566804 Wed Oct 22 22:58:30 -0700 2008 47 27 General Chowhounding Topics 0 4123084 Okay I am a bit of a pickle junkie...I am one of those juice drinkers and a shot of tequila chased with a shot of pickle juice is one of my ghetto treats. I am an extra pickle person when it comes to burgers, hot dogs are loaded with dill relish and a WT grilled cheese, (white bread, singles and fried in butter) is not the same to me without a mass of pickle chips sealed inside....my new love is cheese pizza with thinly sliced pickles placed on top. So what is it for you, what just tastes better with the addition of the glorious pickle? Wed Oct 22 22:58:30 -0700 2008 96905 bubbles4me 1 4123100 I'm totally with you on the pickles. If they could figure out a way to make a corndog with a pickle inside, I'd be one very happy 'Hound. Wed Oct 22 23:14:29 -0700 2008 4123084 11583 ipsedixit 2 4123110 man...that sounds so good. I did fall in love with fried pickles while in the south...wish they had those in LA Wed Oct 22 23:26:36 -0700 2008 4123100 96905 bubbles4me 3 4168856 I had fried pickles at the Counter in Santa Monica. I've never had them before and they just seemed ok to me, but you might try those and see if they're like those in the South. I'm curious if they're the same. Wed Nov 12 16:54:14 -0800 2008 4123110 13345 Boychucker 1 4124531 For me it is a grilled cheese sandwich with some bread and butter pickles on the side. Thu Oct 23 13:01:21 -0700 2008 4123084 219367 at24 2 4126377 Put those pickles inside of the grilled cheese sandwich with a slice of ham and you've got something. Use a good chunck of italian bread and a sandwich press (or a brick wrapped in tin foil) and you have a Cuban Medianoche sandwich (thats a Midnight snack to stay up for.) Fri Oct 24 09:49:40 -0700 2008 4124531 43623 chilihead 3 4126491 You also get the real reason I love Thanksgiving. When everyone else is eating leftover potatoes and stuffing I'm happy to make a sandwich with leftover ham, sharp cheddar, and sliced sweet pickles (leftover from the pickle platter at dinner) on a piece of baguette split open to serve as a "roll." No sandwich press in the family, but a Forman grill works just as well. Fri Oct 24 10:44:46 -0700 2008 4126377 135311 mpjmph 3 4194005 I agree, pickles are very important on a Cuban sandwich. Without them, it's not quite right. It has to have yellow mustard as well. ...but I was under the impression that the cuban (which I have eaten) and medianoche (which I have not eaten) are made as shown here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cuban_sandwich Sat Nov 22 08:48:52 -0800 2008 4126377 142652 madgreek 4 4195096 That wiki describes both sandwiches as they are prepared in the Tampa area. I spent over 30 years there,so that version remains my bench mark. I lived in Puerto Rico for a bit, and the medianoches I found were prepared the same. Sat Nov 22 19:36:12 -0800 2008 4194005 111267 meatn3 5 4195375 the wiki-described cubans are the ones i know from long-ago southwest coastal florida. there was so much interaction between there and cuba. my BIL's father took hemingway out on fishing expeditions in the gulf -- they ran out of charlotte harbor into the gulf. the place in fort myers that served the best cuban sandwiches was the snack house, long gone, now. ybor city set the standard for the very best around! Sun Nov 23 03:49:21 -0800 2008 4195096 105717 alkapal 1 4124657 I love those mini dill pickles and can eat a jar at one sitting.When ever I have a cold and my nose is stuffed up and I can't taste much the cool crunch of a pickle is something that crave. The salty/vinegary brine is good on a sore throat, and goes down better than milky foods. Also love fried pickles. Thu Oct 23 13:38:08 -0700 2008 4123084 14495 viperlush 1 4126391 To me, any spicy food is better with pickles. Though it doesn't have to be the normal cucumber pickles. I enjoy a lot of the Asian pickles, like the Korean ones and Japanese ones. Fri Oct 24 09:55:59 -0700 2008 4123084 54254 kobetobiko 1 4126428 a sandwich with a dill pickle spear real bbq with slices pickles, and sliced jalapenos for munching. Fri Oct 24 10:08:59 -0700 2008 4123084 26725 swsidejim 2 4192009 Amen! Gate's BBQ in Kansas City has the best pickles with BBQ on earth. I get a side of them and just dip them in the spicy sauce. So amazing... Fri Nov 21 10:36:48 -0800 2008 4126428 225785 kb8240 1 4126616 potato salad. tuna salad. And no. NOT those disgustingly sweet things - just regular old dill or sour pickle - any of