Celebrate St. Patricks Day With A Reuben!

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I will be celebrating St Patricks Day tomorrow with a corned beef brisket and cabbage.  Don't laugh.  I know you know I'm not Irish;  but the reason behind this meal is to have enough corned beef to make Reuben sandwiches until I say enough!  Yes, the Reuben is up there as one of my three top favorite sandwiches of all time.  So much so that this is one of the first recipes I posted when I started this blog in the Spring of 2009.

You don't have to make a corned beef brisket to have a Reuben.  Go to the store, buy everything you need and make them at home.  So much better...that is, unless you are in New York City.  Nothing can beat the ambiance of a good New York Jewish deli. 

The Reuben Sandwich is unquestionably one of New York's greatest contribution to the world of eating. It was named for Arnold Reuben, owner of Reuben's Restaurant and Delicatessen located at 6 East 58th Street in Manhattan. The restaurant closed its doors in the late 1960s.

Nowadays, if you are in New York City and get a yen for a Reuben, you can go to the corner deli or a nearby coffee shop and get a fairly good one. If you live in Miami, like I do, you can always cross the bridge into Miami Beach and get a fabulous one at the Epicure Market on Alton Road. But who wants to go through all that trouble for a sandwich? I do. There are times, however, when I don't want to go through the process and seeing that I get the yen pretty often, I decided to start making them at home. It is also a treat and something different to serve to your guests for a very informal lunch by the pool. All you need to do in advance, is make sure you have a chilled stein and a cold beer as the perfect companion to the Reuben sandwich experience.

Serves 2

Butter
4 slices rye bread or marbled pumpernickel and rye bread
1/2 lbs. corned beef
4 slices Swiss cheese
Sauerkraut
Thousand Island Dressing

Preheat a large skillet or griddle on medium heat. Add some butter and lay all four slices of bread. Lay a slice of the Swiss cheese on two of the bread slices, followed by half the corned beef and the sauerkraut (drained). I like to add the Thousand Island dressing on top of the sauerkraut, followed by another slice of Swiss cheese. Top with the remaining bread slices, buttered sides out. Press the grill down or place a heavy skillet over the sandwich if you are cooking on top of the stove.

Grill sandwiches until both sides are golden brown, about 3 more minutes on each side. Serve with potato chips, dill pickle and a cold beer.

Thousand Island Dressing

2 TB mayonnaise
1 TB catsup
1/4 tsp chili sauce

The Versatile Eggplant Caponata

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Caponata is a sweet and tangy eggplant dish very similar to the French ratatouille. It can be served by itself,  as a spread for crostini or crackers or mixed into a pasta dish.  If you have a vegetable garden or potager as my friend Sandra Jonas does, at this point  you will be going nuts looking for new ways to cook all that your garden is producing.  I remember last summer we couldn't find enough friends to give out our giant zucchinis to or recipes to prepare them.  Needless to say, this year we did not plant a garden and,in turn, are the happy recipients of the surplus from our neighbor's gardens.

This simple recipe for caponata should take care of the eggplants and tomatoes in your garden.  Serve it for lunch on a baguette or bring it along on a picnic.  You can also serve it on crostini or crackers as an appetizer. 

Serves 6

Ingredients

 1 medium eggplant, cubed

1 small red or spanish onion

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 small red pepper thinly sliced (optional)

1 1/2 pounds tomatoes, chopped

1 tablespoon minced garlic

3 tablespoon golden raisins

2 tablespoon drained capers

1 tablespoon sugar

3 tablespoon red wine vinegar

Toasted baguette

Preparation

1. Cook eggplant, red peppers and onion in olive oil until browned and tender, about 10 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook another 5 minutes.

2. Add tomatoes, drained capers, raisins. wine vinegar and sugar; simmer until the tomatoes break up slightly, 5 to 10 minutes approximately.

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 3. Serve spread on toasted baguette. (As a variation, you might want to add a thin slice of mozzarella to the hot toasted baguette before spreading the caponata.)

Photo: Andrew Scrivani, NYT

An Elegant Picnic For A Concert In Central Park...Filet of Beef On Baguette

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Summer is full of free concerts in parks all over the nation.  If you are lucky to live near a city that has one, don't miss it.  Boston, Cleveland and New York are the ones that come to mind, even here in Atlanta we have them on Centennial and Piedmont parks.  But there is nothing that comes close to a concert in Central Park!

