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Yummy Links: From Club Sandwiches to Street Food

partysugar — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 07:50:00 -0700

There's nothing quite as delicious as the classic club sandwich.- Serious Eats
Stressed? Here are 10 nutrients that can help relieve the tension. - Chow
Paula Deen's beauty advice is featured in next month's Allure. - Eat Me Daily
What you need to remember when dining outdoors with your pet. - OpenTable
Learn how Corton's chef Paul Liebrandt makes rabbit and scallop duo. - The Feedbag
If you love street food, be sure to check out this extensive guide to the nation's best. - Gourmet

'Wich of the Week: Lobster Club

YumSugar — Wed, 18 Mar 2009 14:00:37 -0700

Ever since I started my adventures in expensive sandwiches, I've been dying to try the ridiculously pricey Lobster Club at Neiman Marcus's Rotunda restaurant in San Francisco. I'll be the first to admit that $28 is way too much to pay for one sandwich, but I rationalized that it's made with lobster and big enough to feed two people. Plus, it's fun to pretend that I belong at this quintessential destination for ladies who lunch.

The Rotunda's lobster club is a double-decker served on toasted brioche, which has a slightly sweet French bakery flavor. The lobster portion was quite generous, so the taste came through even while competing with tomato and bacon. Was it worth $28? Find out and get the recipe when you read more.

I'm not going to say the lobster club wasn't good; I mean, it would be hard to make a lobster club taste bad. But for the price, I was a little disappointed.

As you can see in the photo, the avocado was sort of clumped together rather than distributed evenly, so the sandwich didn't hold together as well as it should have. But the flavors were still outstanding, particularly the lobster meat, and the brioche really stepped it up a notch.

If I were going back for seconds, I think I'd spring for a simple crab roll instead, or save my money and get an old-school diner club sandwich. I am very glad I tried it, but next time I'm at the Rotunda, I'll fill up on the signature warm popovers with strawberry butter.

Lobster Club Sandwich
Inspired by The Rotunda at Neiman Marcus

Ingredients

3 slices of brioche, about 1/2-inch thick, toasted
1/2 an avocado, thinly sliced
1 (8-ounce) lobster tail, cooked and diced
1 small tomato, thinly sliced
1/4 cup baby lettuce leaves
4 slices crisp bacon
1/8 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons finely diced roasted red peppers, undrained

Directions

On a work surface, lay flat one slice of toasted brioche and coat with a thin layer of mayonnaise. Top with avocado slices, followed by lobster.
On second piece of brioche, spread 1 tablespoon of diced peppers on one side, then place that side down atop the lobster.
On the other side of that slice, spread a thin layer of mayo.
Over the mayo, arrange tomato slices, followed by lettuce and bacon.
Spread remaining diced peppers on the third slice of toast, and place atop the bacon.
Cut into quarters, secure each section with toothpicks, and serve.

Makes 1 sandwich.

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Fast and Easy Dinner: Turkey Bacon Salad

partysugar — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 10:30:52 -0700

If you love club sandwiches, get excited for this recipe! It takes elements - salty bacon, crisp lettuce, and juicy turkey - from the classic sandwich and reconstructs them as a crunchy, filling salad.

Sugar snap peas are an unconventional yet balanced addition. For a lighter variation, serve the dressing on the side. Kick off your weekend by making this delicious dinner salad; get the recipe and read more.

Turkey Bacon Salad
From Better Homes and Gardens magazine

Ingredients

5 slices low-sodium bacon
2 cups sugar snap peas
1/2 cup light mayonnaise
1 Tbsp. Dijon-style mustard
1 Tbsp. cider vinegar
1 Tbsp. snipped fresh dill
1 small head romaine, coarsely chopped or torn
8 oz. smoked turkey breast, cut into bite-size strips

Directions

Line a 9-inch microwave-safe pie plate with paper toweling. Arrange bacon in layer on toweling. Cover with additional toweling. Cook on 100 percent power for 4 minutes or until crisp. Remove plate from microwave. Set bacon aside to cool.
Meanwhile, cook peas, covered, in boiling salted water for 2 minutes or until crisp-tender; drain.
Crumble one bacon slice; set aside. Break remaining into pieces.
In bowl combine mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, and dill. Stir in crumbled bacon. Arrange romaine on each plate. Add peas, turkey strips, and bacon pieces. Top with dressing.

Serves 4.

