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How Do You Like Your Deli Meat Cut?

partysugar — Wed, 13 May 2009 10:15:30 -0700

How to Tell When Lunch Meats Are Bad

partysugar — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 08:00:05 -0700

The other day DearSugar dragged me to the kitchen and asked me to inspect her sliced deli turkey. It had been sitting in the fridge for more than a couple of days and she wasn't sure if the turkey was still edible or not. I explained that there are several ways to tell when cold cuts have gone bad:

Start by looking at the sell by date. All lunch meats (whether they are prepackaged or fresh cut from the deli) have a sell by date. It's best to consume the meat within seven to 10 days after the sell by date.
Generally speaking, once it's been opened, eat within three to five days.
If the meat is extremely slimy with a film on the outside, throw it away.
Any odd or off smells of vinegar, ammonia, or yeast mean it's time to throw the turkey, pastrami, or ham out.
This goes without saying, but if there's any mold or growths on the meat or package, dispose of it immediately.

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How to Make a New Jersey Sloppy Joe

partysugar — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 06:50:45 -0700

A couple of weeks ago, Brian Sugar, came to my desk with an incredibly giddy look on his face. He had purchased 10 pounds of turkey and 10 more of pastrami, quarts of coleslaw and Russian dressing, and countless loaves of Rye bread. He was going to make a "New Jersey Sloppy Joe." According to Mr. Sugar, in New Jersey, a sloppy joe isn't the common combination of ground beef and juicy tomato sauce, it is rather, a wet sandwich somewhere between the classic Reuben and a pastrami sandwich. Intrigued, I followed him to the conference room where a makeshift assembly line was set up. Naturally, I had to document the technique to share with you. To learn how to make Brian Sugar's New Jersey Sloppy Joe, simply start clicking!

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Happy Hot Pastrami Sandwich Day!

partysugar — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 01:18:33 -0800

Today is National Hot Pastrami Sandwich Day and I'm excited! I love a good pastrami sandwich and decided to challenge you by putting together a quiz. What do you really know about pastrami sandwiches? Find out now, just take the quiz!

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Take the quiz

How One Sandwich Takes Me Home

partysugar — Fri, 23 Mar 2007 10:51:32 -0700

There is a special place deep in every American's heart for their all time favorite deli sandwich. Whether it's pepper turkey with creamy avocado and crisp bacon or sharp cheddar, sweet mustard and Italian salami, everyone has a best-loved sandwich. More importantly, a particular deli that makes their beloved sandwich with just the right ratio of oil/vinegar to bread and perfectly thin slices of roast beef. My all time favorite deli in the world is called Lucchesi Deli and is located in the town where I was born and raised. Lucchesi's, as locals know it affectionately, is your typical mom-and-pop deli with sandwiches, salads, daily soup, deli meats, bread, and my personal weakness, deviled eggs. The baguettes are made fresh daily, have a soft inside and crisp, crunchy outside. The wide variety of cheeses and meats makes each sandwich an individual masterpiece. Lucchesi's sandwiches pair perfectly with a cherry coke and lightly salted kettle chips. The deli has been voted the best in town more than once in the past few years and the friendly rapid, no fail service combined with delicious sandwiches is what keeps customers like myself coming back. Making a stop for lunch at Lucchesi's brings me back to my roots. I remember when my dad would buy me sandwiches when I was a little girl; in high school we'd sneak out of class a few minutes early for lunch to beat the line at Lucchesi's; when I arrived at the airport from living abroad for two years, my sister had a cooler with a sandwich in her car. To me the sandwiches convey the essence of coming home: there is comfort, nostalgia, and a sense of belonging in each bite. Well Fed About Town asked me to tell them about my preferred deli, and now I'm asking you readers, what's your favorite deli?

What Is Your Favorite Deli Meat?

partysugar — Tue, 27 Feb 2007 10:57:32 -0800

Definition: Salumi

partysugar — Fri, 26 Jan 2007 12:21:12 -0800

Salumi
Not to be confused with salami, salumi is the Italian term that is becoming more and more popular in American restaurants and kitchens. It refers to all Italian pork deli meat products: salt-cured meats, salami, salsiccia, prosciutto, bresaola, ham, prosciutto, mortadella, etc. In Italy a salumeria is a shop where salumi are sold.

'Wich of the Week: Cap'n Blue Cheese Chicken Sandwich

YumSugar — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 14:00:09 -0700

With double-meat sandwiches, it is important to tread carefully. So for this indulgent combination of marinated chicken and cured meat, I gathered exceptionally gourmet ingredients: Point Reyes blue cheese, capocolla (aka coppa) from Chris Cosentino's Boccalone deli, and organic chicken thighs. Since I was piling meat upon meat with creamy cheese, I made extra-small sandwiches using soft but firm dinner rolls.