Years ago, when I worked and lived in New York, I was invited to a few of these concerts by Wall Street firms who entertained their clients by taking them to concerts, opening exhibits at museums, Shakespeare in the Park (my favorite),  or the theater .  One of the firms once took us out for dinner and a cruise around New York harbor. No, I was not wealthy client, but I did manage a lot of money on behalf of some of the largest investment banks in the world.   Just last night, I was cleaning my bookshelves and came across some art books from two exhibitions I was invited to...Matisse at the MOMA and John Singer Sargent at the Whitney, with the business cards still inside!

The New York Philharmonic at the Great Lawn In Central Park

In the summer of 1988,  I decided to take my group to a concert in Central Park.  Everybody came, portfolio managers, sales, operations, traders, the whole lot.   The only mistake was inviting my boss, a charming unattached Scot who proceeded to get drunk and pick up every single girl in sight!  Not exactly what I had in mind.  The concert was spectacular, with Placido Domingo as the star of the evening.  Throw in Linda Rondstat and Gloria Estefan at the end, a full moon and something no one anticipated, 100 degree temperatures!  There is no place in the world that can be more miserable in high heat than New York City, even if you are in a park.

In those days, everybody brought a nice picnic, with chairs and blankets, all very civilized, as New Yorkers can be when asked to behave themselves.  You also have to realize that the people who live in that part of town and the type of audience who would be interested in such a concert is of a certain economic class and very yuppy. 

Should you find yourself in the position of being invited to such an event, grab it. You will remember it for the rest of your life.

Tell me, have you ever been to one of these events? anywhere in the world?



A picnic basket from Picnic At Ascot



For this kind of a picnic you must travel light.  Remember, you will be doing some walking before you get to what you think is an acceptable destination. Getting back home after the concert can take a long time and this is not the type of outing where a town car will be waiting for you at the curb.  Bring your champagne in a portable cooler and the soup in a Thermos.  If you don't have the time to make the bars, pick up some chocolate covered espresso beans.  You will need the caffeine!

This picnic will fit nicely in a picnic basket like the one on top.  All you need is a hunk in great shape to carry it for you.  You might also opt to bring two lighter baskets.  Check out the selction at Picnic at Ascot, they have a lot of choices.  As to a wine, a light red Burgundy or Malbec will go well with this meal.  Nothing too heavy though, remember you will be outside and it's hot. Wine will make you hotter! And don't forget to bring real napkins and plenty of water. You have eight hands to help you carry the load!

The Picnic

Cheese wafers
Black Mission Figs With Prosciutto

 Champagne

Cold Cucumber And Spinach Soup

Filet Of Beef On Baguette With Horseradish Sauce

Tomato Hand Pies

Chocolate Espresso Bars

Filet of Beef On Baguette With Horseradish Sauce
Yield:4 servings
 .
Ingredients

For the beef:
2 to 3 pounds fillet of beef, trimmed and tied
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper

For the sandwich:
1 French baguette, halved horizontally and cut crosswise in 4
Mustard Horseradish Sauce, recipe follows
1 bunch arugula
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Unsalted butter at room temperature

Directions


Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.

Place the beef on a baking sheet and pat the outside dry with a paper towel. Mix the unsalted butter and mustard together in a small bowl and spread the mixture over the beef with your hands. Sprinkle evenly with the salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for exactly 22 minutes for rare and 25 minutes for medium-rare.

Remove the beef from the oven, cover it tightly with aluminum foil, and allow it to rest at room temperature for 20 minutes. Remove the strings and slice the fillet thickly.

To make the sandwiches, cut the baguette horizontally. Spread the bottom slices thickly with the Mustard Horseradish Sauce. Top with slices of beef and arugula and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Mustard Horseradish Sauce:

3/4 cup good mayonnaise
1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard
1/2 tablespoon prepared horseradish
2 tablespoons sour cream
Kosher salt

Whisk together the mayonnaise, mustard, horseradish, sour cream, and a pinch of salt in a small bowl. Serve at room temperature. Yield: 1 cup

I have taken Ina Garten's recipe and adapted it to an open faced sandwich on a baguette.  You can always make them her way but I thought this was a tad more elegant.


These beef sandwiches are wrapped in parchment, tied with baker's twine, and transported in a baking dish that doubles as a serving tray. The watercress is packed separately so that it stays crisp.

