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Would You Eat This Spleen Sandwich?

partysugar — Tue, 16 Sep 2008 12:30:52 -0700

On tonight's episode of Bizarre Foods With Andrew Zimmern the host heads to Sicily where he is greeted by a variety of odd foods, including sardine meatballs, artichoke ice cream, and cow spleen sandwiches.

The spleen is boiled in a vat of fat before being topped with cheese and tucked inside two slices of bread. Although the word spleen sort of grosses me out, I'm adventurous and would love to try the sandwich. How about you?

Watch the video and let me know, would you eat a spleen sandwich?

'Wich of the Week: Kaiser Egg and Sausage Sandwich

YumSugar — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 14:00:39 -0700

I love a good brunch, and not surprisingly, I'm also fond of ordering breakfast sandwiches. Both experiences are even better following a night of overindulgence. After attending a very long party on Saturday night, I stopped at San Francisco's Kate's Kitchen and was delighted to see an item had been added to the menu since my last visit: The Lauren Special.This egg and sausage sandwich is way better than your basic breakfast biscuit. Thanks to the fluffy scrambled eggs and soft Kaiser roll, it has a light and airy texture to distract you from the heavier (but heavenly) elements, including melted Monterey jack cheese, guacamole, and sausage. I handily devoured the whole thing, with a bowl of fruit on the side, and I can't wait to re-create it at home. To find out how you can too, read more.

Kaiser Egg and Sausage Sandwich
Inspired by the Lauren Special at Kate's Kitchen

Ingredients

1 seeded Kaiser roll
1 slice Monterey jack cheese
1 cooked sausage patty
2 eggs
2 tablespoons guacamole
2 slices of tomato
Thinly sliced red onion, optional to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 200°F. Slice the Kaiser roll in half horizontally, and lay the cheese slice on the bottom half. Place both pieces of the roll in the oven for about 5 minutes, until the cheese is melted.
In a skillet over medium-high heat, heat the sausage patty, turning occasionally, until the sausage is heated through. Remove from heat.
Reduce the skillet heat to low, and add the eggs. Scramble the eggs, cooking slowly and folding, so that they form a loose, omelet-like patty.
Place the heated Kaiser roll open on a plate, and top the melted cheese with guacamole, tomato, and sausage patty.
With a spatula, remove the scrambled eggs from the skillet and lay on top of the sausage.
Top the eggs with red onion slices if desired, replace the top half of Kaiser bun, and serve.

Makes one sandwich.

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'Wich of the Week: Open-Face Balsamic Egg

YumSugar — Wed, 21 May 2008 14:00:08 -0700

One of my favorite SF brunch spots, Foreign Cinema, has a balsamic egg dish I've always wanted to recreate at home. Deglazing the fried egg in vinegar gives it a gentle saltiness that tastes gourmet and - I must admit - is highly suitable for hangovers. But instead of serving it with potatoes and greens like the restaurant does, I put a twist on the egg dish by making it into a sandwich.

As I suspected, the flavors were easy to reproduce on my own plate with some balsamic-reduction sauce, hearty multigrain bread, and mixed greens. I made two versions of the sandwich: one open-face with greens, and one closed-face with serrano ham. I preferred the open-face, without meat, which allowed the rich flavor of the balsamic egg to take center stage. To get the recipe (with both options) and more photos, read more.

Balsamic Egg Sandwich
Original Recipe

Ingredients

2 slices swiss cheese
2 to 4 slices multigrain bread
3 very thin slices of Serrano ham, cut into strips (optional)
1 tablespoon butter
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar reduction sauce
2 cups mixed baby greens, loosely packed

Directions

Preheat the oven to 250°F.
Place two slices of swiss cheese on each of two pieces of bread.
Place the two cheese-covered slices of bread in the oven, plus two more pieces of bread if you want a closed-face sandwich. Cook for about 5 minutes or until cheese is just melted.

In a skillet over medium-low heat, cook Serrano ham until crispy, turning once, about 5 minutes.
Turn burner to low, add the two eggs, and cook sunnyside up. Alternately, if not using the ham, melt 1 tablespoon butter over low heat, then add the eggs.
When the yolks have just started to firm up but are still runny, drizzle the balsamic reduction sauce atop the eggs. Place a lid over the skillet and cook for an additional 30 seconds. Remove from heat.

