Day Fifteen: Reubenesque

When I was little, my mom once made a batch of sauerkraut that stunk up the house for days. It has a sort of locker-room musk, with a little bit of a pickle edge, and I've never been able to palate it. It has such a specific flavor, but more off-puttingly, it has such a specific smell. But there are so many foods that I enjoy whose smells are a little off-putting. Curry. Stinky cheese. They're some of my absolute favorites. So I know I can conquer sauerkraut. I just have to try.

So tonight I made Reuben sandwiches. I looked around on the internet for tips on how to make the perfect Reuben, and ended up squeezing my sauerkraut vigorously, then mixing it with my makeshift thousand island dressing (not Russian--but I had what I had, and it's pretty similar). That, plus extra sour rye bread, swiss cheese, and corned beef made for one incredible sandwich, I must say. The sauerkraut really balanced out the other flavors and made for a deep combination of flavors.

However, I did not have sauerkraut straight. I'll work my way up to that. It still has what my husband calls an "unattractive texture" but I can get used to that. And I've only had one type of sauerkraut; I know that every batch is bound to be a little different. I look forward to sampling a variety of sauerkrauts. I'm sure I'll find one I love. My mom says it's best on a really good hot dog, so I'll try that, of course. Any other serving suggestions are welcome.