The Joy of Fast Food Restaurant Recipes

Love it or hate it, fast food is embedded in American dining culture. Fast food restaurants cater to our modern need for convenience, cheapness and a "no surprises" experience.

While it is fashionable to sneer at them, if pressed many of us would confess to really liking at least some of the menu items offered by the major chain fast-food restaurants. Most kids love those places, as you probably know if you have youngsters. Children wield a lot of influence with parents looking for a place to eat that will satisfy everyone in the family; hence the great effort on the part of fast food restaurants to market special meals and toys to the younger set.

The fact that half of the food ordered at fast food places now takes place via the drive-up window should tell you all you need to know about the success of this type of restaurant. We Americans practically live in our cars, so if we're eating a large part of our meals behind the wheel, you know this is one marriage (cars + food) that really will be "'til death do us part."

If you're one of those who resorts to this type of fare only grudgingly, or because the kids are bugging you for it, you might be surprised to learn that there are fast-food aficiandos among us who positively love fast food. Usually, they have one particular fast food chain that they adore, and one or two specific menu items that they crave several times a week.

If you happen to be one of these fast-food conoisseurs--or you know someone who is--the good news is that it's easy to obtain the recipe for that "gotta-have-it" menu item. You can then make the favored dish at home, saving you at least a few trips to the drive-through. (Of course, you'll miss out on having the burger or burrito or whatever come nicely enveloped in the restaurant's logo-printed wrapping paper, but you can't have everything.)

Recipes for many of the world's favorite fast-food items can be found by doing a web search for them. Or, you can purchase one of the books of "secret" restaurant recipes available in most of the big bookstores. Conveniently downloadable ebooks, filled with such recipes, are also readily to be found.

One tip: As the name implies, fast food tends to be eaten on the run. But if you decide to make your favorite fast-food meal at home, try slowing down and enjoying it at a more leisurely pace. "Slow fast food" -- now there's a concept.