Sandwiches I Have Loved

Happy National Sandwich Day!

2011-11-03T20:11:00.003-06:00

Who knew such a day actually existed? I didn't until late this afternoon. Which is why we went out for sandwiches rather than trying to throw together something suitably ornate for the occasion. Be'wiched filled in perfectly. They have fancy sandwiches and a double punch on your punch card special just for Sandwich Day.
Beth had the turkey burger special with mushrooms, bacon and cheddar. I got the smoked turkey. It has a big pile of delicious smoked turkey with bacon, goat cheese, medjool date spread and zippy dressed salad greens. It's such a yummy sweet and salty and sour combo. They do that very well at Be'wiched. They do everything well there! I got a cup of cream of celery root and apple soup and it was decadent and tasty enough to serve as dessert.
Happy Sandwich Day everyone!

The best sandwich in downtown St. Paul?

2011-08-12T15:42:00.003-06:00

That's what some people say!
This is a mozzarella, tomato, basil and prosciutto panini from Maison Darras. It was featured as one of the 17 best sandwiches in the Twin Cities by Minnesota Monthly. I love the panini. And I hadn't been on a walk through the skyways in ages. And who am I to argue with Minnesota Monthly?
The verdict? It's a lovely sandwich. It's not over stuffed. The fillings balance each other out perfectly. The bread is reminiscent of the paninis you can get on the sidewalks of Paris. Which is a good thing, of course. I'll be back.
And yes, I need to check out some more of these 17 best sandwiches!

Again with the baseball!

2011-08-12T15:15:00.004-06:00

I can't get away from Target Field. At leat not until I've tried all of the sandwiches. We got the chance to sit in the Legends Club section the other night. It's a teeny step up from our usual third deck seats. There are padded seats and people to serve you drinks while you sit in them. There's an enclosed, air conditioned concession area with fancier food than you can get elsewhere. Like these Italian beauties. At the Frankie V's stands throughout the stadium you can get pizza and calzones. At the Legends Club Frankie V's, you can get meatball sandwiches and paninis, too. And you know I'm a sucker for a meatball sandwich.
The meatballs were made with a mix of Italian sausage and beef and were fennel-ly and delicious. The sauce was bright and fresh. And they melt the cheese on top in the pizza oven!
The panini had salami and peppers and a creamy, cheesy sauce. It was quite tasty. The sauce did a good job of holding it together--it's making me think of things to put on a panini...bechamel, anyone?
The view wasn't bad either. Now, if we could only get to a game when the Twins win!

It was fate

2011-07-19T09:59:00.002-06:00

Beth and I went to the Twins game last night because we couldn't think of a better way to spend a 90+ high humidity evening than sitting outside surrounded by hot people. Plus, we already had the tickets.
I had been thinking of getting the Turkey to Go sandwich all day and that's exactly where I headed as soon as we got to the stadium. We passed Tony O's Cuban Sandwich on the way and I was reminded that I really should try one of those...
Moments later, armed with my turkey sandwich, Beth and I headed for the blissfully air conditioned elevators to the upper deck. The elevator opened, and Tony Oliva himself walks out! He said, "I've been waiting for you, ladies." Then he walked away. We got on the elevator, and laughed about the whole episode with the elevator operator. I told him I almost got a Cuban tonight and he highly recommended it. So I got one for dessert. Well, half was my dessert and the other half was Beth's dinner.
The verdict? The pork and ham are tasty and there's just enough cheese. The pickle is good, too. But there's no mustard on it! They should warn you about that, before you get all the way back to your seat, passing countless condiment counters brimming with yellow mustard along to way. Without the mustard, it's a pretty tasty sandwich, but no match for my favorite Turkey to Go. With the mustard, who knows? It could be the best sandwich at Target Field.

Food Truck Food Court, revisited

2011-06-12T20:59:00.002-06:00

The weekly food truck food court in downtown St. Paul is pretty awesome. I've been back a couple times and everything has been delicious! This is a bison burger from Chef Shack. It had guacamole, bacon ketchup, and pepper jack on it. I added some pickles from their well stocked condiment bar, too. The patty was perfectly cooked to medium rare, which was a lovely surprise. I got their Arnie Palmer as well. It's made from jasmine tea and isn't too sweet.
On another trip, I revisited Gastrotruck and got a black bean slider and a BBQ chicken slider with onion marmalade. Super yum! I look forward to trying more of their sliders!

California wrap-up

2011-06-02T21:10:00.005-06:00

On my last full day in California, Junior took me to Point Richmond to see a county park and a model train set-up. After that excitement, we were feeling a little peckish. Luckily, Point Richmond has a nice historic downtown with lots of food options. We were drawn to a rugby bar, the Up & Under. It wasn't just a bar with rugby jerseys. It was a true rugby pub with a rugby themed menu. Of course I had to check out the sandwich named after the position I played.
How did they know this is one of my faves? The other position's sandwiches were just as appropriate. The Lock? An Italian sausage grinder. (Beth approves) The Wing? A portabello mushroom sandwich (Tee hee).
The sandwich was lovely. The sauce was not too sweet and the bun was soft enough to hold all the juicy goodness in. The avocado was an especially nice touch.
I also had a chance to get back to Bun Mee for another delicious creation. This one is the Sloppy Bun: red curry ground beef with a fried egg, Thai basil, cilantro, onions and jalapenos. Holy moly! The server slipped me extra napkins before I even started to eat! It was a great banh mit. I'm only sorry I couldn't try more of their fancy sandwiches. I will have to try and make some at home until I can make it back!

Berkeley Sandwich Night!

2011-05-30T10:16:00.000-06:00

I'm finishing out my trip to the Bay Area by visiting some old friends, including Sandwich Night originator Angie!
It's Memorial Day weekend, so we had to grill out, of course. Angie simmered bratwurst in beer, with mushrooms and onions. Once the brats were cooked, she reduced the remaining beer, mushroom and onion mixture into a thick yummy gravy. For the sandwiches, we toasted garlic naan, spread mushroom brie on it, then layered on tomatoes, pickles, the mushroom mixture, the brats and greens. Junior made potato salad with green beans to go with the meal.As a bonus, we had perfect weather and Jen made oatmeal chocolate chip cookies for dessert!

The banh mit is the sandwich of the teens

2011-05-26T20:41:00.003-06:00

You know it!
I'm in San Francisco for work this week and I just happened to wander past Bun Mee at supper time. They serve super fancy banh mit. I had to stop, of course. I got the "smoky eggplant" which had roasted eggplant and red curry aioli on it. It was so delicious. The eggplant and curry were a good savory contrast to the slightly sweet pickled onion, cucumber and daikon. They also put really thick cilantro stalks in there and they were fantastic.
I'm still here tomorrow so I might need to return to try another sandwich!For dessert, I ordered this sweet little sandwich cookie-chocolate cookies with coconut filling. So pretty!

Fun with no-knead bread

2011-05-26T07:57:00.002-06:00

In a fit of frugality this spring I decided to start baking my own bread. I have been curious to try the various no-knead methods out there. I admit I’m a little late to the party. I mean, no-knead bread is so 2009, isn’t it?
No-knead bread is exactly that. You stir up your ingredients in a big bowl, let the dough rise for a while at room temperature, then store it in the fridge. The gluten develops while the big gloopy mess sits in the cold. The yeast breeds slowly, too, so you don’t get that sweet yeasty taste some homemade breads have. When you feel like fresh bread, you pull off a hunk, shape it quickly and let it rise for a bit. Then you bake it in a hot oven with steam.
It’s been a fun experiment. Other than making sure you have enough time to let the dough rise before baking, there is really no planning involved. The initial recipe makes enough dough for several loaves and it keeps for about 10 days.
That’s fine, you say, but how does it work for sandwiches?
I’ve had my hits and misses. My first attempt at a whole wheat loaf came out about 3 inches tall. Beth and I had to endure some ridicule from our coworkers while eating stubby turkey sandwiches for lunch that week.
I have yet to find the best recipe for whole wheat sandwich bread. One was too sour, the other too heavy. The too heavy whole wheat sandwich loaf was a nice match for my favorite peanut butter and pepper jelly sandwich, though. Even sliced thinly, the bread stood up to the jelly without getting soggy.
I have a feeling I’ll be playing around with no-knead bread for some time to come!

Now there’s a reality show for Sandwich Night!

2011-05-25T08:25:00.001-06:00

I’m sort of ambivalent about Blondie, although I read it every day. My lackluster devotion does pay off occasionally. Check out this recent strip.
Nice work, Dagwood!

Food Truck Food Court=Best Thing Ever

2011-05-20T10:59:00.003-06:00

The food truck frenzy has kicked it up a notch in downtown St. Paul. This summer, the city is setting aside half a block of metered parking for food trucks on Wednesdays. How awesome is that? Luckily, the weekly Food Truck Food Court is located a block away from my work. Could it get any better?
Of course it could. Many of these fancy trucks feature yummy sounding sandwiches. I had to pick one, so I chose Gastrotruck's Surly Coffee Bender brasied beef short rib sliders. Say that three times fast! The short ribs with delectable--very tender. I didn't pick up the taste of the beer very much but they were beefy and slightly sweet. It was served with blue cheese and what I think were sauteed ramps. The buns were soft and slightly sweet. And perfect. I'll be checking them out again since they had lots of other sliders on the menu.
The other trucks had some promising looking sandwiches, too. Grilled cheese with pulled pork and caramelized onions? Don't mind if I do!

Turkey To Go!

2011-05-17T15:11:00.004-06:00

Beth and I bought into a season ticket package for the Minnesota Twins this year. Beth's the baseball fan. I'm the easily distracted viewer who goes for the spectacle and the food. Yes, the food. Target Field has done a great job featuring local specialties and vendors. Last year I enjoyed Kramarczuk's Polish Sausages and Angie's Kettle Corn. This year is even better because Turkey To Go has a stand!

I first discovered Turkey To Go's excellent turkey sandwiches at the State Fair last year. I have been walking right past their stand for years. Silly me.

