Obsessive me has come out to play over a $4.00 magazine from the Food Network. Unsuspecting me received it graciously from Hoity Toity Niece last weekend and have cover-to-covered it three times already.
I’m loving the format, the over sized layout and content. And not just because they revere the sandwich in such deservedly incredible ways, it’s much more than that. It’s seeing some of my favorite television chefs in a different, more tangible way.
Lazy me can now lay in bed and read about the $625.00 cookbook (have you heard about that?), test my wine IQ, pick up cooking tips from the pros or see what Eva Longoria’s kitchen looks like. It’s all in there and with photographs, big, colorful, eye popping photographs!
Herb filled Terracotta pots on the table of contents page could be a picture of my front porch right about now, and the recipe index is simple, user friendly and packed for days with dead-on recipes. No, I’m not a magazine sales person and I’m not pimping for Food Network… , but I would if they asked me.
How about a Grilled Cheese Sandwich with dates and prosciutto? Or a Grilled Cheese with Bacon and Thousand Island Dressing…. yes, I said bacon and thousand island dressing.
Or a Grilled Pound Cake with Mascarpone, hmmm? And those are just a few sandwiches offered up inside, along with main dishes, desserts starters … and so on. .. you have to pick one up soon. do it.
We take the sandwich, plain and mundane to insane!![]()
What can I say about this meal? Except that some times life becomes so complicated, the road ahead so full of twists and tricks that you start to feel lower than a snake in a wagon track. When conditions are that sticky, the best you can do is find comfort in things familiar. While a glass of milk may be a healthier choice, nary a 2%, skim or whole exists that will do what a vodka martini will to wash away the weary, not to mention a PBJ on white! 
When Mezzetta Company held their “Make That Sandwich” recipe contest, I jumped at the opportunity to submit my fantastic Puttanesca sandwich. Unfortunately, it was not chosen as winner, but in my world, this one has winner written all over every bite. 
One recent Saturday two Caucasian ladies on a shopping expedition stopped into a Vietnamese restaurant to have a quick lunch. One of them familiar with the ethnic fare, the other had yet to have the pleasure.
Months passed and the ingredients sat forgotten in a cupboard above the stove. With the last days of summer behind them, when the weather took a change into fall, they remembered the forgotten ingredients and went about the unfamiliar task of recreating the bowl of Pho from long ago.
We use them in everything. Cornbread, soups, beans, eggs, potatoes… any where a special bite of fresh will pay compliment to a dish. 
We plan our trip right at harvest time. This means having the distinct pleasure of actually watching our selection of hot, medium hot, and mild chiles be fire roasted right in the chile vendors parking lot. Once the chiles have cooled from the roasting process, they’re counted out and frozen for use through out the year. AWESOME!
These were packaged in groups without regard to their level of HOT, so I guess you could call it a mixed bag, and any bodies guess as to which of them will smoke your scalp, and which will be mild. Nothing like living on the edge! 
A side dish of remnants is also good to have around should the mood strike you to do a little dipping with your sandwich. A garnish of something cool like cucumber salad or carrot sticks will do well to cleanse the palate between delectable bites.
Side note: Am I the only one having spacing issues on blogger? 
A little bit of pesto goes a long way, and when you pair it with a richly satisfying brie cheese the outcome is a step in the direction of down and dirty decadence. What better way to get a jump start on April, otherwise known as 
What’s better than an Egg McMuffin from McDonald’s? Or a wonderful breakfast of Eggs Benedict? Okay so those may not be completely guilt free, but they’re still among my favorite things to order when I’m having breakfast away from home. 
A little about Kristy…. obviously, she’s an awesomely talented cook, premier baker and amazing photographer who resides in Malaysia. Her blog 
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Cubans (sandwiches) can be fraught with calories (approximately 700) but difficult to stay away from because the combination of flavors is so incredible. When eaten in a restaurant setting there’s no way to control the use of high calorie ingredients like cheese, butter and doughy white bread. Not this one!
We replaced a higher calorie bread with:
Where in the world have I been? It’s not a very compelling story. I’d love to report that I’ve been traveling the globe in search of the latest sandwich news, but being honest, that is not the case.
Albacore packed in water is my favorite canned tuna to work with. It’s clean of any dark meat which tends to smell a little fishier than does the more mild white meat of Albacore. Just placing it into a bowl (after draining) conjures up memories of the wholesome tuna sandwiches Mother used to make, not to mention the possibility of whipping up something really delicious without much work. 
I love traditional tuna salad with Mayo, chopped celery, chopped onion and sweet pickle relish. Matter of fact, the only way I will ever eat sweet pickle relish is in a tuna salad. Otherwise, it’s not one of my favorites. 
Saving the other ingredients for the outside of the sandwich, I laid the sliced Como Loaf bread on a cooking sheet and lightly toasted both sides under the broiler, then began stacking flavors, starting with jalapeno peppers, Bermuda onion, pickled capers and a creamy Vintage white cheddar cheese. Then back under the broiler for a minute or two (just until the cheese melted) which helps to marry the flavors quickly. 
