What’s Happening – February 2024

I Hope Mardi Gras, Valentine’s and the Lunar New Year treated you well. We had all sorts of special days packed into the same week recently. Mardi Gras came on February 13th this year. Valentine’s was the day after. All that week was the celebration of the Lunar New Year. Often referred to as Chinese New Year. Luckily we got to celebrate all of them in 4 days.

In case you missed the news, I now have a weekly column in the Auburn Villager. I accepted their food columnist position. I am enjoying it. Please support this fine local newspaper. With local columnists.

BTW – the links in this newsletter are active. They will take you to the website or Facebook page. I hope this enhances your enjoyment of my newsletter.

Offerings from Deep

In February, we tried 2 frozen main courses from the Indian food company Deep. I told you about another time we had some in the Fall. This time we had their version of the familiar Chicken Tikka Masala.

The term masala means spices. Usually a blend of spices as in the term garam masala. Kind of a house blend that’s more fragrant and flavorful rather than hot. There are many combinations.

Chicken tikka masala is a dish where the chicken is often marinated first in a creamy, orange-colored sauce. The sauce is made with tomatoes and cream along with spices like ginger, turmeric, coriander, and cumin. It may have the addition of your version of garam masala.

The dish is mildly spicy and earthy, with a slightly sweet taste. Chicken tikka along with butter chicken and chicken korma are very popular “curry” type dishes that are not particularly hot at all. Deep’s version is served with cumin-scented basmati rice

The other offering we had was chicken vindaloo. This dish, often made using lamb, is famous for its spicy and tangy flavors. Vinegar goes in with hot spices.

Kashmiri chiles are used along garlic and vinegar. Cumin, cloves, and cinnamon add a subtle warmth. This is traditionally a dry curry that often omits onions and tomatoes.

Many times potatoes are found in a vindaloo. I was told by a restaurant person that the reason was to delineate the hot vindaloo from other dishes. Servers can easily tell which one it is. Not a bad idea.

Vindaloo is from the area of Goa – originally a Portuguese colony. Hence the source of the chilis so popular there. Goa is on the west coast of India and is south of Bombay. Tech support is not a popular industry.

Deep vindaloo is hot with very little liquid. It’s served here with turmeric rice. I usually look for this dish at an Indian restaurant. Perhaps my favorite. However, if you see a dish called Phaal on a menu, wear gloves and a mask. It will be incendiary.

The frozen offerings from Deep are single portions. They can be quickly prepared in a microwave. Two people could have one package for lunch with plenty of fresh fruit. A cucumber raita would add interest to the tikka and vindaloo. We shared both dishes for dinner.

These dishes are worth serving as are other Deep selections. Pricing is very reasonable. The packaging is easy to use too.  

Reuben Sandwiches – a Real Find

Right up front here’s the story. A Reuben sandwich is a North American creation. It’s not a European tradition. It’s a grilled sandwich using corned beef, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, and Thousand Island dressing. It’s grilled between slices of rye bread. It’s not pressed.

Here’s the deal. It is associated with kosher-style delicatessens. Restaurants around here talk about New York style. Stop right there. It is not Kosher. It combines meat and cheese. You are not going to find one in a traditional New York Kosher deli. ‘Cause it ain’t.

What matters are several things. No panini press. Nothing other than rye bread. It should be crisp and not tough or chewy. Very thinly sliced, and right then to order, tender corned beef and lots of it. Stacked and not compressed. Enough Swiss cheese that you can see and taste it. Plenty of thousand island. Enough kraut to taste it too but not overwhelm the flavors of the sandwich. You gotta taste the beef. No mayo. Mustard – not yellow – is OK, but not necessary.

It seems like that’s not too much to ask. Locally it’s hard to find. Over the last month we went shopping. Aimee and I plus some tasters. We had well over a dozen Reuben sandwiches. Yes, I was lucky enough to have some of all of them. What a treat. Also sometimes a disappointment.

Here’s who has them and some of the comments. Number ratings are not what I am usually about. There’s rarely a 5 or 10 according to the scale applied. I do make that note to myself.

As usual, I’ll tell you what I would buy again. Yes, I pay full price for my food and it’s anonymous. Right now I can’t stand. I get someone else to get the takeout. The restaurant doesn’t know it’s for me.    

