From the Archives: The Peanut Butter Sandwich

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In the last two weeks of the year, On Sandwiches will be featuring select posts from the archives that you may have missed. We hope that you can forgive us these reruns, as we are hard at work on new, ambitious projects. Today’s selection is my favorite sandwich, the humble peanut butter on wheat.

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There’s so much to love; it’s cheap, it’s filling, it’s portable, it can be consumed quickly or slowly savored, the peanut butter is rich and savory, no less nutty for the notable handicap of being a legume.

This was the 200th post at On Sandwiches, and by way of celebration I offered the peanut butter sandwich six ways. With bacon jam, with chocolate, with jelly, fried with banana and honey, with sriracha and green apple, and the old plain standby of just peanut butter on bread. The sriracha and green apple ended up as the clear winner of the bunch, to the surprise of only those who haven’t tried it.

 

From the Archives: The Endless Uncertainties of Love

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In the last two weeks of the year, On Sandwiches will be featuring select posts from the archives that you may have missed. We hope that you can forgive us these reruns, as we are hard at work on new, ambitious projects. Today’s selection is the celebration of the bánh mì that opened the year.

lees-archivesI have long extolled the virtues of the bánh mì, and earlier this year I attempted to explore a wide spectrum of available sandwiches. In 18 sandwiches from four different cities on two coasts I found some things joyous, other things less so, but everything worth considering. The full month can be found via the category designated, and if you prefer there are highlights here.

Portobello and Sausage Burger – Native Foods Cafe, Gayle Ave, Los Angeles, CA

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portobello and sausageI’m not certain how much of my audience I’m going to be addressing here, but I feel this is something worth saying all the same: Go eat some meat-free sandwiches. Eat ones with fake meat, eat ones that are just straight-up vegetables, eat ones with cheese and ones that are proudly vegan. It’s an entirely world of sandwiches, one that you miss out on if your primary conception of a sandwich is the meat/greens/cheese archetype.

In this case it’s a grilled portobello mushroom, house-made seitan sausage, caramelized onions, pomodoro, roasted garlic, pumpkin seed pesto and mayonnaise. That’s a symphony of flavor, and while I will be the first to admit that seitan isn’t actually that close to actual sausage, that doesn’t mean it isn’t tasty. In fact, it was quite tasty here, and given the strong base that is a well-cooked portobello, this was another delightful sandwich. (Mushrooms, as we know, are very close to being the perfect food, and as such you can do a lot worse than to start a sandwich from such a base.)

I’ve had some really good vegan food and some pretty bad vegan food, but the key thing is that it has never been boring. It’s always worth having, and I suggest to you that you seek out your local meat-free scene and see what they have to offer.

Duck Confit Sandwich – Fundamental LA, Westwood Blvd, Los Angeles, CA

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duckconfitIn recent days I’ve grown increasingly tired of what I would call the Standard Cafe Lineup. Turkey pesto, chipotle chicken, caprese, tuna salad. Maybe a ham and cheese or some manner of roast beef. All of those sandwiches can be delicious, even stupendous, but by definition the average turkey pesto you encounter is unlikely to be spectacular.

It would be all too easy to get hung up on this, to grouse at length about atrophied imaginations and stunted vision. But there’s no need for that, because with a little extra effort you can find places like Fundamental LA, places that are taking atypical ingredients, combining them in interesting ways, and putting out stellar sandwiches. In the case of the above it’s duck confit, cooked up to a wonderfully crispy, chewy state.  That’s joined with chimichurri, pickled watermelon radish, butter lettuce and garlic aioli on a brioche roll. That’s a delightful lineup, and it all works together spectacularly well. The sandwich is bright and flavorful, with acidic notes from the radish and the duck cradling all other flavors in its savory depth. Brioche is an underutilized sandwich bread, and this sandwich is a good example of why it’s so useful. It’s a soft and yielding bread, meaning none of the ingredients slide anywhere, and you just get the sweet starch notes that are so essential to what we know as a sandwich. Little Chef Counter in San Jose made use of similar breads, to similarly successful ends.

This was a fine sandwich. A sandwich as good in execution as it is in conception is a rare thing indeed, and I was delighted to have this one.

The Bobbie – Capriotti’s, Wilshire Blvd, Beverly Hills, CA

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thebobbieI’ve covered Capriotti’s before, and was not tremendously pleased with what they had to offer. The Bobbie is listed first and foremost on Capriotti’s menu, and as I’ve discussed previously, that’s a big signal. I had cause to return to Capriotti’s, so I figured it was only fair to take their best effort and give it a try. I intentionally avoided the Bobbie when I went previously, thinking that it wasn’t the right sandwich with which to judge the franchise. As a thanksgiving sandwich, it doesn’t have the highest degree of difficulty, and I thought it wouldn’t tell me much about Capriotti’s. Sweet mercy, was I wrong about that.

