Sandwiches of History

Got back into the rhythm after being on the road for 2 weeks. Gotta admit, as much fun as it was to visit cities I’ve never been to and meet tons of great folks, it is great to be home.

But, Sandwiches of History: LIVE! isn’t quite done for the year. I’ve got a show on May 28th in New Orleans with special guest Chef Nini Nguyen and May 31 in Boston as part of WBUR’s 75th Anniversary Festival.

Then the last two scheduled shows, one in Dublin, Ireland on July 18th and the other in London, England on July 19th. Hope to see you at one of the shows!

The Sandwiches of the Week 🥪

Saturday, March 17, 2025
St. Patrick’s Sandwich (1920)
The Calendar of Sandwiches and Beverages

Tea sandwich rating: 5
Plus up: Baby arugula
Plussed up rating: 5 1/2

Always a great day when you have to sieve something twice lol. Yeah, we had to make a green mayonnaise and green butter. Add in some olives and pecans we had a sandwich St. Patrick himself would…not recognize? Still it was tasty and probably the only sandwich recipe of old that was judicious in the amount of anchovy paste called for. Plussed it up with some slightly bitter baby arugula. All in all it was a good sandwich. But not one I am inclined to make again.

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Tuesday, March 18, 2025
Egg Sandwich (1901)
The Cabinet Cook Book

Tea sandwich rating: 7
Plus up: Chopped green onion | A little bit of Dijon mustard
Plussed up rating: 7 1/2 | 8

This sandwich ran the risk of being ok. Hard boiled egg slices seasoned with salt and pepper between buttered bread. Not exactly setting the world on fire but also not bad. But, the recipe had a trick up it’s sleeve - fresh ground nutmeg. That one element really made this sandwich. I decide to try two plus ups and I have to say, for me, the Dijon mustard did the trick. Green onions weren’t bad but Dijon mustard and nutmeg somehow work really well together (especially in a mac n cheese)

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Wednesday, March 19, 2025
Shrimp Sandwich (1918)
Florida Salads

Rating: 7
Plus up: Curry powder | J.O. Spice
Plussed up rating: 7 1/2 | 8

This sandwich was deceptively named. Sure, it did feature shrimp but it also required us to make a mustard mayonnaise which was very tasty. And it was the first time I’ve ever made a mayonnaise from a recipe that called for a hard boiled egg yolk. Aside from that it was tasty. Again wanted to try two different plus ups. Both worked well but I preferred the J.O. Spice (which is a more intense Old Bay style seasoning)

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Thursday, March 20, 2025
Midnight Special (1981)
Favorite Brand Name Cookbook

Rating: 5
Plus up: Pickled jalapeños
Plussed up rating: 5 1/2

This was a disappointing sandwich. It had things going for it like kipper herring (which is just smoked herring) and an egg salad. It even used rye bread. Still it was less than the sum of it’s parts. And the tomato on the outside? Knock it off, 1981. Was able to brighten it a bit with pickled jalapeños but file this one as a sandwich I will not be making again.

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Friday, March 21, 2025
Hot Chicken Sandwich (1956)
American Peoples Cook Book

Rating: 7 1/2
Plus up: Black pepper and lots of it
Plussed up rating: 8

Unlike some recipes from the 1950s, this one wasn’t a fever dream. Cheese, lemon juice, celery. chicken, and nuts all warmed together with a boost from Accent (MSG). I opted for the bite of black pepper as opposed to heat from, say, a hot sauce.

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YouTube Memberships are live!

As you know, on Substack, you get this weekly recap for free. But you also can get exclusive behind the scenes updates, product reviews, and more by upgrading to the paid tier.

Well, I’ve also fired up memberships on YouTube. There are three levels On YouTube spanning from .99 to $4.99 a month. The $4.99/month tier gets the same benefits as the paid Substack here. So if you watch on YouTube, I’d greatly appreciate the support.

Saturday, March 22, 2025
Once Around the Kitchen Sandwich (1927)
Our History

Rating: 6
Plus up: Boomz Sambal
Plussed up rating: 7

Not gonna lie, I did not expect this to work. And it definitely came across as a grandpa sandwich. Peanut butter, onion, summer sausage, and Cheez Whiz? Yet, work it did. Is it a sandwich I’ll be craving? No. But it also was good enough to finish. Plussed it up with Boomz Sambal with has caramelized onions and a little heat. The onions harmonized as the sambal brought more depth to the sandwich.

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Sunday, March 23, 2025
Sāndevich-e Kālbās (Iran)
International Sandwich Sunday

Rating: 9
Plus up: None

As sometimes happens with the international sandwiches, this one did not need plussing up in my opinion. Sure, you could add hummus or some other ingredients for me that would take away from the balance of flavors in this sandwich. I used halal mortadella which is made with beef instead of pork. It along with the pickled cucumbers, tomato, lettuce, and onion made for one tasty sandwich. I thought I’d mind the use of butter instead of mayonnaise but I did not. Tasty stuff.

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Back next week with seven more sandwiches to recap and In The Chips with Barry. Thank you for watching, reading, and subscribing to Sandwiches of History!

Cheers,
Barry 🥪