On each piece of cheese-topped bread, add 1 cup mixed greens and top with the fried egg. If using the ham, top each egg with the Serrano ham and a second slice of bread.

Makes 2 open-face or closed-face sandwiches.

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'Wich of the Week: Super Chicken Torta

YumSugar — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 13:13:35 -0700

Though most of you will probably celebrate Cinco de Mayo this weekend, I have already marked the occasion by devouring a torta, and looking at the photos again makes me want to eat another one right now. Similar to a submarine sandwich, the torta originated in Mexico, though you can get them at many taquerias in the States. The sandwich features your choice of meat, served on a white roll called a telera or a bolillo and typically garnished with avocado, lettuce, and tomato.

For my first-ever torta, I visited Super Tortas when I was down in Los Angeles. After all, this family business, which has three stores in LA, specializes in tortas, and I figured if I was trying a new sandwich, I might as well start with one that calls itself "super." For more photos and details, read more.

Super Tortas owner Sacramento Guerrero recommended the house specialty, grilled ribeye, but having eaten my weight in sandwiches the day before, I opted for shredded chicken. It was indeed super - not just in size, but also in execution. Though the sandwich looks pretty basic - this one didn't even have tomatoes - it was actually very complex in its mix of flavors and textures.

Liberally seasoned with pepper, the shredded chicken was hot, juicy, and not the slightest bit greasy, which was a nice surprise. Chopped bell pepper and onions added an extra kick, and the guacamole was to die for, its creaminess was a lush contrast to the crisp, cool lettuce. But the pièce de résistance (anyone know how to say that in Spanish?) was the toasted bun. As you can see from the photos, it was grilled on top to a toasty brown, and the bread in the middle was still soft and chewy like the best white bread.

After my Super Tortas experience, I can't believe I've gone this long without eating tortas. If you've also been depriving yourself, I highly recommend trying one. The chicken was delicious, but torta fans also rave about the Milanesa, or breaded steak, variety. Have you eaten a torta? If so, tell me what you thought.

'Wich of the Week: Chicken Caesar Wraps

YumSugar — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 12:13:31 -0700

Possibly the only thing easier to make than a sandwich is a salad. So when I wanted an easy sandwich to make en masse for a recent party, I decided to toss up a Caesar salad and wrap up the results in Middle Eastern lavash bread. I figured that pretty much everyone loves Caesar salad, and the wrap-style 'wich made for fun finger food.

Since the sandwiches would be sitting out on a tray, I didn't want to make a traditional Caesar dressing with raw eggs. So I modified a healthier recipe that uses buttermilk and light mayo. It was incredibly easy, and the salad had a great kick to it, unlike some other healthy (and bland) Caesar salads I've tried. To get the recipe and for more photos, read more.

Chicken Caesar Wraps
Modified from Everyday Food

Ingredients

One dozen lavash wraps
1 1/2 cups low-fat buttermilk
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 garlic clove, pressed through a garlic press
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
coarse salt and ground pepper
6 to 8 ounces precooked grilled chicken breast strips
1/4 cup light mayonnaise
2 medium heads (1 1/2 pounds total) romaine lettuce, cut into pieces

Directions

In a medium bowl, combine buttermilk, lemon juice, garlic, and Parmesan. Season with salt and pepper.
In a large bowl, stir together mayonnaise and buttermilk mixture. Add romaine and chicken; toss to combine.

Place the lavash wraps, two at a time, on a plate and cover with a wet paper towel. Microwave for 30 seconds to soften the lavash so it doesn't tear.
As each lavash wrap comes out of the microwave, place about a 1/2 cup of salad mixture in the center of the wrap. Fold in the ends and roll up like a burrito.

Slice the rolled wrap into three equal pieces. Secure each piece with a toothpick and serve on a platter.

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'Wich of the Week: Sweet Serrano Panini

YumSugar — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 08:13:33 -0800

Welcome back to 'Wich of the Week, where every Wednesday I'll feature a different sandwich I've eaten or prepared at home, complete with photos and instructions on how to recreate it.

