2nd Avenue Deli

When I get asked what I miss about New York, I often answer Broadway shows (I didn't go all that often) or Central Park or Bloomingdales (which is a completely legitimate answer) or the energy of the city. But what I should say is 2nd Avenue Deli. I ate there a handful of times as a child although my parents were bigger Carnegie Deli fans. Citycrab took me on our first date there. I ordered something I am embarassed to admit and he still makes fun of me: salami and eggs. What was I thinking? I was thinking I am not going to go whole hog on a corned beef.

We spent many mornings waiting in line, our mouths watering over the rugelach in the case and we prayed for someone to pay their check and leave. Then, there was the pickled tomato incident. I grew up on pickled tomatoes. They were a mainstay at Sunday afternoon lunch at my grandparents. Well, one day while we were perusing our menus I ordered a diet Dr. Brown's black cherry and some pickled tomatoes. CityCrab shot me a nasty look as if to say, if you inconvenience the waiter, he'll serve us cold soup. Well, needless to say, he came right back with my tomatoes. And, to this day, CityCrab consistently eats them when I bring them home in jars. The other classic I love from there is the health salad. A sweet, tangy and slightly oily (but in a good way) coleslaw, if you will. As I have taken on canning as a recent hobby, I had dreams of 2nd Ave. pickles. Well, thanks to amazon.com and a purveyor of used books, I am now in possession of the offical cookbook.

In addition to the wonderful stories and memories listed inside, they have the 2 greats: pickles and health salad. Of course, CityCrab remarked, they do not have their corned beef or pastrami recipe in there but who can blame them? So, I got cracking on the health salad. It lives up to it's name with lot of cabbage and just 2 tablespoons of oil. I am fermenting a batch now and will can it tomorrow. That way I can enjoy 2nd Ave. all winter long. I'll conquer pickles next.