I think we’ll leave Grandpa alone and make some Garbage Plates.

A few months ago I made a recipe for Nick Tahou inspired Garbage Plate Pizza. You can read all about the famous Nick Tahou’s in that post.

Well, another Nick Tahou fan and fellow former Rochester resident, Jim, got in touch with me to introduce his Rochester Plate Sauce business. And, lucky for me, he sent a sample box of his sauce.

I used one packet of the sauce (there are 3 per package) to make a standard cheeseburger garbage plate. I tried Jim’s macaroni salad recipe, which was included with the sauce, and it was perfect for the plates. The Rochester Plate Sauce was authentic and delicious, with the perfect blend of spices.

So, if you have a hankering for a Garbage Plate or want to try one for the first time, you can pick up some Rochester Plate Sauce over at Jim’s Website and cook one up.

Classic Cheeseburger Plate, Nick Tahou Style

Ingredients:

Ground beef patties
White American cheese slices
Jimmy’s Mac Salad (recipe follows)
Homefries or frozen french fries
Rochester Plate Sauce

Optional accompaniments:

Italian bread
Small sweet onion
Ketchup
Tabasco (or RedHot) sauce
Brown mustard, such as Gulden’s
Mayonnaise
Baked beans

Directions:

1. Fill each plate (paper plates are most authentic) with the macaroni and potatoes.

2. Top with the cheeseburgers.

3. Ladle Rochester Plate Sauce over the plate.

4. Serve with your choice of accompaniments.

Jimmy’s Mac Salad

Ingredients:

2 cups elbow macaroni, uncooked (1/2 lb)
1/2 cup quality mayonnaise
1 tsp salt
2 tsp carrot, shredded (optional)

Directions:

1. In a large pot, bring 1/2 gallon of water to a rolling boil, then add salt and macaroni. Allow the macaroni to cook uncovered until it is soft but not mushy (a little past al dente) – about 7 1/2 to 8 minutes.

To chill the pasta, immediately drain the water out using a large colander, then pour the cooked macaroni into another large pot filled with ice-cold water (but no ice). Stir the macaroni until completely chilled, then drain the water out and allow the elbows to dry. When ready to serve, stir in the mayonnaise until evenly coated. Add the carrot, if using.

Hints:
This macaroni is intentionally simple which will allow it to take on the other flavors of the Plate rather than compete with them – resist the urge to doctor it up. Mac salad is best served chilled, so use the cold-water bath and/or prepare it ahead of time to give the pasta some time in the refrigerator. Do not stir in the mayonnaise until the last minute, since it will have a tendency to soak into the pasta after a while.

Makes about 4 half-Plate servings

Recipe from Jimmy at Rochester Plate Sauce

Rochester food deserves to be eaten while listening to my favorite Rochester band, New Math.

I saw New Math a few times while I was a college student in Rochester. They were always fun. I think that the music has held up really well thirty many years later.
New Math-They Walk Among You

Check out New Math on Myspace. You can buy the music here.

Cheers!