Secrets of the Deli Counter

What Ricky Jay is to magic, con men and circus freaks, Ari Weinzweig is to Parmigiano Reggiano, fragrant olive oil and Tuscan salami. Which is to say he's a self-taught expert, historian and guide in his chosen field—specialty foods, most of them hand-made by artisans. Weinzweig is co-founder, chief buyer and ingredient maven at Zingerman's in Ann Arbor, Michigan, arguably the best deli west of the Hudson River, and possibly east of it as well.

You'd think 28 years of steady sampling and enthusiastic eating would leave a mark, but the 6' 3" Weinzweig stands as thin as one of his Mexican vanilla beans. His secret: savoring lesser amounts of far better ingredients. In that vein, here's a smorgasbord of additional Weinzweig wisdom, tips and deli secrets, some of them not to be found in Zingerman's Guide to Good Eating.

What most deli owners don't want their customers to know:
"The food business in general has the belief that customers can't really tell the difference. Consequently, they cut corners and buy lesser ingredients. If you eat lousy cheddar on a piece of mediocre bread your life's going to go on. Our belief has always been the opposite: customers can tell the difference, and if you do a little bit of tasting you really can learn to tell the difference between really great and not so great, in the same way that a Ford Escort and a Mercedes will both get you to the same place. It's infinitely easier to cook good food, and good food quickly, if you start with good ingredients."

Three reliable indicators of a good food shop:
1) They let you sample before you buy. "Here, we'll give a taste of anything. We'll even open a $150 bottle of aged balsamic vinegar."

2) The staff enthusiastically tells you about the food.

3) If you shop there a few times, you'd better bump into one of the owners. "Hands-on ownership makes all the difference."

The most unappreciated, misunderstood and overlooked deli items:

Anchovies—because most Americans have never tasted anything but the cheap ones in the tiny tins, which he compares to the real deal as American singles wrapped in plastic to fine aged cheddar. A couple added to sautéing onions, he advises, will enhance any homemade tomato sauce.

Wild rice—Actually an aquatic grass, not rice. "Ninety percent of the wild rice sold in this country isn't wild, it's cultivated, paddy grown and I don't think it tastes good at all," says Weinzweig, explaining the best brands are hand-harvested in Minnesota (mostly), Wisconsin and Michigan lakes and rivers. "It's earthy, mushroomy, a bit nutty, depending on the kind you get."

Saffron—Vastly overplayed as the world's most expensive spice. A proper, dish-defining pinch in a risotto or bouillabaisse for two, he stresses, might cost a buck and a half. "Like a liter of Diet Coke. And it provides a totally unique, earthy, honey flavor, a touch of sweetness and bitterness. It's great in a mayonnaise for potato salad."

Surprising but wonderful food combinations:
-Wild rice and maple syrup—in place of oatmeal for breakfast.

-Balsamic vinegar over vanilla ice cream.

-Honey and extra virgin olive oil. Drizzle some good honey in the center of a salad plate, surround with olive oil, then plow a thick hunk of bread through the mixture.

Deli dos and don'ts:
-Grate your own Parmigiano-Reggiano or Swiss Sbrinz, a richer whole milk cheese. Don't sacrifice flavor by buying pre-grated cheeses.

-As a rule, ask for your smoked salmon sliced twice as thick as the previous buyer. Thinner isn't better, Weinzweig claims. Not for smoked salmon, salami or even prosciutto, which he eschews paper-thin. A thicker slice will better enable you to fully appreciate the distinctive flavors of these deli delights.

- Store your olive oil in a cool dark place.

-Never wrap fresh bread in plastic; it will ruin the crust and texture of the bread. Use a paper bag or wax bag that will let the loaf breathe. Ditto for fine cheese. Use butcher paper or wax paper.

Latest best food discovery:
Colatura, the juice from anchovy barrels. Wonderful tossed on pasta and drizzled over warm potatoes. "We're sold out at the moment."

— Written by John Grossmann

< PREVIOUS ARTICLE NEXT ARTICLE >

Tags : ---

Login to comment