1 cup Mayonnaise ¼ cup Water 1 tbsp. Cider Vinegar ¼ cup Powdered Sugar Salt White pepper 1 tsp. Celery salt 1 head of shredded cabbage
DIRECTIONS:
Trim off outer leaves. Cut cabbage into quarters, but cut out the core of the cabbage. Shred on mandolin, or with a chef’s knife.
In an extra large Tupperware like bowl, add shredded cabbage and the rest of the ingredients. Mix until well blended. Cover with lid and refrigerate overnight before serving. Cold slaw will keep for five days.
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Cook peeled potatoes for 15 to 20 minutes. Cool overnight in refrigerator.
In a large bowl, mix together thinly sliced potatoes, mayo, vinegar, sugar, mustard, parsley, salt, and pepper. Chill in the fridge overnight. The next day taste and adjust seasoning (add mayo, salt, etc.).
NOTES my mother at times would only go to one deli to buy salads like potato, macaroni, and cold slaw then somewhere else for the cold cuts and then it was off to the bakery for the rolls and rye bread. I guess we are a picky bunch when it comes to food. P.S., Even the pickles came from a special pickle store!
Suggestions: heat 1 cup water, 1 cup white vinegar, ½ cup sugar in a small sauce pan. Pour warm over potatoes and marinate overnight. Drain and make salad.
Use a waxy white skinned potato type as they tend to hold together better then russets.
The coffee is on; it is going to be a good day. That and there is a big pile of mulch in my driveway. That means I have joined the local gym by default. I will also be going to acupuncture this morning. If you asked me just five years ago if I would be having needles stuck in my body I would say what in the world did I ever do to you, but since then I witnessed its miraculous effects on others and decided to give it a try. All I can say is it works for me but I believed that it would. I also believe that the mind is a powerful thing that helps keep you healthy or can make you feel worse. Enough philosophy before my first cup of coffee and so early in the morning. Let’s talk about food.
Last night I asked the never ending question: “What do you want for dinner?” The reply came quickly. “Pappardelle in pink sauce.” I guess this pink sauce stuff is a hit. I paused pondering how in the world I was going to make Pappardelle when all I have ever used was fresh pasta that I purchased at Pastosa. Pastosa is the local store that sells mostly fresh pasta of all kinds.
I blinked pondering all the ingredients my pantry. That is when Jennifer said, “We have some in the cabinet.” An image of pasta flew into my brain. See, it a powerful thing if you don’t go killing your brain cells with alcohol every weekend. See kids don’t drink! Where was I? Oh yeah, so I went downstairs to discover that we did in fact have said item in the cabinet and it was a dried pasta from Trader Joe’s in a plastic bag. Their stuff is usually pretty good so what the hell, let’s make it for dinner.
I put up the water to boil and defrosted my last quart of homemade meat sauce. Now traditionally I wound have used this sauce right on the pappardelle but as luck would have it I had heavy cream. I also like the pink sauce because my stomach has been cranky and mad at me so I too opted for the cream sauce just like it was suggested.
I opened the fringe to pick out a vegetable. My mother ALWAYS yelled at me when I was a kid for standing in front of the refrigerator and just staring into it. This happened more so particularly during the summer. We had no central air conditioner in the house and it got warm in the kitchen somedays. Staring in and at first glance, I spied the Zucchini. This old stand by was my first thought as a side dish. Then I saw not one but TWO bags of prewashed baby spinach. Regular spinach can be a bare to wash and get the sand out of but prewashed baby spinach is easy peazy. I got out my big ass All-Clad pan and added two cloves of sliced garlic to it. I added two tablespoons of butter and two tablespoons olive oil. Then turned the heat on low. I headed it up slowly until it started to sizzle and then turned off the heat. I let it sit like that, as I waited for that dam water to boil and the sauce to defrost. Time for a beer I thought. Dam no Peroni.
I put the defrosted sauce in a medium saucepot and heated it up over medium high heat. Making sure to stir it and then turn it down to low once it came to a simmer.
I spied the French bread on the counter and thought Mmmm garlicky bread. I buttered it up. Sprinkled it with garlic power. Then stuck it under the broiler to turn a lovely shade of brown. Then turned off the oven but kept the bread warm in it. Making sure it was not still toasting.
The water was boiling by now. Add pasta. Set timer to package directions. I turned the pan on high heat and added half the spinach to the pan. Then began to sauté it in the garlic, olive oil, and butter. Yum!
I added butter and cream to the sauce. I left it on low heat as the pasta cooked. It would not be long now. The first batch of spinach cooked down a quiet a bit and I added the second half to the pan. I add salt and fresh ground black pepper, then tossed it coating the spinach very quickly with the butter, olive oil and garlic. Then I turned off the heat. I did not want it all to be mushy so some leaves were just covets with the oil and garlic.