The Irish Bred Pub is in downtown Opelika. On South Railroad Avenue. There’s lots of room inside plus a bar and outside seating. It’s an attractive venue.

When I called about a take-out order, the lady on the phone was very pleasant. I didn’t get that, “Oh no, it’s a to go order” tone to her voice. She was ready for my order and said she looked forward to seeing me.

Bred Pub Reuben is a good one. It surprised me. Made on rye bread with all the right things and nicely done meat. The bread is toasted. To me and tasters, the kraut overpowered the sandwich. It was strong and lots of it. But it could have been who made it that day. Take out orders don’t always get tender loving care. I placed it at 11:10 when it wasn’t busy.

BTW – The Bred Pub also serves Reuben Egg Rolls. These are cabbage rolls with corned beef and Swiss cheese.

The Breezeway is also in downtown Opelika on South 8^th Street. The 200 block. This spot is accessible from the Court House parking lot. It has been is business there for over 30 years.

Their Reuben seems to use already shaved corned beef but it’s moist and tasty. Made using a mild rye, Swiss, kraut and thousand island sauce. This version is actually grilled.  We had ours with fries included and a side salad purchased separately.

One taster said it was her absolute favorite. Not number one for me, but I’d sure get one again. Both these downtown Opelika spots do a good job but aren’t real delis. Surprise!

Another downtown Opelika restaurant is Zazu Gastropub. It’s also on South 8^th Street. They serve what they call House Pastrami Reuben. House Cured and Smoked Pastrami. It has sauerkraut, 10k sauce, and marbled rye. So it’s not a Reuben but hot pastrami with the fixings of a Reuben. We did not include it in our comparisons of actual Reuben sandwiches.

The Zazu sandwich comes with a side. Absolutely spring for the extra $2 for the duck fat fries when you go there. You’ll be glad you did.

At Tigertown in Opelika, there’s an Arby’s location. There’s another one on South College in Auburn.

Wow, was I surprised. Arby’s. A full-size Reuben on marbled rye bread. Packed full of freshly sliced corned beef. Lots of it. A little Swiss cheese and plenty of tangy sauerkraut and creamy Thousand Island.

The kraut had an interesting tang and was just right for the sandwich. The bread for this Reuben is thickly sliced and stays together. If it had been grilled, you could take it to the bank as an excellent example.

Would I get another one? Yes, I already did. The next day. I wanted to make sure and with a different taster. We decided the right thing to do might be to get an Arby’s Reuben. Then take it home, slather the outsides with butter and grill it in your own skillet of flat top. Have it hot and crispy with their curly fries. Could be the best of all.

Down Opelika Road, Culver’s is located in the Auburn Mall area. It sits in its own building. These stores claim fame to Wisconsin fare. It’s true with many dishes. They also offer a Reuben melt sandwich.

Culver’s says they use hand-trimmed corned beef done the right way. Piled high and with melted Swiss, kraut and TI dressing. They use rye for their toasted sandwich.

This is a nice sandwich with good meat. Too bad it’s not grilled. The crinkle-cut fries are fine and last well even when room temp. If in that area, this is a solid choice.

Not many of us think of a supermarket as a lunch stop. Yet Publix stores feature a sub of the week plus grab-and-go sandwiches. All three stores are located in Auburn. Another is being built in Opelika.

The Publix deli counters offer made to order Reubens. The standard set up is corned beef – yes they slice it, Swiss, kraut, TI dressing on rye. There are options to have your sandwich pressed or toasted. It can also be served plain. These folks will make all sorts of additions to the sandwich to have it just like you want it.

Ours had lots of meat. Perhaps heavy on creamy kraut. Almost like slaw. Ask for more cheese. Ours disappeared. This happened at many places. The thin bread was lightly toasted and didn’t hold up well for this slow eater. 

I would get it again and pay careful attention to what goes on it, and how it’s made. They might slip is on the griddle for you. Publix’ Reuben is lots of sandwich made right there. A combo can be ordered with chips and beverage.

Momma Goldberg’s has local stores in Auburn and Opelika. We got our Reuben from the store on Frederick Road in Opelika. This location is easy to access and has plenty of parking.

