Jewish Delicatessens: Not Your Local Sub Shop

 The best delis have an adjoining bakery which sells authentic bagels, bialys, cookies and rolls, along with take-out foods and salads. Some of the old timers like the Stage Deli and the Carnegie Deli have gone the way of the dinosaur (go figure) but some still flourish, especially in NYC, Chicago and of course Miami. We're not talking sandwich or sub shops here, we're talking honest-to-gosh authentic delis where you'd swear grandma was making matzo balls in the kitchen. Here is what you can expect to find if you venture into a good one:

Lox and bagels or bialys, with or without a schmear of cream cheese (if they don't serve these, you made a wrong turn and you're at Subway)

A comforting bowl of matzo ball soup - a light dumpling made with matzo meal in chicken broth, or kreplach, a heavier meat-filled dumpling

Borekas - filled pastries made of a thin flaky phyllo dough and filled with spinach, cheese or sometimes meat (also a Greek dish)

Kugel - popular baked noodle dish, can be sweet or savory

Shashuka - spicy dish of eggs poached in a sauce of tomatoes, chili peppers, and onions, often spiced with cumin

Potato latkes - your basic potato pancakes, served with applesauce and sour cream

Brisket and pastrami sandwiches - best served warm on Jewish rye with lots of mustard, coleslaw on the side

Blintzes - usually fruit fill and served with sour cream, similar to a crepe

Potato knishes - a heavier dumpling-type usually filled with, potato and onions

Reuben sandwich - classic grilled sandwich with corned beef, sauerkraut, swiss cheese and thousand island dressing (you can go "lighter" with turkey) delicious

Potato salad and coleslaw - the perfect side dish, creamy and plenty of it

Matzo breh - pieces of matzoh lightly sauteed in butter and scrambled with eggs, the perfect breakfast

Chocolate egg cream - a tall drink with a splash of milk, flavored syrup and fizzy water (no egg or cream)

Chopped liver - usually a plate with a mound of chopped liver, accompanied by sliced onions, tomatoes, chopped egg and served with rye bread

Kosher dill pickles - the best, say no more

Brown mustard - the spicier the better (forget that yellow stuff)

Gefilte fish - not high on everyone's favorites but a traditional white fish and part of a traditional holiday meal, served cold

Matzo - flat tasteless popular cracker, part of a traditional Jewish passover meal

Kasha - buckwheat groats, pretty tasteless but very traditional (great source of fiber)

Babka - coffee cake

Loaves of braided challah, a traditional sweet holiday bread which usually contains raisins, similar to a brioche

Sufganiyot - a jelly donut

Rugelah - a sweet rolled dough cookie filled with raisins and nuts

Many Jewish dishes of course have a similar version in neighboring countries like Poland, the Mediterranean countries and Russia, and many are part of a traditional holiday meal such as Passover. But what has evolved into the classic delicatessen, with its mile high sandwiches, matzo ball soup and chopped liver is unique unto itself. The waiters are rude and rushed, the portions are large, and the customers are hungry. What's not to like?

Food Storage: Storing Your Leftovers Safely

 After a great party or dinner celebration, deciding what to do with a table full of leftovers may not be at the forefront of your mind, but it's an important part of partying. It's certainly a pity to waste good food, but letting leftovers linger without temperature control can be unsafe.

Any food left out for more than two hours is susceptible to harmful bacterial growth and should be disposed of. This goes for any part of the meal, and it's especially important if your leftovers have been sitting out in the summer heat. This holds true for both cold and hot foods, so be sure to serve foods immediately before mealtime and store anything that's sitting out as soon as the meal is coming to a close.

Bacteria thrive between 41 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit - this is known as the temperature "Danger Zone" for food storage. As soon as the food hits that range, bacteria start growing immediately, so the less time spent in that zone, the safer the food is.

Wrap it up!

How should you handle what's left?

• Save only the food you know to have been handled safely in the first place, and which hasn't been tainted by double-dipping or by lots of hands picking at it. If it's been sitting out uncovered in your backyard, get rid of it.

• Be honest in assessing what you are likely to eat over the next three or four days. While no one likes throwing away food, it's not worth storing it in your fridge just to end up throwing it out anyway. If you'd like to save them, freeze them immediately.

• Be sure to store foods properly. Pack meats separately from vegetables and grains. Mark the storage containers or bags with the item names and the dates you packed them in addition to a "use-by" date so you can keep track of what to use by when.

• Cool all foods completely before storage. Make sure your refrigerator is working to keep food cold enough, preferably no more than 40 degrees. You can help keep the temperature consistent by not overloading the refrigerator, which compromises its efficiency - another reason to be choosy about what you're saving!

• When reheating, leftovers must reach a minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit for at least 30 seconds to kill bacteria. It's best to do this on the stove top or in the oven as microwaves don't heat evenly and some areas may be heated properly and others may not be hot enough. Be sure to use a thermometer to check the temperature, removing the food from the heat source before checking the to make sure you're getting an accurate reading and you're not just measuring the temperature of your heat source!

In Conclusion

Storing your leftovers safely not only keeps you from wasting delicious food, it prevents the growth of dangerous bacteria and limits your exposure of foodborne illnesses. Any hot or cold foods should not be left out for more than 2 hours. Be choosy about what you decide to save, and be sure to eat it within a couple of days.

When in doubt, toss it!

Bonnie R. Giller helps chronic dieters and people with medical conditions like diabetes take back control so they can get the healthy body and life they want. She does this by creating a tailored solution that combines three essential ingredients: a healthy mindset, caring support and nutrition education.