Ding! The pasta was done. Drain and plate. Mix a ½ cup of grated parmesan cheese into the sauce now and pour over pasta. Plate the Spinach. Cut bread & plate. Serve with crushed red pepper on the side
Now most people would call this Italian food. As Americans, we change everything. So weather its food from a country of our lineage or a country we would just like to go visit (like Italy) or a country we would probably never go to but are willing to try the food from, like Humus. We change it, adopt it to our life style and then make it for family and friends when it is good. Did you know that if it weren’t for the solders coming back from Italy after WWII and starting the first Pizza places in places like NY we would never have pizza here in America! What is more American then New York City Pizza? I have not tried pizza it in Chicago yet but plan too one day!
Pappardelle, that was what was for dinner last night. Time for me to run and start my day. I hope you get to enjoy this meal. I found it tasty with a small glass of of red wine. Shhh it was from France but it was still good and went well!
Until tomorrow stay healthy, be happy and eat well!
Let me start by apologizing that I have not been writing any posts this week but I have not been cooking. I have been working and eating take out. The few things I did do made this week just plain boring to write about. Monday for example, I did not cook and had Chinese food from my usual local, take out only, restaurant. Tuesday I felt terrible and had to call in sick to work. I might have gotten a bad wonton or ate something bad that was not even from there. I am not sure what it really was but my stomach was in a lot of pain! I always enjoy the food from my this Chinese place and NEVER had a problem before so I will be going back. Just not anytime soon in order to play it safe. Tuesday night was just simple sandwiches made with cold cuts and rolls. I ran out y at 5:30pm and picked up cold cuts after not feeling well all day. The cold cuts and rolls I purchased from my local small grocery store. I love this place, but it is always changing its name and that makes me feel like it going out of business any day now.
I recuperated Tuesday night enough to get to work Wednesday morning and started feel even better as the day went on, it was just enough so I felt human again by the time I got off work. Wednesday night was the same boring pasta and pink sauce that I posted about earlier in the month. I seem to be stuck in a rut. “Stuck in a rut” is an old timey colloquialism used when the “chuck wagon” or horse drawn covered wagons from the Wild West had wooden wheels and followed each other along the same in the road making deep tracks in the mud. There were so many wagons on one road that they produced deeper and deeper ruts simply by following behind the previous wagons. It was so bad that sometimes the deep ruts in mud made it difficult to turn off the road they were on. WHEW!
Long story short, I have not been cooking. Thursday night we went out to celebrate our good friend and “semi adopted daughter” Alyssa’s graduation from college with her masters degree in teaching – science! YAY! I am so happy for you! We all are!
It was Alyssa’s choice for a restaurant that evening and she choose The One in Amityville, NY. I have written a review about this place before. Again, I am becoming so boring.
The restaurant choice did not disappoint any of us. Just like before, the wine was served icy cold, including the second bottle. We did ask for an ice bucket for the second bottle to keep it cold. Alyssa did all the ordering as it was her day to be celebrated and her food choices were amazing (see pictures below). I think everyone agreed that the love roll was everyone’s favorite. Alison actually did say: “Everyone loves the Love Roll!”
We all had excessively too much to eat and then topped off the celebration with Paul’s ice cream sundaes. Do you remember Paul? I spoke about him before too, he is from the local carvel that I will be talking about ALL summer.
I’m keeping this post short. We are all gearing up for a HUGE Memorial Day Weekend around here but first I have one boring weekend to get through.
I will keep you all posted on what I’m cooking and eating so stop back soon!
Until then stay HEALTHY! Eat well and drink responsibly.
Ahhh, It’s a beautiful Sunday morning as I write this article. The coffee tastes particularly good today. Maybe it’s because my back is in agony. I did too much yardwork yesterday. I was trying to clean up the mess of weeds and volunteer locust trees that didn’t belong among the flowers. It may have been because I overindulged by a beer or two too many yesterday, but either way I am awake, I’m alive and I’m carrying on with my coffee cup in hand.
Not much to report on the cookbooks progress today. I was pretty much in the back yard all afternoon so Sam made a wonderful a salad of romaine lettuce, cucumbers and parsley to start dinner. He also heated up some Trader Joes mini pizzas. We all love those things. I was still hungry or just needed something else to absorb all the alcohol so I made steamed vegetable Gyoza. These too I purchased at Joe’s.
They are really easy to make. Just add water to an extra-large frying pan with a vegetable steamer inside, give it a spray of Pam® and toss the Gyoza on top. Cover then let the gyoza steam away. Mmm those little pretties. Don’t peek! You will let all the steam out! After a few minutes, *poof* they are done!
I pour out some soy suace into a small Pyrex custard dish. Then add a bit of wasabi and serve. I was the only one eating them and they were yummy.
Sam had made some chocolate chip cookies Friday night for dessert. We took those to our friend’s house. Well, we took most of them with us, but we left six at home. I was so in the mood to eat those all day Saturday. I even purchased some fresh milk Saturday morning specially to have with one chocolate chip cookies. The cookies were made from my sister in-laws recipe and I love her cookies or anything she bakes. Like I said, we took the majority of them to our friends house on Friday night for Pizza night.
Pizza night was Friday night and it was great. I had picked up two lightly cooked classic round New York pizzas (I ordered them on the way from the local pizza place). Then we each added our own toppings to each slice and reheated it in their oven on a preheated pizza stone. I only needed one slice. On mine was: Pepperoni, sliced meatball, sausage meat, sliced artichoke hearts, large diced red onion and sliced black olives. We had that with a nice bottle or two of red wine. I liked the one from St. Frances in Sonoma County better then its European cousin. The European red wine was far too acidic for my taste.
