Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

It all comes down to a matter of personal authenticity, doesn't it? Either you respect the concept in its totality or you don't. There really is no middle ground other than rationalization, of course.

My wife is probably the only person in America that makes chopped liver as a 'foreshpice' - appetizer for Thanksgiving because I'm medically forbidden to eat it. So, once a year I become enormously thankful for that indescribably delicious food that most people (if they like it) take for granted.

Few things are as pleasurable for me as planning for a dinner party replete with a theme and appropriate decor. I like to plan the 'soire' far enough in advance so that I get to go to a Farmer's Market as well as shop for all the other added touches that most people aren't accustomed to when they're invited to a friend's house for dinner. When I've completed the food preparation and made myself ready for my guests, the simple act of choosing the music, lighting the candles, building a fire, and setting the table literally gives way to a most unique 'high' for me. So, there's really no quandary, insofar as I'm concerned, as to whether I'd rather be the host or the guest.

When we moved from Hyde Park in Chicago to Palo Alto, I had my first life-altering moment at Trader Joes. We had just taken possession of our house and needed quite literally one of everything. I didn't know where to begin until a friend told me to drive one town over to Mountain View, make a right and there I'd find a store that would have most, if not everything I needed to get started. As I drove down this tree-lined street, up loomed this over-sized, lovely looking 'grocery store with a large, welcoming, sort of cutesy sign saying "Welcome to Trader Joes". My thought, of course, was that the family that owned the old fashioned-esque store were into warmth as in wood floors, short aisles with low shelves, and, most of all, really nice and friendly and bright packaging. Little did I know that 'this' was the sib of a much larger parent. All I knew was how glad I was to find Traders and that slowly but surely, as I shopped, a sort of addiction was beginning to set in. I needed, no - I must have - I thought one of everything. How could I resist the price of such fine looking olive oil, sea salt, tuna, dill pickles, capers, - well, you've all been there so you get the idea. After loading three carts, I checked out with this dumb looking grin on my face and kept it that way all the way home. I was so sure that I had found the most unique family run groceteria in the whole entire world. Though now, years later, I know much better, I still feel a glow coming on whenever I shop at Traders.

I'm 65 years young and a Canadian transplant living in California - midway between San Francisco and Sacramento. I'm a Neuropsychologist by profession (Clinical, Teaching, and Research) and a Cook genetically and instinctively. My family have been in the wholesale food business since approximately 1918. I've been married for forty years as of this September and am the very proud father of three daughters and two sons.

I'm also wild for the Tuscan Bread Salad as an adult while nothing, absolutely nothing reminds me more of growing up and spending summers with my entire family at the cottage than slicing a huge Beef Steak Tomato onto a fresh, warm Kaiser Roll spread with mounds of cream cheese fresh from the creamery and topped with sea salt. I always thought of it as a private family ethnic recipe :)

Every time that I use Arthur's recipe for Reuben Sandwiches my guest's inevitably 'kvel' and call for seconds.
So, I'm sticking to his tried and true with thanks.