Photos # 1 # 2 # 3 Google

#4 Picnic At Ascot #5 Martha Stewart    

Fried Oyster BLT Sliders

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One of the things I am most grateful to the South for is introducing me to fried oysters.  I have always been an oyster lover, particularly Bluepoints, something I used to have often when I lived in New York.   The Plaza Hotel's Oyster Bar was famous for their Bluepoints but you could really get a fresh dozen in most good restaurants..  Unfortunately raw oysters have to be at their freshest and I simply don't trust them when I am landlocked.  Fortunately for me this is fried oyster country and it's easy to find pints already shucked at your local supermarket.  How do I now they are fresh?  Simple, they can't keep them in stock.  By Sunday morning  they are gone until the next shipment on Tuesday afternoon. 

These oyster sliders are made with oysters, bacon, mayonnaise, tomatoes, lettuce, and horseradish.  Frankly, most of the time I skip the bacon.  It feels somewhat like gilding the lily but I guess I couldn't call this a BLT unless bacon was in the mix. 

To my Northern readers who are used to such fantastic fresh oyster (they know who they are) give fried oysters a try sometime.  You will not be sorry.


Ingredients:

* peanut or vegetable  oil

* 1/2 cup yellow or white cornmeal

* 1 teaspoon salt

* 1/8 teaspoon pepper

*dash of cayenne

* 1/2 pint of shucked oysters (figure on two or three per sandwich, depending on the bread)

* 1/2 cup mayonnaise

* 1 tablespoon prepared horseradish

* 4 rolls, or 8 brioche or white bread toasted

* 4 thin slices tomatoes

* 4 slices crisp cooked bacon

* lettuce leaves


Preparation:

Melt about an inch of oil in a large heavy skillet. Combine cornmeal, cayenne, salt, and pepper. Coat oysters with the cornmeal mixture. Shake excess. Fry oysters in oil until lightly browned on all sides. Do not crowd.  Do them in batches if needed.  Mix mayonnaise with horseradish. Spread 4 buns with the mayonnaise mixture. Cover with tomato slices, and then bacon. Cover with lettuce leaves then arrange oysters over lettuce. Secure with wooden picks and trim crusts if using toast.

Alternatively, you can serve the oysters on a plate with everything served separately so that everyone can make their own.



Photo: Marx Foods via The Examiner

Welsh Rarebit...More Comfort Food!

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Photo: Rea Drummond

Welsh Rarebit or Welsh Rabbit is a traditional English dish often eaten as a midnight snack.  I love to have it for lunch or as a light supper when we've had a heavy midday meal.  For some reason, it reminds me of our life in Connecticut and of my father who simply adored it.  Perhaps that is why it came to mind last week after the light dusting of snow we had on the ground here in North Georgia.

The dish is said to have originated in Wales in the 18th century. The first recorded use of the term Welsh Rabbit was in 1725, but the origin of the term is unknown. It may be an ironic name coined in the days when the Welsh were notoriously poor;  only better-off people could afford butcher's meat, and while in England rabbit was the poor man's meat, in Wales the poor man's meat was cheese.

Welsh Rarebit is a vintage throwback to Sunday dinners and cocktail parties in the 1950’s. I’m certain this is why I remember the dish being so popular in my home.  Also, if you come home with a hangover, this will take care of it  in no time.  Just make sure you always have some in the freezer, whether it's your own or the one made by Stouffer's which is pretty darn good.   Leftovers are great over steamed cauliflower or broccoli and kids just adore it...must be the beer!


Serves 4

Ingredients

1 pound Cheddar, Double Gloucester or other English cheese, grated
6 tablespoons butter
2 tsps. Dijon mustard, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
4 tsps. Worcestershire sauce, or to taste

1 12 oz bottle  strong dark beer, like Guinness
4 egg yoks
4 to 8 pieces lightly toasted bread
1/4 tsp paprika

Method

1. Put butter in a saucepan on top of a double boiler over medium heat and ad grated cheese, mustard, cayene and Worcestershire sauce. Beat eggs into the beer and add to the melting cheesse.  Cook until smooth. Taste for seasonings and adjust to desired sharpness.

2. Remove from heat and pour over toast.  Sprinkle some paprika on top.  Serve immediately.

Note:   You can also put under the broiler until bubbly after you pour over toast.
Please use a good dark beer like Guiness stout...light American beer just won't do!

Sausage, Peppers & Onions...Definitely a Man's Sandwich

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I love this sandwich but I never order it when I'm out, way too messy to really enjoy and an almost sure candidate for a dry cleaning bill.