Dessert Friday was Sam’s chocolate chip cookies of which I had none because I ate a slice of the banana cream pie from a local bakery. Silly me but I figured it would be okay because we still had half dozen cookies at home.
On Saturday, after my second round of pizza in tow night and salad and vegetable Gyoza I sat and digested on the couch for a bit. Both Sam and Jennifer ran out to the store in search of chlorine, for out tiny above ground pool, which apparently there is a shortage of chlorine now. It was then that I started scouring the house in search of the six cookies. I needed only one to have with a large glass of cold milk. They were here earlier before I went outside to work in the yard. They must have saved me one, right? They knew I purchased the milk for them because I said I did.
After a brief search of the premises, nope there were no cookies to be found. I then proceeded to watch old reruns of Laugh-in in the hopes it might cheer me up. No such luck.
Sam and Jenifer had returned from the store. Jennifer went upstairs to lie down as she was tired from a discouraging shopping trip that ended with no chlorine. . I inquired as to the whereabouts of the cookies with Sam.
Sam had said they seemed to be gone as he found the empty zip lock bag. “I have enough dough to make three more if you want?” Sam said. Bless that boy! It took what felt like an hour but I would have a deliciously warm chocolate chunk cookie and milk soon. It was then (as the cookies emerged from the oven) Jennifer came back down stairs. She too was still hungry as the mini pizzas were not a very big meal. She had some Raisin Bran while Sam and I each ate one cookie. The cookies were awesome! Well worth the wait. I only need one of this rich delectable delight and a large glass of milk. I was asleep on the couch soon after. Only to wake up 30 minutes later with screaming back pain.
It was time for a hot shower, some Alieve® and a good nights sleep.
Until next time, Don’t over do it and stay healthy, be happy and eat homemade chocolate chip cookies for dessert.
The Drunken Chef (Russ)
The fire pit looks so lonely without people sitting around it drinking and smoking cigars.
Lunch is yummy whether you are at a campsite, in the park, at school or like I am today, home and just relaxing. Lunch can be a wide and varied menu so it changes with the seasons just like dinner. On a really hot summer day you will probably only want to make those previous easy sandwiches but on cooler days perhaps you want something warmer. On really cold days it calls for soup and a sandwich. We will cover soups when it is cold outside here in New York, so don’t worry!
As we step up our game and things get more complicated they can be a little bit trickier but don’t despair. You should be able to make all these tasty treats and with just a little practice you will be making them perfect.
Once in a blue moon or even on Fridays during lent I make Tuna fish salad. I try not to eat tuna very much anymore. Especially after my wife was told that, she should not eat it too often while trying to conceive or when she was pregnant! YIKES! That was the first time I ever heard that! What the $#%&! What do you mean fish is not good for you?! What did we do to our oceans?! I was being told this almost second hand too. If I was not in the doctor’s office for her appointment I may have never learned about this dreaded fact. Now I may be over reacting just a bit, but I don’t want to be as mad as a hatter from eating too much tuna or shell fish either. Sheesh, we have to stop polluting our oceans with garbage….Okay rant over for today.
Back to lunch, but I may need a beer first.
The first sandwich is tuna salad. Now you may ask why was that not in the easy category? The answer is simple, my earliest memories of tuna fish was of my sister making it in the kitchen. She did cook much but when she did it was tuna fish, bacon and popcorn. YES! Before the microwave was invented you had to COOK popcorn! You had to clarify the butter yourself and even add the salt. This all had to happen before you could start watching the Wonderful World of Disney that appeared on ABC on a Sunday night.
One can of tuna fish requires chopped onion, celery and mayonnaise. See how all this cooking stuff comes full circle. We learned about chopping when we wanted an omelet with more than just cheese in it! Begin your tuna dish by finely chopping a bit of onion about 1 tablespoon. One tablespoon of finely chopped celery is next. Add the onion and celery to a bowl with the tuna fish from a can after it is thoroughly drained. Canned tuna fish comes in several different types. Light tuna (according to the FDA) has less mercury in it then solid white tuna. Wouldn’t you know it, I grew up on solid white tuna. Maybe that explains a lot! It also comes packed in oil or water. I can’t tell the difference so I buy it packed in water to make my wife happy. She hardly ever eats the stuff anyhow. Add the mayonnaise to taste. I use Hellman’s mayonnaise. My taste dictates that a lot of mayonnaise should be used in my tuna salad. Three or 4 tablespoons, perhaps more if it looks too dry.
Then the white bread MUST be very fresh or it has to be toasted! Mayo on the bread, tuna (the whole can) and lettuce. Done. Do you remember getting two sandwiches out of one can of tuna fish? Just like everything else, things keep getting smaller and smaller. Everything but my waistline. Maybe I should skip the bread and just put the tuna salad on a bed of iceberg lettuce.
