Ahh, the sandwiches...
Welcome back to the weekly recap o' sandwiches and potato chips. This past week Sandwiches of History was highlighted on Today.com and In The Chips was highlighted on FoodandWine.com. So, I've got that going for me which is nice.
Let's get into it, shall we?
Sandwiches of History
Monday, February 23, 2026
Wonder Waffle (1950s)
Mary Baker's Sandwich Book
Sandwich rating: 6.5
Plus up: Dill pickle relish
Plussed up rating: 7
I must admit, I love a waffled sandwich. So much texture and it's fun. What I don't understand here is why they failed to add cheese to the original recipe. Ground hot dog and chili sauce wasn't bad but man, if there's one technique that seems perfect for including cheese, waffling is it. Obviously, a plus up has to be added to the sandwich after it's made so I opted to use dill pickle relish which worked nicely.
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Tuesday, February 24, 2026
Sandwich (1903)
European and American Cuisine
Sandwich rating: 7
Plus up: Parsley
Plussed up rating: 7.5
So, just to set the record straight, this was not the sandwich that John Montagu ate in the 1750s as the first "sandwich." It was just that the cookbook authors didn't care to name the sandwich. And what a deceptively simple name for a twelve ingredient, process-laden sandwich. That said, I didn't have to use a sieve so there's that. It was actually pretty tasty. Plussed it up with parsley to give it a contrasting vegetal note.
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Wednesday, February 25, 2026
Don Adams Health Sandwich: Revisited (1967)
Singers and Swingers in the Kitchen
Plus up: Cheddar cheese | Pickled red onion | Chili crisp | Curry powder
Plussed up rating: 6.5| 6.5 | 7 | 7
Finally got around to revisiting this sandwich that I did back in December! I applied the top four most often mention plus ups to the original sandwich at that had peanut butter, celery, green bell pepper, a dash of hot sauce, and mayonnaise. All were an improvement but only the curry powder was enough to make me want to eat this again. And, honestly, I wasn't sure there was any plus up that would make that happen.
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Thursday, February 26, 2026
Club Sandwich (1916)
Can't Fail Cook Book
Sandwich rating: 7.5
Plus up: Seasoned slice of tomato
Plussed up rating: 8
Yet another example of a Club Sandwich from the old books. This one got a lot closer to the Club Sandwich we know today with it's use of chicken, bacon, and three slices of toast. The pickles were a "new" twist for me and I liked it. I also enjoyed the olive oil mayonnaise that I had to a make for this. As with the sandwich on Tuesday, this one just need a little something. And that little something was a seasoned slice of tomato.
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Friday, February 27, 2026
Club Sandwich (1916)
The Art of Salad Making
Sandwich rating: 7
Plus up: Grated parmesan cheese
Plussed up rating: 7.5
This was an odd sandwich. Cooking the mushrooms for just one to two minutes, then letting them steam with added water for ten minutes is a cooking technique I've never seen before. I do know that, though counterintuitive, adding a small amount of water when sautéing mushrooms helps them to release their own water quicker and cook faster. But this wasn't that. Plus the had us stir in mayonnaise while the mixture was still hot. Flavor-wise it was tasty with the oregano and everything. Given that it was so saucy, I added grated parmesan cheese. Not only brought a little nuttiness but helped firm things up.
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Saturday, February 28, 2026
Great Grandfather's Sandwich
A sandwich of "our history"
Sandwich rating: 5.5
Plus up: Gochugaru
Plussed up rating: 6
Lots of folks weighed in that they thought the peanut butter the great grandfather would've used would have been unsweetened or natural. While the person who submitted it didn't specify, they did share that their mom tried it when she was a kid without the lettuce and found it too sweet without the lettuce. So, to me, a kid saying something is too sweet was the indicator that a more modern shelf stable peanut butter was to be used. Even with the lettuce it was a bit sweet for me. Plussed it up with a little fruity, mild heat from Korean chilis (gochugaru).
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Sunday, March 1, 2026
Pan con Chicharrones (Peru)
International Sandwich Sunday
Sandwich rating: 9
Plus up: None
This a bit of work but worth it. I did lose my nerve on the idea of cooking the pork belly in water until it evaporates then continuing to cook it in it's own fat. I just didn't trust they would generate enough of their own fat for it to work. So, I switched gears and fried them in lard. This sandwich was had the sweet starchy goodness of the sweet potatoes (also fried in lard), the crispy but rich pork, and that sharp, somewhat spicy salsa criolla. So good.
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In The Chips with Barry
Usually, one does not use extra virgin olive oil when deep frying. It just gets bitter. But the folks at Graza do a lower temp, longer fry which seems to mitigate that. These were tasty little chips. Not mind-blowing but tasty.
Ahh, Hawaiian Brand potato chips. Always hit or miss. While these did tasty a bit of Teriyaki BBQ, it was more miss than hit.
Great Lakes Potato Chip Company does it again. This time combining cheddar and sea salt in a tasty, well balanced potato chip flavor.
Well, that's it for last week. Join me again next week when we look back fondly on the sandwiches and chips that were. Thank for reading and subscribing.
Cheers,
Barry