The Turkey To Go at Target Field did not disappoint. The turkey is nice and juicy and perfectly salty. It tastes like the best Thanksgiving turkey you've ever had. The bun is slightly sweet and perfect for soaking up all that goodness. They are right behind home plate--don't miss it!

I'm looking forward to sampling some of the other sandwich options offered on my next visit. The Murray's Steak Sandwich Beth ate looked awfully tasty...

Too distracted to blog

2011-04-14T14:13:00.002-06:00

Have you seen the current issue of Saveur? Have you? Well, if you have, you will know why I've been too busy to update the blog. Those pages need to be carefully examined. More later--when I try out some of the recipes!

It's catching on...

2011-03-22T21:21:00.003-06:00

My friend Molly hosted a Sandwich Night last week and she's never even been to Sandwich Night at my house! I'm a trendsetter!

Molly and her husband Ralph were inspired by Ralph's south Jersey roots and chose to make a Philly Cheese Steak. That's a sandwich we haven't attempted yet, so I was excited to try their version. They did some pre-testing (what a concept!) to get the components just right. They considered a couple bread options, including the French rolls used for banh mit, before settling on Mexican bolillo rolls. One day old bolillo rolls, to be exact.

Bolillo rolls are soft, yet strong enough to stand up to wet ingredients. They are just slightly sweet, like a good white bread should be. They are lovely for Cubans, too.

With the bread squared away, the rest was easy. Thinly sliced ribeye, sauteed green peppers and onions, provolone, and Cheez Whiz. I have to admit, I was a little skeptical about Cheez Whiz. I know it's the right way to do it, but it still seems wrong to put Cheeze Whiz on a sandwich with such great ingredients.

I decided to do a side by side comparison. I made my sandwich with provolone and Beth made hers with the Cheez Whiz and we shared them.The provolone was tasty. I layered it under the rest of the ingredients so it would melt. This was a fine sandwich.

Beth layered the Cheez Whiz over, under, and around the other ingredients for a deliciously messy cheesy explosion. This was an amazing sandwich! I'm a convert! Bring on the Whiz!

There's a truck made of grilled cheese???

2011-03-01T20:19:00.005-06:00

I knew I had to find the Grilled Cheese Truck when I was in Los Angeles last week. It's mobile fancy grilled cheese kitchen! They go everywhere. You can follow them on Twitter. They make a sandwich with macaroni and cheese AND pulled pork in it. How could I pass that up?
I couldn't, of course. They even made it easy for me, parking a mere 10 minutes from my parents' house on a day when we had no lunch plans. Can you see my excitement?

I had carefully studied their menu online and was wavering between getting the cheesy mac and rib or the brie melt. Then I found out about their special of the day: the fried chicken melt. What's that? It takes the classic L.A. meal of fried chicken and waffles and improves it with lots of melty sharp Cheddar. Oh my goodness! We got there soon after they opened shop and had to stand in line for almost 45 minutes just to order. We had another 20 minutes to wait for our order to be ready. Yes, the sandwiches were worth the wait.
We were feeding a small crowd back home so we were able to get a variety of sandwiches. That's the brie melt in back. It has brie, fig paste and almonds on black peppercorn potato bread. In front, we have the delectable fried chicken melt. It comes with maple syrup for dipping. We also got the cheesy mac and rib and the smores melt. (I didn't get a picture of them before they were devoured, unfortunately.) They were all great, but the fried chicken melt was the standout. The sweetness of the waffle mixed well with the slightly spicy cutlet and gooey cheese. The maple syrup tied all of the flavors together perfectly. Mmm...now why didn't I think of making sandwiches out of waffles?

Thanks, Grilled Cheese Truck!

One for the secret menu

2011-02-27T16:36:00.005-06:00

In-n-Out, like many fast food joints, has a "secret menu." You can order extra patties, no patties, or extra condiments. But how about this one?This is what you do when your 4 year old orders a hamburger and only eats the meat. What to do with the bun and all the fixings? Add fries, of course. You only need to call it a shamewich if you eat the whole thing after you have finished your own Double Double. You should also only let it be recorded for posterity if your sister promises to hide your identity.

In which I attempt to take my own life with cheese filled burgers...

2011-01-25T21:54:00.003-06:00

Oh lordy. I had a Jucy Lucy twofer over the weekend that damn near killed me.
On Friday night Beth and I scored tickets to the Current's 6th Birthday Party at First Avenue. We wanted to go out to eat beforehand and it was early enough that Matt's sounded like a great idea. At 6:00, we got the last available table. Nice! Of course, they were up to their usual high standards. My Jucy Lucy had an unfortunate blow-out on the grill but it had been expertly patched. We headed off to the concert with our bellies full of beefy cheesy goodness. Then we stood and watched awesome local bands for 6 hours. You have to stand at First Ave, since they only have about a dozen chairs and 6 of them were reserved for the Mayor and his posse. We got home around 2:00 and crashed.
Until...the phone rang at 9:00 AM. It was Beth's brother Ted. He wanted to know what time we were going to the Blue Door Pub? I completely forgot we talked about doing that. Ted saw it on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives and wanted to check it out. We decided to get there when they opened in order to get a table. Which meant I found myself facing down another cheese filled burger less than 24 hours after the last. Eeek!
In such a predicament, I went whole hog, of course. I ordered the Cowboy Blucy--cheddar and bacon stuffed patty topped with more cheddar, barbecue sauce and onion rings. Then, Ted ordered the Spam bites as an appetizer. They consist of chopped up Spam and pickles rolled into a ball of cream cheese somewhere between the size of a golf ball and a billiard ball, battered and deep fried. They are served with a sweet and sour dipping sauce that sort of cuts through the insanity of it all. They were good, but we could only eat one each. And the burger was awesome. The Merriam Park Blucy is still my favorite, but the Cowboy Blucy makes for some stiff competition. There's something about the combination of really good cheddar, zippy barbecue sauce and beef that is irresistable.
Well, not completely irresistable. Try as I might, I could not finish the whole thing. Maybe I should have skipped the beer...

A Happy Accident

2011-01-20T20:47:00.003-06:00

Everett's was out of bulk Italian sausage when Beth went to buy ingredients for lasagna. Not to worry, they sell the same sausage as links in the freezer! And there were enough to save a couple for sandwiches, of course.
I simmered the sausages in tomato sauce, then laid them on soft French bread and melted aged Provolone on top. Finally, I added some muffuletta olive salad on top because we were out of giardiniera. Yum yum yum!

Well, hello there!

2011-01-03T20:16:00.002-06:00

The New Year sneaked up on me! It must be all the snow. I'm looking forward to a new year of sharing sandwiches with you. But I'm in a reflective mood, so let's look back at the highlights of 2010.
My resolution to blog everyday ended on January 6. ( I know, lame.) But trying to blog more often got me to try some new things and take a look at my stats. I learned that my most popular posts involve recipes, so I'll be including more of those this year.
We finally made the Philly roast pork sandwich and it was fantastic. We seriously considered quitting our jobs for a moment and making those full time from a food truck.
I finally discovered the secret sandwiches at the Minnesota State Fair. The turkey sandwich from Turkey to Go is my new must eat at the Fair
But the most important sandwich discovery of 2010 for me was the St. Paul Cheese Shop. They make such fantastic sandwiches! I'm filling up my punch card. Pretty soon I'll earn a free sandwich and I'm hoping they'll have a short rib special on the menu. Their short rib, marscapone, and pickled scallion special was one of the best sandwiches I ate in 2010. Mmmm....

Make meatballs while the snow flies

2010-12-13T19:39:00.003-06:00

You may have heard that we had a little snowstorm in the Upper Midwest over the weekend. I grew up in Southern California and my only idea of Minnesota winters came from reading the Little House on the Prairie books. I thought blinding white out blizzards where you had to feel your way to the barn with a rope were a regular occurence. It was a little disappointing to discover that that doesn't really happen, especially in the city.

I did get to experience the famous Halloween Blizzard of 1991. I lived on my college campus and I didn't have a car so I simply enjoyed the sheer immensity of all that snow. It was incredible. I didn't know that I would have to wait almost 20 years to meet another storm of its magnitude. Bring it on, Snowpocalypse 2010!

Spaghetti is a lovely thing to make when you are snowed in. What's better than letting a pot of sauce simmer on the stove all day? And whates better than a meatball sandwich when you get tired of eating the sauce on pasta. Not much!

Beth made her awesome meatballs and was able to get to the store Monday to pick up rolls and provolone cheese. I spread garlic butter on the rolls, toasted them, then layered on cheese, meatballs, and a little sauce and toasted them some more. I finished them off with a little hot giardiniera peppers.

Mmmm--this makes hours of shovelling worth it!

Mmm..leftover turkey sandwiches

2010-11-30T14:14:00.002-06:00

Aren't leftover Thanksgiving turkey sandwiches the best? There are so many options. You could pile all the leftovers on a piece of white bread, smother with gravy and microwave. You could pile all the leftovers between two slices of bread and eat it cold. Or, you could make a simple turkey and cranberry sauce sandwich. I layer turkey (salt and pepper it!) and homemade cranberry sauce between two slices of well buttered white bread. That's it.

It helps to have really good cranberry sauce and I made a tasty one:
1 bag cranberries
3/4 cup sugar
4-5 frozen strawberries
Place in a pan, bring to a boil and simmer for a few minutes until the juices coat the back of a spoon. You can always cook it longer if you're not sure. You don't want runny cranberry sauce on your sandwich!

Go west, young woman!

2010-11-16T21:42:00.002-06:00

Our little Angie stayed with us for a night on her big move out to California. We had to have an appropriate sandwich in her honor, of course. I found a good candidate in 'wichcraft: red wine-braised flank steak with roasted peppers, onions, and gruyere. The only thing it was missing to make it a true Angie sandwich was mushrooms.

The recipe called for 2 1/2 hours to braise the meat so I cooked it up the night before Angie was due. The sandwich was almost lost when the braising liquid cooked off and the steak started to burn. I was so caught up watching Sherlock on PBS that I barely noticed the buring smell coming from the kitchen. I saved it just in time, but the pan juices were ruined. I improvised some new pan juices with beef broth and was able to shred the meat in it. It was a little overcooked tasting, but not terribly so. The whole incident reminded me of the scene in Julie and Julia when Julie burns the boeuf bourguignon she's making for the food critic because she fell asleep. My intended audience was more forgiving so I didn't have to start over. Phew!

