Honestly, I'm willing to allow a substitution of meat, or even of cheese, but the sauerkraut is what makes it a Reuben. Otherwise, what can't you change? "Can I have a turkey Reuben with cole slaw and provolone, no dressing, on sourdough?"
How can we possibly know that the rueben on dark rye with corned beef rather than pastrami, sauerkraut rather than coleslaw, and thousand island rather than Russian dressing, is the version that came first? We can't. It's ineffable. All we are left with then is one sandwich with many forms. How can we Earthly beings then say this sandwich is one of the forms, but this other is not? That is only for the One True Sandwich to know, if such a Rueben even exists.
I can kind of understand using Reuben more like Club -- a real club sandwich is turkey and bacon and triple decker, but I'm OK with there being a chicken club on a roll or whatever. I guess.
I've never been able to figure out which was the vital component of the Club -- that it is made with turkey and bacon, or that it is a triple-decker.
"Reuben and Rachel" is a song, isn't it?
Reuben, Reuben, I've been thinking
etc.
Primacy is not the only key to authenticity. What adheres to the creator's intention? What would improve upon it, even in their own estimation? These must be considered when judging the Reuben.
Except, of course, in that it contains cabbage and is intrinsically disgusting.
Except, of course, in that it contains cabbage and is intrinsically disgusting.
And this is even before we consider the Swiss cheese.
antonym of obvious: "obscure"?
I went with "unobvious" and Omar Khayyam. Oh, and I submitted the application, and am going to email Lee.
Any other questions?
Any other questions?
WHAT - is your favorite color?
