I wasn’t really sure what to have for dinner and then I decided to make my go-to meal: a sandwich! I have always enjoyed having a toasted sandwich. Its simplicity and endless variety make it a great choice for those moments when you don’t know what to make.
The sandwich is named after John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich, an eighteenth-century English aristocrat. It is commonly said that Lord Sandwich, during long sessions of cribbage and other card games at public gambling houses, would order his valet to bring him salt beef between two pieces of toasted bread. He was fond of this form of food because it allowed him to continue gambling while eating, without the need for a fork, and without getting his cards greasy from eating meat with his bare hands.
Growing up in Canada, eating a sub (submarine sandwich) was always my first choice when it came to fast food. It is a type of cold or hot sandwich made from a cylindrical bread roll split lengthwise and filled with meats, cheeses, vegetables, and condiments. There are other names for a sub: hoagie, hero, grinder, Italian, wedge, spuckie, etc. Subway is the most popular chain restaurant that sells subs.
My cousin Rad and I have a running inside joke that stems from our early teens. We would be sitting around and out of the blue, one of us would demonstratively tell the other one “Go make me a sandwich!” Even though it was a joke, there was always a glimmer of hope that the other person would get up, go to the kitchen and actually make a sandwich! Of course, it never happened. After almost thirty years, we still say it when we see each other.
Many countries have their take on a sandwich. In North America, the club sandwich (sliced chicken or turkey, bacon, lettuce, and tomato) takes the cake. Scandinavian smørrebrød, which translates to “buttered bread”, are served open-faced, with artfully composed toppings of pickled or smoked fish, liver pate, sliced cold cuts, and boiled eggs. The tramezzini are the iconic Italian finger sandwiches that are perfect for snacking. Similar to English tea sandwiches, these flavourful triangular sandwiches are made with crustless soft white bread and homemade mayonnaise. They're typically served and sold between breakfast and lunch at many restaurants and bars in Venice, Italy. France has the Croque Monsieur, which has sliced ham, dijon mustard, and Gruyere cheese (or sometimes Swiss) between two slices of thick, buttered bread. The whole thing is fried, like a grilled cheese, and then finished with a rich and creamy béchamel sauce that is poured over the top. Venezuelan arepas are thick, and the stuffing goes inside once the arepa is grilled, with the outside crunchy. Sliced steak, grilled chicken, pulled pork, beans, rice, avocado, cheese, and ham are some popular options.
I made our household toasted sandwich tonight. The key is to put a lot of garlic with the cheese before toasting it. The garlic releases its distinct aroma and fuses with the melted cheese to make the perfect base for all the other toppings. The other toppings tonight were prosciutto, smoked meat, cream cheese, mustard, tomatoes and hot sauce. Here are some photos, from start to finish.
“Thinking about lunch. Smoked salmon with pedigreed lettuce and razor-sharp slices of onion that have been soaked in ice water, brushed with horseradish and mustard, served on French butter rolls baked in the hot ovens of Kinokuniya. A sandwich made in heaven”
― Haruki Murakami, Dance Dance Dance
Keywords/Keyphrases
Go-to - denoting a person or thing that may be relied on or is regularly sought out in a particular situation.
Cribbage - or crib, is a card game, traditionally for two players, that involves playing and grouping cards in combinations which gain points.
Running joke - An ongoing joke, one that is regularly repeated or continued.
Out of the blue – suddenly, without warning.
Glimmer of hope - small sign something might improve or succeed.
Liver pate - meat spread popular in Northern and Eastern Europe. Made from finely or coarsely ground pork liver and lard.
Pickled food - When you pickle food, you keep it in vinegar or salt water so that it does not go bad, and it develops a strong, sharp taste.
Sandwich Idioms
Better than a ham sandwich – not especially desirable, beneficial, or worthy of excitement, but still better than nothing.
I mean, it was nice of him, but what will I do with a bowling ball? Oh well, better than a ham sandwich, I suppose!
(As) crazy as a soup sandwich- completely unhinged, out of control, or in an incoherent mental state.
This guy sounds as crazy as a soup sandwich. Do you have any idea what he's babbling about? Something about a "purple noodle sky balloon"?
A sandwich shy of a picnic – a pejorative phrase meaning not very intelligent or of questionable mental capacity.
He says he's going to start a business selling bees as pets—I think he may be a sandwich shy of a picnic.
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