The Second Avenue Deli Cookbook (13 page)

Read The Second Avenue Deli Cookbook Online

Authors: Sharon Lebewohl

A
NTONIO
P
AGÃN
âformer New York City councilman (whose district included the Second Avenue Deli) and candidate for Manahattan Borough presidentâis currently the commissioner of the New York City Department of Employment. He champions a “roll up your sleeves and get things done” approach to government. His leadership was instrumental in the conversion of Tompkins Square Park from an open-air drug market to a beautiful urban oasis.

I first met Abe Lebewohl in the mid-1980s at a Community Board meeting, where we were both involved in doing something about a neighborhood shelter that was bringing a lot of crime into the area. We became pals, and, over political chitchat at the Deli, he introduced me to Jewish food, overcoming any reluctance on my partâe.g., to kishke, which he informed me was the stuffed casing of a cow's intestine!âwith his usual candor (“Try it. You eat more disgusting things”). I was soon converted; by 1994, when he celebrated the Deli's fortieth anniversary with a one-day return to 1954 prices, I arrived when the doors opened and stuffed myself to bursting, sampling almost every item on the menu (the one exception was gefilte fish; you have to be born Jewish for that).

Over the years, our political discussions focused on four areas only: New York, the Lower East Side/East Village, Russia, and Israel. The rest of the world didn't exist for him. When I ran for councilman, he was my biggest supporter, raising money (he threw my first fund-raiser), drumming up support (as the unofficial “Mayor of Second Avenue” he had tremendous influence), and encouraging me to bring reporters, especially hostile ones, to the Deli. As I sweated through tough interviews in a Deli booth, Abe was stuffing knishes into reporters' mouths, bantering with them, and sending them off with big bags of food. No one was happier than Abe when I won the electionÂ â¦Â well, maybe my mother.

A great friend and a political ally, Abe was also a mentor. When I was invited to Israel along with other developing American political leaders, he spent several months prior to my trip briefing me about Israeli history, politics, and culture. More importantly, he served as a political role model, always evaluating issues individually rather than according to a party line, striving to understand everyone's point of view before adopting a position, and never looking at people's differences but emphasizing instead what they had in common.

Antonio PagÃ¡n's Chicken Soup

SERVES
8

This is my own version of a traditional Puerto Rican chicken soup.

Â½ bunch fresh cilantro, coarsely chopped

3 cloves garlic

1 cup coarsely chopped onion

1 medium green pepper, coarsely chopped

Â½ cup cold water

8 cups plain chicken soup, stock, or broth (fresh or canned)

2 Idaho potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes

2 cups cooked chicken meat (preferably from a roasted chicken), cut into bite-sized pieces

Salt (the amount will depend on how much salt is in the chicken stock you use; if it's salty, you may not need any)

Â¼ teaspoon fresh-ground pepper

OPTIONAL INGREDIENTS AND GARNISHES

Â½ cup cooked white rice

Finely chopped dried fresh mint or basil leaves

Fresh-squeezed lemon juice

Extra-virgin olive oil

1. In a food processor, chop cilantro, garlic, onions, and green pepper to a fine consistency. Add Â½ cup cold water, stir, and set aside.

2. In a large stockpot, bring chicken soup to a boil. Add cilantro-garlic-onion-green pepper mix, reduce heat, and simmer for 10 minutes.

3. Add potatoes, chicken, salt, and pepper, and continue to simmer until potatoes are fully cooked.

4. Add rice, and adjust salt and pepper to taste. Garnish each bowl with mint or basil leaves, a squirt of lemon juice (to taste), and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil.

Art D'Lugoff's Moroccan Chicken Soup

SERVES
8

Jazz impresario
Art D'Lugoff
gave us this soup recipe. We love it, because though it looks and tastes very impressive, it's quick and easy to prepare.

8 cups clear chicken soup or stock

2 cups diced cooked chicken

â cup red pepper, chopped into Â¼-inch pieces

â cup green pepper, chopped into Â¼-inch pieces

3 tablespoons fresh chopped dill

3 cups cooked couscous (prepare according to package directions)

1 tablespoon unsweetened cinnamon

Salt (the amount will depend on how much salt is in the chicken stock you use; if it's salty, you may not need any)

Â¼ teaspoon pepper

Fresh lemon or lime

1. Combine all ingredients (except lemon or lime) in a large stockpot, and stir well. Bring soup to a boil; then reduce heat, and simmer for 2 minutes. Squeeze 2 teaspoons of lemon or lime juice into each bowl before serving, and garnish each portion with a citrus slice.

Split Pea Soup

SERVES
8
TO
10

2Â½ cups dried split peas

10 cups clear chicken soup or stock

2 cups very finely chopped onion

1 cup very finely chopped carrot

Â¾ cup very finely chopped parsnip

Â¾ cup very finely chopped celery

1 large bay leaf

1 tablespoon finely chopped or crushed fresh garlic

Salt (the amount will depend on how much salt is in the chicken stock you use; if it's salty, you may not need any)

Â¼ teaspoon pepper

3 tablespoons cornstarch

1 15-ounce can sweet peas, drained

Croutons

1. Pour split peas into a colander and, under running water, wash and pick through to remove all foreign particles. Cover with water, let soak for 1 hour, and rinse. Repeat.

2. Place chicken soup, split peas, and onions in a large stockpot. Bring to a rapid boil, remove some of the foam with a slotted spoon, then reduce heat, and simmer for 30 minutes.

3. Add carrots, parsnips, celery, and bay leaf, and simmer for another 30 minutes.

4. Add garlic, salt (only if needed), and pepper, and simmer for another 15 minutes. Remove bay leaf.

5. Place cornstarch in a bowl, and add 3 tablespoons cold water, one at a time, stirring until smooth and all cornstarch is dissolved. Add 1 cup soup liquid, a little at a time, and stir until smooth. Bring soup to a boil. Add cornstarch mixture to soup, and, stirring constantly, boil for 2 minutes. Add canned peas, and stir in. Add salt to taste. Serve with garlicky croutons.

Note:
Vegetables (except the peas) need to be very finely chopped to the size of â-inch pebbles; this is best done in a food processor.