I also made some changes to the recipe. First off, I forgot my list when I went shopping and I bought gouda instead of gruyere. That was no big loss--the gouda was delicious. I sauteed up a mess of crimini mushrooms to add to the sandwich which were a lovely addition.

We assembled the sandwiches and baked them in the oven until they were good and melty. Angie built a huge sandwich, as expected.

Hopefully the meaty deliciousness of this sandwich will convince Angie to come back and visit often!

Sandwich Night Celebration!

2010-11-07T10:24:00.003-06:00

Sandwich Night regular Karen has a great reason to celebrate: she's adopting! Her new daughter is a 15 year old sandwich loving girl named Jacki. When Karen shared this news with me, you know my first response was, "Does she like sandwiches???"

And she does. And she has strong opinions about them. Such as, "all sandwiches must contain meat." I don't necessarily agree...but kudos for speaking your mind, young Sandwich Artist.

To celebrate, Karen hosted a Sandwich Night in Jacki's honor. I figured it was high time to return to 'wichcraft for some ideas. We chose two seasonally appropriate sandwiches: Cheddar cheese, smoked ham, poached pears and mustard on cranberry bread and roasted pumpkin, hazelnut brown butter and fresh mozzarella on white bread. I chose the second one as a not too subtle attempt to sway Jacki over to the dark realm of meatless sandwiches....

Karen invited lots of Sandwich Night newbies so we had some hesitation around the panini maker. It didn't last long. People started mixing up ingredients and making their own ham-pumpkin-mozzarella-pear creations pretty quick. I made one of each, according to the recipes. Just to try them, afterall. I preferred the ham, Cheddar and pear sandwich. But both were quite lovely.
My meatless sandwich trick worked too. As Jacki bit into her pumpkin sandwich, we asked if she had put any meat in it and she replied, "Pumpkin is the meat in this sandwich!" Aaah, a rule bending afficionado. I love you already.

Jacki's a fan of anime, so we watched Ponyo as our entertainment. It's kind of a crazy movie. It's best if you don't try to make too much sense of it. The character Ponyo is obsessed with ham, though. That I can understand!

On the road again...

2010-10-24T19:18:00.002-06:00

I've just gotten home from a couple weeks of travelling and of course I have sandwich news for you.
I flew to Hartford, CT for work for a couple days. My connecting flight through Philadelphia was a pleasant surprise. The Philly airport is pretty nice! They have lots of food options including a Chick-fil-A. I've been curious about their sandwiches but have never gotten the chance to try one.
The star of the sandwich is the fried chicken filet. It's juicy and nicely spiced. And totally let down by a bland bun and a couple soggy pickles for company. How about some mayonnaise and nice crisp piece of lettuce, folks? I'll have to provide my own next time I find a Chick-fil-A!

Nobody Beats Mayslack's Meat

2010-10-12T18:05:00.004-06:00

“It's smiling at me.”
My friend Chobot had just played 80 minutes of rugby, so any food looks pretty friendly at that point. It's the Original at Mayslack's, a Northeast Minneapolis institution famous for roast beef and also a sponsor of my old rubgy team. This sandwich has been on my radar for a while (should I make a Sandwich Bucket List?) but this was my first chance to try it.
The fantastically garlicky roast beef is piled on a soft pumpernickel bun. If you try really hard, you can get about half the meat into the bun to eat it. The banana peppers and sliced onions add the right amount of tangy crunch. If I could change anything, I'd serve the meat closer to the rare end of the spectrum. But it was still mighty tasty!
And yes, I shared some with Chobot. But only because I couldn't finish it, of course.

This explains a lot

2010-09-22T14:32:00.001-06:00

Credit to my friend Amy T for directing me to This is Why You're Fat, a celebration of excess. I couldn't stop looking at it. There are quite a few featured sandwiches including the usual suspects circulating the web these days: Paula Deen's Lady's Brunch Burger, the KFC Double Down and the Denny's Fried Grilled Cheese. Yup, there's a lot to be scared of on the website. And of course, there's a lot to be inspired by as well....one of these days we might just make a hamburger with grilled cheese sandwiches for buns!

Sandwich Night for me

2010-09-15T18:44:00.003-06:00

So I said I'd have a Sandwich Night tonight. But I've been crazy busy and I never got it together to invite anyone over. Sorry!

Luckily for me, Beth made spaghetti sauce with meatballs before she left on her latest bicycle adventure so I had a tasty meatball sub from the leftovers. You can't go wrong with that. I was lazy and I simply microwaved the French bread, meatballs, some sauce and a slice of mozzarella. The result wasn't the best I could make but it was pleasingly saucy and melty. I must add that Beth made an exceptionally delicious batch of meatballs so that helped!

Of course I watched America's Next Top Model. I think this season has some decent potential. It may even be about modeling!

Crazy for Caprese

2010-09-14T21:52:00.003-06:00

Our Caprese Sandwich Night was delightful. I got heirloom tomatoes from the coop since ours aren't ripe yet. I picked the basil in the backyard. I made the mozzarella. I bought ciabatta rolls and sliced sourdough bread. Finally, I reduced some balsamic vinegar until it was nice and syrupy.

The big choice was, cold sandwich or panini? Both had their merits. I brushed the ciabatta rolls with a little olive oil and toasted them. Then we layered on the ingredients. The result was fresh and tasty. But, we also had sourdough bread and a panini maker and you know everything tastes better as a panini, right? Right! The paninis were especially good with a drizzle of reduced balsamic vinegar over the top. Yum!

I did learn something new about fresh mozzarella, too. I covered the cheese with water after I made it according to the directions. When I pulled it out two days later for sandwich night it was the slimiest gooiest mess. I sliced it, then the slices all oozed together. It was still super delicious, but next time I'll serve it sooner or use less water!

Easy, cheesy

2010-09-07T07:05:00.003-06:00

Who knew making mozzarella was so easy? My friend Kris gave me a a packet of everthing I needed to make my own mozzarella (rennet, citric acid, cheese salt) ages ago. I was busy at the time so she said I could freeze it.

Well, if you've seen my freezer, you know it is a chaotic affair. Every so often, the little packet of cheese stuff would surface, only to be stuffed back in because I wasn't ready to make it.

Serendipity struck the other day as I was planning the Caprese Sandwich Night and the cheese packet resurfaced. Yay!

To make the cheese, you warm whole milk and citric acid gently, then add rennet and let it curdle. Drain off the whey and knead the curds into stretchy, shiny mozzarella. Add some salt and store it in water. I was done in 30 minutes. I hope it tastes as good as it was easy to make!

Time flies--we must be having fun!

2010-09-06T12:42:00.003-06:00

Or at least we're making fun of the latest crop of America's Next Top Model contestants. Can you believe it's already time for Cycle 15? Seriously, I've watched this show through 14 seasons?
The first episode of Cycle 15 is this Wednesday, September 8. I know it's short notice, but we should have a Sandwich Night, don't you think? I'm thinking caprese sandwiches. I even have tomatoes and basil from my own yard to contribute. Can you make it? Let me know!
If I have caught you too late, what do you think about a second ANTM Sandwich Night next week, September 15? Sandwich TBD.
Now sing along with me, "Wanna be on top?...."

State Fair sandwiches, revised

2010-09-01T18:25:00.003-06:00

I have stated in the past that the Minnesota State Fair isn't really all that exciting on the sandwich front. The other non-sandwich foods are usually far more enticing.

Well, let me me tell you about a couple sandwiches I have recently discovered at the Fair that may change my opinion for good.

First, there are the grilled chocolate sandwiches at Moe and Joes Coffee. They have had the basic grilled chocolate sandwich for a few years, but this year they introduced the grilled chocolate, marshmallow and banana sandwich. I also missed the introduction of the Elvis sandwich a couple years ago. That's a grilled peanut butter and banana sandwich. I guess the bacon was too much trouble.

All of their sandwches are quite lovely. Gooey enough to be delicious, but not so gooey that you can't enjoy them while walking around. Beth and I shared the marshmallow and the Elvis and were very happy with them. It's a good base. And you could walk across the street to the All You Can Drink Milk booth if you need something to wash them down.

The other sandwich I discovered this year is at Turkey to Go, also located by the All You Can Drink Milk. I've seen the stand for years but thought they only sold turkey legs which I'm not too excited about. That's just too much food to commit to when there are so many delicious things to try. But who knew they also sell a fantastic turkey sandwich? My sister in law happened upon it while buying a lemonade. She got the "gluten free" version--which is simply shredded roast turkey in a cup. It was so good I knew I had to go back for the gluten-full variety on my next trip to the Fair. Then there was a cool article about the sandwich in the newspaper, so I knew it was meant to be. The wait was worth it. The turkey is roasted and shredded, then stuffed in a slightly sweet soft white bun. They have an assortment on condiments (bbq sauce, mayo, etc.) but it doesn't need any of them. Now, THAT'S a good sandwich!

Viva Cuba!

2010-08-21T21:03:00.002-06:00

I love going to Victor's 1959 Cafe for breakfast but I rarely get there for lunch. Which is a shame because they have lovely sandwiches. That's a Cuban, of course. My favorite part about it is the thick slice of grilled ham. No mild tasting shaved ham here.

I also tried the Cuban Steak sandwich. It has tangy marinated steak and tomates and lettuce. It's on a soft bun, so you can focus on the meaty goodness of it all. And of course we got fried yuca, wouldn't you?

A place to cool your heels

2010-08-09T13:20:00.002-06:00

It's a scorcher here in Minnesota this week. Temps in the 90's with high humidity. We're melting. Give us 20 below any day!

While it's tempting to stay cooped up in my climate controlled laboratory all day, getting some daylight is necessary!

Luckily, the lovely Irvine Park beckons me. It's a short walk from work, full of gorgeous shady oak trees, and has a fancy fountain.

