June 8, 2020

The Perfect Reuben Dressing

I love a good sandwich. With a great rye bread, nothing compares to a fresh made Rueben. I remember like it was yesterday the very first time I had a Rueben Sandwich. I was a busboy at a local coffee shop in Show Low Arizona. This sandwich was a really hot item on the menu. I decided to try one for my lunch break one day. My mouth was watering. I took one bite and gagged. I instantly looked around to see who had played a trick on me and had sprayed my sandwich with Raid. It tasted just like raid smelled to me. Of course no one had done that, I found out it was the caraway seed in the rye bread.

It took me years to develope a taste for caraway seeds and rye bread. Now I love it. I love the deep flavor of caraway and a good rye bread. You can learn how to make rye bread by watching a class I did on making rye bread.

When I was growing up I had the opportunity of working in a coffee shop. In those days coffee shops had Chefs that created and made sure all the food was from scratch. The luxery of already made dressings was not something practiced in the coffee shop where I worked. Everything was made from scratch. In later years I had the opportunity of working in a 5 star rated private club where again everything was made from scratch. From both of these experiences

I learned just how food can and should taste without all the chemicals that are oftened added to foods now. In fact there are few restuarants that actually make things like salad dressing from scratch. Most are bought all ready made filled with chemicals and used.

Both of these experiences working in a coffee shop and private club have made a lasting impression on me and how I cook. I developed amazing taste buds and a deep conviction of just how good foods can taste and should taste when they are made from clean natural ingredients without all the chemicals added.

Salad Dressing are one of my biggest complaints. Store bought dressings can literally last for years in your refrigerator. That right there should be a warning to you to stay away from them. The thing is we can make them in minutes and usually we have all the ingredeints on hand anyway.

Nothing compares to a fresh made dressing. And one of my favorites is a Thousand Island dressing. So easy to make and in truth when you make it fresh it turns your sandwich into a gourmet experience. One that is not easily forgotten by those who sample or eat your food. When I recently made Ruebens and shared them with my neighbors the number one comment was “Wow I loved the dressing, it was amazing”.

It was simple and easy to make and yet it was the best part of the sandwich. I have said “Change the Bread, Change the Spread, Change the Experience”. And it is true. Once you start making dressings from scratch you will love the experience and it becomes really hard to buy a bottled dressing.