the savory variety. Fri Oct 24 11:36:32 -0700 2008 4123084 111530 gordeaux 1 4127260 dill pickle on a reuben sandwich. extra pickles on my junior whopper. pickles on ham and cheese. pickle relish in tuna salad and potato salad. pickles solo with mayo in white bread sandwich. pickles in rouladen. pickles naked. i am a salty-sour preference person. i'd rather have savory/tart over sweet stuff. hello fellow pickle lovers! now...indian hot pickle is an entirely different matter. ouch! Fri Oct 24 16:11:57 -0700 2008 4123084 105717 alkapal 1 4128140 Everything is better with pickles! Kimchi of course is a regular standby, can't eat Korean without it. Montreal smoked meat on rye with a large garlicky kosher pickle, pickles and spicy banana peppers on tuna salad sandwiches, pickled marinated italian vegetables on deli meat sandwiches, sour little cornichon with raclette or with duck or rabbit rillettes, sauerkraut in Alsatian choucroute, Chinese pickled vegetables in eggplant Yu Hsing, vinegary diakon and carrots in a bahn mi sandwich, Indian mango or lime or gooseberry pickle with goat curry, pickles reign supreme! But bubbles4me, here is a small issue, and I think you can relate as you are a wine drinker. Pickles make it hard for me to enjoy my wine. If I am trying to enjoy wine with a dish that has pickles, I often have to drink the wine only after cleansing my palate with a non-pickle item. Sometimes, I feel I have to choose between my love of pickle and my love of wine. Often, the pickle love wins out, and there are many meals where wine is not even opened. If only all my food loves could get along! Sat Oct 25 07:48:42 -0700 2008 4123084 89969 moh 2 4128153 moh, Absolutely agree, I am often munching on a pickle when a sales rep comes in to taste me on wine and I can feel the pain on their face as NOTHING is going to taste good/right after that. Trust me in all my years of wine drinking and pickle munching I have never found anything that goes....oh, I'll keep looking but for now we are going to have to choose one or the other or at the very least deal with yucky, foul tasting wine for a few minutes after eating our beloved sour friends. Sat Oct 25 07:57:15 -0700 2008 4128140 96905 bubbles4me 3 4191944 Champagne and sparkling wine goes with everything ... even pickles. If you think about it Champagne is sort of an elegant version of beer using grapes instead ... and beer and pickles are made for each other. Fri Nov 21 10:16:41 -0800 2008 4128153 10264 rworange 1 4128201 I love pickles, but only dill or sour pickles. Little can match my disappointment when I'm served a tuna salad and it's been made with sweet relish, or when sweet relish is the only option as a topping for a hot dog. I personally don't get the rationale behind sweet pickles. While I'm a fan of kosher dills, such as Bubbies, for eating out of hand, I really like the Claussen baby dills, minced, for use in tuna salad or tartare sauce. And I wouldn't enjoy my pate campagne without a side of dijon mustard and cornichon pickles. The brand of cornichons I buy has as an added treat a few pickled pearl onions in the mix -- I save those for use as a garnish in a vodka martini. Yum! Sat Oct 25 08:24:51 -0700 2008 4123084 11028 DanaB 2 4128241 >>I love pickles, but only dill or sour pickles. Little can match my disappointment when I'm served a tuna salad and it's been made with sweet relish, or when sweet relish is the only option as a topping for a hot dog. I personally don't get the rationale behind sweet pickles.<< We most certainly share some sort of dna. I honestly do NOT understand sweet pickles at ALL. Totally gross, and wrong. IMO - of course. How does sugar make tuna fish better? Ditto for a hot dog? How does dumping sugar on a hot dog make it better? BLECH! Sat Oct 25 08:49:19 -0700 2008 4128201 111530 gordeaux 3 4128260 Salty and Sweet I thought was a classic/solid combination of flavers. Now I know it's not. Sat Oct 25 08:59:39 -0700 2008 4128241 80323 rochfood 4 4128290 I think some people are just wired to be more into sweet flavors and others into bitter/sour. For instance, I don't really like sweet-n-savory meat dishes, like when people use fruit as a relish/sauce for pork/chicken/duck, etc. Also, most desserts are too sweet for me and I far prefer bittersweet chocolate to milk chocolate. Sat Oct 25 09:17:27 -0700 2008 4128260 11028 DanaB 5 4128314 Of course, then there are the manic eaters like myself that swing back and forth between sweet and salty. It is the contrast I crave I