This Reuben has sort of thick corned beef perhaps not sliced there. Also kraut, TI and brown mustard. The thick regular rye for our sandwich was toasted. The bread was tough and got more so as the sandwich cooled. The meat wasn’t as tender in comparison to others. The loose construction probably came from the maker.

Also be careful of the pricing. The Opelika menu online has a price of $6.29. When Aimee picked up our order, it came in for around $8.50. Surprise! No tasters ranked this one well.

Some fast-food chains have a secret menu. Not always that secret. Often it’s made up of items no longer regularly served plus other popular combinations. This special menu is not available at all locations. And even then, not to all guests. It’s for those who know about it and know what to ask for.

Jersey Mike’s is one of those spots with a secret menu. They used to serve a sort of Reuben sandwich. It had slaw rather than kraut and was known as the R & R. Our local Jersey Mike’s doesn’t have corned beef – so no Reuben. I didn’t ask about the secret menu.

Chappy’s Deli in Auburn is located in the Glenn-Dean shopping center near Kroger. “Southern hospitality with a New York flavor” is their motto. These folks serve a full breakfast menu plus another lunch/all day menu available by 11:00.

Their menu, like others, talks about N.Y. style corned beef with melted Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, and their own version of T.I. dressing. Plus mayo & spicy mustard on this one. Unlike other Ruebens in our area, this one is served on thick dark rye. It’s is grilled even though the very dark bread tends to disguise it.

The Chappy’s Reuben is served with a small bag of Wavy Lays and Kosher dill slices. One of ours came with a single small round. Other sides are available for an extra charge.

Tasters had mixed reviews on this one. A lady said “no.” We had 3 sandwiches from Chappy’s overall. This one is wet. Very much so. We had it with potato salad, fries, and chips. Fries were quite good and a little different. The takeout packaging didn’t win any awards. Food wasn’t attractive at all. Once plated, it looked fine.  

During my month-long Reuben marathon, I had the opportunity to make acquaintance with Chappy’s owner, Michael Castanza. He’s very personable and dedicated to having a fine restaurant with excellent service. He also does a good job of catering for 1500 or more. Yikes. I have an article with more about Chappy’s in the works.  

McAlister’s Deli is located on University Drive in Auburn. It’s near Duck Samford Stadium. This is a real deli set up with restaurant amenities including outside dining. The menu is clear and online ordering is easy. The best of the ones I used.

One time the Reuben was ordered at the counter. There was a wait, so a complimentary iced tea was provided. Absolutely as it should be. The pleasant young lady got it right.

One of our Reubens was constructed differently. The creamy kraut was placed between the meat slices halfway down. Cheese at top. Not as good. Busy kitchen.

McAlister’s Reuben has lots of meat. The regular marbled rye is stacked high but not grilled. The bread wears very thin while eating. Good flavor. Mild kraut. I could see the cheese on the first one. Unfortunately no picture of that one. Taster didn’t get one. He got the bag though!

In downtown Auburn, the Big Blue Bagel serves what they call a Reuben Sub Sandwich. It has corned beef, Swiss, sauerkraut, and spicy mustard. There’s a little side of T.I. dressing. We did not try to compare this non-traditional version with the others.

BTW regular beverages Big Blue Bagel are $3.39. The highest we found on our Reuben pilgrimage.

Wow the Reuben samples were fun work. Lots of sandwiches. Probably 40% wound up is my tummy. Tough duty but somebody has to do it.

What we learned is how a Reuben is properly constructed and how much good that contributes to the enjoyment of one. Fortunately we found a few examples locally that get high marks. Ones we would get again. Some sure work. A couple didn’t go as well for us that day.

Restaurant food can be more consistent than what we make at home. They make a dish more that day than we may make it all year long. But a given day and another cook, illness, short staff and the many other things that can contribute to the sandwich. Yes, the old “the truck didn’t get here yet” can affect your sandwich. That’s why we had at least another Reuben from every place but one. Sorry Momma G.

Consider a Reuben sandwich soon. Corned beef and March have an affinity. St. Patrick’s and all of that. Maybe you a few friends can get together and have your own Reuben Crawl. I promise it will be fun.