It's the perfect setting for a St. Paul Cheese Shop special--burrata (whole milk fresh mozzarella with a cream center!), olive tapenade, and greens on ciabatta. How do you keep upping your game, St. Paul Cheese Shop? How? Are you trying to kill me with your deliciousness?

Some of my favorite things

2010-08-07T20:09:00.003-06:00

It's well documented that I love St. Agnes Bakery St. Paul Sourdough and Seward Co-op Turkey. I also love Carr Valley cheeses. What happens when you put them all together?Magic. That's three milk Swiss, by the way. Yup. Swiss made from cow, sheep and goat milk. Delish!

Some sandwiches don't need to be

2010-07-31T16:21:00.003-06:00

We hosted a woman riding her bike around the world last week. She has travelled across Europe, Asia and half of the United States--over 7000 miles so far. She stayed a couple days while Beth advised her on good routes across Wisconsin and I pestered her for stories. Beth rode out of town with her since that's the hardest part of bike touring--finding your way in and out of cities. Beth had so much fun riding with her that she went almost the whole day and called me to pick her up.
Beth talked me into picking her up by reminding me that the town she was stopping in, Miesville, has a bar famous for hamburgers. I met her and Ann at King's. I had eaten there a long time ago and the burgers were good. I didn't remember there being quite so many on the menu, though. I had a hard time choosing but I was drawn to the large number of burgers featuring coleslaw and/or hot dogs. Hmmm... I couldn't not try a burger with a hot dog and coleslaw on it, right? I don't regret trying it, but it's not really a sandwich that needs to exist. The burger patty was good, but it was topped with a lukewarm and mediocre hot dog, a scoop of so-so coleslaw,and a slice of cheese on top of the whole mess. What's the opposite of gestalt? Is there a term for something less than the sum of its parts?
Anyway, if you go to King's get a normal burger. Skip the gimmick!
And if you get the chance to host an around the world cyclist, by all means say yes!

On the way home

2010-07-21T21:26:00.003-06:00

We took a couple detours on our way home from the East Coast.

First up, we decided to swing by Gettysburg. It wasn't too far off the route and we figured we check it out quickly and head on our way. Silly us. We got there right after lunch and finally had to stop looking around because the sun was setting. We still had driving to do! We weren't crazy enough to hit the road again without something in our stomachs, though.

Luckily we happened upon the Springhouse Tavern in the Dobbin House. The house was built over a spring in the 1770's. You can still see the spring, right next to the entrance to the tavern. It was a really cool building with the original stone walls and timber ceiling. I got the Maryland Crabcake Sandwich. The crabcake was really tasty and one a toasted bun with letuce and tomato. Delicious. I only had my cell phone with me so the picture is awful. Bear with me.

Spending so much time at Gettysburg made for a long second day of driving. We stayed on the turnpikes and stopped as minimally as possible. We were approaching Chicago around dinner time, though. I wished out loud that Mr. Beef had an outlet right off the freeway so we could get their amazing Italian beef sandwiches. No luck. But the GPS did lead us to Ricobene's which had a suitable substitute. It's no Mr. Beef, but it'll do in a pinch!

Vacationwich Round-up

2010-07-21T20:42:00.005-06:00

We've been back from vacation for a week and I finally feel like I'm recovering. It's about time I shared some more sandwiches I loved while on the East Coast.

We went to Basin Head beach on P.E.I. It's famous for it's singing sands. The sand squeaks under your feet!

It also has a snack stand selling all sorts of seafood and burgers. I was feeling peckish, so I couldn't pass up on the scallop burger. What's a scallop burger? It's a handful of fried scallops on a beautifully soft bun with tartar sauce, lettuce and tomato. Perfect.

We spent a day in Boston at the end of our trip which meant we got to go to the Greek Corner with some of our Boston family and friends. I had a lamb souvlaki sandwich and it was tasty.It was even better because I got to eat with this little guy.

Maine makes good lobster rolls, too

2010-07-11T19:08:00.003-06:00

On our way home from Prince Edward Island, we stopped at Acadia National Park in Maine. This being a trip with my crazy brother, we got there just in time for sunset. We sped up Cadillac Mountain just in time to catch the amazing view and the pink and red sky.
After taking in the view we started to look for dinner. All of the places that were hopping with customers at 8:30 when we drove past them on the way to the park were closed up at 9:30. Except for the Down East Lobster Pound. They might not have been too excited to see us roll up at 9:45, but they were happy to sell us lobster rolls, chowder and blueberry pie.We checked out their lobster pots, which featured some rarities like this blue lobster and giant orange one. Then we sat down in their screened porch and prepared to feast. The sandwich was gorgeous. It was filled with sweet lobster and a little mayo. The roll was toasted perfectly. And the coleslaw was nice and crispy with a little zing. The chowder and pie were great too!

P.E.I. Sandwich Night

2010-07-11T18:55:00.002-06:00

We have been sampling the local delicacies of PEI during our trip: Mussels, poutine, oysters, new potatoes, MSG-laden meat flavored potato chips, Canadian candy bars, etc. And lobsters, of course.

One night we cooked up three huge ones and ate them with butter. They were the best lobsters I’ve ever had. I think I closed my eyes and said “Mmmmm” with every bite. The next night we decided to get some more, but to make lobster rolls. Meghan mixed up lobster, chopped celery, mayonnaise, lemon juice, salt and pepper. We toasted soft sandwich buns and spooned a big pile of lobster salad on each one. They were delicious!

A little South Minneapolis in PEI

2010-07-06T12:53:00.004-06:00

We’re staying at a cottage right on the water in Prince Edward Island. It’s awesome. But we don’t feel too far from home because there are Minnesota caliber mosquitoes everywhere. And because we made Jucy Lucy’s for dinner.

I made them from ground turkey for a change. And filled them with processed cheese. That’s what they call it Canada. No American cheese here! I grilled them and only had a couple leak. Not bad, if I don’t say so myself. We didn’t have buns so Meghan cut rounds out of slices of bread. Then we rolled up the remaining parts of the slices for additional bun substitutes. For condiments we had yellow mustard and onion dip. Aaah, vacation.

Vacationwiches, Part 1

2010-07-06T12:37:00.005-06:00

My brother invited us to join his family at a cottage on Prince Edward Island this summer. All we had to do was get to Boston and ride up there with them. We considered our options and decided to drive to Boston since it would save a little money and we could bring our bikes.

What I didn’t know was that we would be able to revisit some of the places Beth biked through last summer on her cross country tour. We made it to Conneaut, OH just in time for an early lunch at the White Turkey Drive-in. The White Turkey was a beacon of joy in Beth’s long slog along the shore of Lake Erie. The signature sandwich features perfectly juicy chopped roasted turkey. I opted for the Large Marge which adds a slice of American cheese and some bacon. (My lifetime love of Pee Wee’s Big Adventure may have influenced my decision as well.)

The Large Marge was excellent. The turkey was perfect--juicy, just salty enough, full of turkey flavor. The cheese and the bacon added the right amount of savoriness. And the soft white bun had flecks of salt on it. Yum! To top it off, they serve delicious root beer in frosty mugs. A beacon of joy, indeed.

Oh Heavens!

2010-07-01T22:40:00.002-06:00

I can't get enough of the sandwiches at the St. Paul Cheese Shop. Everything is so delicious! Check out this beauty, on special the other day. That's blue cheese, garlic confit, fig jam and greens on a ciabatta roll. There was an explosion of joy in my mouth with each bite.

Spicing up the turkey sandwich

2010-06-29T20:50:00.002-06:00

I’m still loving sandwiches made from Seward Co-op’s fantastic roast turkey. But I’m getting a little bored with the usual wheat bread/turkey/fancy mustard/greens combo I throw together as I’m running out the door for work. The answer to my turkey sandwich doldrums lay in a container of jalapeno peppers I bought at Trader Joe’s. You can’t buy just one pepper. You have to buy a box of eight. Which means I use one and never get around to the using the rest and they rot. Not this time. I started thinking about pepper jelly. And putting pepper jelly and cream cheese on a cracker….I made up a batch of jalapeno jelly. And I ate it on crackers spread with cream cheese. And then I thought, spread that combo on some St. Agnes Bakery St. Paul Sourdough and add some turkey. Yes! It’s spicy and a little sweet. The cream cheese keeps it from being too hot. The jelly brings out the lightly salty taste in the turkey. And you really can’t make a bad sandwich on such good bread.

A chip off the old block...sort of

2010-06-28T12:12:00.003-06:00

My oldest niece is the closest thing I've got to a mini-me. We look alike. We act alike. And now we share the love of sandwiches!
She sent me this photo of her fabulous Sunday morning breakfast. Raspberry lemonade, two donuts and the "perfect" turkey sandwich. That's turkey, romaine, tomato, Dijon mustard and mayonnaise. That's my girl!

I only wish we shared her 11 year old metabolism...

Sandwiches Make Everything Better

2010-06-26T15:57:00.003-06:00

We had a couple booming thunderstorms yesterday evening. There were some trees down in the neighborhood and flooding in the streets. We were pleased that our giant tree seemed to weather the storm just fine. That was, until we were awoken late in the night by the loudest crash I have ever heard. I thought we had been hit by lightening. Nope, we were hit by an enormous branch, right over our sleeping heads. It had merely waited a few hours to give up the ghost.

Luckily, our friends Ben and Amy came to the rescue with breakfast treats from Butter. We had broccoli quiche, eclairs and this gorgeous biscuit sandwich with a fried egg, sausage and cheddar cheese. Yum! The biscuit was a little on the sturdy side, which helped hold the sandwich together and the sausage was well spiced. I added a little sriracha sauce because it makes an egg sandwich even better. It was a good distraction while we waited for the tree service to come and hoist the tree sized branch off our roof.

They are predicting more storms tonight. The tree's off the roof now, leaving a huge hole. Who's bringing breakfast tomorrow? We may need the distraction. And buckets and mops!

UPDATE: The emergency roofing team came just before the storm last night and fitted us out with a plywood patch and attractive blue tarp cover. It kept us dry!

