Reading David Kessler's The End of Overeating, as I am now, makes me never want to eat food like KFC's Double Down again (though I probably will). Not only are our brains wired to want more sugar, fat, and salt (particularly in combination), but the food industry designs these foods to make them more addictive and literally melt in your mouth so they go down faster.
Take something as innocent as coleslaw: coating cabbage in a high-fat dressing means you don't have to chew it as much, so you get even more calories, more quickly. Many of the indulgent foods I love, sandwiches included, are neither healthy, natural, nor sustainable. This week the New York Times considers this conundrum via the Jewish deli and how it's changing with the times.
The story starts at Saul's Deli in Berkeley, where, as luck would have it, I'm going this weekend.The owners serve cage-free eggs and grass-fed beef and recently took salami off the menu because the deli staple wasn't responsible or sustainable. Before you roll your eyes and say "Oh, Berkeley!" hear me out.
Non-Berkeley delis, too, are rethinking the traditional deli fare, including the much-lauded Mile End in Brooklyn, Kenny & Zuke's in Portland, OR, and Neal's in North Carolina. The offerings range from house-smoked pastrami, house-made beef salami, and knishes made from locally grown potatoes. By keeping the volume lower, the new delis can offer healthier, less bland dishes with fewer shortcuts.
Not that traditional delis are totally terrible: Katz's in NYC still cures its own pastrami, but who knows where the food comes from? And as the New York Times points out, pastrami may be the first step toward remaking and homemaking the deli.
I'll report back from my trip to Saul's this weekend, but meanwhile, tell me: do you think at all about your deli's healthfulness and sustainability? Or would you rather just eat your potato salad in peace?
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