torte topped with whipped cream, macerated strawberries, blackberries and blueberries, and garnished with toasted almonds and a sprig of mint. 

Ice Cream filled Torte – top torte with ice cream; top with your favorite sauce and toasted nuts.

Recipe without photos . . .

Forgotten Torte

4 large egg whites 

3/4 teaspoon vanilla

Dash of almond extract

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

Pinch salt

1. Set oven at 450°. 
2. Beat egg whites until fluffy. 
3. Add 3/4 teaspoon vanilla and dash of almond extract. 
4. Add cream of tartar and  sugar, 2 tablespoons at a time, making sure that the sugar is thorougly incorporated and that stiff peaks have formed.
5. Pour into greased pie plate or oblong cake pan. 
6. Put in oven and and turn off ; leave for a couple of hours or more. 

Fruit-filled Torte – top torte with sweetened whipped cream and berries that have been allowed to macerate in sugar (add sugar to berries allowing them to create their own syrup). Add toasted almonds if desired.

Ice Cream filled Torte – top torte with ice cream; top with your favorite sauce and toasted nuts.

One of my favorite desserts – Fresh Peach Tart

     The best thing about this tart is fresh peaches!  It is actually a slight variation of the Hays House Pie and is a wonderful way to celebrate summer!

     Rather than making a pie, I increased the recipe to fit into a 10½" tart pan, added some chopped almonds to the crust and also sugared some more to sprinkle over the top. 
     This is definitely one of my favorite desserts!   

Fresh Peach Tart  Yield: 1 tart  (cut into 10 servings)

Crust

1½  cup all-purpose flour

¼ cup + 2 tablespoons powdered sugar

¾ cup melted butter

1/3 cup chopped almonds

1. In a mixing bowl, combine flour and sugar; add melted butter and nuts.

2. Press mixture into bottom of ungreased 10½” tart pan and up sides, being sure to press where the sides and bottom of the pan intersect in order to avoid a thick area in the crust. Prick the crust with a fork before baking.

The oil crust is pushed into the pan versus rolling with a pin. Be sure to push excess dough out of the area where the sides and bottom of the pan meet.

3. Bake about 15 minutes at 350° or until crust is golden brown.

Filling

1 cup granulated sugar

1 (3 oz.) package peach gelatin

¼ cup cornstarch

1 cup water

12 cups peeled and sliced fresh peaches (about 15 peaches)

I use a peeler to remove the peach skins.

1. Combine sugar, gelatin and cornstarch. In saucepan, combine sugar mixture with water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Boil 3 minutes or until mixture looks clear and has thickened. Cool until there is no heat remaining and mixture begins to set. 

Completely combining the sugar and gelatin with the cornstarch (before adding liquid) prevents clumps in the cooked gelatin mixture.

Gelatin mixture is ready to remove from heat and will be allowed to cool and thicken. 

2. Mix syrup with peaches. 

3. Pile into cooled crust and refrigerate at least one hour.

Topping

Sliced almonds

Granulated sugar

Ground cinnamon

Vanilla  Ice Cream

1. Add some almonds to a skillet and turn to medium high.

2. Sprinkle sugar over the top (I used about ½ cup nuts to 2 to 3 tablespoons sugar and ¼ tesapoon+ cinnamon but those amounts can be varied or adjusted). It is important to watch this mixture at all times; stir occasionally with a wooden spoon. As soon as the sugar begins to melt and the almonds are lightly browned, remove to a pan lined with waxed paper so nuts can cool and so they don’t clump together. If sugaring just a few nuts, the process takes just minutes.

Almonds & sugar go into a pan set on medium  high heat.

Sugar has dissolved & nuts a lightly browned & ready to remove from the heat.

3. Sprinkle part of the sugared nuts on top of the pie saving.

4. When ready to serve pie, cut into wedges and top each wedge with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, and sprinkle with a few more nuts.

Recipe without photos . . .

Fresh Peach Tart   Yield: 1 tart  (cut into 10 servings)

Crust

1½  cup all-purpose flour

¼ cup + 2 tablespoons powdered sugar

¾ cup melted butter

1/3 cup chopped almonds

1.  In a mixing bowl, combine flour and sugar; add melted butter and nuts.

2.  Press mixture into bottom of ungreased 10½” tart pan and up sides, being sure to press where the sides and bottom of the pan intersect in order to avoid a thick area in the crust.

3.  Bake about 15 minutes at 350° or until crust is golden brown

Filling

1 cup granulated sugar

1 (3 oz.) package peach gelatin

¼ cup cornstarch

1 cup water 

12 cups peeled and sliced fresh peaches (about 15 peaches)

1.  Combine sugar, gelatin and cornstarch. In saucepan, combine sugar mixture with water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Boil 3 minutes or until mixture looks clear and has thickened. Cool until there is no heat remaining and mixture begins to set. 

2.  Mix syrup with peaches. 

3.  Pile into cooled crust and refrigerate at least one hour.

Topping

Sliced almonds

Granulated sugar

Ground cinnamon

Vanilla  Ice Cream

1.  Add some almonds to a skillet and turn to medium high.

2.  Sprinkle sugar over the top (I used about ½ cup nuts to 2 to 3 tablespoons sugar and ¼ tesapoon+ cinnamon but those amounts can be varied or adjusted). It is important to watch this mixture at all times; stir occasionally with a wooden spoon. As soon as the sugar begins to melt and the almonds are lightly browned, remove to a pan lined with waxed paper so nuts can cool and so they don’t clump together. If sugaring just a few nuts, the process takes just minutes.

3.  Sprinkle part of the sugared nuts on top of the pie saving.

4.  When ready to serve pie, cut into wedges and top each wedge with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, and sprinkle with a few more nuts.