Reuben Sandwich

This is the first in an occasional feature on food - in particular food I like.  Hope you enjoy - reading and maybe trying the recipes.

So, continuing the sandwich theme here is a recipe for a Reuben sandwich - a classic from New York.

Modern day Reuben sandwiches are often open-faced and broiled, which dries out the corned beef and makes the cheese rubbery.  Or, under the misguided belief that more is better, they are overstuffed.  The main things to remember for a great Reuben are to keep the filling under control and in balance, so when you bite it you get a harmonious and succulent mouthful; and to grill the sandwich slowly, so the bread gets toasty brown and buttery crisp, the meat gets warmed through, and the cheese is just melted enough to be oozy (thats as in gooey not as in the machine gun).

Makes one sandwich

2 slices rye bread or pumpernickel

2 teaspoons butter, at room temperature

2 tablespoons Reubens Russian Dressing (see below)

1 quarter cup well drained, fresh-style sauerkraut

2 ounces thinly sliced Gruyere cheese

1 quarter pound thinly sliced american style corned beef

Butter each slice of bread evenly to the edges on one side.
Place one slice, buttered side down, in a small cold skillet - build the sandwich in the skillet you'll grill it in
Spread 1 tablespoon of the Russian dressing on the face-up, dry side of the bread.  Then put on the sauerkraut, spreading it evenly.
Arrange the cheese in an even layer over the sauerkraut, then do the same with the corned beef.
Spread another 1 tablespoon of Russian dressing on the dry side of the second slice of bread and place it, dressing side down, butter side up, over the corned beef.
Place the skillet over medium-low heat and grill the sandwich slowly, pressing down on it a few times with a wide metal spatula.  Grill until the bread is browned and crisped, then turn the sandwich over with the help of the spatula.
Now weight the sandwich down by placing a plate over the sandwich, then add on a weight, such as can of tomatoes.  Grill until the second side has browned and crisped, then flip the sandwich over one more time to briefly reheat the other side.
Serve immediately - yummy yummy.

Reubens Russian Dressing

Makes about half a cup.

half a cup of mayonnaise
1 tablespoon chili sauce or ketchup
1 teaspoon finely grated onion
half a teaspoon of horseradish
quarter teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
Caviar (optional)

Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and mix well.

NOTE - 1 CUP = 8 OUNCES

British Sandwich Week

Tomorrow is the end of British Sandwich Week.  Now I know that you can buy sandwiches, make sandwiches or get Jayne to make sandwiches all year round.  So very soon we will be having a delicious bacon sandwich for Saturday brunch.

So come on sandwich lovers indulge yourselves.

For those anoraks amongst you here is a link to Wikipedia  Sandwich history        

Just be careful not to get crumbs in your keyboard or dribble brown sauce on your screen.

Enjoy.

Note:  apologies to all my vegetarian readers.

It's 'Be Nice To Nettles Week'http://www.nettles.org.uk/nettles/events.asp

So come on you people of Midsomer give him a break and stop the murders for a few days.

Early morning pub crawl

Start of my second week off work....home alone. Jayne is back to work today. I decided I would get up and get on....no lying about in bed all morning for me. So I walked Jayne to the bus stop in the neighbouring village of Gildersome. She was on the bus on her way to work by 7.05am.


Last year, in an effort to keep fit, we mapped out a few walks around the area – each one taking about 90 minutes. So after seeing Jayne safely on the bus I set off through Gildersome and Drighlington at a steady pace.

Armed with my trusty camera I decided to take some photographs on the way....but of what....that was a good question.

By 7.10am I had an idea.

I have a bit of a thing for real ale....and why not when you can get pints of the stuff at Wetherspoons for as little as £1.39. The local supermaket has a decent selection of bottled beer and there is also small independent brewery not far from us – Leeds Brewery....not to be confused with Tetley's Brewery in Leeds which is owned by Danish brewing giant Carlsberg.

It's a disgrace that Carlsberg plan to close Tetley's brewery in 2011 after 186 years....here's a link to a newspaper article about it Telegraph & Argus - Carlsberg to close Tetley's Brewery

According to a British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) report in January last year a record 39 pubs are closing each week in Britain - here's a link to BBC report on their website - BBC Website Report from BBPA

So there I was at 7.10am stood outside the Old Griffin Head pub in Gildersome taking a photograph and listening to Bob Seger singing “The Fire Inside” on my iPod.

I decided that I would photograph all the pubs on my route this morning and see what information / history I could find out about them. Unfortunately it was much too early to have a drink in each one!!!

Not much available on the web about the Old Griffin Head. I found a History of Gildersome which says - “During the Napoleonic wars drilling of ballotted men took place before the Griffin Inn”. This suggests that there was an inn, probably on the same site or nearby back in the early 19th century.