This week, I've made a variation on panini, which in Italian means "little bread." In the US, a panini sandwich can be pretty sizable, and the warm, melted delicacies are usually pressed and cooked on a grill. To make my panini, I actually made one giant sandwich in the oven, then sliced it up to make six smaller sandwiches. Good thing, too, because this sweet and savory recipe is very decadent.

I started by splitting a large loaf of ciabatta (about 10 inches long) horizontally, coating one side with fig preserves and the other side with a blue cheese and walnut spread. The yummy center is filled with salty Serrano ham, arugula, and sliced Fuji apple. To learn how to make it, read more.

Sweet Serrano Panini

Serves 6.

1/4 pound Serrano ham
1/4 cup walnuts
3 ounces creamy blue cheese
1/2 Fuji apple or similar
3 tablespoons fig preserves
2 cups arugula, tightly packed
1 ciabatta loaf or similar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. If you own a cast-iron skillet, place the skillet in the oven to warm it; you'll use it later to press the panini.
On the stove, toast the walnuts in an unoiled skillet for about five minutes, until just slightly browned and firm.
Using a sharp bread knife, split the ciabatta roll in half horizontally. Place the bread slices in the oven for about three to five minutes, until the bread is just lightly toasted. Remove from oven and set on prep surface to cool.
While bread is cooling, combine the walnuts and blue cheese in a small bowl and stir until well blended.

Coat one slice of the ciabatta with the fig preserves, then lay the slices of serrano ham on top.
Next, cut the apple from top to bottom into thin, round slices, avoiding the core. Place apple slices atop the ham.

Pile the arugula evenly over the apples, and spread the blue cheese and walnut mixture onto the bare slice of ciabatta. Assemble the sandwich by placing the cheese-covered slice atop the arugula-topped side.
Place the sandwich on a baking sheet or other oven-safe surface, then cover it with the warmed cast-iron skillet to press the ingredients together.

Leaving the skillet in place, cook the sandwich at 350 degrees for five to seven minutes, until cheese is melted and the bread is lightly browned on top.
With a sharp bread knife, slice the loaf into six small sandwiches and serve immediately.

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For more step-by-step details, click on the photos below.

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Yummy Link: Fig and Parma Ham Sandwich

YumSugar — Thu, 20 Sep 2007 14:15:22 -0700

A little bit of fig, a little parma ham, some camembert and some tasty bread, I think I know what I'm having for dinner tonight. - The Passionate Cook

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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Yummy Links: Asian Peanut Butter Sandwich

YumSugar — Thu, 31 May 2007 13:28:18 -0700

There's a lot of peanut butter in Thai food and other Asian fare, so why not have Asian ingredients on your peanut butter sandwich? - The Amateur Gourmet

How One Sandwich Takes Me Home

partysugar — Fri, 23 Mar 2007 10:51:32 -0700

There is a special place deep in every American's heart for their all time favorite deli sandwich. Whether it's pepper turkey with creamy avocado and crisp bacon or sharp cheddar, sweet mustard and Italian salami, everyone has a best-loved sandwich. More importantly, a particular deli that makes their beloved sandwich with just the right ratio of oil/vinegar to bread and perfectly thin slices of roast beef. My all time favorite deli in the world is called Lucchesi Deli and is located in the town where I was born and raised. Lucchesi's, as locals know it affectionately, is your typical mom-and-pop deli with sandwiches, salads, daily soup, deli meats, bread, and my personal weakness, deviled eggs. The baguettes are made fresh daily, have a soft inside and crisp, crunchy outside. The wide variety of cheeses and meats makes each sandwich an individual masterpiece. Lucchesi's sandwiches pair perfectly with a cherry coke and lightly salted kettle chips. The deli has been voted the best in town more than once in the past few years and the friendly rapid, no fail service combined with delicious sandwiches is what keeps customers like myself coming back. Making a stop for lunch at Lucchesi's brings me back to my roots. I remember when my dad would buy me sandwiches when I was a little girl; in high school we'd sneak out of class a few minutes early for lunch to beat the line at Lucchesi's; when I arrived at the airport from living abroad for two years, my sister had a cooler with a sandwich in her car. To me the sandwiches convey the essence of coming home: there is comfort, nostalgia, and a sense of belonging in each bite. Well Fed About Town asked me to tell them about my preferred deli, and now I'm asking you readers, what's your favorite deli?