Mmmm... (Emily-Style) Reubens...

While my kitchen was in shambles for 4 weeks, I started to become quite cranky about not being able to cook. Every time I would think of something that maybe I could make, I would realize that most of the things I needed (either pantry ingredients or tools necessary in the execution of the dish) were buried in boxes in my living room. The first (and only) thing that I realized I could make (that I would actually want to eat) in my broken-down kitchen was one of my favorite comfort foods. I will admit up front that this is a complete and total bastardization of what a Reuben actually is... but I've also had many a Reuben-lover admit that it's pretty darned tasty nonetheless. There are really only two changes and one addition, but those changes are admittedly to things that fundamentally make a Reuben a Reuben. This is my 3rd-favorite sandwich on the planet, though, (my favorite I'll post in a week or so, and my 2nd-favorite is one of the first ones I posted here...) and I highly recommend it.

Change #1: Bread. I use sourdough bread rather than rye bread. The reason for this is that I absolutely LOATHE caraway seeds. Seriously. I have no words for how much I hate them. (Don't even get me started on how upsetting it is that they make an appearance on "everything" bagels...) They are the only food I can think of that I don't like, and I passionately hate them. They are a horrible, horrible thing... I suspect this goes back to a childhood experience ordering a sandwich without knowing that it came on rye bread, then biting in and being shocked as my palate was overpowered by (nasty) caraway seed flavor... I still vividly remember that experience... Sourdough, on the other hand, is indisputably delicious (even if it's somewhat harder to find quality versions of it on the East Coast than it is out West... especially since I feel strongly that you can't use artisan bread for this type of sandwich).
Change #2: Cheese. I use extra-sharp white cheddar rather than Swiss. My feelings about Swiss aren't nearly as extreme as my feelings about caraway seeds. In fact, I have no feelings at all about Swiss cheese. I am utterly indifferent to it... which is the problem. For me, cheese is a beautiful thing, and I see no point in using cheese on a sandwich if it's not going to bring some serious flavor to the table.
Addition: Dill Pickles. This is sort of just bumping up the pickle flavor from the Thousand Island dressing (which, granted, some would claim should actually be Russian dressing...), but I enjoy the tang and crunch and think the compliment the rest of the ingredients quite nicely.
(For the uninitiated, the remaining ingredients are sauerkraut and corned beef, which (for me) is enough of a common thread for me to steal this classic sandwich's name...) For these reasons, I call this an "Emily-Style Reuben," granting that this is a bit different than what the Reuben name generally calls to mind (for people who aren't me). I should also note that, while making my own corned beef is often on the To Do list, I tend to buy a hunk of corned beef brisket at the grocery, then bake it (rather than boil it, because who really wants to eat boiled meat?) at home. You get a lot more bang for your buck this way than you would at the deli counter, and the flavor is nice and intense and definitely contributes to the awesomeness of this sandwich.