Langer's Delicatessen - Beyond the Legendary Pastrami... Corned Beef Hash, Matzo Ball Soup and Lamb Shanks?

I’m pretty intrigued by this pastrami dip - I wonder how it compares to the hat.

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Hi @Ns1,

It’s been a long time since I’ve been back to The Hat. :smile: But I enjoyed Langer’s Pastrami Dip much more than The Hat from what I remember: It’s less salty, there’s Langer’s luscious Pastrami at the base, but the white bread roll was dryish (until you dipped it in enough sauce). But even with the dry bread, I think we’d rather eat Langer’s over The Hat.

I have used this recipe, Shokupan - Dreams of Dashi, to good effect. Not sure if it is as good as one would find in Japan, but it turns out quite well. Just in case @Happybaker or one of our other intrepid breadmakers wants to give it a try. It makes a great grilled cheese as well as egg salad.

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Oooohhhh.

This is very VERY interesting. And tempting. I adore Japanese white bread (which is also the closest thing I can get to the Pepperidge Farm thin white I grew up with in Pennsylvania and Ohio.)

Big problem here is, the measurements. I do not weigh. I grew up with a grandmother and mother, who mixed dough “until it looked right.” So for bread, generally, that is what I do.

ebethsdad - do you weigh when you make this recipe? Or have you translated it? (Silly story - one of my neighbors is a killer bartender and was ready to teach me his yummy mojito recipe. But, I don’t own shot glasses or jiggers. Only baking measuring cups. So with his patience, and his partners help, we figured out how to do it in baking measurements aka, 1/4 cup, 1/3 cup etc. Nothing like measuring out your rum in vintage aluminum measuring cups!)

Anyway, I also am fascinated by the cooked “starter”. May have something to do with moisture retention, as potatoes with potato water do with my grandmother’s egg bread.

Hmmmm…

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I have started weighing my baking recipes, but I often go by instinct. I don’t generally taste when I cook as I have no appetite when cooking. Usually when I cook a big meal for friends or family I only eat a nibble at best. You should be able to cook this by instinct. I loved Pepperidge Farm white bread! Made the best toast…The cooked starter is yukone. I have used it for bagels and for this bread. It really does make bread (and bagels) stay fresh longer. Keep us posted when you try it!

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@Happybaker: King Arthur has a handy conversion chart. I’ll post it on the thread I started about @ebethsdad’s recipe post.

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Totally different animals in my opinion. The Hat is thinly sliced, very fatty meat, and not in the style of a Jewish deli at all. I’ll go there when my weight is down and I feel like being bad. Langer’s is thick cut (by hand if you ask), smoked and then steamed. To me they don’t taste the same at all.

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When I first started cooking, I was like you, too. I wouldn’t taste much as I cooked and by the time everything was done and on the table, I only had the appetite for a few bites and I was done…and focused on cleaning up so I could have free/me time.

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Oh - thank you! I will go and check it out!

ebethsdad -

Well I do measure, it’s not just instinct! But for breads, there’s usually a note of “from 4 to 5 cups” which means I start at the 4 and then add until it looks right…
And ah, Pepperidge Farm white bread. Growing up many folks rolled the slices thin, brushed them with butter and used them as crusts for appetizers in mini muffin tins (instead of pastry).

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I remember my mom making those! She had a book that had a funny title like ‘how to beat the Cordon bleu’s’ or similar. I always think of the Pepperidge Farm’s bread as being more of a french Pain de Mie style. Denser than the japanese fluffy style baked with a lid to keep it very square.

Something along the likes of: Pain de Mie

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One day, just for fun, I took the giant “texas toast” bread from the 99 cents store, took the crusts off, rolled it and used it like the Pepperidge Farm bread for mushroom tarts - it worked! Pepeprridge farm bread would have been better, I am sure. But it was surprisingly tasty! (Then again #anythingsbetterwithbutter.)

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Try the fluffy white bread sold at the Japanese supermarkets (Nijiya, Mitsuwa, etc…) They can be very satisfying to toast. Sold as thick-sliced (Texas Toast style), or medium-to-thin slice also. There is also oftentimes milk bread there as well.

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That’s so funny! My son always calls the thick cut milk bread “Texas Toast” whenever I make it for breakfast. This city is such a great place to raise food children.

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Ditto!

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Because sometimes you gotta’ do it…

The #19 - Pastrami, Swiss, Russian Dressing & Slaw

The #Idk (10?) - The same as #19 without the Slaw

Did I mention the best rye bread ever!

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that #10 looks so damn good right now.

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I’ve never seen it on their menu, but I think I might have to get a pastrami Reuben next time I’m there.

When I was a kid in Cleveland, in the mid 1800s, Pepperidge Farms used to make different kinds of dense grainy breads. The loaves were about the size of Dave’s Killer Bread “Lite” size.

Damn I loved those. Haven’t seen them in like 39 years.

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the internet will refer you to the #44 version with nippy cheese. fuck that, no russian dressing no reuben.

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