New York deli-style lunch ideas

If there’s one country that knows how to make a sandwich, it’s the US of A. New York is the sandwich capital of the world, and while many New Yorkers may not take much of a lunch break, they do know a thing or two about a lunchtime takeaway. With this in mind, here are a few NYC deli-inspired lunches.
• Make yourself some speedy, healthier, pizza slices. Try chickpea-flour bases: gradually whisk an equal volume of water into gram flour. Add a pinch of salt and any herbs you wish, then leave to stand. Then fry in butter on both sides in a nonstick pan until golden. Finish with any toppings you wish – pesto, roasted or raw veg, ham and creme fraiche... and grill.

• Nothing beats a good bagel and nowadays, brands like the New York Bakery Co are ubiquitous. Prepare and toast a bagel at work, ideally. Otherwise, pack it ready-to-eat tightly in Tupperware rather than foil or clingfilm. Cream cheese is a classic starting point, but needs some robust flavours to counter all that creamy sweetness: try topping with capers, thinly sliced red onion, tomato and lots of freshly ground black pepper. Or try our friend Olivia’s delicious and simple mackerel paté: mash cream cheese with smoked mackerel, a squeeze of lemon juice and zest, chopped parsley and lots of pepper. Pack into a small Tupperware, and refrigerate when you get to work, unless you want to incur your colleagues’ wrath. Spread on your – preferably warm – bagel at lunch. A couple of slices of dill pickle would not go amiss.
• You may not have access to a store like Satriale’s, but you can still make an Italian sub (or “hoagie”) that Tony Soprano wouldn’t sniff at. Whisk together 1 tsp olive oil, 1 tsp red wine vinegar, ½ tsp dijon mustard and a pinch of dried oregano. Split a submarine roll, discard any excess crumbs (keep for breadcrumbs) and sprinkle the dressing over both halves. Lay a couple of slices of gouda or emmental on the bottom, then top with a selection of sliced cured meat (mortadella and salami are our faves, but go wild with whatever you can find in the sliced meat aisle). Whatever you choose, be generous. Top with shredded iceberg, thinly sliced red onion, and sliced jarred sweet peppers or olives. Close and wrap in a tight bodybag of greaseproof paper secured with a couple of elastic bands.
• If you work carefully and finish the assembly at work, a luxury hotdog will make you the envy of your colleagues. Cook a baguette in a hot oven alongside your sausages. Meanwhile mix plenty of mustard and paprika into the contents of half a tin of beans, then pack in a small microwaveable container. When the baguette is cooked, take out some of the middle, spread with a layer of mayonnaise and pop in your sausages for safekeeping until lunch (wrap the whole thing in foil). Thinly slice some spring onion and red chilli. Pack in a container. Come lunchtime, place your hotdog baguette folded open on a plate, and heat the beans in a microwave until piping hot. Pour over your sandwich and finish with the spring onion and chilli.