Nutrition Facts: Calories 392, Total Fat (g) 32, Saturated Fat (g) 9, Monounsaturated Fat (g) 12, Polyunsaturated Fat (g) 8, Cholesterol (mg) 68, Sodium (mg) 1363, Carbohydrate (g) 9, Total Sugar (g) 5, Fiber (g) 2, Protein (g) 17, Vitamin C (DV%) 54, Calcium (DV%) 4, Iron (DV%) 11

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'Wich of the Week: Old-School Club

YumSugar — Wed, 14 May 2008 13:15:08 -0700

Club sandwiches are so ubiquitous that I usually take them for granted. I order them very occasionally, maybe from hotel room service or when I'm looking for a "healthy" option at a diner. But every time I eat a good one - when the bread is only lightly browned and there's just enough mayo to balance out the crispy bacon - I realize that the club sandwich deserves more credit.

The club is actually one of the oldest original American sandwiches, invented sometime around the 1890s. Originally, club sandwiches were single decker and usually made with chicken instead of turkey. So for this 'Wich of the Week, I went in search of an authentic old-school club and found the object of my affection at St. Francis Fountain, an 80-year-old diner and soda fountain in San Francisco. For more details and my recipe, read more.

It was a beautiful day, so I got to sit outside and enjoy my somewhat heavy lunch: a deliciously overstuffed club, a chocolate malt, and a salad for good measure. The best thing about a single-decker club is that by getting rid of the third piece of bread, you can go heavy on the other ingredients to create a much moister sandwich. St. Francis Fountain's club had the ideal ratio of crunchy bacon to juicy chicken; the shredded lettuce added a great texture, and the bread was perfectly toasted and just lightly buttered.

My only gripe is that there was a bit more mayo than I would have liked, so I've reduced the amount in my recipe below. How do you like your club? Do you think this classic sandwich is overrated or underappreciated? Tell me in the comments.

Old-School Club Sandwich
Inspired by the chicken club at St. Francis Fountain

Ingredients

2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, grilled or roasted and thinly sliced
8 slices of thick-cut bacon, fried crisp and drained
1 cup iceberg lettuce, shredded
6 slices of tomato, medium thickness
2 Tbsp. mayonnaise
4 slices of whole wheat bread, toasted until just lightly browned

Directions

Spread a thin layer of mayonnaise on two pieces of the toast.
Divide the chicken slices between the two sandwiches and lay atop the mayo.
Place four slices of bacon on each sandwich, followed by three tomato slices.
Balance a handful of the shredded iceberg lettuce on top of the tomatoes.
Spread a thin layer of mayo on the other two pieces of toast, and press the mayo side down to assemble.

Makes 2 sandwiches.

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Fast & Easy Dinner: Veggie Club Sandwich

partysugar — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 09:01:31 -0700

Like a healthy dessert, a veggie club sandwich is a bit of an oxymoron. Club sandwiches are typically filled with smoky bacon and thick sliced turkey breast, but you don't have to be a meat eater to enjoy this stacked sandwich. The bacon is replaced with crisp cucumber, and the turkey with crunchy bell peppers. Not only does this make for a nutritional dinner, but it also packs well for a delicious lunch or picnic. To learn how to layer the ingredients in this scrumptious sandwich, read more

Veggie Club Sandwich
From The Nest
Image Source

Layering Order:
1 tablespoon light vegetable cream cheese
1 whole wheat bread slice
1/4 cup fresh spinach leaves, lightly packed
3 tomato slices
1 thin red onion slice, rings separated
pepper, sprinkle
1 tablespoon light vegetable cream cheese
1 whole wheat bread slice
8 English cucumber slices
3 yellow (or red) pepper rings
6 Avocado slices (about 1/2 avocado)
pepper, sprinkle
1 tablespoon light vegetable cream cheese
1 whole wheat bread slice

Toast the bread slices.
Spread first amount of cream cheese on 1 side of first bread slice. Layer next 3 ingredients, in order given, over cream cheese. Sprinkle with pepper.
Spread second amount of cream cheese on both sides of second bread slice. Place on top of onion. Layer next 3 ingredients, in order given, over cream cheese. Sprinkle with pepper.
Spread third amount of cream cheese on 1 side of third bread slice. Place cream cheese-side down, on top of sandwich. Cut sandwich diagonally into 4 small triangles.

Serves 1.

