sandwich help

[oman]

okay, in concept, i love the idea of a sandwich. infinitely customizable to suit your needs, it's the swiss knife of foods. the thing is, my sandwiches all turn out pretty bad, or just average. i need ideas

for one thing, what are good deli meats? my friends all recommend "black forest ham" as being the best. a few of my classier buddies touched on the highlights of "proshuto" or "proshuta" or something (i cna't remember the spelling - proscuita, maybe?), so i tried some. it was pretty salty, but good.

as for bread, i use regular loaves of brown bread, lightly toasted. i really like dinner rolls too

also what kind of cheese is good? i only use laughing cow cheese because it's all i have, but i'm willing to change that

i have a lot of spiced olive oil, i heard that pouring small amounts of this on the bread is really tasty. it sounds rather weird, though. should i actually try this?

also feel free to just talk about sandwich recipes that you like

 

[skalogre]

Prosciutto. Great stuff. For bread use focaccia - or even home-baked bread (turns out great that way). For cheese... well... I try to avoid it - cholesterol. For lush and decadent go brie or some nice Belgian unpasteurised cheese.

Originally Posted by oman

okay, in concept, i love the idea of a sandwich. infinitely customizable to suit your needs, it's the swiss knife of foods. the thing is, my sandwiches all turn out pretty bad, or just average. i need ideas

for one thing, what are good deli meats? my friends all recommend "black forest ham" as being the best. a few of my classier buddies touched on the highlights of "proshuto" or "proshuta" or something (i cna't remember the spelling - proscuita, maybe?), so i tried some. it was pretty salty, but good.

as for bread, i use regular loaves of brown bread, lightly toasted. i really like dinner rolls too

also what kind of cheese is good? i only use laughing cow cheese because it's all i have, but i'm willing to change that

i have a lot of spiced olive oil, i heard that pouring small amounts of this on the bread is really tasty. it sounds rather weird, though. should i actually try this?

also feel free to just talk about sandwich recipes that you like

 

[j]

I can't remember the name of the really good bread I used to get, but you want the whole wheat kind with stuff stuck all over the top like sesame seeds and such. Then get some pastrami (sliced really thin), some swiss or havarti, (both from the deli slicer person) and some good mustard (get the grainy white wine kind in a jar). Try some of those pickle chips in it if you like pickles, and/or lettuce, and slice up a medium sized tomato in there too.

That's a good sandwich.

 

[acidboy]

the goodness of deli meats really depend on one's personal taste. i myself am not a fan of prosciutto, and i'd stop for a good reuben sandwich or my personal favorite tuna tossed in olive oil and capers with a slice of apple or avocado. maybe you should try other deli shops.

 

[Tokyo Slim]

Seriously...how do you F-up a sandwich?
Maybe you just don't like sandwiches...

one of my personal favorites;

Toast a quality bagel, I prefer plain, cut in half, liberally cream cheese both sides, pack with thin sliced roast beef, spicy brown mustard, and enjoy.

 

[Nantucket Red]

The greatest pitfall for any sandwich is dryness. The key to the perfect sandwich is achieving a balance so it will not end up either too dry or too soggy after spending half the day in your brown paper bag.

 

[globetrotter]

a sandwitch is as good as its parts. I use bread from a bakery, not the supermarket. I would suggest going to a good deli, or even a supermarket, and asking to taste a bunch of lunch meats and cheeses. I love procutto, but it isn't for everybody. it basically is ham. try different salamis, roast beef, corned beef, balonga, etc. ditto the cheese - ask to try them out. choose 2 meats and 2 cheese.

get some good mustard, butter, and horsradish. mix and match. like NR said - you need moisture, so put in butter and/or mainaise and/or mustard and/or horseradish.

 

[whoopee]

I used to really like prosciutto (aged and sliced in person please), buffalo mozzarella, thyme, roasted peppers, and some arugula between focaccia, placed in a sandwich press until crispy, gluten-y, and melty, with perhaps a bit of olive oil drizzled atop.

 

[Fabienne]

Maybe you should say where you live, so members can suggest good sources for your sandwich blocks. There's prosciutto and prosciutto, brie and brie...

For a moist sandwich with a taste of summer, try a pan bagnat.

Oh, and for those who read French, they can have fun with the comments on this recipe for vegetarian pan bagnat: http://www.cuisine-vegetarienne.com/index.php?re_id=508

 

[oman]

oh i'm in toronto

and tokyo slim i don't really f up the sandwich really badly or anything, it's just kinda not-that-good

 

[Full Canvas]

Originally Posted by Nantucket Red

The greatest pitfall for any sandwich is dryness

Novelist Lawrence Sanders' detective, Edward Delaney, ate his wet sandwiches over the kitchen sink.
___________________________________________

 

[Alter]

Originally Posted by globetrotter

a sandwitch is as good as its parts.

Exactly.

Don't use the processed meats and cheeses from supermarkets: find a good European deli.

Using herbed mayonnaise adds a little spark, too. Dice up some basil and throw it into the mayonaisse, or a little anchovy paste.

If you like things a little sweet then a red pepper jelly is nice with some smoked chicken.

 

[Fabienne]

A few ideas, pêle-mêle, for cold sandwiches:

Avocado slices
Mix a little wasabi, pesto or hot Dijon mustard (brand name: Maille if you can find it) in your mayonnaise.
Roast a chicken, use cold leftovers mixed with mayo, tomatoes, lettuce.
Peel garlic clove and rub on toasted bread, then spread with a little olive oil or vinaigrette.
Spread your favorite Indian chutney on the bread. Being in Toronto, you should have plenty of choice in that department. Cold tandoori chicken is also delicious in sandwiches.
Mix crabmeat with mayo, top with slices of tomatoes, etc.
PâtÃ

s or mousse with lettuce, cornichons. (Again, Toronto surely has lots to offer when it comes to terrines and the like, not to mention dry sausages)
Spread hummus generously on bread, then add veggies of your choice for a vegetarian sandwich.
Smoked salmon, capers, a little lemon juice with mayo, or butter instead, lettuce, etc.
Pita bread, spinach wrap, baguette.
Open face sandwiches.
Make a homemade mayonnaise (easy and very flavorful if you have the right mustard. I think I found the Brand Amora in MontrÃ

al, once.)
Fresh mint leaves.
When I was a kid, my next door neighbors were Portuguese, and they often made sandwiches with leftover cold beef stew. I envied them, I had my boring chocolate and butter on baguette.

 

[yanks2182]

I think an important step is to texture your meat. There's nothing worse than biting into a sandwich with flat meat. I fold the meat, and twist it. Don't put the slices the same way.

 

[alflauren]

Originally Posted by Fabienne

they can have fun with the comments on this recipe for vegetarian pan bagnat http://www.cuisine-vegetarienne.com/index.php?re_id=508

Wow. I never knew all of those things about Nice.

That thread reminds of one of my favorite Anthony Bourdain quotes:

Vegetarians, and their Hezbollah-like splinter-faction, the vegans, are a persistent irritant to any chef worth a damn. To me, life without veal stock, pork fat, sausage, organ meat, demiglace, or even stinky cheese is a life not worth living. Vegetarians are the enemy of everything good and decent in the human spirit, an affront to all I stand for, the pure enjoyment of food.