Somewhere between salami and pancetta in terms of flavor, the capocolla adds a bacon-y bite, so the resulting cap-and-cheese-laden creation is reminiscent of a bacon cheeseburger without the beef. Using chicken thighs and a nutty, salty marinade adds to the heartiness, while the sautéed mushrooms and tomato help temper the richness. To get the recipe for this double-meat delicacy, read more.

Cap'n Blue Cheese Chicken Sandwich
Original recipe

Ingredients

1/4 cup peanut sauce
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
1/3 cup soy sauce
3 tablespoons sesame oil
1 tablespoons hot sauce (such as Tabasco)
4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
8 pieces of thinly sliced capocolla, or coppa
2-ounce block of blue cheese, sliced
2 small roma tomatoes, cut into 8 slices
1 cup button mushrooms, ends trimmed and caps sliced
1 tablespoon butter or olive oil
4 soft but sturdy white dinner rolls

Directions

In a medium bowl, combine the first five ingredients to make the marinade. Toss the chicken thighs in the mixture so that they are evenly coated; cover and refrigerate for 1-3 hours.

Preheat oven to 375°F. Place the chicken thighs, with the marinade, in a casserole dish. Bake for 20 minutes or until the juices run clear.
Heat one tablespoon of butter or olive oil in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add the sliced mushrooms and sautée until medium-brown and soft, 10-12 minutes.

To make each sandwich, slice the dinner roll horizontally, stopping just at one edge to create a hinge. On the bottom half, place one chicken thigh, followed by two pieces of capocolla, two slices of blue cheese, and two tomato slices.
Divide the mushrooms evenly among sandwiches, and place atop the tomato. Cover mushrooms with top half of roll and serve.

Makes 4 sandwiches.

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How Long Will It Last?

partysugar — Thu, 22 May 2008 15:00:22 -0700

The other day I opened my refrigerator and pulled out the gourmet Italian bologna I had been snacking on earlier in the week. However, I was greeted by that gross, gag-inducing old lunchmeat smell. Disappointed and shocked, I wondered: Just how long does fresh sliced deli meat last? I did some research and came across an incredibly useful chart that lists tons of ingredients and how long they last in the fridge or freezer. According to the chart, my open luncheon meat lasts just three to five days in the fridge.

To check out the shelf life of a bunch of common ingredients, read more.

**Food Storage Chart**
Ingredient	Refrigerator	Freezer
Fresh eggs in their shells	3 to 5 weeks	Don't freeze
Raw eggs or yolks, out of the shell	2 to 4 days	1 year
Hard boiled eggs	1 week	Don't freeze well
Store-prepared (or homemade) egg, chicken, ham, tuna, macaroni salads	3 to 5 days	Don't freeze well
Hot dogs, opened package	1 week	1 to 2 months
Hot dogs, unopened package	2 weeks	1 to 2 months
Luncheon meats, opened package	3 to 5 days	1 to 2 months
Luncheon meats, unopened package	2 weeks	1 to 2 months
Bacon	7 days	1 month
Hamburger and stew meat	1 to 2 days	3 to 4 months
Steaks	3 to 5 days	6 to 12 months
Cooked meat and meat casseroles	3 to 4 days	2 to 3 months
Uncooked chicken or turkey, pieces	1 to 2 days	9 months
Cooked Poultry	6 months, unopened 3 to 4 weeks, opened	4 months
Cheese, Hard (such as Cheddar, Swiss)	3 to 4 days	6 months
Cheese Soft (such as Brie, Bel Paese)	1 week	6 months
Cream Cheese	2 weeks	Doesn't freeze well
Milk	7 days	3 months
Butter	1 to 3 months	6 to 9 months
Fresh fish	1 to 2 days	2 to 3 months
Cooked fish	3 to 4 days	4 to 6 months
Shrimp, scallops, crayfish, squid, shucked clams, mussels and oysters	1 to 2 days	3 to 6 months
Cooked shellfish	3 to 4 days	3 months

Don't see your ingredient on the list? Here is the completed list, which has evem more items.

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YumSugar Gift Guide: The Boss

partysugar — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 08:00:05 -0800

When selecting a gift for your boss, start by thinking about their interests. Take my boss for example; let's call her Nancy.

Nancy loves sandwiches, Frappuccinos, and New Orleans. Naturally, I'll get her gifts that coincide with these themes.

She'll enjoy a salami gift set from San Francisco's newest house cured deli, Boccalone. A Starbucks gift card will give her the daily luxury of delicious coffee. A meat t-shirt is conversation-provoking and daring.

For more ideas browse below, or head to HolidaySugar. Happy Holidays!