Behind every passion there lies a significant list of experiences that has shaped that passion. This is true for everything from musical talents to serial killers. It's true for sandwiches as well, and, fortunately, the list is not as intense as one a serial killer might create.
Here are the fab five sandwiches that shaped my early affection for that concoction of the famed Earl.
1) My mother's Tuna Frenchie -- This sandwich is made with plenty of butter for toasting and tuna salad. I have stated that I am not fond of the "salad" sandwich group. One of the main reasons for this is that it is extremely easy to overdo it on the mayo, thus creating an eating experience that tastes mostly like bread and gloopy, gloppy mayonaise. My mother, however, always seemed to get the combination of "wet" ingredients (the mayo, mustard, and relish) and "dry" ingredients (the tuna and spices) so that the sandwich came out perfect. Essentially, a tuna frenchie is a tuna salad sandwich that has been doused with butter and toasted in a hot pan. Delicious.
2) My father's pulled pork -- I am proud to say that no one I know makes a better pulled pork sandwich than my father. He takes his preparation seriously, something that is a must when it comes to excellent pulled pork. He also makes his own sauce, cooks his pork shoulder so slow it's almost torture, and carefully monitors the addition of spices to his artwork. The result is a tender and juicy sandwich worthy of the mess it makes on your face. I can't get enough of the filling, and it doesn't even matter what kind of bread it is piled on.
3) The Monte Cristo -- This was an eye-opener for me, and I've never had a better one than at Bennigan's, one of the few times a chain restaurant tops my "best sandwich" list. The Cristo is a difficult sandwich to pull off since it requires not only expert sandwich construction but also expert deep frying and oil hot enough to keep the sandwich from being overly oily. I'll say no more about The Cristo because unless you've had a good one, there's simply no way to describe the experience, especially when raspberry jam is involved.
4) My mother-in-law's Italian Beef -- Much like my father's pulled pork, this sandwich is juicy, tasty and served on just the right bread, a hoagie roll. Accompanying the well-prepared meat is a generous portion of shredded pepper jack cheese and a scrumptious little spicy morsel, the pepperoncini, which I can eat straight from the jar, but when paired with this sandwich, the little pepper takes a step up in importance.
5) My own Ultimate BLT -- The first sandwich I made that I thought was worthy of the effort was my BLT. I top it with two types of cheeses, Swiss and American, and a special, homemade relish that I cooked up myself (the recipe is below). I also use either rye bread or pumpernickel, depending on my mood, and I always, always toast the bread in a hot pan with butter. I serve this sandwich with a pickle and homemade chips. Yum.
That's the list of sandwiches that have formed my opinion of sandwiches from the beginning. Share your own lists, and please don't hesitate to mention peanut butter and jelly if that's an important staple in your sandwich stable.
RECIPE
The Sandwich Guy's Kickin' Relish
1 cup green olives
1/2 cup sweet salad peppers (make sure they are the sweet kind)
1-2 pepperoncini (for more of a kick, add more of the peppers; for a purely sweet relish, leave the actual peppers out and just add a pinch of the pepperoncini juice)
1 Tbsp of the olive juice
1 Tbsp of the sweet salad pepper juice
1 tsp of pepperoncini juice.
Place all ingredients into a food processor. Use the "Pulse" option to chop ingredients into a fine relish. Spread on your favorite sandwich or hot dog and enjoy!
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
A Lesson from The Gondola Applied to a Panino
Avanti's in Bloomington-Normal creates a significant sandwich called The Gondola. The sandwich is about as simple as a sandwich can get. Ham, salami, and American cheese stacked on an Italian-style bread. The toppings are straightforward, but the crux of this creation lies in the bread, which is so good, you can eat it by itself without the meats and cheese.
This lesson is applied to the Four-Cheese Signature Panino sandwich served at the quaint and homey Belgium Bean Cafe in Belgium, IL. Typically, I am not a huge fan of any panini. Since the bread makes a panino, they are easily overcooked and often over-sauced, which has been my most common experience with them at other, more prominent establishments. None of this is true with the Four-Cheese. The toppings for this perfected panino include ham, a pesto, and the four cheeses, feta, provolone, chedder, and asiago. While the combination of cheeses certainly makes for an interesting taste run, it's a bit of east meets west when the feta dances with the cheddar, the bread is the star of this sandwich. The bread is flavored with basil and crusted with asiago. It is also a little thicker than what most panini
feature, a quality to its credit because the bread is excellent and, thus, the sandwich is excellent.
The Four-Cheese Signature Panino is certainly worth a stop in at the Belgium Bean. You'll appreciate the service and the atmosphere, but most of all, you'll befriend a fine, fine sandwich, one certainly worthy of the All Star List.
On an added note, my wife, who is a connoisseur of caffeinated beverages, says that the lattes at the Belgium Bean are concoctions worthy of consumption. Don't neglect the whipped cream.