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TV Dinners: The Breakfast Club - Pixy Stix Sandwich

YumSugar — Thu, 14 Jun 2007 07:52:11 -0700

In honor of national candy month, I thought I'd pull out a classic candy-related TV Dinner clip for us all. Do you remember the lunchtime scene in The Breakfast Club? Molly Ringwald confuses Judd Nelson with sushi, Emilio Estevez has enough food for a large family and Ally Sheedy perplexes everyone by tossing the pimento loaf out of her sandwich and replaces it with Pixy Stix and Cap'n Crunch cereal instead? If so, then have I ever got a treat for you! Not only do I have the recipe to recreate your own Pixy-Stix sandwich, but I've got the clip as well! To check it all out, read more

Pixy Stix Sandwich
From The Breakfast Club

1 slice white bread
1 slice wheat bread
butter
2 Pixy Stix (flavored sugar in straws)
2 handfuls of Cap'n Crunch cereal

Butter slice of white bread. You can also butter the wheat slice if you want.
Pour contents of one pixy stix evenly onto white bread slice.
Pour contents of one pixy stix evenly onto wheat bread slice.

Sprinkle handfuls of Cap'n Crunch evenly onto white piece of bread. Smash cereal down with your hands.
Repeat with wheat bread.
Carefully put slices together, and enjoy!
Wash it all down with a Coke!

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Taste Test: Quizno's Toasty Bullet Subs

YumSugar — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 15:30:07 -0700

It's a well documented fact that I'm a fiend for sandwiches; likewise, PartySugar loves them, especially warm, toasty paninis. Naturally, when Quizno's launched its new Toasty Bullets, it wasn't long before we went to our neighborhood outpost to check them out.

Customers can get a Toasty Bullet in five different flavors: Italian, Big Kahuna Tuna, Pesto Turkey, Turkey Club, and Beef, Bacon & Cheddar. The snack-sized sandwiches are about eight inches long and two inches wide, cost a dollar or two less than the average Quizno's sandwich, and come in a nifty paper pocket to assist with easy, on-the-go eating. Did any of these stun us with their bold flavors - or should you be dodging these bullets? Find out after the jump

Meet the Newest Dining Hotspot: The Ballpark

YumSugar — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 09:00:29 -0700

Masaharu Morimoto isn't the only celebrity chef to be serving stepped-up stadium food at future Yankees games. As part of the stadium's new Legends Culinary Series, at select games, famous New York chefs will serve up signature dishes at the stadium's Legends Suite Club.

In addition to Iron Chef Morimoto, the star-studded lineup of chefs will include Alex Guarnaschelli of The Cooking Loft and Butter restaurant, April Bloomfield of The Spotted Pig, and Sirio Maccioni of Le Cirque. Chocolatier Godiva will also be on hand to create signature chocolate desserts.
Food Network has announced that it, too, will be rolling out its first-ever food stands. The stands will feature "quality takes on classic" foods that incorporate "the ethnic cuisines of New York City, Food Network's hometown," according to a statement from the network. Hot dogs, burgers, and fries will be in the mix - but so will Puerto Rican pork sandwiches and Chinese cold noodles.

Since variety is the spice of life, and because dining options at sports events do seem to be trending toward the upscale, I suppose premium dining at the stadium makes business sense. PartySugar and I both agree, however, that canapés can never take the place of chili dogs at the ballpark. What do you think? Would you want to eat gourmet cuisine at a sporting event?

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What's Yummy This Week - YumSugar Weekly Recap

YumSugar — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 07:00:11 -0700

My latest sandwich creation is inspired by a warm Summer night with friends.
PartySugar plans a movie club meeting, complete with a full corn tasting menu.
Could a Playboy Bunny ruin this restaurant chain's wholesome image?
For a different warm-weather refreshment, try this ginger beer cooler.
Summer stone fruit and a comforting dessert are combined to make my latest popsicle creation.
This week's nachos highlight the savory flavors of Spain.
Now that okra is in season, here are a few tips on selecting and preparing it.
Just how clean are restaurants across the country?

Yummy Links: From Watermelon Salad to Vending Machine Pizza

partysugar — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 09:00:38 -0700

Watermelon, goat cheese, greens, and balsamic vinegar come together to make the Summer's prettiest salad. - The Recipe Girl
Interested in trying a new wine? Here are 25 bottles under $25 that are worth sipping now. - Forbes
Meet the world's largest six pack of beer. - So Good
Learn how to use leftovers as ingredients in delicious new dishes.- iVillage
An Arnold Palmer is refreshing on a hot Summer day. - Baking Bites
Picnic perfect: Barefoot Contessa's Caesar Salad Club Sandwich. - Noble Pig
Lighten up with these five delicious treats that are under 250 calories. - FitSugar
Would you purchase piping hot pizza from a vending machine? - Slashfood

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