The (past) week in Sandwiches
Ok, this is the first post/email that I am sending from the new provider so hopefully all goes well. As a reminder I switched from Substack to Ghost which allowed me to adjust the price of a paid subscription from $5 to $2.99 (woot!). You get access to product reviews, behind the scenes, exclusive non-sandwich videos, and more.
I had a great time at the Rancho Mirage Writers Festival about two weeks ago. I gave a talk on Sandwiches of History: The Cookbook and was honored to be in the same festival as such esteemed folks as Doris Kearns Goodwin, Retired Lieutenant General Russel Honeré, Ken Burns, and more. I was definitely the "amuse bouche' of the festival lol
Btw, did you know you can book me for events too? You sure can, check it out
Speaking of cookbooks, I am in talks with the publisher to another one. This one would be themed around cocktail/tea sandwiches. Small bites, really. Thing is, I'm not 100% sure anyone needs another cookbook so I keep waffling on it.
But one thing that is for sure happening is a 2-night Sandwiches of History Dining Experience. I'll be in Paoli, Wisconsin (just outside of Madison) on April 29th and 30th as part of Seven Acre Dairy Chef Duo series. The plan so far is myself and Andy Zeigler of Knoche's Butcher Shop and Athens Grill to serve some small bite sandwiches of history during a cocktail opening then have a 3 course dinner inspired by sandwiches of history. Should be fun. Tickets are on sale now!
And lastly, before we get into the sandwiches, I am working with Garrett Oliver, renowned Brewmaster of Brooklyn Brewing and renowned cocktail expert Sother Teague to do a 2 night Sandwiches of History fundraising event at the brewery in early May. Still very early days so not much more to share there. Stay tuned!
Now, on to the sandwiches!
The Sandwiches 🥪
Monday, February 2, 2026
Club Sandwich (1908)
1,000 Favorite Recipes
Sandwich Rating: 7
Plus up: Season slice of tomato and bacon
Plussed up rating: 8 1/2
I will say, frying up the ham before putting in the sandwich was a nice change of pace from these old recipes. And 1908, no less! I figure this already had two kinds of meat so I had the green light to add bacon. Plus, that just made it more clubby, right? Tasty little number
Should you make this? If you really want to
In case you missed it:
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Tuesday, February 3, 2026
Cheese Sandwich (1913)
Central Congregational Church Cook Book
Sandwich Rating: 5
Plus up: Black pepper and fried shallots
Plussed up rating: 5 1/2
Well, this was a first. I've never just handbraked halfway through a video to correct what is ostensibly horrible technique. But I just had to as the result was absurd. Even with the course correction, this sandwich was meh at best. If I want a cheese sandwich I will just make a cheese sandwich, not a cheese sauce sandwich. The black pepper and fried shallots helped but...yeah.
Should you make this? No
In case you missed it:
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Wednesday, February 4, 2026
Recipe Remix™: Hot Shrimp Sandwich (1920)
The Calendar of Beverages and Sandwiches
I don't rate my own creations (but it was tasty)
The original Hot Shrimp Sandwich was basically shrimp cooked with scrambled eggs on toast with white sauce poured around. Not bad but so much potential wasted. So, I took it upon myself to use the white sauce as a base for a remoulade type sauce, made the shrimp into a shrimp burger and transformed the egg from scrambled to over easy. Oh, and I added arugula for a peppery bite. Tasty stuff. The one thing I might do differently is us a bun but that's it.. Recipe is linked below if you want to give it a go (and lmk what you think if you do)
Should you make this? Yep!
In case you missed it:
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Thursday, February 5, 2026
Puréed Banna Sandwich (1920)
The Book of Tasty Sandwiches
Sandwich Rating: 5 1/2
Plus up: Calabrian chili paste
Plussed up rating: 6
Easily the most controversial sandwich of the year so far. After all, who would've suspected that a Puréed Banana sandwich would contain Bovril? Oddly enough, the banana was a footnote and what happened was the beefy umami of the Borvril worked pretty well with tomatoes (which also contain umami). It did look like a pile of sick on the bread to be fair though. Lol
Should you make this? Er, no?
In case you missed it:
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Friday, February 6, 2026
Dill and Celery Sandwich (1910)
Light Entertaining
Tea Sandwich Rating: 6 1/2
Plus up: Almond butter
Plussed up rating: 7
When I saw the name of this sandwich I would've bet it used fresh dill, not dill pickles. Still, for a tea sandwich it wasn't bad. The trick in plussing this up was the third ingredient, boiled salad dressing. It was sweet and tangy which is why I opted for the grounding flavor of almond butter. Pretty tasty.
Should you make this? Maybe?
In case you missed it:
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Saturday, February 7, 2026
Opa's Sandwich
A sandwich of "our history"
Sandwich Rating: 5
Plus up: Sriracha
Plussed up rating: 5 1/2
If you've been watching Sandwiches of History you've no doubt noticed how I've learned about how peanut butter can go with so many different ingredients. But while I like sardines that is one ingredient I would've never thought to pair with it. Turns out it was pretty ok if not a little dry. So I opted to plus it up with sriracha which not only brought flavor and heat but also some moisture. Chili crisp probably would've been even better.
Should you make this? Maybe?
In case you missed it:
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Sunday, February 8, 2026
Bocadillo de Calamares Frito
International Sandwich Sunday
Sandwich Rating: 7 1/2
Plus up: Smoked paprika and faux aioli
Plussed up rating: 9
This was a tasty, straightforward bocadillo. I thought the original without and sauce might be dry but turns out not so much. I understand lemon is often squeezed on which sounds great too. I opted for some smoked paprika and two-minute aioli and have zero regrets.
Should you make this? Yes!
In case you missed it:
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Well, that's it for this week. Tune in next week when, in addition to the sandwiches, there will be reviews on a boatload of potato chips too. Thanks for reading.
Cheers,
Barry
