Peckerwood Cafe: What Did/Will You Eat Today? Lets Talk about Sandwiches, Tips, Techniques and More.

Is there anything more straightforward than a sandwich? Why are some sandwiches better than others, even if it is the same type. A ham and Swiss is just a ham and Swiss, right? Wrong. Sandwiches live or die by the quality of the ingredients inside. If you love sandwiches and eat them regularly, there are ways to jazz them up, improve the taste, and make your sandwiches more enjoyable than just something slapped together because you aren't in the mood to do much else. You can still feel that way but don't have to suffer for it. 

I learned some tricks from a chef boyfriend I had. RIP. It gives the sandwich the illusion of having more meat in it than it does if you get it shaved and bunch it up on the bread, so when you cut it in half, it looks meaty. That only matters if you like your sandwiches that way; other people like meat as a flavoring, and one slice is enough. It depends. I like it that way when I mostly do a vegetable sandwich and want some smokey undertones to the flavor. 

Some things I like to put on my sandwiches instead of just mustard or mayonnaise are: pesto, unsweetened Greek yogurt, hummus (of all flavors), olive oil & red wine vinegar (balsamic is great on a grilled portabello, eggplant, grilled things), a sprinkle of Italian herbs, aioli, brown deli mustard with a dollop of mayo, dash of garlic powder, dijon and Italian dressing, mix a thousand island with greek yogurt, chili seasoning in mayo makes for a great grilled sandwich topping, cranberry sauce on turkey. I will use guacamole as a spread but add a bit of crema and salsa, fig butter, preserves, creamy Caesar dressing with extra parmesan in it, or even mix the veggies in the dressing and then put it on the sandwich. Most of us have some of this on hand, and it is fast and jazzes it up without taking a million hours to do it.

Mix up the toppings: baby spinach, arugula, watercress, sprouts, cherry tomatoes, lightly steamed bell peppers, roasted red pepper, pepperoncini, thin cucumber, baby kale, apple, pear, different lettuces instead of iceberg, grilled or sauteed mushrooms, french fries (on gyros, lamb, grilled or shwarma or shish tawook or keftedes or falafel), thin slice of beet, slaw, pickled turnips or onions, savoy cabbage.

Tip: To make griddled sandwiches not fall apart, put a slice of cheese on each slice of bread; as it melts, it will "trap" the filling in it. 

Here is recipe I found and I love it. Give it a try:

Bleubird Turkey and Brie-

French Bread-ciabatta or focaccia works as long as it is french

Brie

Thin slice of Granny Smith apple

Fig butter

Greens-spinach and arugula or another hearty green

Dijon mustard

Thin slices of turkey

*you can make your own by mixing fig preserves with softened butter or just spread a layer of frig preserves on the bread*

So what did you eat today? What did/will you have for dinner?