More sandwich than sandwich

Last week saw the rather successful launch of the Sandwiches of History x NEWKS Collabrian Plus Up Hot Sauce. Nearly sold all of 1200 bottles in a 24 hour period! Fret not, a new batch is on the way and will ship in a couple weeks. Thank you to all of you who picked up a bottle!

In other news I am starting to test recipes for cookbook number 2. The publisher has a name but I would like it changed. The central idea is sandwich you can serve at tea, cocktail, or any other kind of party. More on that later.

Ok, on to the sandwiches and chips!

The Sandwiches of History Last Week

The Blue-Book of Salads (1916)

Monday, June 15, 2026
Tea Sandwich Rating: 7 1/2
Plus up: Rogue Creamery blue cheese
Plussed up rating: 8 1/2

Maude Adams, the stage actress from the turn of the 20th century was a badass. Not only did she pretty much defining how Peter Pan should be played on stage but also has her name on three patents for stage lighting and help the Eastman company create color film. There's no way to know for sure it this was a sandwich she actually enjoy on the regular but wheaty graham bread, nut, and honey is a delightful combo. I was inspired to "cheese plate" the plus up by adding blue cheese and have zero regerts.

Watkins Cook Book (1948)

Tuesday, June 16, 2026
Rating: 7 1/2
Plus up: More bacon and Sandwiches of History x NEWKS Collabrian Plus Up Hot Sauce
Plussed up rating: 8 1/2

A layup sandwich AND and ad too boot? Yep. We all know a bacon and egg sandwich is gonna be tasty. But it was a great base to show off my new collab hot sauce with NEWKS. Calabrian chilis, basil, and other herbs with mid level heat so you still get the flavor. Ok this is turning into and ad too. Sorry about that (thought I do hope you give it a go)

1,001 Sandwiches (1936)

Wednesday, June 17, 2026
Rating: 5 1/2
Plus up: Lay's French Onion Soup potato chips
Plussed up rating: 7

Many folks had theories as to why the cheese loaf did not, in fact, loaf. My pick is the one wherein I should have squeezed both the pickles and pimentos to get them as dry as possible before mixing. Still not 100% sure that would to the trick but it might. What we end up with was a kind of pimento cheese spread, which wasn't bad. Plussed it up with some French Onion potato chips from Lay's who's only downside was the lack of a cheese flavor. While the cheese in this cheese loaf is not the kind used for French Onion soup, it still paired up nicely.

Woman’s Home Companion Cook Book (1944)

Thursday, June 18, 2026
Rating: 6
Plus up: Fresh dill
Plussed up rating: 6 1/2

A bare-bones ham salad if ever there were one. The up side being that the world of possible plus ups is wide open. Yet here I go just adding a little fresh dill. Sometimes, all you need is something freshy fresh to make a sandwich even tastier.

Mr. Peanut’s Guide to Entertaining (1970s)

Friday, June 19, 2026
Rating: 4
Plus up: Top piece of bread and Grilled Cheese Treatment™
Plussed up rating: 4 1/4

Aaaaand the worst sandwich of the week award goes to...this one. It's not great when a sandwich recipe starts with margarine and adds cheddar cheese product. And it gets worse when the ratio is so far off that you barely taste the "product." My plus up of a top piece of bread and the Grilled Cheese Treatment™ only made it easier to eat and nothing else. I do think I want to take another run at this with actual cheddar cheese, butter, and changing the ration but that's for another time.

(a sandwich of our history

Saturday, June 20, 2026
Rating: Kid's 7
Plus up: Chili crisp
Plussed up rating: Adult 7

Epic simplicity in this sandwich of our history. Andrew took peanut butter, sweetened up a bit by adding honey, then introduced a bit of texture and flavor with Honey Nut Cheerios. The plus up possibilities are all over the map but I took into more an adult application with a chili crisp plus up. The combos of chili crips and sweet it really good. Highly recommend you try some version of it.

International Sandwich Sunday (Cameroon)

Sunday, June 21, 2026
Rating: 7
Plus up: Mayonnaise
Plussed up rating: 7 1/2

This was spicy. Like, really spicy. Even for me. One thing I want to clear up is that in the video I refer to Maggi Seasoning and folks thought I meant the liquid kind. That's on me, I should have been clearer. They were calling for the seasoning cube. And the last time I looked into buying some online (since not store near me that I've found sells them) I'd have to buy one hundred of them. So I poked around online to see what might an ok substitute. The ground peanut paste as interesting, flavorful and spicy! Together with the eggs which also had habaneros in them, well it was a little over the top. I opted for the fat of mayonnaise to help distract from that a little. If I truly wanted to tamp down the heat, dairy would be the way to go.