This lesson is applied to the Four-Cheese Signature Panino sandwich served at the quaint and homey Belgium Bean Cafe in Belgium, IL. Typically, I am not a huge fan of any panini. Since the bread makes a panino, they are easily overcooked and often over-sauced, which has been my most common experience with them at other, more prominent establishments. None of this is true with the Four-Cheese. The toppings for this perfected panino include ham, a pesto, and the four cheeses, feta, provolone, chedder, and asiago. While the combination of cheeses certainly makes for an interesting taste run, it's a bit of east meets west when the feta dances with the cheddar, the bread is the star of this sandwich. The bread is flavored with basil and crusted with asiago. It is also a little thicker than what most panini
feature, a quality to its credit because the bread is excellent and, thus, the sandwich is excellent.
The Four-Cheese Signature Panino is certainly worth a stop in at the Belgium Bean. You'll appreciate the service and the atmosphere, but most of all, you'll befriend a fine, fine sandwich, one certainly worthy of the All Star List.
On an added note, my wife, who is a connoisseur of caffeinated beverages, says that the lattes at the Belgium Bean are concoctions worthy of consumption. Don't neglect the whipped cream.
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Some Further Thoughts
Just some thoughts on sandwiches in general.
Some of the best sandwiches I've ever had were in Philadelphia. The cheese steaks there are better than cheese steaks anywhere else. Even the ones you get from the street vendors are lights out. Part of the secret to a great philly is an "unclean" griddle. This doesn't mean "unsanitary," of course. If there are rats living in the kitchen, run sideways, backways, as many ways as you can away from the place. But "unclean" means a griddle that hasn't been touched except for the scrapper that day. The flavors are seared into the griddle and are shared from sandwich to sandwich.
My favorite sandwich, bar none, is the BLT. It's an American original and so basic in its prep yet so incredibly delicious after completion. You can screw up a BLT. You can put too little bacon (there's a reason the "B" comes first, people). You can overdo it on the mayo. You can cut the tomato a little too thick, which is a personal taste thing, but for me, I want to taste all the ingredients without one dominating another. And you can always burn the bread. But ultimately, the BLT is to sandwiches what apples are to pie. Without the BLT, what good is it to have any sandwich (again, a personal opinion, I know, but still, they are soooo good). And, it's easy to find good ones, unlike, say, the Philly cheese steak or any seafood sandwich outside of the East Coast.
I'm not a huge fan of the "salad" sandwiches. For reference: My wife asked me, after we were first married, to make some "chicken salad." I proceeded to mix chunked chicken, lettuce, and mayo in a large bowl and served it to her for dinner. Not a smooth move to say the least. You won't find much on this blog about the "salad" sandwiches outside of ham salad, which is one of my favorites (I recently found out that many places, and people, use bologna to make their ham salad--hmmm . . . cheating?). However, I will give them their justice and may defer to my wife, especially on the chicken salad vote.
Finally, it seems a little strange to me that this is my passion outside of teaching and writing. Many writers have outside interests, but this one has always been one that I've surpressed, simply because it seems so . . . out there. Or at least it exists on the fringes. But I do have a dream of some day, perhaps when I retire, opening my own sandwich shop with my own receipes. I hope this blog will be a beginning to that dream.
I could've gone with candy, as I'm a connisseur of confections as well. But Steve Almond already took that one.
Some of the best sandwiches I've ever had were in Philadelphia. The cheese steaks there are better than cheese steaks anywhere else. Even the ones you get from the street vendors are lights out. Part of the secret to a great philly is an "unclean" griddle. This doesn't mean "unsanitary," of course. If there are rats living in the kitchen, run sideways, backways, as many ways as you can away from the place. But "unclean" means a griddle that hasn't been touched except for the scrapper that day. The flavors are seared into the griddle and are shared from sandwich to sandwich.
My favorite sandwich, bar none, is the BLT. It's an American original and so basic in its prep yet so incredibly delicious after completion. You can screw up a BLT. You can put too little bacon (there's a reason the "B" comes first, people). You can overdo it on the mayo. You can cut the tomato a little too thick, which is a personal taste thing, but for me, I want to taste all the ingredients without one dominating another. And you can always burn the bread. But ultimately, the BLT is to sandwiches what apples are to pie. Without the BLT, what good is it to have any sandwich (again, a personal opinion, I know, but still, they are soooo good). And, it's easy to find good ones, unlike, say, the Philly cheese steak or any seafood sandwich outside of the East Coast.
I'm not a huge fan of the "salad" sandwiches. For reference: My wife asked me, after we were first married, to make some "chicken salad." I proceeded to mix chunked chicken, lettuce, and mayo in a large bowl and served it to her for dinner. Not a smooth move to say the least. You won't find much on this blog about the "salad" sandwiches outside of ham salad, which is one of my favorites (I recently found out that many places, and people, use bologna to make their ham salad--hmmm . . . cheating?). However, I will give them their justice and may defer to my wife, especially on the chicken salad vote.
Finally, it seems a little strange to me that this is my passion outside of teaching and writing. Many writers have outside interests, but this one has always been one that I've surpressed, simply because it seems so . . . out there. Or at least it exists on the fringes. But I do have a dream of some day, perhaps when I retire, opening my own sandwich shop with my own receipes. I hope this blog will be a beginning to that dream.