This is definitely one of those things I save for eating at home, preferably by the pool in the summer, or in jeans on a cold winter day. Make sure you have it with a cold beer and a big napkin around your neck!

#5 in my list of favorite sandwiches!

Servings: 4 - 6 people

Ingredients

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound sweet Italian turkey sausage
2 red bell peppers, sliced
2 yellow onions, sliced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
4 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup Marsala wine
1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
4 to 6 fresh Italian sandwich rolls, optional

Directions

Heat the oil in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add the sausages and cook until brown on both sides, about 7 to 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and drain.

Keeping the pan over medium heat, add the peppers, onions, salt, and pepper and cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add the oregano, basil, and garlic and cook 2 more minutes.

Add the tomato paste and stir. Add the Marsala wine, tomatoes, and chili flakes, if using. Stir to combine, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to release all the browned bits. Bring to a simmer.

Cut the sausages into 4 to 6 pieces each, about 1-inch cubes. Add the sausage back to the pan and stir to combine. Cook until the sauce has thickened, about 20 minutes.

Split the rolls in half lengthwise. Hollow out the bread from the bottom side of each roll, being careful not to puncture the crust. Fill the bottom half of the roll with sausage mixture. Top and serve sandwiches immediately.

Recipe: Giada de Laurentis

Miss the Paris Cafes? Have a Croque Monsieur!

Pin It The Croque Monsieur, or “Crispy Mister,” appeared on Parisian café menus in 1910. The original Croque Monsieur was simply a hot ham and Gruyere cheese sandwich, fried in butter. Some believe it was accidentally created when French workers left their lunch pails by a hot radiator and came back later to discover the cheese in their sandwiches had melted.

Found all over France today, the Croque Monsieur - casually referred to as a Croque - has as many recipes and variations as it has cooks. I like mine fancy, with a nice Mornay Sauce* on top! It is second on my list only to the Reuben which is, hands down, my all time favorite. (the Pulled Pork sandwich is not far behind!)

This crunchy sandwich is served as an appetizer, snack, or casual meal. Try this recipe for an incredible experience. Bon appetit!

A nice double espresso should get you through the afternoon!


Serves 4 for a meal or 8 for a snack


Ingredients

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups hot milk
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Pinch nutmeg
12 ounces Gruyere, grated (5 cups)
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
16 slices white sandwich bread, crusts removed
Dijon mustard
8 ounces baked Virginia ham, sliced but not paper thin


Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Melt the butter over low heat in a small saucepan and add the flour all at once, stirring with a wooden spoon for 2 minutes. Slowly pour the hot milk into the butter–flour mixture and cook, whisking constantly, until the sauce is thickened. Off the heat add the salt, pepper, nutmeg, 1/2 cup grated Gruyere, and the Parmesan and set aside.

To toast the bread, place the slices on 2 baking sheets and bake for 5 minutes. Turn each slice and bake for another 2 minutes, until toasted.

Lightly brush half the toasted breads with mustard, add a slice of ham to each, and sprinkle with half the remaining Gruyere. Top with another piece of toasted bread.

Slather the tops with the cheese sauce, sprinkle with the remaining Gruyere, and bake the sandwiches for 5 minutes. Turn on the broiler and broil for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the topping is bubbly and lightly browned. Serve hot




*A Mornay sauce is a Béchamel sauce with shredded or grated cheese added. Usually, it consists of half Gruyère and half Parmesan cheese, though some variations use different combinations of Gruyère, Emmenthal cheese, or white Cheddar

Roast Turkey Breast with Apples Onions and Sage

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When I want to have turkey for lunch meat or sandwiches, I don't like to buy it from the deli, no matter how good a deli it is. Instead, I roast a Turkey Breast Roll, have it for dinner that night and have leftovers for the rest of the week. This recipe is so simple, that if you get in early from the office during the week and have everything ready, you can have it for dinner that night. I usually accompany it with mashed potatoes and green peas or french beans. A salad works just as well.

Serves 4

prep time: 10 minutes

marinade: 30 minutes

cooking time: 90 minutes

Ingredients:

1 Turkey Breast Roll

1 medium onion, chopped

2 TB sage chopped

2 Cloves garlic

1 quartered apple or 2 TB applesauce

1/2 C dry sherry or white wine

2 TB butter

Salt & Pepper

Oven 450 for 15 min

425 for 75 minutes or until done

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place the first 4 ingredients in a ziplock bag, close and marinade for at least 30 minutes. If you can do it in the morning and stick it in refrigerator, it would be best. Take out, place in a roasting pan, add the rest of the ingredients and roast at 450 for 15 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 425 and continue roasting for another 75 minutes or until done. Baste at least a couple of times. 30 minutes before it is done, add about 1/2 cup of water to thin the drippings, if needed.