Recent Wines

Go back to the ‘60’s and ‘70’s and when you asked for a glass of white wine, the call was for Chablis. Of course it wasn’t really Chablis – that wonderful white wine from Burgundy in France. It was a California knock off called Chablis even though it wasn’t.

Fast forward 50 years and the call is often for a glass of Chardonnay. That translates to whatever dry white wine you have by the glass.

If you look carefully, you may find another option for a glass of white wine. That may be Sauvignon Blanc. You might find this one much more interesting than a catch-all Chardonnay.

Here are four different examples of Sauvignon Blanc wines we had in the last few weeks. Consider one of these or another of your choice. If you are in the Kroger store in Auburn, AL., ask Stan Hagen. He will point you in the right direction. Most restaurants have a section of Sauvignon Blanc wine on their list. Dive in and give one a try.

Hall Ranch Sauvignon Blanc

Hall Ranch Sauvignon Blanc is a white wine from Paso Robles, California. It has aromas of apple, citrus, and flowers along with grassy notes typical of Sauvignon Blanc. We sure enjoyed its easy drinkability and modest price.

Villa des Anges Sauvignon Blanc

An excellent value for the money wine. It’s nice to find those. As good as it is with food, it’s even more enjoyable on a terrace at the beach. Fresh smell, light yellow and not too complex. Citrus and apple are the top notes to make it crispy. See it? Get some. We got 6 and wish we had more.

Grgich Sauvignon Blanc

Mike Grgich was a pioneer in California winemaking. He passed on in 2023 and left a solid legacy in wine excellence. Maybe you remember hearing about the tasting in Paris in 1976. Known as “The Judgement of Paris.”  That’s when California wines beat out their French counterparts in a head to head blind tasting. It was the Chardonnay made by Mike Grgich that led the way. The best of them all.  

Sometimes you will see “Fume Blanc.” That was a marketing term for Sauvignon Blanc that stuck. The fog sometimes looks like smoke. The wine does not taste like smoke. The Sauvignon Blanc from Grgich we had was super good. It was so fresh and juicy. It had all those flavors of tropical fruits and melon plus some lime that the fine ones have. Plenty of minerality and a really long finish. Lots of different foods find it their friend. Ours sure did.

This one is more pricey at around $35. Maybe a special occasion. Go for it. We did and were very happy. 

Honig Sauvignon Blanc

I had the opportunity to meet Michael Honig about 25 years ago. We had dinner at the same table at the Montgomery Country Club. Honig wines were served that night. Mighty good stuff especially the Cabernet Sauvignon and Sauvignon Blanc.  

Recently we had a bottle of 2023 Honig Sauvignon Blanc. We served this wine at Jimmy’s from the beginning. Tasting it for the first time in 4 years reminded me of why.

There is no better word for this wine than luscious. Right up front the nose (how it smells) is so full. Honeysuckle and flowers galore. It took me awhile to get around to tasting the wine. I kept finding new fragrances in it like jasmine.

The wine itself blends fruits like pears and peaches with citrus and all that floral to create a small explosion in your mouth. The lengthy, layered finish keeps on giving. The wine is elegant and rich. Perfectly balanced. Also it’s a great looking bottle. It’s set to see the inside of the inside of the rear label through the wine in the bottle. Killer hostess gift.

Did we like it? You bet. Absolutely. Ordered some more already. Go see Stan at Kroger. Now.

Pasta We Like to Use –

We Buy Them Locally

There are several brands of dried pasta – pasta asciutta – available locally. We really prefer a few of them. Most are not made with care. The surface is smooth and slippery. Not made to hold on to the sauce. The texture itself is rather plain. Not much flavor.

However there are a few we really like. These are available locally. They are also regular prices. None are $10 or more per pound like you may see with specialty pastas.  

The one that’s been available the longest locally is De Cecco. (dee-check-oh). Its bright blue box is quite distinctive. This pasta is produced in Milan and has been since 1886. With them, tradition is part of their family.

Most all of the traditional shapes have a home at De Cecco. About any one you need is on their list. The basic ones are carried locally. Most any others can be found online.

Another well-known company is Rao’s. Since their product line was purchased by Campbell Soups, many more products are being brought to market. Pasta was one of the first. This is fine quality. About as good as it gets. It has a rough exterior from the traditional brass dies used to extrude it. The shapes available locally are limited. The entire line in not as extensive as De Cecco. What we can get is hard to beat.