The village wasn't very busy yet. A few dog walkers, people waiting at the bus stops, some hardy joggers and a postie in his van. The Gin Blossoms are playing on my iPod - “Allison Road”....not heard this much before....it's really quite good.

7.19am I am outside the very art deco New Inn, Gildersome....a Sam Smiths pub. Never been in here....must put that right before too long. Again can't find anything interesting about this rather handsome building except that it has a Facebook page - New Inn on Facebook

It takes another fifteen minutes strolling before I reach the next pub. Best song on the iPod so far is “When Rita Leaves” by Southside Johnny. That's just playing as I stand opposite the Valley Inn, Drighlington at 7.34am. Another Sam Smiths pub situated on the A58 Leeds – Halifax road overlooking the Cockersdale Valley. There is no name on the building just a pub sign outside.

I have been in this “establishment” a few times in my youth. My dad's friend used to run the pub many years ago now.

Heading off again the traffic on the A58 is starting to get busy. I've got Patti Scialfa on the iPod now singing “Loves Glory” from her album “Rumble Doll”.

It's 7.49am when I get to the Spotted Cow at Drighlington cross roads. Have to wait for the traffic lights to change so I can get a clear shot of the pub. This place has recently changed ownership and has been getting some good reviews. They serve a variety of real cask beers and the pub has been refurbished. It's been a few years since my last visit to the Spotted Cow. Here is a Facebook page for the pub - Spotted Cow on Facebook  The pub is a venue for meetings of the LA Crusiers – American and Custom car club.

Almost immediately, 7.50am, I am taking a photograph of The Victoria at the same cross roads while listening to “Nothing Without You” by Joe Grushecky. This a Websters pub....although Samuel Websters brewery no longer exists. It originally opened in Halifax back in 1838 and is now part of the Scottish Courage empire with the beers being brewed at the John Smith's plant in Tadcaster, near York.

Next on the iPod is Dolly Parton singing “I Will Always Love You”.... I am smiling because this is one of Jayne's favourite songs.

It takes me about three minutes to get to The Black Bull....just next door to the Post Office and The Pantry bakery....tempted to go in and see if they do bacon sarnies but manage to resist.

There is Facebook page for The Black Bull Three Wheelers 1998 - 2003

OK, starting to flag a bit now – been walking for nearly an hour.

It's 8.03am and I am opposite another pub called New Inn. This place has developed more into a restaurant serving English and Chinese food. They get really good reviews on Trip Advisor. This pub also has a Facebook page - New Inn on Facebook

The Boss is singing “Worlds Apart”.


The first of the plastic places is next at 8.09am – The Old Brickworks....built on the site of the old Drighlington and Adwalton brickworks. This is a Brewers Fayre pub with a Fun Factory for the kids. Can't think of anything else to say about it.

Bruce is now singing “American Land” with beer flowing through the faucets all night long – quite appropriate I think.

My final offering is another plastic establishment at 8.38am – The Gildersome Arms....part of the Two For One Group. This was formerly The Mill House pub and before that it was the site of a Suziki garage....that's going back a good few years. The sign outside says I can have two rump steaks and Vienetta for £9.00....now there's an offer that's too good to miss....well perhaps not eh.

There is a very inactive Facebook page called - Down with the Gildersome Arms we want a pub  This is our nearest pub....we don't go in very much....think I will join the Facebook group.

That's it then....stroll back home to Devils and Dust.

So, I know there are pubs closing down all round Leeds but in the small area I have been this morning all the pubs are still open and seem to be doing well. It was the Leeds beer festival last month....I'm afraid it passed me by.

Memo to myself to support the local pub industry a bit more during the next 12 months.

Quote....Unquote: “Once during Prohibition, I was forced to live for days on nothing but food and water”. (W.C. Fields).

Like falling off a bike

Well we had a couple of days at the seaside last week. An opportunity to visit Jayne's brother and his wife and a birthday treat for me.....well that was the idea anyway.

We had good weather - sunshine and a bit of a westerly onshore breeze. I am reliably informed that this type of breeze is better than one coming from the sea – that would be much colder.

Thursday morning - I did something I haven't done for 18 years........I rode a bike.....didn't fall off....wobbled a bit. We cycled to the “family” beach hut.....or chalet if you're posh. The beach hut is on the “prom” at Sandilands, near Sutton on Sea, looking out over the murky brown North Sea - Cote D'Azure it is not. But it was calm and the waves were gently lapping on the beach.

Sandilands out of season is a bit like a ghost town and ours was the only beach hut being used.

So we had a relaxing couple of hours there before heading off on our bikes again.

This got me thinking about seaside holidays when I was growing up.

I remember going to Blackpool a few times. We also went to Cleethorpes three years in a row and stayed at the same guest house each time. Other seaside delights included Great Yarmouth, Scarborough (we went with some neighbours from our street) and Bournemouth and a day trip to New Brighton. But by far it's Blackpool and Cleethorpes that stick out most in my memory.