During the summer, tuna is good as long as you’re not out in the hot sun! Then ewe. Another good thing in summer are the homegrown tomatoes from my back yard. I remember them being in my back yard even as a kid along with string beans growing on poles. If it’s summer and I have a tomato then I need to make at least one BLT. Please tell me you know what a B.L.T. is! Bacon Lettuce and Tomato! You fried up bacon for breakfast, didn’t you? See this is why I started the lessons in this cookbook with breakfast. One technique will build on another and soon you’ll be a great chef, if you’re not already! Bobby Flay, I don’t think you have to read my cookbook but you can always stop buy for a lesson or a sandwich…just sayin. So back to bacon, is there any left from breakfast? If not, then fry some more up. I would make the whole pound. It can’t hurt as I have a sandwich or six that uses bacon in it.
You have your crisp bacon. You made your white bread toast, lettuce, sliced beefsteak tomato from the garden and MAYO (thank you Mrs. Corolla)! Ba-bam! BLT. Its okay. Tasty and it really complements the tomato, but what if you don’t have home grown tomatoes. The tomato is the star of the show here. In that case we need to change it up a bit. Let us trade out that white toast for some pumpernickel or rye. Place on Turkey, Bacon, Lettuce, tomatoes, and (wait for it) Guacamole! YUM! Serve with a pickle and cold slaw!
Okay, now your cooking. Speaking of cooking. We have not grilled yet! But it’s summer…even better it almost Memorial Day weekend and the semiofficial beginning of summer! Thank you to all our veterans for their service. This is one of the biggest BBQ weekends of the year. So let see, how about grilled chicken for doing some cooking.
Let’s fire up the grill! You will need one boneless skinless chicken breast sliced thinly in half so you now have two chicken breasts. Cut those in half. Coat them all with Italian salad dressing or a bit of olive oil. This helps it stick less to the grill. Quarter or slice thin a zucchini longways. Cut one red pepper in half along with one onion or maybe even a little eggplant. Coat all the vegetables with olive oil or the same Italian dressing you used on the chicken. Grill them all alongside the chicken! When the chicken is no longer pink and not over cooked so its dry as saw dust. Slice everything into strips inkling the vegetables. Place that’s on four flour Tortillas where you can add a slice of provolone cheese to each one and perhaps and some ranch dressing. Wrap it all up like a burrito and enjoy! A different take on this idea should you want a meatless meal is the Vegetarian wrap – grilled Zucchini, asparagus, eggplant, tomatoes, peppers balsamic vinegar and olive oil.
Too much chicken in the fridge? Either rotisserie or grilled? Let’s make some chicken salad. It is just like tuna salad only different. You need to make or buy a rotisserie chicken or have grilled or poached chicken breasts already done. Cut the chicken off the bone and dice it up. Your knife skills will soon improve and you will be cruising right through this by the end of the summer! Place it in a bowl and add grated carrot. Have we peeled and grated carrots before? Watch your knuckles! Dice fine some celery. Add the carrots and the celery and some mayo to the bowl with the chicken. Now add spices: a pinch of garlic powder and a pinch of onion powder, a pinch of paprika, a pinch each of salt and pepper. Now you can add some mayonnaise one-table spoon at a time and mix until it looks good. Taste and season with any of the spices if needed. This can go on any bread or toast, matzah, or just on plain lettuce.
Lastly, I need to discuss my all-time favorite mid-winter football day sandwiches. The Buffalo Chicken sandwich!
Buffalo Chicken Sandwich
COOKING UTENSILS NEEDED:
Fork, Frying Pan, Sauce Pot, Tongs, Air fryer for the Waffle Fries.
INGREDIENTS:
½ cup all-purpose flour
1 large egg beaten
½ teaspoon paprika
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon onion powder
¼ Cyan pepper
Pinch of salt
Pinch of black pepper
4 Boneless Chicken breasts
½ cup Vegetable oil
½ cup Franks Red Hot Sauce
Half stick butter
2 tablespoons Hunts original barbeque sauce
Hamburger buns, lettuce, tomato
2 teaspoons of Cholula
Blue Cheese salad dressing
DIRECTIONS:
Add flour, paprika, garlic, onion, parsley, salt and pepper into a large zip top bag. Dip one piece of chicken in egg then at a time and add the chicken to the bag of flour to coat. Close bag securely and gently turn over until all sides for the chicken are evenly coated. For a thicker crust, repeat the last two steps. I sprinkle a little of the remaining flour mixture on top of each piece of chicken and let stand while the vegetable oil gets really hot.
Using tongs carefully add chicken to the very hot oil. Place the chicken in the oil slowly using the tongs with the end going in the oil on the side of the pan that is away from you. So that if that accidently drop the chicken in the oil it splashes toward the BACK of the stove not toward your chest! Cook chicken until deep brown and chicken has no pink in the middle. You can use and instant read thermometer to test and read 160ºF. Remove the chicken from pan to a plate to drain off any grease on some paper towels. Place chicken on a Martinson extra-large sesame seed hamburger bun. Pour ¼ of the sauce over the chicken. Top with blue cheese salad dressing, lettuce and tomato. Serve with Waffle fries or French fries, pickles and/or cold slaw.
Whew! That’s lunch! I guess we should start dinner soon by grilling…
Until tomorrow Stay Safe, remain healthy, be happy and eat well!
