Sandwiches, media, and more!

Not gonna lie, this week was a bit bonkers. In addition to the daily video posts and the ongoing slog of writing a cookbook, a little profile of me in The Guardian came out. What ensued was a few days of whirlwind chaos. It was fun but chaotic. As a result of that one article, I’ve been:

• Interviewed for BBC Worldservice Radio (skip to about 45 minutes in; will only be up through November)
• Invited to chat with The Current (a radio show in Canada)
• Invited to speak with Off Script (a radio show in Dubai)
• Signed a development agreement with a TV production company
• Talked about on South African radio (skip to 6:20)
• Asked to participate in an article about sandwiches for the Smithsonian

Yeah, it’s bonkers. As if that wasn’t enough, local news outlet SF Gate just published another piece yesterday. (at this point, the only reason to read any of these is if you haven’t read any of them, as they are duplicates for the most part. Although the photos for this one were decidedly more “behind the scenes of shooting” than the other piece).

Anyway, back to the reason we’re all here - sandwiches!

Oh, and although not all links are Amazon affiliate links, there are quite a few that are (you’ll know them if you get taken Amazon). I want to be fully transparent.

Sunday, October 22, 2023

Ćevapčići (Balkans)
International Sandwich Sunday

Original rating: 9-9.5
Plussed up: 9.5 - 10

Plus up: Dill pickles

If you’re ever curious about doing something correctly, may I recommend not posting a video about it? Because I got both scathing comments and praise on this sandwich. One of the things about a sandwich like this is that several countries make it, and it would seem there are variations depending on who is cooking. Some demanded the meat mixture be veal and lamb—others veal, lamb, and beef. The recipe I found was for all beef (which one person yelled, “It should be veal!!!). Oh, and apparently, using parsley is a contentious issue as well. The good news? It was delicious. The recipe used a velveting technique where corn starch is added, which breaks down the meat a bit, resulting in a smoother texture. Often used in Chinese cuisine, it is brilliant. Along with the hot ajvar (also available in mild) and kajmak (a cream cheese of sorts), these grilled little nuggets of deliciousness were terrific. Plussed up with dill pickles? Even better. Although I was taken to the woodshed for that as well since a very common plus up is raw onion. Live and learn, right?

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Monday, October 23, 2023

Peanut Butter and Vegetable Sandwich (1936)
1,001 Sandwiches

Original rating: 7
Plussed up: 8

Plus ups: Cajun seasoning blend

If you’re like me, having grown up in America and of a certain age, the idea of combining peanut butter and vegetables like celery, green bell pepper, and onion seems odd at first blush. But if you’ve ever made gumbo, you know that you want your roux, that combination of fat and flour, to get to a nutty brown color and flavor. And you also know that you then add the holy trinity of Cajun cooking - celery, green bell pepper, and onion. By adding water and then mixing it into mayonnaise, the peanut butter becomes a nutty back note as well. Naturally, given what I’ve just written, the plus up had to be a Cajun seasoning blend, right? Oooh-e, that was tasty.

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Tuesday, October 24, 2023

Ghost Sandwich (1917)
Salads and Sandwiches

Original rating: 6.5
Plussed up: 76

Plus up: Break up the marshmallow and put it in the sandwich

This sandwich was a fine-tasting little snack. A lot (and I mean, A LOT) of folks commented that maybe marshmallows were different back in 1917. The idea was that they could melt more and resemble a ghost. Yes, marshmallows back then definitely were different. However, the recipe calls for us to put it in the hot oven for just a few seconds to plump a little. So, I'm not convinced it would've made it look much more ghost-like. Still, it was a tasty little snack made better by cramming bits of the marshmallow back in. Some folks commented that heating it after that would be even better. I might have to try that.

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Wednesday, October 25, 2023

Louisiana Sandwich (1959)
Festive Foods from The Milwaukee Gas Light Company

Original rating: 7
Plussed up: 8

Plus up: Crystal hot sauce

This sandwich was a tasty little number! I mean, it is hard to go wrong with shrimp, mayonnaise, olives, celery, and cucumbers combined with the French Toast treatment. I was a lot of mayonnaise, so if I make it again (which I will), you can rest assured the mayonnaise will be dialed back. The Crystal hot sauce did a great job cutting through the richness of the mayonnaise and the eggy bread.

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Thursday, October 19, 2023

Crab Sandwich (1939)
American Woman’s Cook Book

Original rating: 6.5
Plussed up: 8.5 - 9

Plus up: Sriracha and Furikake

Yet another sandwich with instructions to add mayonnaise to the sandwich filling instead of the obvious and much easier choice, the other slice of bread. Go figure. The sandwich may have only had four ingredients: whole wheat bread, butter, crab, and mayonnaise, but they made for a tasty combination. My usual go-to's for crab-based sandwiches are Old Bay, Old Bay Hot Sauce, J.O. Spice, or maybe cajun seasoning. So this time, I took inspiration from the spicy rolls available from most sushi restaurants and added Sriracha and general-purpose Furikake from Trader Joe's (black and white sesame seeds with nori seaweed bits). And let me tell you, I am glad that I did! So tasty! I highly recommend you give it a go.

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Friday, October 20, 2023

String Bean Sandiwch (1909)
The Up-To-Date-Sandwich Book

Travis Colburn
Guest Host Friday

Original rating: 7
Plussed up rating: 7/8.5

Plus up: Lemon and black pepper/ feta and kalamata olives

This week’s guest host, Travis Colburn, loves a meat sandwich. Which is why I challenged him to make a vegetarian one. Sorry, Travis! He took it in stride and came up with not one but two plus-ups! The lemon and black pepper combo was good but didn’t hold a candle to the feta and kalamata olive plus up. I haven’t tasted either, but I know that the latter would taste fantastic, given the ingredients in the sandwich. And Travis got to enjoy eating his veggies so it was a win-win, no?

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Saturday, October 21, 2023

Shrimpwich (1974)
William’s Sandwich Recipes

Original rating: 7
Plussed up: 8

Plus up: Pico Pica Taco Sauce

If there’s one thing Williams’ Sandwich Recipes from 1974 excels at, it is having sandwiches recipes wherein you pour a combination of stuff over the sandwich and let it sit overnight in the refrigerator before baking the next day. Today’s sandwich, the Shrimpwhich, is a prime example. This suburban fever dream shrimp enchilada has tasty elements. I mean, shrimp, Monterey Jack cheese, and chopped canned chiles? Absolutely. Pouring over a mixture of beaten and milk? Ok, I guess. Let it sit for four hours or overnight. Why? All you want to do is have the liquid soak into the bread, which doesn’t require anywhere near 4 hours, let alone overnight. Still, it was pretty tasty. It is made even tastier by the Pico Pica taco sauce, which brings taco seasoning and a bit of tomato but no noticeable heat. Not that I am opposed to heat.

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As for the cookbook, I am trying to get the first chapter and a half written (about halfway there now) and have started recipe testing. The thing I’m struggling with is what to do with all the leftovers! Oh well, I guess that’s a quality problem to have.

Cheers!
Barry