The Second Avenue Deli Cookbook Read Online Free PDF Page B

teaspoons salt
    Â½ teaspoon pepper
    1. Cut greens, roots, and stems off beets. Wash beets, and cut in half vertically. Place in pot with water to cover, bring to a boil, lower heat, and simmer for 1 hour.
    2. While beets are cooking, fill a large stockpot three-quarters full with water and bring to a vigorous boil. Add potatoes, lower heat, and simmer 25 to 30 minutes, until tender but firm. Rinse, drain, and set aside.
    3. In a smaller pot, cook diced carrots for 25 minutes, add peas, and cook 2 minutes more. Rinse, drain, and set aside.
    4. When beets are cooked, let them cool a bit; then peel, and chop into ⅜-inch pieces.
    5. Place beets, potatoes, peas, carrots, and all other ingredients in a large bowl, and mix gently but thoroughly. Serve chilled.
    T HE FIRST U NITED S TATES SENATOR from New York of Italian descent, Alfonse D’Amato was initially elected to the Senate in 1980 and served three consecutive terms. During his tenure, he was a staunch supporter of Israel (he flew to Tel Aviv during Operation Desert Storm while Iraqi Scud missiles rained down); of fostering Jewish emigration from the USSR; and of strong measures against terrorism (in 1997, Congress passed his bill that says to the nations of the world: “You can trade with the terrorist states of Iran and Libya, or you can trade with us. It’s that simple”). D’Amato also relentlessly pursued Swiss banks, forcing them to acknowledge their obligation—and initiate procedures—to return stolen monies to Holocaust victims.
    I have to admit to being a bit biased. After all, Abe was a friend and supporter of mine. He was a great guy to have in your corner. You could easily forget that this guy—always helping people through his overwhelming generosity—had a business to run. I love the Second Avenue Deli, and I loved Abe dearly. I’m sure that Abe was also good to me because of my loyalty to the Jewish community and Israel. This was particularly important to him as a Holocaust survivor.
    You know, Washington is not New York—white bread and hoagies are more the staple down here. What a hit I was with all my colleagues when Abe would cater one of my events. They knew nothing of Abe’s kishke, corned beef, knishes, pastrami, and goulash, but when they started to
fress
(Yiddish for pig out, though not on pig, of course), they did it with the gusto of any New Yorker.
    Antoinette D’Amato’s Orzo Salad
    SERVES 6 AS A SIDE DISH
    Antoinette D’Amato, the senator’s mother, is a whiz in the kitchen. On occasion, she caters Al’s Senate lunches in Washington. This colorful salad takes only about 15 minutes to prepare. We loved it.
    1 teaspoon cooking oil
    1 pound orzo (oat-shaped pasta)
    1 cup pitted, sliced black olives
    1 cup diced pimiento
    â…“ cup chopped scallions
    â…“ cup finely chopped parsley
    2½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice
    5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
    Salt
    Freshly ground pepper
    1. Bring 6 cups of water to a boil (add a teaspoon of oil to keep pasta from sticking). Toss orzo into boiling water, reduce heat, and simmer for 9 to 11 minutes, until tender but not overcooked. Rinse in cold water, and drain.
    2. Add all other ingredients, including salt and pepper to taste, and toss well.

    Cucumber Salad
    SERVES 6
    The Deli’s cucumber salad needs to marinate overnight, so plan to prepare it a day in advance.
    2½ long, straight, thin cucumbers
    4 paper-thin slices cut from the center of a large onion (separate the rings, and cut them into thin strips)
    Â½ cup white vinegar
    Â¼ cup sugar
    2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill
    Â½ teaspoon salt
    â…› teaspoon white pepper
    1. Wash cucumbers well. Using a potato peeler, stripe the exterior of each cucumber by peeling ½-inch strips (they’ll alternate aesthetically with ½-inch strips of dark green peel). Don’t worry about making your strips perfect; they’ll look fine when the cucumbers are