Lunch: This was always my favorite time of the day; even as far as way back to my elementary school days. Back then, my mother gave me lunch money to buy the hot school lunch. Ah, what joyous memories I have of standing in line in the hall, waiting for my turn at picking up the school lunch tray, sliding it along the chrome rails and selecting my meal for the day. Every year seemed slightly different as the group of friends that I sat with at lunch changed from year to year. Of course, the teachers changed too, some were better at making sure you had your monthly lunch schedule. You needed the lunch schedule in your hand so you could choose what to eat in advance. It was good if you needed to bring lunch in case you knew that the hot lunch was going to be terrible. Most things, luckily, that were on the lunch menu were okay to eat at school.
Particularly popular on the menu, even back then, was pizza! It was usually served on a Friday and if you had an extra 25 cents, you could get an extra slice of this tasty lunchtime treat. It was a rectangular slice of pizza that looked like Ellio’s pizza but the slices were much bigger and better tasting. They also had more cheese on them then Ellio’s pizza. I found a box of frozen pizza once in a supermarket that was made in Brooklyn. It tasted exactly like that old elementary school pizza and all those memories came flooding back. I think the manufacturer was called Bazzino’s or something. I just remember that it was my favorite meal at school.
Another good one was the meatball sub. Don’t ask me why, but those crappy meatballs in the sauce when compared to a lot of other things were delicious. I even enjoyed the bread, which was a six or eight inch long roll that was surprisingly fresh and tasty when all covered in sauce. I even had that sandwich again at one of the schools I worked in many years ago. It smelled and tasted EXACTLY like the original and I felt like I was ten years old again, if only for a moment. The lunch woman that day was very nice when I told her my elementary school lunchroom experiences and she insisted that now I should try her meatball sub. I am very grateful to her for that.
Back then the elementary school meal was not without its pit falls. For starters, the pizza was not always cooked to perfection. It varied in quality depending on where you were in line some days. Sometimes the pizza was too overcooked for my liking. If the pizza was totally brown (and some days it was) it was not very good. It may still be edible but I was not going to waste the extra quarter for a second slice only to throw it away, I saved it for ice cream or candy. There were other meals that were not as tasty as pizza but were edible. Hamburger day was not bad and if I remember it correctly, it did come with some kind of weird French fry item that you could cover in ketchup and eat. Next down in line was grilled cheese day. This was also a Friday food item served probably in the weeks leading up to the Easter break. If the grilled cheese was in the oven keeping warm too long, it was hard as a rock and inedible. The worse meal by far was the dreaded TUNA MELT served on good Friday! There was nothing good about Good Friday during lunch. The meal was tuna fish served in a hot dog bun that had melted American cheese on top. Then the whole thing was warmed up in the pizza oven to melt the cheese and make the bun hard as a brick…YIKES! I went hungry that day! To this day, I can’t eat hot tuna melts (shudder)!
The lunch room also ALWAYS sold chocolate milk and ice-cream to help save us from complete starvation when the pizza was burnt to a crisp. I do recall one year as being perfect however! Thanks to a very caring teacher who always remembered to give us the lunch menu just before we went home, so it didn’t get shoved into the back of my desk with all the other various elementary school papers. It actually made it home! Once home, I handed it to my mom who immediately taped it up onto my bedroom door. Then every day I knew EXACTLY what was for lunch and whether I needed that extra quarter or not! If it was a really bad lunch menu day (as the hot-tuna-day-chill runs down my spine), I could have my mom make a sandwich for me to bring to school. Then I could buy chocolate milk and an ice cream bar to eat on the playground. God, I was a foodie even back then! I was critiquing the school lunch ladies and talking $%&# of how I could do it better probably.
The glorious memories of food as a child. I spent much of my childhood, especially summer days, at various friend’s houses. Since we are discussing lunch, I remember my friend Frank’s house well, and one particular lunch I loved. Frank’s mom made me a ham on toast (white bread) with mayo and lettuce. Now you might say, “What is so damn special about that?” Well, I grew up in an Irish household with my mother who used to use butter for everything but when making tuna fish. My mom was a good cook and cared about what we ate very much. SO all my sandwiches were on buttered rolls, buttered bread and buttered toast etc. The whole mayonnaise idea on a sandwich was a NEW concept to me! This was an amazing revelation. To this day, I credit this wonderful woman (Frank’s mom) for introducing me to this marvelous sandwich and to the world of mayonnaise. I still make this sandwich to this day and it brings back warm memories of my childhood and my good friend Frank (AKA Frankie to all of us who knew him way back when). Franks’ mom also made me my first bowl of lentil soup! It is still as clear in my mind as if it happened yesterday. I was sitting at his dining room table, on plastic covered chairs, enjoying my sandwich when she asked: “Russ, do you want some lentil soup to go with your sandwich?”
I asked: “What’s lentil soup?”
Frankie said: “You’re lucky if you’ve never had to eat it. It’s gross!”
Frank’s mom shouted: “Stop that! It’s delicious! Russ, try it, and if you like it, I can give you more, and if you don’t like it you don’t have to finish it.”