Day time was usually spent on the beach. We had the regulation bucket and spade. The grown ups had deckchairs. We had great fun...digging massive holes, building sand castles and our dad had a talent for building boats.

It didn't seem to matter how cold it was we always had to go in the sea. Then we would run back up the beach shivering and try to get dressed with the towel held around you to protect your modesty. Invariably you'd fall over trying to balance on one leg while getting your underpants on.

I nearly forgot donkey rides – the names, Polly, Molly and Dolly....Ok, but you get it right. Then there was the smell....now I know people who actually like the smell of horse manure but.....phew, it can be a bit stinky when you're only a kid. And when you're queueing for the ride you really didn't want to get the little scrawny one did you or the one that was a bit too frisky. As I'm writing this Jayne says the donkey's always looked a bit sad to her and she felt sorry for them....but then she was a girl.

After the evening meal we would go to the amusement arcades, to the pier or to a show. At Blackpool there was the Pleasure Beach for the big rides. Oh the disappointment if you weren't tall enough to go on the big dipper or the dodgems! In Cleethorpes we used to go to the boating lake and dad would let us steer the motor boat....at least we thought we were.

I remember playing bingo....you know the sort I mean where you pull the little plastic cover over your number when it's called. I dreaded the thought of winning....what did you shout....bingo, line, house, here....and what if I hadn't got all the numbers right. Phew someone else has won again.

Then there was the “grabber” machines....the ones where you guided a mechanical hand into all the goodies and nearly always failed to get a prize.

Often before going to bed dad would take us to a little cafe for a mug of Horlicks or Ovaltine.

If we were really unlucky dad treated us to some culinary seafood delicacies like cockles swimming in vinegar, whelks and more recently crab sticks.

When I had children of my own my mum and dad had a caravan at Flamborough Head near Bridlington. So for a few years this was our regular summer holiday of choice. We did all the same things I did as a child....beach, sea, getting dressed behind towels, donkey rides, amusement arcades, candy floss, dough nuts, fish & chips out of paper and sand in everything from your shoes to your sandwiches.....hmm wonder if that's where the name comes from.

We don't do days at the seaside much now – must try harder (now that's a subject for another blog).

Thought for tomorrow: The Tory Party is the cream of society – thick, rich and full of clots. (Anon)

                                                                

 

 

Two weeks off work

Quote....unquote: “The alternative to a vacation is to stay home and tip every third person you see”

I usually have time off work at this time of year. It's my birthday tomorrow and I like to be at home and not working so I save some of my annual leave to use at this time of year. I also use some of my time off to deliver leaflets for local elections (and this year of course a general election).

Perhaps, I think, that me and Jayne are a bit odd – now is not the time for you all to agree!!!

For a great many people having time off work means going on holiday – a vacation or a staycation – somewhere away from home. This might be to relax on a beach, a city break or an activity holiday – or any number of things. Trains, planes and automobiles. Long haul, short haul, self drive, coach, whatever floats your boat or indeed your cruise liner.

Don't get me wrong we have enjoyed some great holidays over the last 20 years or so. We've been to New York, Dublin, Paris, Amsterdam, Dominican Republic, Washington DC, Lake Garda, Majorca, Turkey, Minorca, Canary Islands, Mediterranean cruise, Normandy Beaches. In the UK we've also had breaks in The Cotswolds and Chester.

I wouldn't have missed any of those holidays and we had a wonderful time on each one – well except for Turkey where we had a run in with two men and a camel; and the Dominican Republic where we just had the runs for two weeks and got caught in the tail end of a hurricane.

Despite this I still love being in my own home surrounded by my things.

I don't have to get up for a sun bed, sit on the coach for another day trip, or feel like I have to do something, anything just because I am on holiday.

Yesterday, first day of my holiday, I stayed in bed until 11.30am. Logged onto computer. Watched some telly. Listened to music. Generally mooched around. It was just good to be at home and not have to make an effort.

Three of our holidays – New York, Dublin and Paris – were made to see Bruce Springsteen concerts. I'm not going to say anymore about this because I know that most of my family don't get it (especially my little brother Trevor). If you do want to read about our passion for The Boss have a look at Jayne's blog here idratherbeataspringsteengig

So I must admit that having been to NYC everything I have said about preferring to stay at home sounds even to me to be a bit.....well......odd. NYC is the exception that proves the rule – never did understand what that phrase meant – still don't.

Right must go. Did I say it's my birthday tomorrow (same day as QE2 – the queen not the boat). Need to pack our bags we're going away for a couple of days holiday to Sutton on Sea!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thought for tomorrow: There's a fine line between fishing and standing on the riverside looking like an idiot.

Good common sense