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Classic Corned Beef
Much-heralded Star Deli slow-cooks its own tender temptations.
W
hen he left Poland with his
Sid and Harry don't buy
family back in 1939, youth-
corned beef already cooked or
ful Sidney Neuman held on to
processed ... They purchase
dreams of someday becoming a doctor.
raw corned beef briskets and
However, dreams have a way of disap-
cook them for 31/2 hours in their
pearing in Siberia, where, through an
ultimate development ... The
agreement between Nazi Germany and
meats' tenderness and goodness
Soviet Russia, many Jewish families in
is a result of being prepared by
Poland were sent by Josef Stalin.
themselves, the old-fashioned
Sid's family was one of them ... After
way.
six years there, he was allowed to return to
The large-selling delicious
Poland because he was a Polish citizen, but tuna fish at Star Deli is an orig-
instead went to the American sector and
inal-recipe Albacore tuna salad
then to Baltimore, Chicago and Detroit.
that also has received much acclaim, made
Sid's dream of one day becoming a
on the premises along with fine potato
medical doctor was never shattered ...
salad, coleslaw, etc. ... All are not only
He knew a lot more about colds than he
popular here, but throughout the country
did of corned beef
to former Detroiters,
when studying science
recalls Sid ... Like the
at Wayne University,
gent in Aspen, Colo.,
where he tasted his
who paid $57 a pound
first sandwich.
for four pounds of Star's
He never did become
corned beef ... The bill
a medical doctor, and
with shipping came to
is happy that he didn't
$220, says Sid.
... With son Harry,
When telling people
who entered the busi-
that one of the most
ness four years after
Star Deli owners Sid and Harry
popular delicatessens in
Sid opened, they own
Neuman
this area has no tables
and operate one of the
and chairs, they look
largest little carryout-only delicatessens in
at you strangely ... And that if you want
America, the excellent Star Deli on 12 Mile
to eat your sandwich right then and there,
Road, west of Telegraph, Southfield.
which many do, they go out to the car and
The dimensions have never changed
munch away ... For years, people have
since Sid bought Star Deli after coming
wondered why little Star Deli never became
here to take over the small food operation,
a sit-down delicatessen. ... But Sid and
whose 600-foot kitchen was as big as the
Harry know that those who mess around
entire front.
with success are fools.
It didn't take Sid long to learn the ins
The size hasn't changed in 37 years
and outs of the deli game ... and to find
... 1,200 square feet, all told, including
out the secret passion he had developed ... the kitchen that puts out blintzes, soup,
Sid wanted to make corned beef, pastrami, chicken salad, stuffed cabbage, chopped
etc., better than anyone else, and he was
liver, etc.
thrilled to find out about and perfect what
The 37 years of Star Deli delight is a far
is today a seemingly lost art among many
cry from the early days when Sid came
of the nation's Jewish delicatessens.
here and purchased the shop ... Yes, Sid
and Harry toyed with the
idea of a sit-down delicates-
sen, but only very slightly ...
And instead, they eventu-
ally became owners of the
entire strip center that today
is referred to as "the place
where Star Deli carryout is
located:'
THOSE DELICIOUS
sweet potato muffins folks
love at Beans & Cornbread,
Northwestern Highway,
Southfield, are now also at Hiller's
Markets, 14 Mile and Haggerty, Commerce
Township, and Orchard Lake Road and
Maple in West Bloomfield ... plus Plum
Markets, Maple & Lahser, Bloomfield
Township, and Orchard Lake Road and
Maple, West Bloomfield.
HOW DO YOU LIKE your chicken soup?
... What started out many years ago as a
classic American dish of clear broth with
small pieces of chicken or vegetables, or
with noodles or dumplings, has evolved
into an international dish with unbeliev-
able variations one never dreamed would
become such reality ... Persian, Jamaican,
Mexican, Thai, Bulgarian, Italian, Korean,
Brazil, Chinese, etc., prepared well over 100
different ways.
The ones with more note than others
are probably the Jewish styles like moms
use to make and many still do, but the
worldwide versions continue to gain much
popularity.
No doubt folks will see many of the
adaptations at the Second Annual Chicken
Soup Cookoff, Sunday, Jan. 29, noon-1:30
p.m., by Temple Shir Shalom on-Walnut
Lake Road, just east of Orchard Lake Road,
West Bloomfield ... Tickets are adults, $5;
children, $3; and families, $15.
Proceeds will aid several causes ... feed-
ing and sheltering residents at I Am My
Brother's Keeper; providing art supplies to
students in Detroit Schools by Visions to
Art; assisting new programs of the temple's
youth group; and Shoresh, helping provide
scholarships for families.
More than 400 guys and gals are
expected to attend, sampling over 20 types
of chicken soup (matzah ball, noodle, cre-
ative) from restaurants (Steve's Deli, Tony's
Deli, Zoup, etc.), caterers and amateurs that
include Temple members and localites
Guests will taste-sample soup along with
eating light lunch items and desserts.
Rabbi Daniel Schwartz remembers the
chicken soup cookoff at Wise Temple in
Cincinnati, Ohio, when he was the youth
group adviser there ... Temple Shir
Shalom's cookoff will again be co-chaired
by Rebecca Bershad and Terri Cooper.
Last year's winners were, Professional
Division, Steve's Deli (2) and Yoga Shelter
... Amateur Division, Robb Lippitt, Celeste,
Olivia and Marcia Meisel, Ann Feldman,
Marla Feldman and Kathleen Tapley ...
Last three also won the People's Choice
Award.
I'll be one of the judges this year tast-
ing the varied creations at Temple Shir
Shalom's Chicken Soup Cookoff and wish-
ing I could vote for more.
CONGRATS ... To Louis Milgrom on
his 90th birthday ... To Marc Harwin on
his 39th birthday ... To Larry Harwin on
his 70th birthday ... To Elisa Harwin on
her 40th birthday ... To Jerry Light on
his 83rd birthday ... To Jason Shain on
his 37th birthday ... To Gert Metz on her
birthday ... To Cathy Ciccone on her birth-
day ...To Monica Fabbio on her birthday
... To Fonda Schwartz on her birthday ...
To Morton Horwitz on his 90th birthday
... To Mickie Orechkin on her 86th birth-
day ... To Sam and Roz Schiff on their
70th anniversary. 11
Danny's email address is
dannyraskin@sbcglobaLnet.
Andiamo Bloomfield
SILVER OAK WINE DINNER
DLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP
with *Mal Guest, Tom Johnson, ofSilver Oak Cellars
Tuesday, March 6, 2012 I 7-9pm I RSVP to (248) 865-9300
Join us fir a delicious 4-Course menu, paired with the wines of Silver Oak/
Menu: Antipaoto Rustic°, Salmon con Fungo e Formaggio,
niccioilno di Clung Con Rap, Tinunisu alla Anxa,retto
40
January 19 • 2012
$75 per person
plus tax & gratuity
SILVER OAK