The other is rather new to our market. It is Rummo. Founded in 1846 in Benevento, Italy by Antonio Rummo, Pasta Rummo is still a family operation. Their patented “Lenta Lavorazione” method – slow process – defines their style.

The Rummo pasta we have had is excellent. It’s sure worth seeking out.  

A Sourdough Sandwich from Checker’s

There’s a new line of sandwiches available at Checker’s. They are made on sourdough toast slices. Not too thick. Just right to last through the entire sandwich – even for slow eaters like I am.

We just had one called a Sourdough Double Melt. That’s 2 patties with a Swiss slice plus melted Cheddar. Then seasoned grilled red onions and dressed with ketchup and mayo. All served between 2 slices of toasted sourdough.

This is an excellent sandwich. It’s not messy. Doesn’t drip, even though it looks like it will. Lots of flavor. Feels good in your mouth. And it looks good. Feeds one generously and works for 2 with fries. A large combo is less than $8.

There’s also a Bacon Sourdough Mother Cruncher Melt. It’s a crispy chicken filet with all those toppings and dressings plus 2 strips of bacon. Wow. Some sandwich.

Then look for a Bacon Buford Sour Dough Melt. It’s like the chicken sandwich but with 2 beef patties instead. Lots of food there too.

These are big sandwiches that are likely to leak a bit. But I bet they are controllable. The melt we had certainly was. Just right if fact. Any of them is plenty of food for all you growing boys and girls.

February Birthdays

Two well-known food television personalities have February birthdays. Both of them are in the “short” column. That doesn’t keep them from being long and tall in the food world. A really nice feature of these ladies is that they are actual chefs who can cook and write practical recipes.

The first on my list is Ina Garten – the Barefoot Contessa. That was the name of the food store she bought in East Hampton many years back. She no longer operates this store or catering company.

Chef Ina was born in Brooklyn, New York City on February 2nd 1948. However she grew up in Stamford, Connecticut. She – Ina Rosenberg – and her husband Jeffery chose to have a December wedding in 1968.

Jeffery Garten – yes he plays himself on Ina’s show. For years he was the Dean of the Yale School of Management. He now holds an Emeritus title. All that commuting business and Friday night dinner business was real.

Rumor has it that Ina Garten’s Memoir will be published this Fall.

Our other February food personality birthday is Sara Moulton. She has a long food resume and continues to lead us on food and cooking experiences on television with Sara’s Weeknight Meals on PBS.

Chef Sara was also born in New York City. February 19th 1952 is her birthday. Sara took college at the University in Michigan in Ann Arbor. She had the best major I know of: the History of Ideas.

Sara has a solid resume too. She was an assistant to Julia child. Must have been a fun kitchen, Julia was over 6′ and worked with a solid strong right had. Sara would need to stretch to get to 5″ is a lefty.

Sara was executive chef at the famed Gourmet Magazine. She has had a long and successful television career. Sara also made one of my favorite cooking quotes of all time – “Never trust a recipe. Not even one of mine.”

March Class Schedule

Our cooking classes in March – yes we are really back – center around cooking “Sous Vide” style with an immersion circulator. Corned beef is a big one. The very best way to cook this seasoned and cured beef brisket. There will be some chicken in there too. We may make a spinach and ricotta pie.

The class dates are March 10, 11, 14, 17, 18 & 21. Sundays are at 2:00, Mondays at 1:30 and Thursday at 6:00. Other class times will be added as needed.

Until Next Time

I certainly hope you have enjoyed this edition of my online newsletter – What’s Happening. As you have seen, I can talk about lots more than is possible in a newspaper. Even the Villager. It sure is fun. Plus I’ve included some of my personal feelings and experiences. Like all those Reuben sandwiches!

Next month we’ll explore a local restaurant and visit another “meat and 3”. Of course wines and other food ideas.

Our February classes were fun. The shellfish and chicken were mighty yummy.

I encourage you to let me know about anything you want me to explore. Also, please share this newsletter with others.

They can go to inthekitchenwithchefjim.com and register there.

Thank you very much. Remember “Keep Cooking – Keep Exploring.”