i'm giving the gift of sandwich this year - recipes/tips appreciated

[fizzgig]

my dad is impossible to shop for and there are few things he loves more than a good sandwich. he's a new york jew living in colorado, so i want to give him a taste of home: corned beef, pastrami, rye bread, sauerkraut, russian dressing and hot mustard.

it's going to be a matter of time more than anything else and i want to squeeze in at least one test run.

here's the recipes i think i'm going to work with

corned beef

pastrami

i do have access to an electric smoker, i'm going to try to bring it home this week. this, however, hinges upon whether i'm allowed to have one at the apartment.

if not, i'll smoke a brisket to test out the smoker. that'll be a nice sunday supper.

i want this to be a total surprise for him, so i'l have to make a blind run at the pastrami, but everything else will be easy enough to test at home. my husband is very excited about this.

any tips or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[elleng]

1. 'I'll have what she's having!'

PASTRAMI!



KNEW there was something I loved about you, YOUR Dad a New York Jew! Mine too, but never lived in Colorado, moved from NY to Florida in his 60s.

Grandpa owned a Deli on Amsterdam Ave, over which the family lived, and the 'kids' worked there, so MY Dad ended up HATING pickled ANYTHING, 'cause he had to stick his hand/arm in the pickle barrel to fish them out!!!

[fizzgig]

2. my grandparents lived in flushing when i was growing up

there was an amazing deli and an even more amazing bakery across the street from the apartment. every visit included at least one deli tray and a few pounds of cookies.

it's been five and a half years since i've been out there (the longest amount of time i've ever gone without visiting) and i'm jonesing. if i'm really motivated i will try my hand at regulach this year.

my mother (who grew up catholic in small-town illinois) will give me the recipe on the condition i keep it under lock and key. it is so good my dad's side wants the recipe. i'm very excite for the box of goodies we have coming in the mail.

i really want this to work out well, it will be so worth the effort.

[elleng]

3. Sounds great,

and I'll pay you for sample rugulach!

Happy Chanukah!!!

[japple]

4. Has it been 5 years since you've seen your folks? If so, do something

simple and make the visit count. Ask lots of questions and research your family history. Get all of those cherished family recipes that you've always wondered about. Don't fuss. Have fun.

[fizzgig]

6. it's the extended family that's in new york

dad came here to colorado in the late 70s and has been here since. i still live in the same city as he and my sister.

i would love to get a family recipe (if one exists), but grandma passed five years ago and her recipe book never made it to me. there was an epic struggle over that recipe book at the shiva. my aunts (both by marriage) kept snatching it from the other's purse. all. fucking. afternoon. i don't remember who wound up with it, but there was a promise of it being scanned and emailed and i have not seen it.

anyway, i could pump my uncles and grandfather for information and hope they remember something. one of grandma's friends is still alive, i could get in touch with her.

my dad works hard and deserves one helluva treat

[intheflow]

5. Will you be in Colorado?

If so, will you be baking your own bread? Good East Coast bread is so hard to find in Colorado because the yeast issues at altitude. If you can, find a good bakery back east and have them ship you a loaf. It will be a slice (pun intended) of flashback heaven if your dad's been in Colorado any time at all.

[fizzgig]

7. i will be baking the bread

i live in colorado and have gotten pretty good at no-knead loaves (dad loves them). i was planning on two loaves, one for dad, one to cover dinner. but i could bake one and have one shipped.

thanks for the idea

[intheflow]

9. Yeah, I'm out in Colorado now but I grew up in the Northeast.

It's shameful how much bread I eat when I go back to visit. I lived near a lot of Italian and Portuguese bakeries, and spent a lot of time in NYC in the delis while growing up, and oh, man, do I ever miss the texture and taste of those breads!

Good luck!

[fizzgig]

10. i eat everything when i'm out there

serious food binge.

[intheflow]

14. Yeah, we definitely have a lack of food diversity out here.

Even if you can find it, you have to go way far out of the way to get to it. It's no fun having a couple (or more) glasses of a nice wine at the only decent Italian restaurant Near by when "near by" is 30 miles away. I miss Cuban and Jamaican, and the excellent Chinese & seafood the most.

[grasswire]

8. how about pickled hard-boiled eggs to go alongside?

Red with beet juice, of course.

Maybe you could serve with an egg cream beverage.

[fizzgig]

11. the egg cream is a great idea

i'll take dad's temperature on the pickled eggs. husband will love them if anything else.

[Lugnut]

12. Oh, my. Pastrami!

I love a good Rachael sandwich. I would cross the street for a sandwich of thinly sliced pastrami on pumpernickel with spicy mustard too. Sorry I don't have any tips but I think your idea is a home run.

[sinkingfeeling]

13. What? No chopped liver on rye?

[vanlassie]

15. My DIL did this recently for her dad.

We searched a bit to find: Celery Soda. Very important, apparently! He loved it all.