Tag Archives: Save the Deli

New Tastes

Experience and creativity have created the following to learn from taste memories and make my own.

I’ve a beef carbonnade I make on the fly, that’s seared bacon, seared beef cubes, caramelized onions (once you take the beef out) then add some thyme, salt and pepper and 1.5 bottles of beer. Even though this is a French dish I get an English Brown Ale. So sue me. But not ’til after you simmer it on the stove for a minimum of 1.5 hours or place it in the oven at 325. Purchase or make your own egg noodles, I prefer pappardelle, and serve. I like something fresh and green on the side.

You can get my Chicken Saltimbocca recipe on this site.

Lady Bird Johnson was a lady and I hope to do justice to her chili recipe from 1962 when the Vice President and Lady Bird served Texas chili to 5,000 guests including President JFK. The recipe was the most sought White House document for a year.

I had to re-do this recipe as it is comfort food and the recipe is vague so I have to add my own meats and spices and grind the meat Texas-style. Yes, I choose my own cuts and break them down and grind them myself. Perhaps I’ll have to write a book about it and then give you a recipe. There is no recipe. If you look at the original, available to download at the LBJ Presidential Library in Austin TX you’ll see it calls for “chili meat” and “chili powder.” I’ve my own mix and serve it with lime, sour cream, cheddar cheese for individual tastes add homemade cornbread and a salad. While I never had this as comfort food as a child, I did live in Texas for years and created my own.

There’s a Swedish neighbor who wants to teach me how to make meatballs and his special sauce which my husband and I were lucky to eat at his place next door. Since we’ve had dinner here and there, he will teach me meatballs and I will teach him Texas chili. We’ve an agreement. No, there are no beans in Texas chili. Don’t bother to argue.

As part of my family came from Montreal I would like to try to make poutine, which I never wanted to taste but is french fries with beef gravy and cheese curds. One of my first AHA moments was eating a smoked meat sandwich on rye at Ben’s in Montreal. Thank you David Sax for Save the Deli, sorry you took me off your blogroll. I bought another copy after a waiter stole the first copy from me as they grossly insulted pastrami and bread with what they served.

Perhaps the local holier than thou market will agree to make a poutine. They have potatoes, beef and cheese curds. What better marketing ploy can I grant? Dee

 

 

 

Top Chef

Today is the first time I got to see the Tribute portion of Top Chef. The task was to showcase something that got them to start cooking.Some succeeded, some failed. Many talked of their grandmothers, or mothers. One talked of his nanny and did well.

Both of my grandmothers were dead before I was a year old. One couldn’t cook anything, and Dad’s mother taught my mother some German recipes before she died. I remember rouladen, rolled beef around a carrot and pickle or something but it was always tough and I hated it, along with stew and rice pudding, and farina soup dumplings.

Now I braise meat in the winter, have tried my own latkes in the past month, make matzoh ball soup regularly searching for the seminal NYTimes recipe from the 1980’s. I’ve even made spaetzle.

Given that challenge I couldn’t say my grandmothers were my cooking muse. My mother wasn’t either. We were the Campbell’s Cream of Whatever Soup mix family until a family friend ordered a lifetime of Gourmet magazine.

I’m guessing the rest….. My mother didnt’ know what hit her. She was so intelligent and needed something she could do that would also help her husband in his new job and take care of her chldren, three of four were still at home, I was away at college.

One night she served us a lovely cheese quiche and a salad and asked Dad if he liked it. He said it was great, what’s for dinner? Whoops! In my culinary mind I think that was the beginning of the end.

My other muses were my Aunt and fellow educator who launched a catering business for the summer season when they were not teaching. Their rule for us as family was to taste, then ask what’s in it. Tonight I made a blue cheese butter to top my filets, and never would have thought of that if I hadn’t tasted their three cheese dip that included blue cheese that I wanted to hate.  I loved it.

Do I have cooking school and cookbook mentors? Yes. But before the age of ten I had these amazing women and the Betty Crocker Boys and Girls Cookbook.