So much sandwich news

2010-06-23T20:57:00.002-06:00

My friends have been showering me with sandwich tidbits lately.
First, my cousin Jeff let me know that Instructables is having a sandwich contest. The entry is due July 17. Which sandwich should I enter?
Then my friend Jackie sent me a slideshow of gorgeous sandwiches from Los Angeles.
And finally, my friend Ali let me know that my post about the ratatouille and goat cheese sandwich I ate at Rock the Garden made it into the Walker Art Center blog about the concert! Fame! Will fortune follow?

Rocking the Garden with sandwiches

2010-06-20T08:23:00.003-06:00

I went to Rock the Garden at the Walker Art Gallery yesterday. It's an annual concert hosted by my favorite radio station, The Current. (If you aren't listening, you should be.) We got there a little late to get a spot on the slope facing the stage, so we ended up on the top of the hill with this limited view.
That was okay, because Rock the Garden is like a big picnic. Rather than bringing in the usual festival food vendors, they have local restaurants at the food booths. On the sandwich front we had the difficult choice bewteen the Vincent burger, an upscale Jucy Lucy filled with smoked gouda and braised short ribs, and Joe's Garage baguette sandwiches. Joe's won, due to their proximity to our blanket and the fact that I've consumed a lot of Jucy Lucy lately. I chose ratatouille with goat cheese. You can't really see the filling in this picture, but it was soaking all of its goodness into the bread. It was a great combo--and so simple, really. Nice job, Joe's Garage!

Tonight's the Night!

2010-06-15T10:36:00.002-06:00

I made my goal of $500 for HOME Line's Treadmill-a-thon fundraiser! Yay!
Now, watch me eating a Jucy Lucy while wearing a clown costume and walking on a treadmill. The show starts at 8:30 PM CDT tonight, June 15. Watch it live via webcast.
If you want to contact me while I'm on the treadmill to present extra challenges, send an email to treadmill (at) homelinemn (dot) org between 8:30 PM CDT and 9:00 PM CDT!

In training!

2010-06-13T15:15:00.004-06:00

I did a training session for Treadmill-a-thon at Matt's yesterday. I paid careful attention to how much dripped out of the bun while I ate. I can't spill any bits on the treadmill, after all.

The verdict? I'll be ordering my Jucy Lucy without onions, sadly. It's too hard to keep those suckers in the bun. As for cheese, I spilled one tiny drop. I think I can keep that under control.

I still need to raise $105 to reach my Jucy Lucy goal, though. Consider a donation for a truly unique and important organization!

If you want the best jam, you've got to make your own

2010-06-11T18:45:00.003-06:00

We lucked out when we bought our house. There were strawberries AND raspberries growing in the back yard. Every June the strawberries come in. And as long as you weed them and make sure they have enough water, the berries come in droves for a few sweet weeks. This year we've made strawberry ice cream, strawberry rhubarb crisp, strawberry spinach salad and strawberry smoothies. It was about time to make some jam, don't you think?

And what's the best use of strawberry jam? Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, of course. On whole wheat because it's the best!

Working my way through the menu.

2010-06-09T20:57:00.004-06:00

When I find a sandwich place I like, I make an effort to sample all of the different menu items. It can be hard when I find a sandwich I really love on a menu but I have to force myself to try everything else. Life is hard, isn't it?

When I go to Cheeky Monkey, I am always tempted by the pot roast sandwich. It has beautifully tender pot roast with horseradish cream, pickled red onion and arugula. The onions and the arugula balance out the richness of the meat perfectly. It's a hard sandwich to pass up.

I was strong during my last visit to Cheeky Monkey. I didn't order it. I chose the fried egg sandwich instead. What a revelation! This sandwich ranks way up there on best fried egg sandwiches of all time. The bread was fried on the griddle and held a perfect over easy egg, thick salty bacon, arugula and mayonnaise. My heart won't be thanking me anytime soon for this treat, but man it was tasty!

It was so tasty that I didn't even ask Beth for a bite of her pot roast sandwich. She had to take a picture of me making declarations of love to it as well.

Philly Roast Pork, where have you been all of my life?

2010-06-03T21:14:00.003-06:00

Isn't that pretty?
Last night we celebrated Kate's visit to the Twin Cities with Philly Roast Pork sandwiches. Karen has been talking these up to me for ages and apparently we've been waiting for the perfect moment to make them.
The Philly Roast Pork is Philadelphia's other famous sandwich. It's made from aged provolone, seasoned roast pork, and sauteed brocolli rabe.
Karen ordered the cheese from Philadelphia and picked up French rolls from a Vietnamese bakery as they seemed like an appropriate stand in for the crusty rolls used in Philly.
I checked out some recipes for the roast pork and was struck by its similarity to porketta, a seasoned pork roast popular here. Since I was feeling pressed for time and since I knew it would be awesome, I picked up a porketta roast at Cossetta's and cooked it the night before, reserving the pan juices. On Sandwich Night, I cut the roast into 1/8" slices and warmed it up with the reserved juices. I augmented the pan juices with a chicken broth and more herbs and spices.
I cooked up the brocolli rabe by blanching it first, then sauteeing it in olive oil with lots of garlic and some red pepper flakes.
To assemble, you split the roll, lay on slices of cheese, then meat, then brocolli rabe. It's that simple. I served extra pan juices for dipping, because it seemed like the right thing to do.
How were they?
Well, I declared undying love for Karen after my first bite. What else could I do? She introduced me to one of the greatest sandwiches of all time.

Sandwiches for a Good Cause

2010-06-01T21:01:00.004-06:00

This is a special announcement from the community service wing of Sandwiches I Have Loved.
In two weeks I will be participating in Treadmill-a-thon, a treadmill marathon to benefit HOME Line. HOME Line is a unique non-profit which provides free legal, organizing, education and advocacy services so that tenants throughout Minnesota can solve their own rental housing problems. HOME Line is also Beth's place of employment.

I will be hitting the treadmill with the following sandwich focussed fundraising goals:

If I raise $100, I will eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.

If I raise $250, I will wear a clown costume while eating the PB&J.

If I raise $500, I will wear the clown costume and eat a JUCY LUCY. On a treadmill. Yeah.

For more information, check out my Treadmill-a-thon page. Thanks!

A Sandwich Night for Kate!

2010-05-29T08:25:00.002-06:00

Kate, a Sandwich Night original cast member, will be in town from Michigan next week. Of course we are having a Sandwich Night!
We'll be meeting on Wednesday (June 2) night to watch the finale from ANTM Cycle 14 (provided by the miracle of VHS tape).
And the sandwich? It will be the long discussed and anticipated Philly Roast Pork. That's roast pork, braised broccoli rabe and aged provolone. It should be a doozy. Karen ordered the cheese direct from Philly. Oh yeah!
Let me know if you can make it--the more the merrier, you know.

I'm in good company

2010-05-27T21:25:00.001-06:00

The Star Tribune Taste 50 2010 was just published. It lists the best and most exciting things in food in Minnesota this year. I'm pleased to tell you that Seward Coop's roast turkey deli meat (the one I'm always raving about) made the list. As did Uncle Pete's Sweet Hot Mustard. That name rang a bell with me. That's probably because I picked up a jar earlier this spring but it's been lost among all of the other mustards in my fridge.

So today, in honor of the Taste 50 and Uncle Pete's I made a sandwich with wheat bread, the mustard, Carr Valley Menage cheese and spinach. I didn't have any turkey, unfortunately.

The verdict? The mustard is sweet. Not terribly hot. But definitely tasty. I look forward to putting it on a Seward Coop turkey sandwich. Also, Carr Valley Menage cheese is lovely. It's a semi firm white cheese made from sheep, goat and cow milk.

Posts from the world of sandwiches

2010-05-26T22:19:00.002-06:00

Don't you love Wait Wait Don't Tell Me? You know, the NPR news quiz? Did you know they have a blog with a Sandwich Monday feature? I didn't until last Monday.
They featured sandwiches from Philadelphia. It's not all about cheese steaks! There's a delicacy Beth has dubbed the "Turducken of Starch." Deep fried lasagna and a fried egg on a roll, anyone?

Manapua!

2010-05-18T20:32:00.002-06:00

I had a terrifically difficult time choosing a place to eat at the Milwaukee Public Market. There were so many different food stands and so many awesome sounding sandwiches. How to decide? I finally settled on a sandwich I had never heard of before: the manapua. It's Hawaiian and consists of a sweet bun filled with pulled pork. Heaven.
So let's move past the weird factor of buying a Hawaiian sandwich from a sushi stand in Milwaukee and get to the important stuff. Yes, it was quite tasty. The bun was just sweet enough and the pork had the right amount of sauce. Not too gooey, not too dry.
And what do you think I had to drink with my manapua? Hawaiian Punch, of course!

Fancy architecture spawns fancy sandwiches

2010-05-11T15:05:00.002-06:00

I had lunch at the Milwaukee Art Museum today, in the fancy Calatrava Wing. The sandwich was suitably fancy, too. That's brie and prosciutto on grilled raisin bread. Now why didn't I think of that during my proscuitto and brie panini obsession? Don't worry, I'll be revisiting that soon! Raisin bread, brie, goat cheese, honey and prosciutto, anyone?

Mmmmilwaukee!

2010-05-10T18:17:00.004-06:00

Check out the cafeteria at the Milwaukee Public Museum (where I finally got to go!) It's been said before, but it doesn't make it any less true. And the sandwich?

It had good fillings wrecked by soft bread. This is a "gourmet" grilled cheese: cheddar, muenster, tomatoes, bacon and (real!) avocado. Unfortunately, the bread started to collapse immediately upon impact with the paper serving tray. By the time I paid for it and sat down, it was mush. Tasty mush, but mush nonetheless.

My day was saved by seeing some lovely things at the museum, including Carl Akeley's very first diorama from 1890.

One last Colorado post

2010-05-06T20:08:00.003-06:00

At the end of my trip to Colorado, I drove up to Ouray for a quick visit with my cousin John. John makes awesome chocolates and coffee. And you can buy them online.