Transfer the turkey breast to a cutting board. Let rest at least 10 min, preferably 20. Place the roasting pan with the drippings (onions and apples too) on top of the stove.  Add water if needed and a little more wine.  Bring the sauce to a boil and reduce to about half.  Strain the sauce.

Cut the turkey breast by separating the breast meat from the breast bone and cutting as you would a roast.  This way everyone gets a little meat and skin.   Serve with the sauce on the side.

Southern Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Pin It I have been looking for an easy Pulled Pork Sandwich recipe for a long time. I think I've found it in this adaptation of a Martha Stewart recipe. What she has done to shorten the cooking time is to break the butt in 4 sections so it will cook faster. If you have never tried Pulled Pork, do...you will be in heaven. This sandwich is a typical dish from North Carolina, which adds coleslaw to the sandwich, but there are many variations. Granted if you could cook it in a smoker all day long, like my son does, I'm sure it would be better...but how many of us do? The leftovers just get better as the week goes on!

Ingredients

Serves 8

1/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp.paprika

1/2 tsp. dry mustard
Coarse salt and ground pepper
3 pounds boneless pork shoulder, cut into 4 equal pieces
1 1/2 cups cider vinegar
4 garlic cloves, minced
8 soft sandwich rolls, split

barbecue sauce, for serving (See below)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, with racks in lower and upper positions.

In a small bowl, combine sugar, cayenne, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper.

Place pork in a 5-quart Dutch oven or large heavy-bottomed pot; rub with spice mixture.

In a medium bowl, combine vinegar, garlic, and 1/2 cup water; pour over pork. Cover pot, and place in oven on lower rack. Bake until pork is very tender and separates easily when pulled with a fork, 2 to 2 1/2 hours.

Transfer pork to a work surface, reserving pan juices. With two forks, shred meat.

Transfer to a large bowl, and toss with pan juices to moisten (you may not need all the juices). Pile pork on rolls, and top with barbecue sauce. Serve with coleslaw

Barbecue Sauce

1 cup apple cider vinegar

1 cup catsup

3 TB dark brown sugar

1 TB yellow mustard

1 TB molasses

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper

1 tsp. salt

Combine in a saucepan and cook until sugar melts. Put in a squeeze bottle and drizzle sauce over pork

Makes 2 cups

Satisfying a yen...The Unbeatable Reuben Sandwich

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The Reuben Sandwich is unquestionably one of New York's greatest contribution to the world of eating. It was named for Arnold Reuben, owner of Reuben's Restaurant and Delicatessen located at 6 East 58th Street in Manhattan. The restaurant closed its doors in the late 1960s.

Nowadays, if you are in New York City and get a yen for a Reuben, you can go to the corner deli or a nearby coffee shop and get a fairly good one. If you live in Miami, like I do, you can always cross the bridge into Miami Beach and get a fabulous one at the Epicure Market on Alton Road. But who wants to go through all that trouble for a sandwich? I do. There are times, however, when I don't want to go through the process and seeing that I get the yen pretty often, I decided to start making them at home. It is also a treat and something different to serve to your guests for a very informal lunch by the pool. All you need to do in advance, is make sure you have a chilled stein and a cold beer as the perfect companion to the Reuben sandwich experience.

Serves 2

Butter
4 slices rye bread
1/2 lbs. corned beef
4 slices Swiss cheese
Sauerkraut
Thousand Island Dressing

Preheat a large skillet or griddle on medium heat. Add some butter and lay all four slices of bread. Lay a slice of the Swiss cheese on two of the bread slices, followed by half the corned beef and the sauerkraut (drained). I like to add the Thousand Island dressing on top of the sauerkraut, followed by another slice of Swiss cheese. Top with the remaining bread slices, buttered sides out. Press the grill down or place a heavy skillet over the sandwich if you are cooking on top of the stove.

Grill sandwiches until both sides are golden brown, about 3 more minutes on each side. Serve with potato chips, dill pickle and a cold beer.

Thousand Island Dressing

2 TB mayonnaise
1 TB catsup
1/4 tsp chili sauce