Smoked Turkey and Bacon – Made at an associates house, Boston, MA

In the quest for the most rarefied of sandwich airs, for perfection, I sometimes forget that at its heart the sandwich is a humble meal. And while the best sandwiches are slaved over, tried again and again until they are perfect, sometimes some things are just thrown between two slices of bread and then consumed. On a trip to Boston some time ago I arrived at an associates house rather peckish. He offered me his fridge, and so I hastily assembled what you see above.

Cibatta bread holds about a quarter pound of smoked turkey, a few slices of cheese, a leaf or two of lettuce, a generous helping of mustard, and three slices of bacon. Salt & pepper finish it off. The sandwich is what you expect it to be, the turkey flavorful but not greatly so, the bacon savory and with a proper crunch. I would not say I was “wowed,” but my stomach was filled and my taste buds were pleased. I suppose we all need a reminder from time to time of the sandwich as a utility, rather than as art. Whatever its role, this was a good sandwich.