The Second Avenue Deli Cookbook (5 page)
Read The Second Avenue Deli Cookbook Online
Authors: Sharon Lebewohl
Mock Chopped Liver
SERVES
8
8
At the old Garden Cafeteria on East Broadway, which was the unofficial lunchroom of the neighboring Yiddish newspaper,
Forverts
(
The Forward
), this American creation was a favorite dish of writer Isaac Bashevis Singer.
Forverts
(
The Forward
), this American creation was a favorite dish of writer Isaac Bashevis Singer.
1 pound string beans, trimmed
4 cups coarsely chopped onions
½ teaspoon paprika
2 tablespoons corn oil
1 tablespoon schmaltz
3 hard-boiled eggs
½ cup shelled walnuts
1½ teaspoons salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
1. Cook string beans, drain, and place in refrigerator to cool.
2. Toss chopped onions with paprika. Heat corn oil and schmaltz in a large skillet (use 3 tablespoons of oil if you don't have schmaltz), and sauté onions until browned. Let cool in refrigerator, reserving frying oil with the onions.
3. Place string beans, onions, and reserved oil, along with all remaining ingredients, in a food processor. Blend, leaving some texture. Serve chilled with crackers or matzo.
M
ARK
F
EDERMAN
is the owner of Russ & Daughters, one of New York's oldest (it originated as an Orchard Street pushcart in 1911) and finest appetizing stores. People come from all over the world to purchase his smoked fish, caviar, Strasbourg foie gras with truffles, hand-dipped chocolates, and other gourmet goodies. It's one of the only places in town with an aroma as alluring as the Deli's.
ARK
F
EDERMAN
is the owner of Russ & Daughters, one of New York's oldest (it originated as an Orchard Street pushcart in 1911) and finest appetizing stores. People come from all over the world to purchase his smoked fish, caviar, Strasbourg foie gras with truffles, hand-dipped chocolates, and other gourmet goodies. It's one of the only places in town with an aroma as alluring as the Deli's.
Abe used to come by my store several times a week. We'd retreat to my office and discuss business (we shared suppliers, customers, and even help) over schmaltz herring (on a bialy with a slice of raw onion). Occasionally, if we were in a festive mood, we washed it down with schnapps or ice-cold vodka. As Jewish deli owners, we had a lot in common: we both loved food, were obsessed about the quality of our product, and hated delegating responsibility.
Over the years, Abe and I attended a lot of culinary events together, but the one I remember best was a convention of top American food writers that took place in New York in 1995. Both Abe and I were asked to speak on the topic “Is Deli Dying in New York?” I handled
the fish aspect, he the meat, and together we supplied a massive buffet for the convention. I was a little nervous about speaking, so a few days before the event, I started making notes for my speech, which soon evolved into one hundred pages! I called Abie to see what he had prepared, and he said “Nothing.”
the fish aspect, he the meat, and together we supplied a massive buffet for the convention. I was a little nervous about speaking, so a few days before the event, I started making notes for my speech, which soon evolved into one hundred pages! I called Abie to see what he had prepared, and he said “Nothing.”
Russ & Daughters
When I got up to speak, I was so overprepared that I went on for about half an hour, until they were almost ready to pull me off the stage with a hook. Much of my speech mirrored a popular theme at the conventionâthe current trend toward lighter, less fatty foods. Fish, I maintained, was good for you.
Then Abie got up without any notes, looked at the audience for about a full minute in total silence, and exclaimed, “What am I gonna tell you? My food will kill you.” He got a lot of laughs, and went on to speak comfortably, and at an appropriate length, about the deli business. After his speech, all the health-conscious speakers and food writers made a beeline to the buffet â¦Â where the very first things to go were Abe's fatty mountains of kishke, pastrami, and corned beef!
In keeping with my own speech, I'm supplying the recipe for Russ & Daughters' famous chopped herring salad, which contains only healthy ingredients.
Russ & Daughters' Chopped Herring
SERVES
6
6
1½ pounds pickled herring fillets, coarsely chopped
1¾ cups cored, peeled, and coarsely chopped Granny Smith apples
¾ cup coarsely chopped celery
½ cup coarsely chopped sweet onions (such as Vidalia or Maui)
Sugar (only if needed)
GARNISH
Lettuce leaves
1 Granny Smith apple
4 red potatoes, cooked in skins and chilled
Dill
1. Grind all ingredients (coarse chopping is for measurement purposes only) except garnish, in a grinder or food processor. Do not purée; chopped herring should have considerable texture. Since fillets vary in sweetness, add sugar (carefully) to taste if needed.
2. Create individual portions atop beds of large lettuce leaves, garnishing each mound of herring with a thin slice of Granny Smith apple, and surround it with slices of cold red potato and a few sprigs of dill.
Coleslaw
MAKES ABOUT 2 QUARTS
Our customers rave about our take on traditional deli slaw. We make and serve about 1,000 pounds daily.
2 pounds green cabbage
¼ cup very finely grated carrot
3 tablespoons white vinegar
3 tablespoons sugar
½ cup Hellmann's mayonnaise
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon white pepper
Chopped dried chives
1. Remove and discard loose outer cabbage leaves and core. Shred cabbage
(the easiest way to do this is to cut the cabbage in quarters, julienne each quarter into â -inch or smaller strips with a sharp knife, then pulse chopped cabbage a few times in your food processor). Don't shred it too fine; you want texture and crunch. Place shredded cabbage in a large bowl, add carrots (these can be shredded very fine in the bowl of a food processor), and mix.
(the easiest way to do this is to cut the cabbage in quarters, julienne each quarter into â -inch or smaller strips with a sharp knife, then pulse chopped cabbage a few times in your food processor). Don't shred it too fine; you want texture and crunch. Place shredded cabbage in a large bowl, add carrots (these can be shredded very fine in the bowl of a food processor), and mix.
2. In a separate bowl, mix all other ingredients (except chives). Pour them over the cabbage and carrots, and toss to combine thoroughly. Chill for several hours, or even overnight. Garnish lightly with chives before serving.
Hawaiian Slaw
MAKES ABOUT 2 QUARTS
The addition of a few sweet ingredients gives prosaic coleslaw Hawaiian punch. When we serve this at parties, people always ask for the recipe.
2 pounds white cabbage
¾ cup finely grated carrot
¾ cup Hellmann's mayonnaise
2 8¼-ounce cans crushed pineapple in syrup, completely drained of liquid (press extra liquid out in a strainer)
½ cup golden raisins
3 tablespoons white vinegar
â
cup sugar
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon white pepper
1. Prepare cabbage and carrots as in the above coleslaw recipe.
2. In a separate bowl, mix all other ingredients. Pour them over the cabbage and carrots, and toss to combine thoroughly. Chill for several hours, or even overnight, before serving.
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