PASTRAMI POSTSCRIPT

I enjoyed the article on the pastrami sandwich (“Let’s Really Do Lunch,” by Ajay Sahgal, Feb. 9). I’d like to point out, however, that only a small fraction of the water that Los Angeles gets from the Owens Valley has to be pumped, even after it has reached the city. In general it is not pumped from reservoirs; it flows by gravity through the trunk lines, then to the distribution system and ultimately to the customer.

Fred Barker

Waterworks Engineer

Los Angeles Department of Water and Power

Burbank

*

Sahgal shows that he knows bubkes about pastrami when he mentions water or coffee as the side beverages of choice. Any pastrami maven knows that there’s only thing to have with pastrami, and that’s Dr. Brown’s Cream Soda.

When I really do lunch, I go downtown to Langer’s Deli and order a pastrami sandwich on their to-die-for corn rye--and never without a can of Dr. Brown’s.

Harry Drasin

Pacific Palisades

*

I don’t happen to eat pastrami on rye. Yet I did think that Sahgal’s article was original and interesting, as I was compelled to keep on reading about a subject I’d otherwise have no particular concern about.

But, hey, you managed to leave us readers hanging on one point. Where did the coleslaw come from?

Andrea Gonzales

Laguna Beach

*

Editor’s Note: Sahgal writes: Victor’s makes its own coleslaw. Bell pepper, carrots and cabbage are grown locally by Sidler Produce. The cabbage is sliced in a machine manufactured by Globe in Los Angeles.

Whole celery seed comes from Pacific Natural Spice, also in Los Angeles. Whole Egg Rich Mayonnaise is from New York, sugar from Hawaii, white wine vinegar from grapes grown in Northern California and vegetable oil from points undetermined.