Recently an acquaintance who was planning a trip to New York asked me for restaurant recommendations. She looked surprised when I mentioned several of my favorite delis and wanted to know how long in advance she would have to make reservations for them.
It was my turn to look surprised, as I never thought of making a reservation in a New York deli nor do I think they even take them. That’s probably why I love them. The informality is such a departure from any other type of eating institution with its shared tables, slapdash service and portions that are almost humanly impossible to consume.
There is usually a substantial wait for a table, the line spilling out the door, which serves as terrific opportunity to chat with people from everywhere. If your plane arrives later than the usual dinner hour or even past midnight, just tell your cab driver to take you to the Carnegie, Second Avenue or Stage Deli. You will be welcomed without anybody looking at the clock and made immediately to feel at home.
The food … well, the food is divine. Nothing exotic, no stunning architectural presentations, just peerless, highly flavored Eastern European renditions of traditional Jewish dishes:
Chicken soup with tennis ball-sized matzah balls, chopped liver, kasha varnishkes, mushroom barley soup and those legendary mile-high corned beef, pastrami and roast beef sandwiches. And, of course, the beloved bucket of homemade garlic pickles and tomatoes on the center of every table.
You probably won’t have room for dessert, but stop by the bakery counter on your way out and ask for a slice of chocolate babka or apple strudel to go.
Kasha Varnishkes | Serves 6
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup whole roasted buckwheat groats (kasha)
2 cups chicken stock or water
3 Tbs. shmaltz or margarine
1 cup onions, chopped
1/4 lb. egg bowtie noodles
salt
Combine beaten egg, groats and salt to taste in a bowl. Mix thoroughly. Heat a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add groats, stirring frequently from the bottom to avoid sticking. Toast until the grains separate and give off a nutty aroma. Remove from heat. Bring chicken stock or water to a boil in a saucepan. Slowly stir in toasted groats. Add 2 Tbs. shmaltz. Reduce heat to low, cover tightly cover and simmer 20 minutes, until liquid is absorbed. Fluff with a fork.
Heat remaining shmaltz in a heavy nonstick skillet over medium heat. Cook onions 8-10 minutes, until softened but not brown. Meanwhile, boil noodles 8-10 minutes in a large pot of salted water until tender. Drain. Thoroughly combine noodles, onions and kasha in a bowl and serve.
Kosher-Style Pickles | Makes about 34
8 lbs. 3- to 4-inch pickling cucumbers
4 cups white vinegar
12 cups water
2/3 cup pickling salt
16 cloves garlic, peeled and halved
8 sprigs fresh dill weed
8 heads fresh dill weed
8 1-quart canning jars
Wash cucumbers and place in the sink (I use the bathtub!) with cold water and lots of ice cubes. Soak in ice water for at least 2 hours but no more than 8 hours. Refresh ice as required. Sterilize canning jars and lids in boiling water for at least 10 minutes.
In a large pot over medium-high heat, combine the vinegar, water and pickling salt. Bring the brine to a rapid boil.
In each jar, place 2 half-cloves of garlic, one head of dill and enough cucumbers to fill the jar (about 1 pound). Then add 2 more garlic halves, and 1 sprig of dill. Fill jars with hot brine. Seal jars, making sure you have cleaned the jars’ rims of any residue.
Process sealed jars in a boiling-water bath for 15 minutes.
Store pickles for a minimum of 8 weeks before eating. Refrigerate after opening. Pickles will keep for up to two years if stored in a cool dry place.
Louise Fiszer is a Palo Alto cooking teacher, author and the co-author of “Jewish Holiday Cooking.” Her columns alternate with those of Rebecca Ets-Hokin. Questions and recipe ideas can be sent to j. or to [email protected].