The Shiksa: It’s Cool, She’s Kosher
Friday, August 13th, 2010When my fiancee and I met with our rabbi months before the wedding, he explained why the ceremony to sign the engagement contract (bedeking) and the actual marriage take place so close together. See, once they were separated by a year, but if something happened to the man during that year, the woman would never be able to marry. He could be drafted into the Tzar’s army, murdered by anti-Semites, or, in the words of the rabbi, “run off with a Polish milk maid”.
Basically, it’s been made Shiksa proof.
Yes, Shiksas, those tempting and beautiful women of the non-Jewish faith and lineage. Though other ethnic women (black, Asian, Latin American) technically count as Shiksas, what we’re really talking about here is white chicks. Think Betty Draper, or at least Annie Hall. Jewish men fall for Shiksas for many reasons, and often, these lovely women throw themselves into Jewish life with aplomb.
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Such is the case with Tori, who blogs by the name The Shiksa in the Kitchen. Her husband is Israeli, keeps kosher, and so Tori has committed herself to delving into the world of Jewish food and cooking as completely as possible. There’s a cookbook on its way, and her blog is filled with photos, recipes, videos, and adventures in Jewish eating around the world.
Here she is at Katz’s…so her deli cred is bona fide:
Now, if we could only find her male equivalent. The Shaygets Garmento?
Lebron’s sandwich dumped by Carnegie explains fleeting fame
Monday, July 12th, 2010
Back in May, when New York got all riled up about signing Lebron James to the Knicks, the Carnegie Deli named a sandwich after him. Here’s owner Sandy Levine holding up the Lebron James MVP (pastrami, corned beef, brisket, and turkey, American cheese, lettuce, tomato stacked on rye bread):
Now that James is going to Miami, flame indeed is fleeting. As gossip site TMZ reported, Carnegie has dropped Lebron’s sandwich in disgust.
In related news, Bob Greene of CNN.com, uses the Stage Deli’s sandwiches to explain the fleeting nature of celebrity.
Writes Greene, who interviewed owner Steve Auerbach:
The triple-decker sandwiches at the Stage have traditionally been named for famous men and women. The idea is to appeal to customers whose eyes will be drawn to an item on the menu because of the celebrity associated with it.
So I asked Auerbach about the No. 8 — the sandwich called the Katie Couric. It features turkey, ham and swiss cheese.
It wasn’t always known as the Katie Couric, Auerbach said. Its name was changed in recent years from what it was formerly called. Diners, it seemed, were no longer quite as attracted to the old name of the No. 8:
The Marilyn Monroe.
Same with the No. 18 (turkey, chopped liver, lettuce, tomato, onion). It’s a hit, in large part because of the bigger-than-life New York figure for whom it is named: Alex Rodriguez. The A-Rod sandwich appeals to a new generation of customers who might not feel as strong a connection with what the same triple-decker was called until not so long ago:
The Joe DiMaggio.
So there you have it. One day you’re on top of the world, named as a sandwich, and the next you’re cast off the menu by Katie Couric. Such is the nature of the spotlight. Still, it will take a lot to unseat the Woody Allen’s of the sandwich naming world. If you do happen to get a sandwich named after you, do not handle it like Larry:
Monday’s Random Smorgasbord
Monday, June 14th, 2010It’s Monday, and a week since I’ve gotten back from honeymoon, so let’s clean out my inbox with stuff that’s piled up, and I haven’t posted yet.
First, to the news. The New York Daily News reports on Brooklyn’s Mill Basin Kosher Deli (my favorite post-surf spot), where owner Mark Schachner is going head to head with the fast food chains. Reports Jake Pearson:
Mill Basin Kosher Deli owner Mark Schachner is waging a one-man war against fast food chain restaurants - determined to debunk the myth they’re better bargains than his traditional kosher deli.
“Meat to meat and french fry to french fry, we’re 100% cheaper,” said Schachner, 57, who sent out secret shoppers to order from fast food joints to measure the weight of fries, burgers, hot dogs and the meat in sandwiches….
Just as Schachner predicted, the deli’s hot dogs, fries, turkey and burgers are cheaper by the pound than what’s sold at fast food joints like Subway, Nathan’s and McDonald’s - even if as individual items they’re more expensive.
His covert buyers compared the $8.95 Mill Basin Deli burger, packed with .57 pounds of kosher beef, to a $4.29 Whopper from Burger King, which weighs only .18 pounds - a price-per-pound saving of $8.13…. “I sell a hot dog for $2.99 and Nathan’s sells it for $2.99 so it’s the same price, but Nathan’s is a 2-ounce dog and mine is 4 ounces. It’s not a fair comparison.”
