The Ultimate Jay-Z Sandwich
Recipe courtesy of Sunny Anderson, 2009
1 amazing bff
2 round trip train tickets to Philadelphia
2 tickets to Power 99's Powerhouse
1 Foodie car service driver
2 trips to Max's
1. Take one amazing BFF that knows even though you've been many times, your guy has yet to see a live Jay-Z show and add her to a conversation with an industry friend she knows that has tickets to said show. Mix them with Power 99 in Philadelphia until they become 2 Powerhouse tickets. Get online and book 2 round trip train tickets to Philadelphia while rapidly stirring until all work for the weekend is done, leaving two days free.
2. Catch the train to Philadelphia and look for car service driver to take us to eat and then to hotel. Preheat the driver by telling him you know where you want to get your cheesesteak, but you just can't remember the name of the place. Put smart car service driver in the hot seat and challenge him by revealing you really only know one cross-street and that it's next to some train tracks. Grill driver with seasonings of details like "it's a cheesesteak spot that turns into a bar when you walk past the register" and "they sell socks on the corner". Flip when foodie car service driver is done being grilled and says "Oh, that sounds like Max's!!". Mash together thoughts of what you will order and what you will drink, then scoop out of the car and onto the sidewalk to fresh Philadelphia air.
3. Open door and press buttons to make pictures and finally capture record of your favorite place to get cheesesteaks in Philly. Think to yourself, if only your memory was as good as your sensory functions. Watch it sizzle.
5. Briskly place your order for 2 cheesesteaks and snap more photos.
4. Tilt and look down the line to snap a photo of the man that has made you at least 15 cheesesteaks since you found him 3 years ago, 2 of those cheesesteaks being made on Thanksgiving.
5. Briskly place your order for 2 cheesesteaks and snap more photos.
6. Knead into your head that you will eat every single piece of the beef-steamed bun when it hits your tray. Carbo-what's?
7. Ask for hot peppers (right bin) as opposed to sweet peppers (left bin) for your cheesesteak and ketchup ... why not?
8. Unfold wrapper and quickly take a photo before you eat more than a pound of beef, set on tender-steamed bread that is slathered with mayo, a melted layer of provolone, a squeeze of ketchup and a handful of hot peppers.
9. Go to Jay-Z show and enjoy.
10. Let body and belly rest overnight. Return to Max's the next morning before you head back to NYC for another run of cheesesteaks.
11. Get mesmerized by the steam and drift ...
12. Repeat steps 4-7, adding Cheez Whiz (don't judge) this time around.
12. Repeat steps 4-7, adding Cheez Whiz (don't judge) this time around.
13. Get back to the train station just in time to get back to NYC and slip into an Ultimate Jay-Z Sandwich coma for the ride home.
Serving Size: Ok, a "Giant" costs twice as much, plus 5 cents and a "HALF" is larger than a true half of a "GIANT". So, I can't judge what 4 "HALF"-steaks equate, but they surely were giant in many respects. Also, who's on first? Teeheehee
Calories: Too many to count
Nutritional Content: Is processed cheese a food group?
Time: 2 days
BTW, if you catch Cooking for Real regularly, first thank you so much and second ... this blog may fill in the blanks for a story I told on a past show or two. I mentioned a place in Philadelphia that I love to visit for cheesesteaks, but couldn't remember the name. Well, here it is. I asked the guy for his name and he kindly declined, but allowed me to snap away. He works there everyday and quite like Dom at DiFara's here in Brooklyn, he is the only one to touch your cheesesteak. He's also part of the experience. You feel like family and boy, when you mix that with food you can't go wrong. Philly you guys are pretty lucky to have him ... too bad you have to wait another year for that World Series Title :-). J/K, but not :-P
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15 comments:
i actually have yet to experience a true philly cheesesteak! good to know where to go if i'm ever in the area, thanks!
OMGoodness!! I am DROOLING! My best friend and I share a love for good spicy food {when we lived in new orleans, we HAD to have our crawfish so spicy it would make our nose run...i know, crazy! Lol}; So when I saw those hot peppers i sent her the link to this post and now we are trying to figure out how we can get to Philly for one of THOSE sandwiches!!!