It was a slow day so he was able to grab a sandwich with us. Check out this beauty: roast beef, caramelized onions, Swiss and horseradish sauce. Plus a lovely green salad.

The beer was delicious as well. I can't remember the microbrew we had, but there's so many good ones in Colorado, it's hard to remember them all!

Sandwiches with a view

2010-04-27T20:26:00.002-06:00

Sandwiches and hiking don't really go together, since the bread inevitably gets squished and the fillings get mushy banging around in your back pack. Tortillas and pita bread can survive, but it's better if you assemble on site.

It's even better if you can choose from everyone's snacks to fill the pita--hummus, salami, avocado, and carrots. It may sound weird, but it was awesome. And what a view!

Travelling Light?

2010-04-26T07:09:00.003-06:00

When Beth and I went car camping with our friends in the Utah desert, we took everything except the kitchen sink. And lunch. Luckily, there was a natural foods coop on the way with tasty sandwiches. I'm a total sucker for curried chicken salad, aren't you?

Not only was the chicken salad delicious, the sandwich was stuffed with fresh veggies like carrots and yellow peppers. Perfect! If you find yourself in Mancos, CO, stop by Zuma and check out their sandwiches.

Congratulations Angie!

2010-04-24T15:03:00.005-06:00

Angie just graduated from massage school so we had to have a Sandwich Night to celebrate. No massage theme, here (although something involving wagyu beef would have been appropriate if we hadn't just blown our life savings on Tinkerbelle's heart condition). Instead, we brainstormed something appropriately Angie like--Jucy Lucy sliders! Why sliders? So we could make a few flavor combos AND eat them all.

We stared out by rolling the ground beef out thinly--about 1/4 inch. You can't go too thin, or you'll get holes. Then we cut out small rounds with a cookie cutter.

Then we filled them with three different combos. This is sharp cheddar, grilled onions and bacon.

This one was blue cheese, bacon and garlic. (That's also the one at the top of the post.)

And finally, the one we dubbed the Muffuletta Lucy: provolone, prosciutto, and olive salad made from green olives, garlic and capers. This one deserves a spot on the menu at the Blue Door Pub, I think. I'd also like to try it with ground turkey. Once the fillings were in, we added a second patty and pinched the edges together. This is important. You really have to get a good seal or the sides will open up during cooking and your lovely fillings will spill into the pan instead of into your mouth. We fried them up, just like they do at Matt's. Fry them on one side until nicely browned, then flip them and poke a hole in the top to relieve the pressure. Otherwise, your Jucy Lucy might spring a leak. Horrors.

Angie picked up big squishy sandwich rolls from one of the Mexican bakeries at the Midtown Global Market and we cut them into quarters to hold the burgers. We had fried onions and dill pickles slices along with mayonnaise, ketchup and mustard. And tater tots. Mmmm....tots.

I don't think we'll wait until Angie graduates from acupuncture school to try these again. Delicious!

Vacation-wiches!

2010-04-21T21:09:00.002-06:00

Beth and I took a vacation to Colorado and Utah last week. Our plans were slightly delayed, however, by one naughty airline passenger in Los Angeles who ran off with his carry on bag before it could be screened. They had to shut down 3 terminals to look for him. Due to the interconnected nature of modern air travel, our flight to Colorado was delayed for two hours. Of course we found this out after we got to the airport, so we had some time to kill.
Luckily, there's a French Meadow right in the middle of the terminal. And they sell good beer. That's a tasty walleye sandwich with awesome coleslaw. And a delicious Bell's Two Hearted.
So thanks, crazy dude, for saving me from dining on a soggy grab and go sandwich!

Another reason to celebrate!

2010-04-20T22:22:00.000-06:00

Our little Angie is graduating from massage school. So, she gets to pick thw sandwich, of course.
We will be making Jucy Lucy sliders with all kinds of fillings! Why sliders? So you can make more flavor combos, of course. We're thinking bacon, blue cheese, garlic, provolone, and Angies got some crazy olive relish idea. Hmmm...muffuletta lucy?
Come over Wednesday, April 21 and join us!

An unexpected treat

2010-04-07T21:39:00.002-06:00

When I laid out the spread for our Club Mit sandwiches the other night, I completely forgot to include the three avocados I had been carefully ripening for the occasion. That's a lot of avocado to use up quickly.
Then I saw a show on the Food Channel called The Best Thing I Ever Ate. One of the talking heads described a guacamole recipe with sage, bacon and blue cheese. It sounded just crazy enough to be amazing.
And it was, on a French roll with turkey and mayonnaise. Beth, Angie and I glopped huge amounts of it on the sandwiches. And luckily I found 1/3 of a bag of Fritos in the cupboard to take care of the rest of the guac. What a guac-fest! It's a healthy fat, right?

The Google tells all

2010-04-06T20:56:00.003-06:00

Beth has been bugging me to find out the stats on my blog, to see if anyone besides my friends and family are reading it. So I checked out the Webmaster tools last night. I was surprised to discover that if you search for "Teamster sandwich" in Google, I am the first hit. What?????????

I know that googling sandwich and Everett's together will get you to me. But Teamster sandwich? Admittedly, it's one of the funniest episodes of 30 Rock ever. And I've blogged about it a couple times. But I don't understand the mysterious ways of the Google and how I ended up on top.

I'm glad I checked it out, though. Because #2 on the Teamster sandwich search? A blog post by someone who hunted the elusive treat down! Someday I will get myself to Fiore's in Hoboken, NJ on a Thursday or a Saturday to try it myself.

UPDATE: OMG!! Fiore's delivers! I'm scared to see how much shipping costs on a $15 sandwich, though.

I'm not here to make friends...I'm here to make sandwiches

2010-04-05T19:56:00.006-06:00

Delicious sandwiches, that is. Sunday was our long awaited portmanteau Sandwich Night. We made the Club Mit. It's fun to say, isn't it? Club Meeeeeeeee!!!! So many jokes, so little time. To make the Club Mit, we had Seward Coop's sliced roasted turkey and Everett's bacon for the Club side. Then I got French banh mit rolls from a Vietnamese grocery store. Kris made daikon and carrot pickles. And I put my brand new mandoline slicer to use by slicing jalapenos and cucumbers. And I had to use the julienne attachment to make more carrot pickles. That's a fun new toy. I finished up the spread with cilantro, spicy mayo and regular mayo.

Kris also brought the "I'm not here to make friends" stinky appetizer:Holyland Deli garlic dip. This dip is made from garlic, oil, and lemon. That's it. It's blended to a smooth consistency and is so garlicky it could possibly kill you if you ate too much of it. Yum! Some people (Karen) even spread the garlic dip on their Club Mit.

The Club Mit was fantastic, by the way. The addition of bacon to the bahn mit is genius, if I don't say so myself. My only regret was that I completely forgot to serve the avocados I had been carefully ripening for the occasion. I think that a Club Mit with avocado could bring a person to tears.

We watched the last two episodes of the ANTM Cycle 14. By now all the seasons run together, but there's still some amusing things like house cat fights and watching the insanely gross photo shoots (was anyone else disturbed by posing over and in a bathtub full of fake blood?)

Then we had the crowning glory of the evening: Peeps s'mores! It was Easter, after all. We heated them on the panini press which worked surprisingly well.
They were really good--all the gooey sweetness of s'mores with a little crunch from the sugar coating on the Peep. We used blue chicks.

Did I mention that they were messy? Here's some proof.

We also had some Peepshi, courtesy of Kris and seriouseats. They were showy and surprisingly delicious. Nice work everyone!

Sandwich Field Trips are fun

2010-04-03T20:24:00.005-06:00

The weather has been gorgeous and my work schedule has eased so it's the perfect time to head out on some lunchtime Sandwich Field Trips.

On Thursday I went out for cemitas at La Fonda. Cemitas are similar to tortas, but are served on big, soft sweet buns with sesame seeds. They are fantastic. The soft and sweet bread is a good counter to all the savory goodness inside. I got carnitas, but they also have a tasty milanesa. In addition to meat, there's avocado, Oaxacan string cheese, lettuce, beans, hot pickles and hot sauces. There's probably more stuff in there, too. It's a messy gooey treat!

On Friday, I went for sandwiches at the St. Paul Cheese Shop. It's a pretty new store, right by my alma mater, Macalester. I had heard about it, but didn't know they made sandwiches with their fancy cheeses and cured meats. Now I do, thanks to Karen! I ordered ham, butter and comte cheese on a ciabatta roll. Karen got Spanish chorizo, manchego and quince paste on ciabatta. My sandwich was simple and delicious. The ham, butter, and cheese were all high quality and the flavors worked well together. Condiments are unnecessary when the ingredients are great. I had a bite of Karen's sandwich and it was pretty awesome. I also had to get one of their gooey Valrhona chocolate brownies for good measure. It was very good, almost as good as mine!

The St. Paul Cheese Shop is located a couple of doors away from the original Dunn Brothers coffee, so you can pick up a tasty cold press coffee to go with your sandwich. The coffee tastes better at the original, don't you think?

The Portmanteau ANTM Sandwich Night lives!

2010-03-31T21:13:00.003-06:00

Sunday, April 4th, from 6:00 PM or so, we'll finally have the portmanteau Sandwich Night.
The portmanteau sandwich will be the ......Club Mit!
That's a bahn mit and a club, all put together. Sound good? I think so.
(To review, we are making this sandwich to honor America's Next Top Model's knack for creating new words by combining two words together, a.k.a, a portmanteau. Our first attempt at this sandwich night was foiled by my hectic work schedule.)
In addition to the Club Mit, we will have a surprise stinky but still tasty "I'm not here to make friends" appetizer. And, to honor the girls who want to "stick around" and "who aren't ready to go home" we will be making sticky Peeps s'mores.
And we"ll watch some ANTM, of course. I have the last few episodes recorded. On VHS. Jealous?

Happy Birthday Little Angie!

2010-03-29T17:33:00.003-06:00

Angie's girlfriend, Ramey, was visiting from California and it was the day before Angie's birthday and what better excuse do you need for a Sandwich Night?

The sandwich was the bithday girl's choice, of course. I'll give you 4 guesses about what went into them:

Steak? Check.