I replied with enthusiasm, “Sure! I’ll try it!”
I’m sure Frank had said more disparaging remarks that were funny back then, but I can no longer remember all those details. I do remember that I did love that soup and sandwich! I have been eating lentil soup ever since and never fail to thank her for introducing me to those two things.
So, when it comes to lunchtime foods I consider myself a bit of an expert now. I think back on all the foods I have been asked to try at my friends’ houses. I guess that’s one of the benefits of growing up back when you could walk all over the neighborhood to make friends and just hang out with anyone.
One other such item was introduced to me in my own house, and it was the peanut butter and jelly sandwich. My sister in-law Judy could not believe I had never eaten one and even questioned my mother as to the veracity of my statement. “Peanut and Jelly, ewe” I scowled. My only previous experience with the stuff was in the school cafeteria, in third grade, when one of my friends ate the same thing every day. It was peanut butter and jelly on white bread. It was wrapped in aluminum foil all day and when he opened it up at lunch the jelly had always seeped through the bread enough to make the sandwich look disgusting but he loved it. He ate that every day no matter what we said about it. Anyhow, Judy gave me one of those sandwiches one summer and I ate peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for about a year after that, before finely tiring of it completely, and have not eaten one since.
That brings me to today and making sandwiches for lunch. Here on Long Island and in the City of New York we have some of the best and most famous delicatessens in America. They are also probably the most expensive! These delicatessens include: Katz’s, Carnegie’s, Ben’s Kosher Deli, and for me Pastrami and Friends located right here on Long Island. Shush! Don’t tell people about the last one or it will get too crowded and I will never get in again!
Since these places are just too crowded or excessively overpriced, I made an art out of making my own sandwiches for lunch. It all starts with the bread. Growing up I had a local bakery by me that was within walking (or bicycle) distance. My mom went there every Saturday morning (she drove her car) and waited in line with a number on a ticket to get things like: hard rolls also called Kaiser Rolls (6 with poppy seeds and 2 unseeded for my sister). She purchased rye bread (one seeded and one unseeded). Then there was the pastries. What she purchased in pastries always changed, but it often included, the black and white cookie, the chocolate sprinkle cookie, maybe an éclair or two, a doughnut or a chocolate twist pretzel!
God, those pretzels were good! These pretzels did not include any traditional pretzel inside but were made strictly of pastry. They are hard to explain now how they were made but they were very similar to a chocolate cigar only thinner and shaped into a pretzel. Yum! Then as you went through the white paper bags from the bakery was also a couple of apple turnovers or butter cookies or just so much stuff that was all oh so good. The bakeries motto was (if you can believe this) “Everything tastes better with butter.” I have to take a breath now, as I’m getting all choked up. Mom (aka Grams) did this trip every weekend. She did it all fifty-two weekends a year. This was not the only stop in her shopping adventure but usually it was her first stop!
Now with all that information in mind I think I have had some experience making a wide variety of sandwiches that I would like to impart to you. Even my wife, I don’t believe, has eaten all my sandwich concoctions. She does have her favorites and we will discuss them all starting now. Just like my mom, let’s start with some of our BREADS: White (Wonder bread), Rye (seedless or unseeded), Hard rolls (seedless or unseeded), Hero’s or Italian Bread, Wraps or Flour Tortillas.
COLD CUTS: Boiled Ham, Turkey, Roast Beef, Pastrami, Corned Beef, Chicken or Buffalo Chicken, Genoa Salami, and maybe Peperoni
CHEESES: Swiss, Provolone, American cheese, Mozzarella, and/or Munster
TOPPINGS: Lettuce, Tomato, Onion, Cold slaw, Pickles or maybe even roasted red peppers or bacon.
DRESSINGS: Mayo, Mustard, Ketchup, Horseradish sauce, Thousand Island, Barbeque sauce, Ranch, Italian Vinaigrette and even Guacamole.
Here is my short list of sandwiches from the above ingredients:
EASY:
White bread Toast: Deli ham, Lettuce, Mayo Served with lentil soup
Hard roll, Rye or white bread; Ham, Bologna, Turkey or roast beef; with Swiss, American or Muster cheese; butter, mayo or mustard
Roast beef on a Kaiser roll with tomato, onion, mayo salt and pepper
Roast beef and turkey on a hero with cold slaw
Hot Pastrami or corned beef (micro wave twenty seconds) on rye with mustard
Buffalo Chicken on a Tortilla, provolone, (heat in microwave until cheese melts) Add lettuce tomato and ranch dressing
Roast beef on a Kaiser roll with Horseradish sauce lettuce and tomato
Buttered toasted white bread with Salami
HARDER:
Ham on a hero or Italian bread with Swiss and Mustard (heat for 30 second in microwave until hot)
Grilled Cheese – White bread and American cheese (ham optional)
Cook until golden brown in 8 inch pan with 1 tablespoon butter. Then flip over add more butter to pan. Serve with soup.
Cuban – Ham, turkey or chicken, provolone, pickles in a wrap and heated up in a sandwich press in a pan with butter, cook on two sides.
