When I was about 10 years old (around 1965), my siblings and I visited our grandmother in Paterson, NJ and we spent a day sightseeing in Manhattan.  Lunch was at an Automat, a restaurant which was like a giant vending machine with tables.  Customers put money in coin slots in a wall of little glass doors which had individual servings of food behind them.  It was quite memorable.

I bought a book on The Automat which contained some of the original recipes, and I decided to make their creamed spinach, an American classic food which I don’t think I had ever actually eaten.  It was good – a small amount of a white sauce enhanced the spinach without covering up its flavor.  This adaptation of their recipe makes 4 servings and takes about 20 minutes to make.

1 lb. spinach, washed well and drained, but not dried

2 Tbs. salted butter

1.5 Tbs. all-purpose flour

¼ cup whole milk

1 tsp. sugar

Salt and pepper to taste

Put the spinach in a large pan over medium heat.  Cover and cook about 5 minutes until thoroughly wilted.  Drain the cooked spinach and chop it with a knife.

In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat.  Add the butter and melt it.  Whisk in the flour and cook for a couple of minutes until the flour has taken a little color.  Whisk in the sugar and the milk, and stir until the sauce thickens.  Stir in the chopped cooked spinach and season to taste with salt and pepper.  Serve hot.