think. Blackout cake, followed by salt and vinegar chips. Then pork in fig sauce, then a cheese plate with dried apricots. Back to homemade marshmallows dipped in chocolate. Then a big salty kosher pickle. Madly swinging... Sat Oct 25 09:32:44 -0700 2008 4128290 89969 moh 4 4128467 Hey, if boiled/canned tuna with sweet pickles is "classic/solid" to you, then have at it! Or if a piece of whipped meat scraps flavored with garlic and salt, then shaped into a tube covered with sweet relish is A-ok, then be my guest. I'm Just Kidding. ;-) I know exactly what you are talking about, but in the instances I cited, those flavors are not working harmoniously (again, just IMO.) They are clashing like the titans. Now, something like a mole negro with a subtle hint of cinnamon and chocolate with roasted lamb and mashed potatoes - that's what I would consider a classic/solid combo of (barely) sweet and savory/salty. Sat Oct 25 11:36:27 -0700 2008 4128260 111530 gordeaux 1 4128439 kosher beef hot dog, grilled....soft white bun, sharp american cheese, yellow mustard, hot/sweet pickle chips. Sat Oct 25 11:16:41 -0700 2008 4123084 70200 chelleyd01 1 4128539 At most respectable jewish delis, the bowl of dill pickle chunks makes the wait for my pastrami and chopped liver on rye, acceptable. Sat Oct 25 12:30:54 -0700 2008 4123084 57170 Veggo 1 4128564 I save the empty pickle jars for it's juice. I make a mixture of mayo and sour cream, thin it out with pickle juice, fold in fresh dill and garlic powder...great dip for anything! Sat Oct 25 12:50:21 -0700 2008 4123084 220914 krisrishere 1 4165086 My husband and I like dill pickles on taco pie- not sure why he decided to add them but the extra crunch was delicious. We also chop and mix dill pickles and jalapeno peppers for our hot dogs. In high school, Tuesday was chicken sandwich day. It was the only day that anyone looked forward to the school lunch. Fried chicken breast on a bun with lots of mayo and pickles. This was before my town got a Chik-Fil-A so we thought the school version was delicious. Tue Nov 11 12:14:02 -0800 2008 4123084 139194 lhb78 2 4166117 Your comment reminded me of one of my favorite guilty pleasures back home in Los Angeles. There's a restaurant that makes ground beef tacos with pickles (billed on the menu as "ground beef and pickle tacos." ;-) The shells are freshly fried to a crisp, the meat is nicely seasoned, and the taco comes only with ground beef, shredded cheddar, dill pickle slices, and a tasty red salsa. While not authentic by any means, they sure are delish! Yum! Tue Nov 11 18:42:03 -0800 2008 4165086 11028 DanaB 1 4165150 I too am a pickle junkie. Have been putting thin sliced pickles, the ones for cheesesteaks or subs, on my pizza since i was a toddler (pop's is an old school pizza man from queens). I love drinking the juice, much to the disgust of my friends. However, i only like sour/dill pickles. Sweet or bread and butter pickles make me gag. Tue Nov 11 12:33:04 -0800 2008 4123084 229028 marietinn 1 4165555 while I can not for the life of me understand anyone who drinks pickle juice...I do love me some pickled anything. But like many on here, not a fan of the sweet pickle varieties. I do not like sweet relish or tartar sauce that is made with sweet relish. I have had deep fried pickles once however, and LOVED them. And can I offer anyone some dill pickle potato chips? mmm - a burger (and for me that's the veggie variety) is not the same without pickles. A burger just shouldn't have sweet relish on it IMO. When I make burgers at home, I also put some of the following on there; -pepperoncini peppers....need i say more? From salads to sandwiches to pizza toppings....yum. Other pickled peppers?? yes please ! -olives for sure, have to count here. Those I could sit and eat an entire jar of, just like that. The almond stuffed variety? OMG. -a favorite potato salad is one that is made with pickled beets, and that is the only way to use them. -little pickled capers........and little pickled tomatoes, for smoked salmon. That cheese pizza with pickles sounds mighty good.... Tue Nov 11 15:09:51 -0800 2008 4123084 153184 im_nomad 2 4168275 In this house, drinking pickle juice is the go-to cure for the hiccups! I "discovered" this when I was a child. Wed Nov 12 13:45:18 -0800 2008 4165555 186677 thirtysomething 1 4166187 At our house, it is cornichon on sloppy joes and of course with raclette served over potato and smeared with horseraddish. mmmmm. Tue Nov 11 19:18:29 -0800 2008 4123084 16394 jill kibler 