Pastrami on grilled rye with Swiss, cold slaw, mustard and thousand island dressing. (Follow grilled cheese procedure)
The classic Rubin: Corned beef on grilled rye with Swiss, sauerkraut or cold slaw, mustard and thousand island dressing
The Italian – Salami, Deli ham (or Cappy ham), peperoni, and provolone and lettuce, tomato, onion, roasted red pepper and vinaigrette on Italian bread
Garlic bread (remember that?) – Roast beef, mozzarella cheese, Place under broiler until cheese is good and melted (add beef gravy if you have it!)
These are but a few of the yummy simpler lunch sandwiches. I will have to continue next week with part two: The Weekend Special Sandwiches. I hope this article was not too long. I hope you continue to come back and read my blog. I hope you find it entertaining as well as informative. What’s for my lunch today? If you can believe it its Tuna fish (cold) on white bread with lettuce and mayo. Tuna salad is in next week’s post. Yum.
That’s all for now until tomorrow, Stay Healthy, Be Happy, and Eat Well!
My mother loved to read the newspaper every day while drinking her tea in the morning. She drank coffee once in a blue moon. She loved the Sunday paper, because inside was the restaurant review section. We did not eat out at restaurants much as kids or even as adults when we all lived at home. A restaurant was left to only enjoy on special occasions like your birthday. It wasn’t until we were all older and working when we stated to take her out on Mother’s Day. Other than that she cooked for us every day. Sometimes she even made separate meals between my sister, brother or I getting home at different times. My sister was not a big fan of spaggetti either. Sherry (my sister) certainly didn’t like it as much as my brother and I did. So my sister sometimes ate something like a meatball hero parmigiana or piece of the pork cooked in the sauce on garlic bread. I think it’s my mother who gave me my love for food and going to nice restaurants so I would like to dedicate this section to her. Since she had grand children that she loved, and so let’s call it “Grams’ Restaurant Review (short for grandma), in her honor.
As to the first selection of a restaurant it was just bad timing that we choose a restaurant that I’m sure my mother is turning over in her grave at. I’m using as the first restaurant a sushi joint. I know exactly what she would say too. “Couldn’t you have chosen a nice sea food place?” My mother was never one to say a bad thing about anyone or anything unless it really got her upset. “Sushi? Really? You should find a nice place that has lobster tails. Preferably the big 16 ounce size or king crab legs.”
Nope, it was Friday night and everyone wanted sushi and wine. Mmm wine. I think, it was Jennifer that chose the actual restaurant as it was closer then one of our usual sushi places in Merrick. Closer, in this case, does mean better. When your stuffed and drunk, a long ride just puts your to sleep afterwards. This was the restaurant that was chosen: The One Sushi & Asian Bistro, Located at 330 Merrick Road, Amityville, NY 11701. My good friend Scott made the reservations for the six of us at 6pm. Six at Six!
Driving up we were very lucky. Not only to find one spot open but two in a very tiny parking lot right out front. There is parking in the back, but it can just feel like such a long walk on my old and tired legs. Closer, in this situation as well, is better.
In attendance was Sam, Alyssa, Scott, Allison, Jennifer and myself. The place inside was clean and it was certainly not over-crowded with people, which was nice. We had a lovely young woman waiting on us who was very polite and friendly. Scott, who has excellent taste, ordered our first bottle of wine. The waitress came back to the table with 5 frosty chilled glasses and a wonderful blue bottle. Yes, it was a white wine, specifically a Riesling from Germany, called Blufeld. Our server poured a glass for everyone but Jennifer who was one of the designated drivers and Alyssa who only had half a glass to taste it because she was also driving. The rest of the icy cold bottle was ours to enjoy. I thought we would each get two glasses but alas you do not get many serving from one tiny bottle of wine. I wonder if they make this stuff in magnums? I then tasted the wine and it was delicious all on its own.
Next, we placed our sushi order. Scott, who loves to pair food with wine, asked if we wanted him to order for us. Now when it comes to food or wine Scott has never let us down in choosing the things we feast upon. When it comes to the perfect pairing of food and wine we are never disappointed. Both Jennifer and I truly appreciate Scott’s recommendations as neither of us can make up our own minds in regard to what we both want off a menu. In the past we always ordered two different meals, or several appetizers and shared them. There’s so many choices and so little time or room in our stomachs. That’s why we minimize portion, to maximize flavor.
I think over the years of going out with Scott, Alison, and Alyssa, to eat everywhere from New York to Florida (I love Disney restaurants) we have eaten some of the best meals in our lives. Scott has a wealth of knowledge about wine as well and pairs it all up perfectly with the food. I guess that why he is a member of the Sommelier Guild.
So if the food was going to be suck-ish at least I knew the company was going to be amazing. We started with three orders of rock shrimp (Rock Shrimp is a delectable tempura battered shrimp, coated in a spicy and creamy egg-based sauce). Oh yeah, do you have any idea how annoying it is when one of your friends decides to do a restaurant review that night and now has to take pictures of everything? They were all amazing about it and even offered to help me. So thanks to them we have these great pictures of the plates of food. Despite the fact that I could see a vein popping out of my son’s neck when I stood up in the nice restaurant to achieve photographic mediocrity, he was a champ and took a few photos for me.
