Roast Beef

Dad always said he would eat anything except Beef Stroganoff. That is a bit of an exaggeration, but not much. In the early years of our marriage I tried lots of new recipes – the old 365 ways to make chicken approach. Some recipes came out well and went into my repertoire; a lot were forgettable. And then there was Beef Stroganoff. It was so bad it was completely inedible, even for someone who tried everything.

So what does Dad like? Of course Italian is his favorite and he would be happy with spaghetti and tomato sauce every night. He also likes traditional Jewish foods and remembers fondly when he was a child and lived in a two family house with his grandparents. Every night he had two dinners – one at home and one cooked by his grandmother, an old fashioned European cook. His mouth still waters when he thinks of her kreplach, imitation gefilte fish, and apple strudel.

So Dad’s repertoire comes from his grandmother by way of Jenny Grossinger’s Jewish Cookbook, one of the books Kit gave us for our wedding. Dad likes to make stuffed cabbage and potato kugel. He also likes roast beef deluxe sandwiches and loves hot dogs in all their varieties: slaw dogs, chili dogs, and of course, the incomparable Costco hot dogs.

This is not to say that Bobby does not have an enduring legacy in the Claremon kitchen. I cook and he cleans up. It’s not a bad deal. If you invite him over for any of these recipes or new ones of yours, he’ll clean your kitchen afterward, too.

Here is Dad’s favorite sandwich – the Roast Beef Deluxe:
Slice a sweet French bread into 6 inch lengths. Slice the bread in half lengthwise and place on a baking sheet with the insides facing up. Place 2 or 3 slices of Swiss cheese on one side. Place 2 or 3 slices of roast beef on the other side. Spread Cole slaw over the Swiss cheese. Bake in the oven about 5 minutes until the roast beef is browned.