I do watch regularly and I Tivo every show! Great recipe lol, and now I want a cheesesteak darn it!!!
Love the new picture by the way.
erin elizabeth king, well i've had only a few, pat, geno's, ishkabibbles, and max's. max's is the tops for me. if you ever go, get the food to stay and walk into the attached bar for a seat. very nice set up. or you can just get it to go so you can devour it in private lol.
nola.divine, uhhhh are we related? teeheehee, really. growing up all we ever did in our fam was try to one up each other on heat and it wasn't hot unless the nose was runny, the eyes watered and fire spouted out our mouths when we talked. i love heat, i recently told my dad about eating the hottest pepper ever and now he wants to try it. check my yahoo page, there's a link on my website.
mary, yaaaaay! thanks so much, your support is just so cool. i have a cheesesteak recipe inspired by philly at http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/sunny-anderson/sunnys-cheesesteak-recipe/index.html ... but really, nothing like my guy at max's.
Alright, so drooling for a cheesesteak now. And, jigga? What? Great seats! So jealous! What a great weekend. Glad to see you document it all too. Always got to have the camera on hand for important times like that!
We've looked all over the internet and cannot find your cookbook. Seriously---you HAVE to have a cookbook, right? You have the greatest recipes!! Do you have one out--- or one planned?
Ha ha. This is great.
nicole, yeah that cheesesteak is drool-worthy. i am soooo missing it right now :-(. i may have to catch a train again real soon ...
kristine, nope. no cookbook yet, actually begin working on the proposal now and hopefully will have one out next year if i work hard and meet deadlines. thanks so much for the encouragement and support. hope i can count you as one buyer when i do get it together :-)
mo, food and music, hard to go wrong, huh?
Glad you got to have a cheesesteak while you were in town!
It looks SO good. It's so dangerous living and working in Philly. Everywhere you go it smells like cheesesteaks!
Love your show! It's part of my Saturday routine every week! :)
jen, if i ever step foot onto philly soil without biting into a philly staple, i should be admitted to the insane asylum lol. thanks so much for making me a part of your saturday routine, i really appreciate it and don't mean that lightly. thanks so much! stick around these parts and keep us foodies company why don'tcha? :-)
"1 amazing bff
2 round trip train tickets to Philadelphia
2 tickets to Power 99's Powerhouse
1 Foodie car service driver
2 trips to Max's "
You're such a nerd ha ha, I LOVE IT!
cheema, hey girl!! you know i lost contact with ya boy right? :-( .... how u been? and thanks for callin me a nerd, now say it to my face! lol and watch me conjugate your verbs as you do :-)
I love love love Philly Cheesesteaks! I have fam there, and I go visit often, but Ive never heard of Max's. Now Im going to have to check them out next time I go (which should be in a few weeks) I do like ishkabbibbles tho, have you tried the purple drink, I think its called a Gremlin, its yummy!
oh and for those in NYC go to Carls steaks on 34th and 3rd, its the ONLY place Ive been in NY that makes a Philly steak worthy of the name!
melody, ok look ... max's is a must. really. the only warning is, it has plenty of personality. don't be afraid to step up and order. there's always plenty of talking and theatrics every time i go and i love it, but also know that some would be a bit intimidated with the boisterous personality of the place. totally worth it though ... the bread is perfect. the meat is chopped and juicy and he piles it on. he puts the cheese on the bread, not on top ... which i love and the rest is just the rest ... toppings are all yummy. didn't have the purple drink at ishkabibbles, i do a beer or water, depending on how i feel lol. i'll have to try that next time. as for caris, it's now on my short list of places to visit in nyc! thanks for the recommendation!!! foodies rock!
Sunny, have you ever tried the Roast Pork Sandwhiches from Tony DiNics? - They are AMAZING. You might start adding this dish to your Philly-Must list =). I think I like them more than their Beef Cousin!
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