Frist was the rock shrimp, like I said. This was one of the best rock shrimp dishes I’ve ever had and Allison thinks it was the best rock shrimp we have had so far. It had a bit of a kick of spiciness to it that paired perfectly with the semi-sweet Riesling. Thanks to Scotts recommendation!
It was time for our second bottle of icy cold wine. It was the same as the first.
Next was the Lover Roll – I love this roll and have eaten it in a few restaurants before. I think back on the first time I tried this roll it was the best Love Roll I have ever eaten but doesn’t always seem to be that way with everything. The first time you always seem to remember as the best but it probably really wasn’t!
Next was the Loster Lover roll (No kidding! That’s exactly how it appears on the menu!) (LOL who influenced that Lobster choice I wonder?) It had lobster in it so what could be bad about that. Nothing, as it turned out, it was quite good. Plus, it had black caviar on top!
The Angry Dragon roll – This too was delicious. Like many of H.P. Lovecraft’s monster’s it was too insane for words. in the words of my son, “Simply divine”.
Lastly was a roll with two kinds of tuna. Spicy tuna and tuna right on top and rolled with purple rice! I didn’t think it looked great because it was so purple but it too was delicious.
Then we ordered one more botte of wine for our last three dishes. However maybe we should have changed it up because it came out room temperature. I don’t remember the waitress saying anything either like “I have no more cold Blufeld wine. Perhaps you would like something different.” Maybe she just thought we were all to drunk to notice, but we did. We certainly would have let it sit in the ice bucket before drinking it!
Scott ordered our next three dishes. Tuna sashimi, a salmon ceviche topped with tomato and jalapeno and a tuna round with a beautiful salad on top. I’m guessing Jennifer and Alison ate the salad because I know I didn’t. Not with all that sushi I was worried about eating it all but we managed to finish every piece! They were all fantastic too! Where did they lose ½ a star? The warm wine of course! It was only half too because the first two bottles were perfectly chilled and the frosted glasses were a nice touch!
All in all it was a good time and good time was had by all. Especially since, it was all topped off with ice cream Sundays that were purchased at the Carvel in West Islip. Paul always does an amazing job and this was no exception. I’m sure you will be hearing more about Paul in this blog and his ice cream all throughout the year to come. Thank you Paul and the Scouts thank you too!
So go if you have the chance, be adventurous and eat sushi and/or sashimi and enjoy yourselves! I think of all sushi as just the vehicle to enjoy soy sauce and wasabi!
Stay healthy, be happy and enjoy everything you eat and drink!
The Drunken Chef
Chilled GlassesThe Perfect WineRock Shrimp – the first course. Then more wine.Second course with more wineStill Second courseThird course – third bottle of wine Last dish
Good morning from New York. The weather today is actually supposed to warm up! Yea! I’m not much of a winner person. I guess because I like to BBQ and grill so much. I could use more sleep but cant sleep any later even if I were off and now I wait for my morning ambrosia. That wonderful cup of coffee that I’m waiting for to perk.
Last night was a simple one. Only because over a month ago I made a Beef Bolognese sauce and froze two quarts of the stuff. Something I usually never do but I thing by then we were sick of eating pasta way too often. I know that sounds crazy but it’s true.
I first put on a big pot to boil with salt and a little olive oil. Then I defrosted the sauce in the microwave. I put the sauce in a medium size pot and heated it up on low. Water in my house takes FOREVER to boil. That why I have a Sunbeam “Hotshot” hot water dispenser when I want tea or hot chocolate. That’s a good item to include for my appliance must haves.
Once the water boiled ka-pow I added the pasta to it. While that cooked, I make some very good Italian string beans I purchased in the frozen food section at my local Stop and Shop (at least I made a vegetable that wasn’t salad!). I heated them up in some drawn butter (I’m try to cut down on fat hahahaha).
It was good, quick and easy. Then I needed a nap but didn’t. We just went to bed early.
Good morning from New York. The weather today is actually supposed to warm up! Yea! I’m not much of a winner person. I guess because I like to BBQ and grill so much. I could use more sleep but cant sleep any later even if I were off and now I wait for my morning ambrosia. That wonderful cup of coffee that I’m waiting for to perk.
Last night was a simple one. Only because over a month ago I made a Beef Bolognese sauce and froze two quarts of the stuff. Something I usually never do but I thing by then we were sick of eating pasta way too often. I know that sounds crazy but it’s true.
I first put on a big pot to boil with salt and a little olive oil. Then I defrosted the sauce in the microwave. I put the sauce in a medium size pot and heated it up on low. Water in my house takes FOREVER to boil. That why I have a Sunbeam “Hotshot” hot water dispenser when I want tea or hot chocolate. That’s a good item to include for my appliance must haves.
Once the water boiled ka-pow I added the pasta to it. While that cooked, I make some very good Italian string beans I purchased in the frozen food section at my local Stop and Shop (at least I made a vegetable that wasn’t salad!). I heated them up in some drawn butter (I’m try to cut down on fat hahahaha).
It was good, quick and easy. Then I needed a nap but didn’t. We just went to bed early.
The Magic of a Perfect Pairing 