Mushrooms? Check.

Onions? Check.

Swiss cheese? Check.

Great job! The only thing missing were peppers, to complete the Angie food groups.

We grilled the steak, cooked the mushrooms up in gravy and caramelized the onions. Then we combined them all into a panini with ciabatta bread. Angie made hers of many layers and could barely finish it. Nice work!

Angie also brought her favorite cocktail of late: "Heritage" Dr. Pepper (the kind with sugar, not corn syrup) and vodka. Try it. It is delicious.

For entertainment, we watched some of the first season of the United States of Tara. That show totally messes with your head. It's awesome. Love me some Toni Collette!

Oh my.

2010-03-29T17:30:00.001-06:00

I read a post about a Fluffernutter sandwich made with poundcake and Peeps on the Cakespy blog today. Click if you dare. I think this sandwich could potentially kill you. But you'd die happy, of course.

Are tacos sandwiches?

2010-03-23T20:32:00.003-06:00

Probably not. But they are delicious. And I made some good ones the other night. I make them just the way my mother taught me (with my own touches, of course). I brown one pound of ground turkey (ground beef works, too), one chopped onion, one tablespoon whole cumin and some salt. Then I spoon some in a corn tortilla (sometimes I use flour). Here comes the important part:

Fry the taco along the fold first. Make sure you hold it there for a while, to make sure it stays folded when you lay it on its side.

Fry it on both sides until it's crispy and lightly browned. Drain on paper towels. I fill them with cheddar cheese, green taco sauce (La Victoria is the best), lettuce and tomato. And please humor me and put the cheese on the meat and not on top of the lettuce. Thank you.

Hard work deserves a reward

2010-03-21T15:08:00.003-06:00

So, we just installed a huge exhibit at work. Why not celebrate with a tasty lunch at Cheeky Monkey? Ethan and I shared a pot roast sandwich and a mushroom and brie. I don't why I've waited so long to try the mushroom and brie. It is fantastic. Meaty portobellos and tangy creamy brie--perfection. It's my new favorite!

And yes, those are beers with our lunch. Two Brothers Domaine DuPage French Country Ales, to be exact. I said we deserved a reward.

You can't go wrong with cured meats

2010-03-18T18:35:00.002-06:00

Northern Waters Smokehaus in Duluth, MN gets a fair amount of foodie press for its housemade bison pastrami. We get up to Duluth once in a while and I always mean to pick up some.

Well, it was worth the wait.

Beth’s hockey team played a tournament in Duluth last weekend and I was able to stop by the Smokehaus for some treats. In addition to the pastrami, I got some hard salami, brown sugar smoked lake trout and bison meat sticks. Everything was excellent.

That bison pastrami was a cut above, though. Lean, nicely spiced, not too smoky. It’s crying out for a nice slice of rye bread, Swiss cheese and some tasty mustard. That’s the sandwich I had today. It would probably make a great Reuben, too. I won’t find that out this time, though. I ate it all already!

Is a Jucy Lucy a portmanteau?

2010-03-17T21:14:00.004-06:00

We planned to have a “portmanteau” sandwich to honor the premiere of the 14^th Cycle of America’s Next Top Model. I was having a hard time coming up with the best portmanteau idea and the date was rapidly approaching. When I finally thought of something great (more on that later), it was too late to properly execute it.

So, just hours before the start of the show, Beth called and suggested ordering Jucy Lucies (or Jucies Lucy, if you prefer) from Matt’s. Perfect!

Of course it was dinner rush and of course they had the phones off the hook, so I had to go there to place the take out order. This is actually better than calling in. You get to sit at the bar and drink a little Summit Extra Pale Ale and watch the incredibly well oiled machine which is Matt’s. One cook (on a 4 foot square grill) one bartender, one server. At least 100 hungry people clamoring for the Jucy Lucy. They fit so many Jucies on the grill, they overlap the ones closest to being done. I think he was cooking 25 at a time. Plus onions. Plus a grilled cheese sandwich every once in a while for the vegetarians (ask for it with grilled onions and pickles--grown-up style). At the bar, the bartender keeps up a good banter, fills drink orders, washes glasses, tops up ketchup bottles, wraps the sandwiches and saves her best affection for the regulars. She never stops moving. Ever. And the server has to ferry all that grease and beer across the restaurant, asking potentially litigious neophytes “Have you had our Jucy Lucy before? It’s really hot. Be careful. Don’t bite into it too fast.”

It was super busy, so I got an extra half glass of beer for my wait. It’s agonizing to sit there, trying to figure out which Jucy Lucy is yours. Is that it? The next one? The next one after that?? Finally, they were done and I was out the door and home.

I missed the first 30 minutes of the show, but I don’t think I really missed much. I’m glad that Angelea from a couple seasons back has returned without her frightful manicure. And yay for makeovers right away. But boo for no major makeover drama. Rest assured, that will come.

Never a good idea...

2010-03-16T20:31:00.004-06:00

So you're blowing off some steam by going out for a few too many drinks with your co-workers. And on the way home, after midnight, somehow White Castle sounds like a great idea. How about a sack of 10 to share? The greasy, oniony, steamy deliciousness of the slider seems so right at the time. They go down so easy!
Until you wake up at 4:30 in the morning with a painful war going on in your chest. Then you are reminded that, 1. you are older than you think, and 2. White Castles are never a good idea.

Oscar paninis!

2010-03-07T21:44:00.003-06:00

So, I've been really busy lately. But I still wanted to do something for the Oscars. What's easier than a panini Sandwich Night? Not much!

I went to Trader Joe's after work on Friday when I was stressed out and super hungry. Nice combo. I ended up with lots of salami and prosciutto. Plus provolone, mozzarella and brie. I got their nice sliced sourdough bread and some basil and arugula. Plus a lot of other stuff that sounded like a good idea at the time. Trader Joe's, you get me every time.

Our friends Kris and Doug came over and brought French munster cheese as well. French munster looks like a soft ripened cheese and tastes kind of like goat cheese. Also, it is delicious.
For our sandwiches, I added some roasted red peppers and honey to the mix. Beth and I split two paninis: prosciutto, brie, arugula, honey and French munster; and salami, red pepper, provolone, mozzarella, and basil.

I preferred the prosciutto one, but both were tasty! I should have put more honey on it. Luckily, we have lots of leftovers.

Excuses, excuses

2010-03-06T18:19:00.002-06:00

My blogging has been sparse of late. First, there were the Olympics. I watch them obsessively. And I spend all of my internet time obsessively checking out athletes' heights, weights and ages. Which doesn't leave much time for blogging.
Then the Olympics ended and I started working a ton, getting ready for a new exhibit. So, no energy to blog.
Poor me.
What I do know is that we have two Sandwich Nights c0ming up. Tomorrow is the Oscars and we're making paninis. And Wednesday is our portmanteau sandwich ANTM Cycle 14 premiere. I still haven't decided what two sandwiches to combine for that one but I open to suggestions!
Let me know if you'd like to come over for either!

Surprise sandwiches!

2010-02-28T21:58:00.002-06:00

When I went to Brasa for lunch today, I was planning to order their awesome rotisserie chicken with two delicious sides--cheese grits? collards with smoked turkey? jalapeno creamed spinach? masa cakes?
I was thrown for a loop when the server brought over a brunch menu, though. How does this sound? Scrambled egg end chorizo sandwich with avocado, pico de gallo and black beans on a soft bun?
That's what I thought! Good enough to leave my plans behind and jump right into that tasty morsel! Unfortunately I didn't bring my camera (I wasn't planning on a sandwich, after all) so I don't have a photo. You'll have to imagine it.
And yes, the sandwich was excellent!

Perhaps a trip to Oregon is in order?

2010-02-22T17:15:00.002-06:00

My Auny Peggy clued me into an article about the best sandwiches in the Portland area. I made the mistake of reading it while I was hungry. There are some tasty tasty sounding sandwiches, I'll tell you what. I need to get out there and try some!
So be sure to grab a snack before you open that link or you'll be as hungry as I am right now. Would someone bring me a fancy Portland sandwich, please? Pretty please?

Save the date!

2010-02-19T16:27:00.002-06:00

March 10!
That's the premier of America's Next Top Model Cycle 14.
Check out a sneak peek of the contestants, courtesy of one of my favorite ANTM bloggers, fourfour.
Fourfour draws our attention to the show's use of portmanteaus-combining words to make a whole new word. Remember "smize"? Lordy.
Well, Karen had a great idea for our Cycle 14 premier Sandwich Night: portmanteau sandwich!
Do you have a suggestion for a sandwich made from two other sandwiches? Something that will be delicious, like the Monte Cubano?
Post it in the comments. If I get enough ideas, I'll put it to a poll.

Oh Canada!

2010-02-14T21:03:00.005-06:00

"They should call these diabetes mellitus type 2 bars" said my friend Amy as she struggled to finish her Nanaimo bar at our Olympic Sandwich Night. The Nanaimo bar is Canada's favorite bar and it originates from a city just south of Vancouver. It's layered like a sandwich with a graham cracker, chocolate, and coconut crust, custard buttercream filling and chocolate topping. It's just a teeny bit rich.
The bars capped off a lovely evening. I decided to have salmon burgers for Sandwich Night in honor of Vancouver, the Olympic host city. I found the recipe online. I used canned salmon and added red onion, basil, salt, pepper, hot sauce and an egg to bind it. I cooked them in a frying pan and served them on the lovely large hamburger buns from Lund's. I made cilantro wasabi mayonnaise and had red butter lettuce as well. They were quite delicious! I made sweet potato fries as a side. They were awesome dipped in that cilanto wasabi mayonnaise. And, since it was Valentine's day, I had to make the patties heart shaped, of course.

Gold Medal Sandwich Night!

2010-02-11T22:01:00.002-06:00

The Olympics start tomorrow!
I love the Olympics as much as I love sandwiches. Therefore we must bring the two together, don't you think?
How about Sunday the 14th?
7:00?
I don't think Vancouver has a signature sandwich so I think I'll feature that Northwest Coast favorite, salmon!
What do you think? Salmon burgers? Teriyaki salmon sandwiches?
And yes, I know it's Valentine's day. But don't you think salmon and the Olympics are romantic?
Let me know if want to come over!

