there are times
times like these
when only one thing will do.
a chocolate egg cream.
from your neighborhood Jewish New York Deli. for me this is Saul's.
it could be an egg cream and a blintz.
or an egg cream and a roast beast sandwich.
or an egg cream and a few latkes.
there doesn't need to be a holiday.
or a memorial.
or a desperation.
or a birthday.
it could just be life.
and life could be eh or spectacular
or cold or furious or sweet or sour.
one chocolate egg cream satisfies.
just to dispense with myths or dilemmas or quizzical nomenclature misgivings--
recipe for an egg cream:
one tall glass
real seltzer, preferably under intense pressure
milk, whole, from a cow not a bean or grain
chocolate syrup, like U-Bet
a tall spoon, metal
a straw
a mouth
pour syrup into glass, not too much, not too little. then milk half to three quarters up glass.
take spoon and face the receiving end towards seltzer bottle.
spray seltzer onto spoon and let it ricochet like a waterfall into milk & chocolate syrup
-------> this will create the froth on top which lets you know that you have made a real egg cream
stir with long spoon before mouth becomes open and drink.
if your seltzer is not under pressure you can still make an egg cream
you can use vanilla syrup too but then it will be
a vanilla egg cream.
egg creams
do not contain
eggs or cream
egg creams
are
either chocolate or vanilla
egg creams
are stirred and
not shaken
mmmmmmmm egg creams.
I LOVE egg creams. When I feel particularly crappy, I go to the store and buy egg cream fixins. Always chocolate.
Posted by: JM | 28 February 2008 at 05:33 PM
Oy, Shunela -- So many memories of New York! Thanks.
Posted by: kudzu | 28 February 2008 at 07:13 PM
Oh Shunela indeed - so funny to read this today... just a couple of weeks ago I had the following for lunch at the (Greek?) diner near my mother-in-law's apt:
cup of matzo ball soup
tuna with lettuce and tomato on white toast
and
a chocolate egg cream!
it hit the spot.
there is a place in the west village that makes great egg creams, on Hudson I think.
can't wait to have one with you.
ny love to you,
melissa
Posted by: melissa and elena | 28 February 2008 at 08:40 PM
And chopped liver. I heart chopped liver. Chopped liver and an egg cream will make everything OK for at least a little while.
Posted by: Lori S. | 29 February 2008 at 12:21 PM
I love the ones at Ozzy's in Elmwood. But now that I get Seltzer delivered, in bottles that keep the pressure, I have no excuse but to make them at home. I think I should try to come up with a better substitute for the Fox's though, some thin chocolate sauce...
Posted by: rachelk | 29 February 2008 at 05:54 PM
Egg creams! I love them! They're a good dessert following a corned beef on rye with deli mustard. Kosher? Not so much :). But still scrummy.
Posted by: shelly | 02 March 2008 at 10:14 AM
Okay...so is this a good time to tell you that I've never actually had an egg cream?
Posted by: Aaron | 02 March 2008 at 02:34 PM
I have never had an egg cream either but the recipe looks pretty easy and being gluten free is a double bonus, will try it out :)
Sarah
Posted by: Sarah Rojers | 04 May 2008 at 04:17 PM