Come on Over!

It's high time for another Sandwich Night, to celebrate the continuing saga of America's Next Top Model lucky Cycle 13.
Come on over this Wednesday. Beth's finally home from her cross country bicycle trip so she chose the sandwich! We'll be eating pesto roast beef sandwiches, just like they used to make at Francesca's in St. Paul. (And if you remember those awesome sandwiches, drop me a line and remind me what was in them--roast beef, pesto, lettuce, tomato? red onion? cheese? focaccia...). My friend Laura is dipping into her CSA box and making potato leek soup.
The show starts at 7:00. We'll be ready for you after 6:30!

Invasion of the Little People

There’s something about bacon and the prospect of making fun of overly emotional short girls that can really draw a crowd. There was a record crowd at Sandwich Night. I lost track of how many people I invited a few days before the event. I was justifiably distracted by the fact that my parents, my brother and his family, and Beth had been visiting me in a chaotic whirlwind during the two weeks leading up to this momentous event. I started to add up the “yes” RSVP’s and I was getting close to a dozen people. Yippee! That’s a lot of bacon.
I bought and fried up 3 pounds of bacon the night before and even though it was a very impressive pile, it just didn’t seem like enough. What would Sandwich Night be without a last minute Everett’s bacon run, anyway? That way, I fried up the 4th pound of bacon right before my guests arrived. I’m told they could smell it halfway down the block.
I also got farmer’s market tomatoes, avocados, lettuce, sourdough, whole wheat and Baconnaise. I whipped up some spicy mayo with sriracha and Hellman’s, too. I stood the bacon up in a deep bowl, which impressed my guest mightily. “Bowl of bacon!” became the rallying cry of the night.The twelve Sandwich lovers included lots of Sandwich Night newbies, including my friend Kristine who was making her first visit with Tinkerbelle since Tink moved from her house to mine. It was a happy reunion, although Tinkerbelle pretended not to care, the way cats do.
After the BLT’s (And yes, the bacon went. All of it. Fast.) we settled into the season premiere of ANTM. My friend Toni knows Rae, the homemaker/mom from Minnesota, so we were all excited to see how she did. Toni couldn’t make it for the sandwiches but did manage to show up for the second hour of the premiere. Thank goodness! She got to see Rae win photo of the week. Even though these poor short girls haven’t got an actual chance at modeling, it should be an entertaining season. Just like always!

I've been a bad blogger

So sorry--things have been chaotic lately.
How 'bout I make it up to you with a very special Sandwich Night next week?
Wednesday, September 9 is the much anticipated premiere of America's Next Top Model Cycle 13: Revenge of the Little People. That's right--no models over 5'7" need apply! Oh, it should be grand.
I'm choosing that easy, late summer favorite, BLT's for the occasion. I'll have tomatoes, lettuce, breads, bacon, avocados, and Baconnaise. Mmmm....
The show starts at 7:00. See you next week!

Vegan sandwiches can be delicious, too

What's that, you say? A vegan sandwich at Sandwich Night and Angie was there? It's true! I have already raved about the new sandwich cookbook I picked up, 'wichcraft:craft a sandwich into a meal-and a meal into a sandwich. This was the first sandwich I actually made from it. I've been too busy drooling over the book to get around to making anything. The only thing about the book that keeps it from being all out food porn is the lack of a centerfold.
The sandwich I chose was a summery beauty-chopped chickpeas with roasted red peppers, black olies, lemon confit and parsley. It was on country bread.
The flavors were fantastic together. There was lots of thyme, oregano, and rosemary in the chick peas and peppers. I picked up pitted olives with thyme since I didn't feel like pitting the nicoise olives called for in the recipe. They worked quite well. And the lemons were really special. They are cured in salt, sugar, onions and garlic for a few days, then packed in olive oil. They are nice and tangy and not sour at all. I would imagine that letting them sit and mellow out in the oil for a couple weeks will make them even better. Which is why I will feature them in our next Sandwich Night on August 11. More on that later.Angie came over and my friend Gina (her first SN!) Karen was feeling under the weather and couldn't make it, unfortunately. Of course Angie had to go her own way with the sandwich, but she didn't add cheese, mushrooms, or hot sauce like you might expect. No, she made a triple decker, for more deliciousness.
We cruised around what terrible options there are on summer Tuesday night TV (More to Love!?!) and finally I subjected them to the highlights show from America's Next Top Model Cycle 1. It's a doozy--Brazilian waxes, bible thumpers, snarky Elyse, and how not to behave when rich French guys take you to dinner and a show (i.e., don't read the bible the whole time.)
Next up will be a very special Sandwich Night since Kate will be here!!! She's back from Israel and stopping in town for a few days before she heads off to grad school in Michigan. In her honor we will once again consult 'wichcraft and make roasted leg of lamb with lemon confit, mustard greens and black olive mayonnaise. Entertainment TBA. I can hardly wait!

It's about time for a Sandwich Night, don't you think?

Tuesday, July 28. 7:00 PM
I will delve into the cookbook 'wichcraft and make "chopped chickpeas with roasted peppers, black olives, lemon confit, and parsley." (That all goes on country bread, by the way.)
And, we will delve into the past, to where it all began, and watch episodes from the first season of America's Next Top Model. Tyra Banks had enough free time to personally attend photoshoots. Jay Manuel was not yet orange. Janice Dickinson ruled the school.
Don't miss it!

I've been distracted

I've been lax on posting lately. Sorry about that! I did get out to visit Beth on her cross country bicycle tour, though. I met her in Colorado for a few days of sightseeing. We spent the last night of my trip at our friend Kate's in Boulder. She was a gracious hostess and made these beautiful breakfast sandwiches for us. She even helped Beth pump up her bicycle tires with the bike crammed in the back of the rental car. Thanks Kate!
I dropped Beth off in the wilds of Wyoming to continue her trek. I've got some sandwich reports from her I will post soon!

Make new friends but keep the old...

...one is the Seward Coop's excellent bratwurst and the other is Everett's coarse ground weiner. Oh, that didn't rhyme, did it?
I had some folks over yesterday for a little July 4th cookout. Originally I was just going to have the awesome hot dogs (officially the coarse ground weiners, but I giggle too much when I say weiners, so I'm calling them hot dogs from here on out) from Everett's. Then, while I was shopping at the Seward Coop, I saw their variety of bratwurst and knew that the dogs needed some company. I got wild rice brats and cheese curd brats. Unfortunately I burned the living crap out of them in our flame throwing gas grill (it's got a rusty hole in the burner). It is a testament to their quality that the large amount of carbon surrounding them did not detract from their fantastic flavor. It is also a credit to both the hot dog's and cheese curd brat's great taste that I ate them before I remembered to take pictures of them. You will have to be content with the platter of casinged goodness and condiment selection!