The Week in Sandwiches
Some ups, some downs.
As I write this, we are busy prepping to host Thanksgiving as we do every year. For us, it’s not about celebrating the myth it was found on but about gathering, eating, relaxing, being with family, and being grateful. Plus, I get to cook for others! Dinner the day-of is a team effort. I smoke the turkey while others tackle the stuffing, mashed potatoes, roasted shallots and green beans, and something my brother-in-law calls corn glue (it’s a creamed corn bake with some other ingredients and is tastier than it sounds). I’ll also be smoking some brisket and making mac n’ cheese in the run up to the big day.
All of which is to say that I’ve got a lot going on. So for this coming week I’ve pre-recorded some episodes so no worries, there will still be one every day. That said, I’ve got two slots still to record because they use leftovers from Thanksgiving dinner. One will be a Recipe Remix of The Moistmaker from the TV show FRIENDS. I figure I’ve done the straightforward one two years in a row so it’s time to mix it up a little. The second sandwich was sent in to me and it adds some rather unconventional, non-Thanksgiving elements which make me very curious to try it.
At any rate, I hope the week ahead is fun for you know matter what your plans are. Just a heads up, any link that goes to Amazon is an affiliate link. If you buy something, they may kick a penny or two my way. Seriously, it ain’t much, lol. On to the sandwiches!
Sunday, November 12, 2023
Vada Pav (India)
International Sandwich Sunday
Original rating: 10
Plussed up: N/A
Plus up: None
Holy smokes, the Vada Pav from India is explosion of flavor and texture. Highly seasoned potato that’s been battered and deep friend, nestle into a bun with not one but two chutneys! One chutney was tamarind-based which brought the sweet/sour. The other was a green chutney that brought the heat and the cilantro. Sure, it was a lot of work so if you’re entertaining the idea of making it, maybe do if you’re, well, entertaining? As much as I love smoked brisket or roasted chicken, this is a prime example of vegan food that is so flavorful you don’t miss meat at all. Granted, it is a bit of a carb bomb but hey, gotta do it once in a while, right? If you are interested in making here is the recipe I followed.
In case you missed it:
Instagram | TikTok | YouTube | Facebook | Reddit
Monday, November 13, 2023
Avocado Sandwich Number 1 (1936)
1,001 Sandwiches
Original rating: 9
Plussed up: 9.5
Plus ups: Tapatío hot sauce
After the complexity of the Vada Pav, I gave myself what could only be described as one of the easiest sandwiches to make - the Avocado Sandwich Number 1. Still, with just three ingredient, this sandwich was deeply satisfying. The rich, slightly salted, mashed avocado. The smokey bacon. And the perfectly toasted bread. It really was a masterclass in epic simplicity yet delivered such massive deliciousness. Plussed it up with a little Tapatío (which apparently I did pronounce correctly lol) hot sauce for good measure. Yum
In case you missed it:
Instagram | TikTok | YouTube | Facebook | Reddit
Tuesday, November 14, 2023
Cheese Soufflé Sandwich (1974)
Williams’ Sandwich Recipes
Original rating: 7.5
Plussed up: 8.5
Plus up: Another slice of toast, mayonnaise, and chopped chives
Looking back on the Cheese Soufflé Sandwich, it really wasn’t that difficult to make. And the results really were light, airy, and cheesy like a soufflé. To plus it up I turned it into a sandwich, added a little richness via mayonnaise, and added some contrast with freshly chopped chives. Granted, I didn’t do the best job of folding in the cheese…and yes, this clip below from one of my favorite shows was running through my head the entire time I was recording this.
In case you missed it:
Instagram | TikTok | YouTube | Facebook | Reddit
Wednesday, November 15, 2023
Japanese Sandwich (1911)
Good Things To Eat As Suggested By Rufus
Original rating: 5
Plussed up: 7 / 7 / 6
Plus up: Bachan’s Japanese Barbecue Sauce / Trader Joe’s Furikake Seasoning / Sansyo Japanese Pepper
Good Things To Eat As Suggested By Rufus is among the first cookbooks published by an African American. Rufus, is Rufus Estes who started life enslaved but rose to become a chef on several Pullman luxury rail cars. But his story is more than that so take a sec and check out his wikipedia page linked above. As for this sandwich, we’ll it appears that even Rufus fell into exoticsm when it came to naming sandwiches. The “Japanese” sandwich contained fish, milk, salt, and pepper. Not exactly screaming Japanese cuisine. There was nothing technically wrong with the sandwich it was just kind of there. Which means it was ripe for plussing up. So, I decided to focus on ingredients that would steer it more toward and actual Japanese sandwich. All three worked though I will say the sweet/saltiness of the Bachan’s Barbecue Sauce might have slightly edged out the furikake in retrospect.
In case you missed it:
Instagram | TikTok | YouTube | Facebook | Reddit
Thursday, November 16, 2023
Hamapple Sandwich (1974)
William’s Sandwich Recipes
Original rating: 8
Plussed up: 8.5
Plus up: Ground mace and ground cloves
This sandwich was pretty tasty. The ham and applesauce went together well and the cheese just added a little richness. And the fact they gave the option of grilling it? Yes, please, and thank you. For the plus up, I took my cue from another old sandwich recipe that had me add ground cloves and powdered sugar to a ham sandwich. In this case, I also added mace and omitted the sugar since even though the applesauce had no added sugar, it was plenty sweet. And it worked like a charm. My only ding against the sandwich was that the applesauce did squeeze out a bit when biting into the sandwich.
In case you missed it:
Instagram | TikTok | YouTube | Facebook | Reddit
Someone you know would love some merch!
Heads up, if you live outside the United States, the deadline for Christmas orders is December 6th. If you live in the United States, you have until December 17th. But why wait? Cross some folks off your list today.
Of course, you could also book a Cameo with me as gift as well.
Friday, November 17, 2023
Danwich Fanwich (1977)
Ken Dodd’s Butty Book
Original rating: 3
Plussed up rating: 5
Plus up: Freshly ground black pepper
Ken Dodd, the late British comedian, has had some hits in his book of sandwiches. This is not one of them. The Danish brie may have been meh (Sorry, Denmark) but it was still edible. But the addition of mandarin slices and parsley made it everything taste off. I added black pepper as I thought it might act as a unifier. It did…ish. Just enough so that I wouldn’t toss it but not nearly enough such that I would ever make this again.
Instagram | TikTok | YouTube | Facebook | Reddit
Saturday, November 18, 2023
Deviled Egg Sandwich Number 1 (1936)
1,001 Sandwiches
Original rating: 6.5
Plussed up: 8
Plus up: Chipotle powder, black pepper, and parley
When I saw the name of this sandwich, I had visions of deviled eggs smashed between bread. Which would’ve been fun to be sure. No, this had use devil egg yolks, add back in some egg whites and pack it all in between two slices of bread. It wasn’t bad, by any stretch. But was lacking a bit. So, opted for chipotle powder to bring a little more heat and smokiness and two ingredients I seemed to have leaned on a lot this week; black pepper and chopped parsley. And it all worked making for a more interesting, if not more deviled, sandwich.
In case you missed it:
Instagram | TikTok | YouTube | Facebook | Reddit
Another week of historical sandwiches is on deck so stay tuned! Thanks for subscribing to Sandwiches of History Substack. I really do appreciate it.
Cheers!
Barry
