New year, old me. Lol

Happy New Year! I don’t really make concrete “resolutions” or specific goals per se. More like, “by around late summer I want re-capture that athletic feeling.” It’s vague but purposefully so. Sure, it is going to require exercise but also diet modification, improved sleep, better hydration, and on and on.

As for Sandwiches of History, this year I’d like to accomplish getting the book published (almost to the deadline!), do some pop events around the country, and continue to have fun making sandwiches.

However you approach the new year, here’s hoping your 2024 is better than 2023! Now, onto to our sandwiches. This week is a little different as I took Sunday, New Year’s Eve off. So we pick things up on Monday, New Year’s Day…

Monday, January 1, 2024
Royal Ham Sandwich (1889)
Babbette’s Cook Book

Original rating: 7
Plus ups: Seasoned slice of tomato
Plussed up rating: 8

Finally, a recipe that opts for us to push things though a colander instead of sieve. Yeah, not a lot better but better nonetheless. Still, this sandwich with it’s minimalist ingredients list - ham, hard boiled egg yolk, mustard, and butter, was more than the sum of it’s parts. Adding a slice of tomato with a little salt and pepper gave it a nice little umami a bit of sweetness.

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Tuesday, January 2, 2024
Pimiento Sandwich (1924)
New Butterick Cook Book

Original rating with bought anchovy paste : 0
Original rating with mashed anchovies: 7 1/2

Oh, anchovy paste. What sturm and drang you bring to the table. I’ve been trying like crazy to get a definitive answer as to whether the anchovy paste we buy today would have been the same kind used in the late 1800s, early 1900s, and mid-1900s. After some kind folks shared resources they found, I am of the belief that anchovy paste in the 1800s and early 1900s was, in fact, something akin to mashed up de-boned anchovies with mustard with butter and tarragon vinegar or lemon juice. That recipe comes from 1907 which means I’ve got some sandwich revisiting to do. I am going to limit it to recipe before 1920 though as mass manufacturing of anchovy paste seems to have started on or before then. A lot of folks offered up Gentleman’s Relish which has been made since the late 1800s in England. Thing is, I couldn’t find any evidence that it was a ubiquitous option for sandwich makers.

Ok, on to the sandwich. The name seemed misleading when I used the regular tube-based anchovy paste because you couldn’t taste anything but anchovy paste. But with the mashed up anchovies, suddenly the pimentos were front and center. You could taste the brightness of the lemon juice. It was actually a tasty little number. Were I re-rewriting the recipe today, I would sub in mayonnaise for the butter though as it was a but much.

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Wednesday, January 3, 2024
Dubney Sandwich (1918)
St. Francis Hotel Cook Book

Original rating: 7
Plus up: Bacon and seasoned slice of tomato
Plussed up rating: 8

Onion-forward. That would be the best way to describe the flavor of this sandwich. But it wasn’t all onion as there was chopped chicken and rich mayonnaise. And, since it already had animal protein on it and the name of the sandwich was abstract, I hauled off and added bacon and tomato. You rarely see me using bacon to plus up a sandwich because let’s face it, it could do so for just about every sandwich. Plus, it has such a strong presence flavor-wise that it can easily take center stage. Here it played really nicely with the chicken, mayonnaise, and oniony flavors.

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Thursday, January 4, 2024
Mock Lobster Sandwich (1950s)
McDougall United Church Cook Book

Original rating: 4
Plus up: Lemon pepper seasoning
Plussed up rating: 5

When I saw the name Mock Lobster Sandwich my hear sank. Not another mock seafood sandwich that calls for anchovy paste. Ugh. To my surprise and delight it did not! However it did call for canned tomato soup, cheddar cheese, and red salmon. So…yeah. It wasn’t horrific but it alway wasn’t great. Adding the lemon pepper perked it up a bit but not enough make this worth repeating.

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Friday, January 5, 2024
Chicken Cream Sandwich (1957)
Complete American Cook Book

Original rating: 5.5
Plus up: Dry buttermilk ranch seasoning and lettuce
Plussed up rating: 7

I took the bold authors of the Complete American Cook Book to ask, “dare we combine cream cheese, mayonnaise, AND sour cream?” Naturally, the answer was yes. And while they were at it, why not throw in some butter too? It was…rich? But not bad. The good thing about a somewhat neutral sandwich is that greatly expands the plus up possibilities. I opted for some buttermilk ranch seasoning (recipe below) and lettuce and it did the job nicely

Dry Ranch Seasoning

1/4 c. buttermilk powder
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons dried parsley
2 1/2 teaspoon dried dill
1/2 teaspoon dried chives
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Dial the dill up or down to your liking. Or, double the black pepper to make Black Pepper Ranch mix.

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Saturday, January 6, 2024
Sardinoil Sandwich (1936)
1,001 Sandwiches

Original rating: 6
Plus up: Black pepper, sliced avocado, and salt
Plussed up rating: 7.5

The original Sardinoil Sandwich was epically simple. Sardines, olive oil mayonnaise, and lemon. And it worked well. Adding in a little black pepper, sliced avocado, and salt in an homage to Alton Brown really amped up the flavor and richness. I say give it a go.

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Cheers!
Barry