2 4166270 Speaking of raclette - I went to a special dinner in the Swiss Alps - and they served Cheese fondue. No big surprise there - but I was surprised that one of the things to dunk in was dill pickles! almost blew me away. (and as you can see from the picture - they also offered pineapple as a dipping option.) Very yummy. I also love making my dirty martinis using dill pickle juice...... Tue Nov 11 19:54:44 -0800 2008 4166187 50964 mintchip 3 4166372 "I also love making my dirty martinis using dill pickle juice......" That sounds so good! Thanks for the idea. Tue Nov 11 20:49:11 -0800 2008 4166270 111267 meatn3 1 4187933 One of my favorite comfort foodss as a kid was boiled potatoes smashed up with a few pats of melted butter, salt and pepper. A few years ago I was in the mood for them so I boiled up a few spuds. There just happened to be a jar of Kosher dills on the desk so I took one out and cut it up on the plate. I was amazed at how well the pickles complimented the buttery spuds. I now eat this combo on a fairly regular basis. Wed Nov 19 21:11:44 -0800 2008 4123084 109552 garfish 2 4190706 Try doing a google search for pickle soup - its a creamy potato soup with pickles added. I believe its origins are Polish or German. Thu Nov 20 19:35:38 -0800 2008 4187933 150115 Mellicita 3 4195339 Many thanks Mallicita. I'll definately give that one a try. The German blood in me tells me I'm gonna realy like it. Sun Nov 23 00:51:05 -0800 2008 4190706 109552 garfish 1 4188190 I grew up eating pizza with kosher dills (or celery). Thu Nov 20 02:09:40 -0800 2008 4123084 13819 Karl S 1 4192124 I do a cheeseburger meatloaf with pickles cut up in it. Sometimes I add bacon. I really want to try fried pickles too. Fri Nov 21 11:12:07 -0800 2008 4123084 227839 silvergirl 1 4192286 I eat banana peppers every day. And while I have a predeliction for dills, noting beats one of my grandmother's crisp lime pickles. Unbelievable. I can't eat a sanwich without my pickles...you can have the condiments as long as I have my pickles! Fri Nov 21 12:02:33 -0800 2008 4123084 49452 SweetPhyl 2 4193754 sweet phyllis, i just added those pickled hot banana pepper slices (mt. olive brand) to my kielbasa and kraut sandwich. JUST what it needed! ;-) Sat Nov 22 05:55:15 -0800 2008 4192286 105717 alkapal 1 4193892 I'm with Moh; I like just about any kind of pickle, but I match them to what I'm eating. I like sweet pickles (and relishes) with hot dogs/burgers/ham salad, or just as an appetizer. Sweet mixed pickles with sharp cheddar and crackers is a great snack. Bread and butter pickles are a nice addition to meat and/or cheese sandwiches, and I still have a guilty love for B&B pickles with - wait for it! - white bread and butter. Dills go with deli, of course, or just on their own. I like them as a side, but not on, my burgers. Maybe it's because of what we ate as kids, but I far prefer Bick's dills to Strub's, which many people swear by. Hot pickles - peppers, mixed vegetables, jalapenos - are a great addition to salads, some sandwiches, or as part of an antipasto plate. Cornichons are absolutely necessary when serving pate, IMHO. Their sharpness is an excellent counterpoint to the creaminess of the pate. And one pickle I've only had at Carl's Chop House in Detroit - watermelon pickles. I thought those were great! Sat Nov 22 07:34:45 -0800 2008 4123084 48210 KevinB 1 4195037 Gotta have a dill pickle with an open faced tuna sandwich :) Sat Nov 22 18:51:54 -0800 2008 4123084 77555 luvsseattle 2 4195077 my friend actually just introduced me to dill pickles with tacos. we had a big taco salad with diced dill pickles, never in a million years would have thought of that. I was open minded. and I really liked it. Loved the crunch it gave! Sat Nov 22 19:20:13 -0800 2008 4195037 105701 cleopatra999 1 4195083 Pickled green tomatoes with rice 'n gravy (can be gravy from smothered round steak, pork chops, chicken fricassee, roast beef). DELICIOUS, and if no one is looking, I mix the pickled green tomatoes into the rice and gravy. Crispy gherkins (Polski Wyrob, in particular) with any sandwich. Tabasco Hot 'n Sweet slices all by themselves. Tuna salad with chopped sweet pickles. Sat Nov 22 19:22:44 -0800 2008 4123084 50494 pattisue 1 4199341 I am going to have to try some of these. Mine is here: http://chefsquire.wordpress.com/2008/09/28/pickle-bagel-sandwich/ A toasted bagel with cukes, pickles, and tomatoes. And the brand has to be clausen! Mon Nov 24 17:29:15 -0800 2008 4123084 240339 Chefsquire