I could've gone with candy, as I'm a connisseur of confections as well. But Steve Almond already took that one.
The Beginning and a Reuben
I have enjoyed eating sandwiches for as long as I can remember. It can be, and should be, a unique experience. Perhaps the lure lies in the fact that they are simplistic yet complicated in the same bite. They are easy to make but not necessarily easy to make well. As a person who regularly orders from the "Sandwich" section of the menu, I can tell you that I have had several negative experiences with the sandwich. At the same time, I have had sandwiches that seem better than any gourmet meal prepared by a classically trained chef.
Case in point: The Reuben at Henk's Bait and Bite (302 N Henning Rd, Danville, IL 61832; Ph: 217-443-4111) I have had many reubens in my time and few compare to my mother-in-law's fine efforts, but this reuben was well worth the stop at Henk's. First of all, Henk's is a place you might pass by if you are unaware of its charm and reputation. You would be remissed to do so. The wait staff is friendly and knowledgeable (our server was able to describe the taste of Bluegill to my wife who had never had the fish before). The atmosphere charming and very "diner-esque." But the star of this show was, by far, the reuben.
First a note: The reuben is a standard for me in measuring the quality of a sandwich shop or a restaurant. There are several reasons for this. It is a sandwich that requires less-often-used ingredients (i.e. sauerkraut and corned beef or pastrami along with rye bread). If these ingredients are fresh and are clearly being rotated, there's a good bet that the establishment is rotating their pickles, onions, tomatos, and other more frequent sandwich toppings. Secondly, it is a fairly easy sandwich both to create and to screw up. Too much kraut will over-sour the sandwich and dominate the entire palate. Too much sauce will do the same. The cheese has to be melted in a certain way that allows it to mix with the meat, sauce, and kraut. The construction of a reuben is simple, but the execution of the reuben is not.
Henk's Bait and Bite's reuben met all the tests. The bread was perfectly toasted, using butter and a slight amount of salt to add flavor. The rye had a golden exterior with a clean crunch that gave way to a chewy center that remained true to the original consistancy of rye bread. The sauce, cheese, corned beef, and kraut were expertly mixed and melted, creating a creamy interior that highlighted the strengths of all the ingredients without truly featuring any single one. The result was an excellent reuben worthy of the All Star list.
This blog will be about sandwiches and where, especially in the Danville, IL area, to find some of the best. It's all my opinion, of course, and I welcome comments on where readers may have had their penultimate sandwich experience. Let's all share our sandwiches. I'll also be building an "All Star" list, so if you have a sandwich that you feel deserves to be on the list, send me a description similar to the one above. I'll be happy to include it.
The next mission is to find a great Italian beef sandwich, another sandwich that is easy to prepare but often misses in its final execution. Off and running for more great eating!
Case in point: The Reuben at Henk's Bait and Bite (302 N Henning Rd, Danville, IL 61832; Ph: 217-443-4111) I have had many reubens in my time and few compare to my mother-in-law's fine efforts, but this reuben was well worth the stop at Henk's. First of all, Henk's is a place you might pass by if you are unaware of its charm and reputation. You would be remissed to do so. The wait staff is friendly and knowledgeable (our server was able to describe the taste of Bluegill to my wife who had never had the fish before). The atmosphere charming and very "diner-esque." But the star of this show was, by far, the reuben.
First a note: The reuben is a standard for me in measuring the quality of a sandwich shop or a restaurant. There are several reasons for this. It is a sandwich that requires less-often-used ingredients (i.e. sauerkraut and corned beef or pastrami along with rye bread). If these ingredients are fresh and are clearly being rotated, there's a good bet that the establishment is rotating their pickles, onions, tomatos, and other more frequent sandwich toppings. Secondly, it is a fairly easy sandwich both to create and to screw up. Too much kraut will over-sour the sandwich and dominate the entire palate. Too much sauce will do the same. The cheese has to be melted in a certain way that allows it to mix with the meat, sauce, and kraut. The construction of a reuben is simple, but the execution of the reuben is not.
Henk's Bait and Bite's reuben met all the tests. The bread was perfectly toasted, using butter and a slight amount of salt to add flavor. The rye had a golden exterior with a clean crunch that gave way to a chewy center that remained true to the original consistancy of rye bread. The sauce, cheese, corned beef, and kraut were expertly mixed and melted, creating a creamy interior that highlighted the strengths of all the ingredients without truly featuring any single one. The result was an excellent reuben worthy of the All Star list.
This blog will be about sandwiches and where, especially in the Danville, IL area, to find some of the best. It's all my opinion, of course, and I welcome comments on where readers may have had their penultimate sandwich experience. Let's all share our sandwiches. I'll also be building an "All Star" list, so if you have a sandwich that you feel deserves to be on the list, send me a description similar to the one above. I'll be happy to include it.
The next mission is to find a great Italian beef sandwich, another sandwich that is easy to prepare but often misses in its final execution. Off and running for more great eating!
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