So now you have an economic reason, as well as taste and tradition, to skip the chains and stick to the delis.
Next, in the sports section, Manny’s is celebrating the recent Stanley Cup win of the Chicago Blackhawks with an edible recreation of Lord Stanley’s trophy made from knishes, kishke, rye, and corned beef. As the great Joe Bowen would say, “Holy Mackinaw!”.
And finally, a series of videos I’ve been meaning to post for some time. (more…)
Going to the Chuppah…
Wednesday, May 19th, 2010
Hey Everyone. Just a note to let you know that I’m getting married this weekend and then I’m off on the honeymoon for a few weeks, so don’t expect any updates here until mid-June. Don’t worry, we’re doing the out of towner dinner at Caplansky’s, and there will be grilled Chicago 58 salami sandwiches at the reception. I lost out on the stuffed gefilte carp though. That one didn’t fly.
Celebrate Shavuos with Blintzes, Dawn, and Rolled Beef
Friday, May 14th, 2010
Shavuot is coming next week, and there’s a lot to celebrate this weekend.
Traditionally, this is when Jews, those of the lactose intolerance, go wild on dairy. What better way to get down with it all than some delicious blintzes. Tablet has an article all about the search for perfect blintzdom, like these beauties above. Here’s a taste:
In time, a few broad categories of blintz emerged. One common variety—large as a jumbo hotdog and amply stuffed—is represented at Junior’s in Los Angeles. Burrito-shaped, these blintzes have a well-seared, browned exterior, which plays nicely off the thick, sweet but not cloying, farmer-cheese filling. Similar in shape, but even bigger are the blintzes at the classic kosher lunch counter in New York’s East Village, B&H Dairy. They are incredibly crisp, almost crunchy, with a particularly savory exterior counterbalanced by an especially sweet cheese interior. I also found equally large, but far less crispy blintzes, like those served up at Zaidy’s in Denver. With a paler, chewy pancake, this school of blintz is more like a steamed bun than a fried eggroll. At each restaurant, an order of blintzes makes a meal, especially if you consider they’re topped with berry preserves or sour cream, since nothing goes better with a cheesy filling than a heaping spoonful of more dairy.
Finally, there are the incredibly light, feathery blintzes, which most closely resemble crepes and approached the fabled translucence of Grandma Anna’s bletlach. The finest I sampled of this ilk were at Veselka, the stalwart Ukrainian diner in New York City, where the blintzes are folded into a simple triangle lest they crumble in more intricate preparation.
If you’re in the Bay Area this weekend, you should definitely pick up tickets to Dawn, the late night Shavuot party put on by Reboot, featuring Sandra Bernhard in conversation; Russian Debutante’s Handbook author Gary Shteyngart; a live performance by the inspirational band Fool’s Gold; local author Daniel Handler (aka Lemony Snicket) slinging Jewish cocktails and more… 7:30 PM California Academy of Sciences
And if dairy ain’t your thing, head out to Rego Park, Queen’s, to kosher delicatessen Ben’s Best. They were recently hailed as having the best pastrami sandwich in the city, and Jay Parker, the owner, just emailed to tell me that the elusive rolled beef has just arrived and is going fast!
Food Bank Fundraiser at Ben’s
Tuesday, May 4th, 2010
And now, let’s talk about a really good cause. On Thursday night I’ll return to Ben’s Kosher Deli in Manhattan (scene of the great deli book launch), for a special fundraiser on behalf of the Food Bank for New York City. There will be the usual Ben’s treats, and I’ll be talking about deli for the first time since the James Beard Award, and the last time before my wedding. So come out and support a great cause, eat some great food, and wish me well in the married life. I’ll need it.
You can buy tickets here. $50 each. All proceeds go to the Food Bank.
Kenny and Ziggy’s on Diner’s, Drive-In’s, and Dives
Monday, March 22nd, 2010I know I should have posted this ages ago, but it came out when I was on book tour, and someone finally sent me the link.
If you are near Houston (and soon to be Dallas) and haven’t been to Kenny and Ziggy’s, check it out.
A Whole Lotta Stuff
Tuesday, March 16th, 2010
photo courtesy of the Tribeca Trib
Well hello there, long time no see.
Yeah, I’ve been a bit absent lately, traveling in the past two weeks to Toronto (wedding planning), Whistler (skiing), and Florida (deli talking). Got back to New York yesterday, and headed straight for the James Beard House, where the Schmaltz to Remember dinner was a tremendous success. Many thanks to all who participated and helped organize last night. You’re all mentsches!