Breakfast-wise, we begged Mom to buy those cinnamon, and orange, pastries in the frig section, so we could pop the canisters, frost and bake them. Our goal was breakfast in bed, but we never managed it, because she knew our plan and always got up to eat at the table.

Food brings up so many memories, especially during the holidays. Everything was closed here today. I had dinner planned but as usual hubby threw a monkey wrench into it by getting up early. I’d planned on two meals today.

So I must tell David Sax of the infamous “Save The Deli” that our local Asian place (no buffet) was open for lunch, sushi bar et al. 99% of businesses were closed today in our unique State. Cheers and happy holidays to all. Dee

Save The Deli/Last Meal #3

In honor of David Sax, I have to offer Last Meal #3.

Let’s start out with some dill pickles and perhaps an iced tea. Then comes the most beautiful hot pastrami on rye/even better Montreal smoked meat on rye with Gulden’s mustard. That’s not enough. I need one latke with sour cream and applesauce. Heaven.

And I’m not Jewish….

Can The Deli Be Saved?

Ask David Sax. He’ll tell you. A gripping read (for me, anyway), Save The Deli is a well-written and informative book about deli in NYC and the US, Canada and Europe.

Ten months ago my husband and I packed up two cars, a dog and left our life in storage to drive across the country to Utah, where there is no deli. Upon reading Mr. Sax’ book I realized I’m hooked on NY Deli! Give me a hot pastrami on rye with a little brown mustard, just one perfect latke, and a couple of pickles and I’m in heaven. Not so much Dr. Brown’s soda, I usually get a Diet Coke (sorry David). Every month in TX I’d go to Katz’ for the above and it was like a little dream come true.

I didn’t grow up on NY deli, but in a very Protestant/Catholic white slice of America, western NY. The interesting part is that Manischewitz was at the end of the small street I grew up on, because I was weaned on Concord grapes. Perhaps that led me to the deli? No. I didn’t taste a pastrami sandwich until after college when I was commuting to NYC for work.

So what started this fascination with foods that had nothing to do with my culture or locale? Smoked meat. My mother was born in Montreal. We went there at least twice a year and as a child I was introduced to Ben’s, in downtown Montreal. It shrank to a shell of its yellow formica and aluminum self many years ago and went by the wayside, sadly. Given the exodus of English-speaking Quebeqois in the 70’s, my Aunt Joan would always have the aroma of smoked meat in her kitchen. After reading this book, I realize since they were in the northern environs of Toronto, it was probably from Pickle Barrel before it got big. It was always a treat and even beat out a Coffee Crisp bar, still my favorite and only “candy.” Luckily I can’t find it in the States!

I have to go to Toronto to eat smoked meat, and didn’t have any on our last visit there three years ago, OR a Coffee Crisp! I was with husband and in-laws on a whirlwind trip through the Northeast. My mother is gone now, Aunt Joan preceded her, and my last remaining Aunt can’t import smoked meat to the US so that’s that. We’ll have to go back.

* * * Oh, Mr. Sax, a year ago we had a family reunion in LA and went to Nate & Al’s for lunch. My husband said it was “nothing special” and a lot like Denny’s. If I can become a deli lover and advocate for its future, is there any hope for a country boy who drove the church bus in NE Texas? More important, is there another place to go in Salt Lake City? Urban Spoon advocates the new Kosher On The Go in Sugar House. Just read about it so will have to check it out next time I’m down the mountain. Better yet, a real deli in Park City??? I may have to arrange a visit to the new Temple Har Shalom to get that info. * * *

If you’ve never had great deli food, try to find a good one around you. Get “Save The Deli” by David Sax. Next time I’m in NYC my brother and I are going to 2nd Ave. Deli. We went to the Stage last time. Yes, we’re leaving my dear husband behind at work or the hotel. No one will call these historical treasures “like Denny’s.” Honey, there’s a hot dog cart on the corner that does not serve Kosher dogs. Drown it in yellow mustard while we eat our corned beef and pastrami sandwiches with BaaTampte or Guldens spicy….