I love my fellow sandwich lovers

2010-02-10T20:17:00.003-06:00

My friend Ethan is a great lover of sandwiches. He is also an awesome photographer. Check out the beautiful marriage of his love of sandwiches (specifically the bahn mit) and his gift for taking pictures.
Please don’t lick the screen.
Your monitor thanks you.

Saints? Colts? We are the winners!

2010-02-07T22:05:00.003-06:00

Here's our Cuban sandwich in honor of the Super Bowl being in Miami. I roasted a marinated a pork loin in orange juice, olive oil, garlic, onions and oregano. Then I roasted it. I sliced it thinly and we layered the pork with ham, Swiss cheese, dill pickles and Dijon mustard on soft French bread. We cooked them on the panini press. They were quite yummy and enjoyed by all, including Tinkerbelle.

The Superbowl is in Miami...

2010-02-07T12:33:00.003-06:00

and we're expecting a snowstorm tonight, so why not stay in and make Cuban sandwiches?
I'm using a recipe from American Sandwich:Great Eats From All 50 States by Becky Mercuri.
Would you like to come over?

Hmmm...

2010-02-06T13:28:00.002-06:00

This article popped up on my Yahoo! homepage the other day. How could I resist a story on the 10 Worst Sandwiches in America?
It turns out to be one of those guilt inducing articles about the highest calorie and fat offerings at chain restaurants. It also tells you a substitution lower in fat and calories on the same menu.
It got me thinking. First of all, I don't really eat at a lot of chain restaurants. Perhaps it's because I live in the city and they aren't so many chain places nearby. Or perhaps it's because chain food has been so focussed grouped and value engineered that it's usually just plain nasty.
Whatever the case, I've only eaten one of the 10 worst sandwiches and that's the meatball sub at Subway. And I stopped eating those years ago when the meatballs started creeping me out too much. I still recall it was pretty tasty sandwich in a satisfyingly nasty way, especially if they put the cheese on the bottom and you added banana peppers and olives on top. I laughed at their alternative: swap a footlong meatball sub for a 6" roastbeef and save 850 calories, 41.5 grams of fat and 2,220 mg of sodium. Also save half a sandwich. And be stuck eating nasty Subway roastbeef, which is just as creepy as the meatballs.
Hmmm...I think I'll just make my own meatball sandwich. And remember to work out and eat my veggies.

How to jazz up a cheese sandwich

2010-02-05T17:34:00.002-06:00

Use fancy mustard and good cheese! This is wheat bread, spinach, white cheddar and honey tarragon. It was so good I made it two days in a row.

I got the mustard from the clearance bin at the supermarket. I can't imagine why. It is lovely lovely mustard and it wasn't even expired. (I checked. Like mustard can really go bad.)

The cheese is from Bongard's Creamery. It's my favorite brand of inexpensive cheese. So yummy.

I love mustard, too.

2010-02-02T21:08:00.002-06:00

Here's all the mustard I could grab quickly from my refrigerator. I like having lots of different kinds of mustard so my sandwiches never get boring. I'm opening the honey tarragon one tomorrow. I can't wait!
And yes, that's a gallon of yellow mustard. Want some?

Working on the fried egg sandwich

2010-01-30T18:33:00.002-06:00

I've been on a fried egg sandwich kick lately. My current favorite combo (and there are so many to choose from) is a multigrain bagel, over easy egg, srihacha, and cheddar. Gorgeous.

This is a stretch but...

2010-01-28T21:32:00.003-06:00

The best sandwich I've had lately was a salted caramel macaroon from Sweets Bakeshop in St. Paul. They sell a variety of French style macaroons--the kind with two meringue-like cookies sandwiching a flavored filling--usually buttercream or ganache. They are also made in all sorts of pretty pastel colors. In this case, it was a pleasing robin's egg blue cookie with homemade caramel in the middle. I was a little disappointed in the saltiness of it until I bit into a big salt crystal right at the end. Jackpot!
And yes, I did steal the image from their website because I ate the cookie before I could take a picture of it. Can you blame me?
Furthermore, their cupcakes are also insanely good. The grapefruit sparkler mini cupcake almost made me cry.

Steak-yumm!

2010-01-26T23:18:00.002-06:00

Beth was cutting up a roast to make beef jerky when she had the brilliant idea to save back one big slice for steak sandwiches. I cooked it up the frying pan and sliced it into strips so it wouldn't be too chewy. You shouldn't have to fight with your sandwich after all.
The steak went onto a baguette spread blue cheese butter and a few leaves of spinach for color. The verdict? Yum!

Travelling Sandwich Correspondents, Keep 'em coming!

2010-01-24T15:24:00.003-06:00

My friend Kate, frequent Sandwich Night participant and current Ann Arbor resident, sent in the following sandwich report."Both photos are from a place in Toronto called Dangerous Dan's. I went when I was visiting Rhys over New Years. First, the atmosphere: it's very (very!) informal, order at the counter, pop in cans, and apparently they serve pitchers of beer but we didn't get one since I was about to drive back to Michigan. But the best part is that the seating consists of old car seats, both bucket and bench, seatbelts still attached, probably from Chrysler Minivans circa 1991. (I'd be lying if I didn't say that sitting in these seats totally took me back - I made out in more than one Chrysler minivan borrowed by high school boyfriends from their parents.)

Anyway, so we walk in, and it's 1:00 on a Tuesday afternoon or something, so the place is totally dead and a little weird and the bathroom is uber sketchy and I'm a little skeptical. Rhys orders the Coronary (ingredients, copied from the online menu: "2 8oz Patties, 4 Slices of Bacon, 2 Slices of Cheddar and a Fried Egg on top. Served w/ Fries and Gravy, Can of Pop and Mayo as a garnish for sure!"). I was bashful and got a Greek burger (one patty, feta, tomato, tsatsiki, maybe onion?) with onion rings. Oh. Man. Seriously, probably one of the best burgers I've ever had. The meat was super rich and flavorful and just, meaty, you know? The bun was toasted and all the ingredients were good quality. The one problem, and Rhys had it too, was that the outside of the burger was a bit charred for our taste. The onion rings were good too. Sorry we forgot to take a picture until we paused for breath halfway through and remembered we should take a picture for you! This way you get the nice section, though.
Rhys' friend Sean went another time and got the Collosal Colon Clogger Combo, aka Quadruple C (24oz burger served with a quarter pound of cheese, a quarter pound of bacon, and 2 fried eggs, with a large shake and a small poutine) (photo attached). They deliver, but probably not to Ann Arbor or Minneapolis. Pity."
Thanks Kate!

Muffuletta Panini at Cheeky Monkey

2010-01-23T18:10:00.003-06:00

This was on special at Cheeky Monkey yesterday. Yum. The only thing I'd change is to swap the giardiniera peppers for the traditional olive salad. It's still a pretty tasty sandwich, though. Also delicious? The poached pear salad.

30 Rock has good sandwich taste

2010-01-21T20:53:00.002-06:00

30 Rock has once again proved its standing as the number one sandwich comedy on television. They mention sandwiches in some form every week. Usually it's some awesome sandwich Liz Lemon is eating. This week it was different.
The show opened with all of the staff pressuring Lutz to choose a good place for lunch. Known for always choosing terrible places, he finally blurts out, "Subway." Everyone groans. Yup, they have good sandwich taste.

In praise of waxed paper

2010-01-20T21:46:00.005-06:00

My mother always said waxed paper keeps your sandwiches the freshest. And she's right. The paper is semi-porous, so it lets extra moisture out but keeps the bread from drying out. Plus, it unfolds into a handy placemat for your lunch.

Meatball Sliders!

2010-01-19T20:56:00.004-06:00

We had leftover meatballs AND leftover Hawaiian dinner rolls. How could I not make meatball sliders?

As always, the base for a truly great meatball sandwich (besides great meatballs) is garlic butter. Do not put your pretty little meatballs on plain bread! I put a little garlic butter on the bottom half of the bun and then added one meatball, some sauce, a slice of provolone and a sprinkle of grated parmesan. That went into the oven for about 20 minutes to melt. I spread more garlic butter on the tops of the buns and put them in the broiler. When both were done, I put them together and it was dinner time.
The soft sweetness of the Hawaiian rolls went beautifully with the meatballs and cheese. I think we're onto something here!

Sandwich Soundtrack?

2010-01-17T18:42:00.003-06:00

My friend Amy scored me a copy of The Sammies' new album, Sandwich. I must say that the cover art is fantastic! The CD itself looks like a slice of pimento loaf. The music is...fine. But look at that cover art!

California Cheeseburger Cure-all

2010-01-16T11:16:00.002-06:00

I had some minor outpatient surgery on my arm yesterday. The surgery took all of 30 minutes, but they kept me in recovery forever. I felt fine. I was starving. The handful of saltines they gave weren't really doing the trick. The man in the bed next to me kept whining about wanting a steak even as a cardiologist was informing him that his heart was so messed up they couldn't give him the foot surgery for which he had come in. I believe the quote was, "No anaesthesiologist is going to put you under while your heart is like this."
Awesome.
Is it any wonder that I started fantasizing about where we could stop to eat on the way home? So even though the nurse who finally released me warned me to eat a "light meal" first, I couldn't miss the chance for a California cheeseburger at the Convention Grill. We had to drive right past it to get home, after all.
While not quite messy enough for my California standards, the California cheeseburger at the Convention Grill is quite tasty. They pile on a ton of almost caramelized grilled onions, leaf lettuce, tomatoes, pickles, American cheese (you can also choose from smoked cheddar, meunster, or Swiss) and give you a little cup of mayonnaise. The burger itself is nicely beefy and juicy. I cut it in half to be able to eat it one handed--a paper wrapping would help!
I got a chocolate banana malt, too. No room for their excellent fries. You really need a table full of people to finish off a basket of those beauties.
And, yes, I did feel better after that. Light dinner? I skipped the fries, didn't I?