It's been a week!
Figuratively and literally
Hola, sandwich lover!
This week in sandwiches was quite the ride. From Braunschweiger to making Provel for the Gerber Sandwich to the Sardine Custard Sandwich, it was a lot in just seven days.
And in a couple of weeks I am hitting the road for Sandwiches of History: LIVE!. Eight cities in 2 weeks - yikes! Most are all ages and I’ve got some awesome guest stars lined up. So, if you’re thinking of going, get while the gettin’s good.
The Sandwiches of the Week 🥪
Saturday, February 3, 2025
Mustard Shrimp Sandwich (1936)
1,001 Sandwiches
Rating: 6
Plus up: Arugula and Ruffles Simply Sea Salted potato chips
Plussed up rating: 7 1/2
This sandwich is a prime example of why I started plussing things up. It was good but it just needed a little more. The tangy dressing and mustard with the shrimp was nice. But adding the peppery bite of arugula and the crunch of salted potato chips made it so much better.
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Tuesday, February 4, 2025
Bloody Bill Sandwich
Sandwiches of Our History
Rating: 6
Plus up: Cumin and fried serrano peppers
Plussed up rating: 6 1/2
With a channel called Sandwiches of History, it was inevitable that I would try Braunschweiger. It’s a liver sausage which immediately makes me pause. That’s just how I am. Most folks weighed in that it should’ve been with mustard and onions which sounds really good. But I was doing a sandwich sent in by Marcus Bordeaux that his grandpa liked so ketchup it was. I was pleasantly surprised, to be honest. Plussed it up with cumin which always works well with tomatoes in any form and some fried serrano peppers for crunch and heat.
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Wednesday, February 5, 2025
Gerber Sandwich
Sandwiches of Regional History
Rating: 7 1/2
Plus up: Crumbled, dried rosemary
Plussed up rating: 8 1/2
This was kinda fun. I got to make a cheese product! Provel which is apparently a St. Louis thing is available online but I’d have to buy a ton of it. So I found a recipe online and made it myself. Then compared that to the sandwich made with provolone (which was the cheese originally used). The combo of garlic butter, ham, and cheese broiled was tasty. Plussed it up with a little crushed dried rosemary which went great with everything in the sandwich.
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Thursday, February 6, 2025
Skyscraper Sandwich aka The Dagwood (1947)
Rating: 4
Plus up: Everything But The Bagel seasoning blend
Plussed up rating: 4 1/2
This is one of those famed sandwiches people have asked me to do for a loooong time. And I could’ve played a little fast and loose with it given it’s kind of a “clean out the fridge” sandwich. But, I followed the guidelines (it’s not exactly a recipe) laid out in the Blondie Cook Book of 1947. In the end it was just an unbalanced mess of too much stuff. Even plussing it up with Everything But The Bagel seasoning blend didn’t really rescue it. Gonna pass on this version.
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Find out NPR said Sandwiches of History: The Cookbook on their “Books We Love” for 2024!
Friday, February 7, 2025
Prune and Radish Sandwich (1951)
The Lunch Box and Every Kind of Sandwich
Rating: 5
Plus up: We’ll see!
When I read the recipe for this one I thought there was no way it was going to work. Prunes, radishes, dill pickle relish, and mayonnaise? Clearly this was a joke. But, I strive to keep and open mind and with that I gave it a go. Not sure why but the combo kinda worked. I was surprised as anyone. But not expecting it to work then having it work kind threw me for a loop regarding a plus up. So asked you kind folks to weigh in the comments and boy howdy did you! I’ll revisit this sandwich next week with the four plus ups that seemed to be the most mentioned across all the platforms.
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Saturday, February 8, 2025
Sardine Custard Sandwich (1925)
The Richmond Item (newspaper)
Rating: 2 1/2
Plus up: J.O. Spice
Plussed up rating: 4
Yeah this is one of those recipes that when I read it was sure it was going to be bad and was right. First off, it ain’t a custard. It’s scrambled eggs with lemon, salt, paprika, and chunks of sardines. The contrast in texture between the soft eggs and chunks of fish didn’t work and the lemon juice was too much. Plussed it up with J.O. Spice which is like a stronger Old Bay because it would work with the eggs, the fish, and the lemon. Still, not making this ever again.
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Sunday, February 9, 2024
Egg and Cheese Sandwich (Guyana)
International Sandwich Sunday
Rating: 7
Plus up: Fried jalapeño pieces
Plussed up rating: 7 1/2
I dug this savory egg salad sandwich. The onion and garlic were a nice addition and the Laughing Cow cheese along with the mayonnaise brought a bit of richness. I decided to plus things up with some fired jalapeño pieces which added a little more heat and some textural contrast.
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As always, thanks for watching Sandwiches of History and/or In The Chips with Barry, I greatly appreciate it.
Cheers,
Barry 🥪