Now, because so much deli related news and stuff has piled up, I’m just going to run through it all today. Hold onto your mustard.
First off, the Brooklyn by way of Montreal upstart Mile End has earned the title of Best Deli of 2010 from New York Magazine:
Mile End, the barely open, instantly overrun Canadian-Brooklyn oddball, has already, in its infancy, reinvented the venerable form. This is a deli for locavores, a deli for the next generation of deli lovers, with a respect for tradition contemporized by a rare premium on great, fresh ingredients, cooked from scratch, smoked and pickled in-house, served with an unfamiliar (in the deli world, anyway) smile.
A few weeks back, I set out on a little mission with my friend, and journalist, Saki Knafo. He was writing about me for the Tribeca Trib, the neighborhood’s premiere paper, and we set off to find Jewish foods south of Canal St. Not an easy task, let me tell you. But after some decent appetizing at Zucker’s Bagels and Smoked Fish, we hit paydirt with the stellar matzo ball soup and knish at Izzy and Nat’s, in Battery Park City, which opened over a year ago. And then we capped it at an old favorite of mine, Amazing 66:
Finally, it was time for a visit to that most sacred of Jewish culinary destinations: Chinatown.
“All Jews love Chinese food,” Sax declared with rabbinical authority over a plate of pastrami-fried rice at Amazing 66 on Mott Street. According to Sax, the restaurant was founded by an accountant who spent a life-changing lunch hour with a Jewish colleague at the Second Avenue Deli. Sax pinched a pink speck of meat between his chopsticks and held it aloft, as though to punctuate a point. “Chinese food and deli,” he said. “The ultimate Jewish meal.”
By the way, if you want to hear me speak downtown, I’ll be appearing in conversation with Food Maven Arthur Schwartz, next wednesday March 24th, at the Museum of Jewish Heritage. BUY TICKETS HERE
Now for some sad news. Not one, but two delis have recently closed.
First, Bloom’s Delicatessen, in Westchester, NY, has a “For Rent” sign in the empty window of their plaza, though oddly enough, their website is still running, and still awesome. Hopefully they’ll be able to reopen soon.
Second, Florida’s Deli Den has been forced to close after a dispute with the landlord. This was one of the last holdouts to serve the early bird special, and I spoke with Vered, the owner, a few years back. But keep holding your breath, because she intends to reopen somewhere nearby. READ ABOUT IT HERE IN THE SUN SENTINAL
But don’t fret too much deli lovers, because the unstoppable Ziggy Gruber apparently has a letter of intent to expand his Kenny and Ziggy’s empire into Dallas. Says the Dallas Observer:
“We have a letter of intent with the landlord, a nonbinding letter of intent,” he tells Unfair Park this afternoon. “They sent it, we went it back with the terms. We’re technically in negotiations now. We haven’t sat at the table. This is preliminary stuff. We’ve expressed interest in the spot, but the ball’s in the landlord’s corner, and it’s up to him. That’s all I can tell you. We’re waiting for the landlord to tell us.”
And finally, here’s a little number that was sent to me by a whole bunch of you. Recorded at a synagogue not ten blocks from where I grew up. Sorry, the sound is fairly awful:
It’s good, but this is clearly the king:
Vote for Mile End
Monday, March 1st, 2010
I had a fantastic lunch at Mile End on Saturday, and have to say that they’re really hitting their stride. The place was packed, the bagels are now abundant and brought in each Saturday from St. Viateur, and the food was spot on. I tried the chive and potato latke with the homemade gravlax, plus the Ruth Wilensky (always stellar), and the smoked meat, which seems to be improving. They’ve solve the space problem with a nearby prep kitchen, so the meat shortage should be a thing of the past.
All this, and more, is reason enough to vote in Time Out New York’s reader’s choice awards, where Mile End is nominated in the category of “best new sandwich”. Click here to show the kids your support.
Olympic Weekend Roundup: The Saul’s Talk, Commentary, More Haiti Help
Friday, February 12th, 2010Oh Canada, our home and native land…
Sorry folks, all caught up in pre-olympic fever, but don’t worry, I’m not going to draw some convoluted line to the Vancouver Olympics and deli. Though if you ARE in VanCity for the next two weeks, consider checking out the local delis; Kaplan’s Star Deli (pictured above) and Omnitsky’s Kosher Deli for your fix.
Now, let’s get down to business.
Tuesday night saw the much anticipated Berkeley sustainable deli panel conversation take place, without any major fireworks, or mustardworks. Thought provoking. Check it out below. (more…)