As it turns out, the Bobbie says a whole heck of a lot about Capriotti’s. Specifically  it says that they either don’t know much about a good sandwich, or they don’t care to make the effort. Two things really took this sandwich off the rails, one of which was expected and one of which was a surprise. To start with, apparently mayonnaise is an acceptable substitute for gravy, or at least the folks at Capriotti’s see it that way. I mentioned mayo in my guide to the thanksgiving sandwich, but any application has to be minimal. There’s no need to get to the level of slathering, and heaven help you should the mayonnaise announce itself. The Nobadeer at Jettie’s uses mayo, but it’s minimal and restrained. If you feel your sandwich is lacking moisture, well, that’s what gravy is for. If you aren’t willing to keep some gravy warm for the purposes of a thanksgiving sandwich, perhaps you should do some thinking on why you’ve placed it at the top of your menu.

The mayo fiasco was half expected, as the menu clearly states the sandwich comes with mayo. My policy is to take sandwiches as they are offered/designed, and sometimes this sort of thing happens. The second issue I had with the sandwich came as a surprise, and that was the fact that the cranberry sauce was stone cold. I wasn’t visiting first thing in the morning, and even if I were that wouldn’t be any kind of excuse.

This isn’t a tricky one to make. You get some tasty things that go together, and you put them all between bread. It’s the very essence of sandwich making. With the thanksgiving sandwich, all you really need to do is understand what’s going on and stay out of the way. Sadly, that seems to be a bit beyond the capabilities of Capriotti’s.

Pesto Veggie Panini – L.A. Cafe, Spring St, Los Angeles, CA

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lacafe-vegMy previous experience at LA Cafe was somewhat mixed, the lobster grilled cheese that could have been spectacular but was a bit hamstrung by the unyielding matters of cost control. So when I found myself downtown and on the hunt for a sandwich, I dithered on whether or not they were worth a revisit. Ultimately I figured they were. This time I went for the veggie pesto, a pressed matter of spring mix, avocado, tomato, cucumber, basil, cheddar cheese,and a basil pesto spread.

The bread for a pressed sandwich tends to be on the minimal side, just by virtue of the pressing. That’s expected, but the veggie pesto at L.A. Cafe stood out even by the standard of a panini. It was nearly paper-thin, and the pressing had rendered it to maximum crisp, almost to the level of crackerdom. I felt this was to the benefit of the sandwich, as the bread became solely a textural component (rather than both textural and flavorful), and that left the vegetables front and center. The pesto wasn’t applied too heavily, which I think also did the sandwich a favor. Avocado and pesto don’t stroke me as a natural pairing, but to my surprise the match was unobjectionable. All together it made for a tasty sandwich, and when next I find myself strolling downtown, I won’t hesitate to head in the direction of L.A. Cafe.

Kale Sandwiches Four Ways – Made At Home

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I happen to find kale to be delightful. I recognize that it’s not for everyone, but it suits me just fine, and my diet and sandwiches are so much the richer for it. It’s not just one of those good-for-you-might-as-well-eat-it foods, but an earthy, full flavor that works well with a great number of things. Three of the sandwiches here are built to star kale, but it goes just as well in a supporting role, working behind other ingredients. It’s versatile and delicious, and what more could you want from a sandwich ingredient?

To start with, my method for all of the following was to separate the leaves from the stems, discarding the latter. The kale is blanched in boiling water for 4 minutes or so, then run under cold water until cool. You can eat it right then and there, if you prefer, or you can put it in a pan with a bit of fat, some spices, and some liquid (broth, wine, water all work) then cover it until the liquid is absorbed. That gives you a batch of kale ready to be deployed in virtually any instance.

First up, kale with hash browns and a fried egg. This went on sourdough, and is a good example of the sum of the parts being enough. Kale, hash browns and fried eggs are all delicious, and putting them together simply makes for a delicious combination. It’s not more than what you would expect, but since what you would expect is pretty stellar, there’s not much to complain about. Some hot sauce or a good dose of black pepper would also go well here, and adding onions, garlic, peppers or whatever else you like to the hash browns couldn’t hurt.

This is kale with roasted garlic, sauteed red onion, and a mustard vinaigrette. This wasn’t bad by any stretch, but it’s the runt of the litter. It’s tasty, with a nice savory profile, but it doesn’t feel like anything special. The main advantage here might be that depending on what kind of pantry one keeps, this might be the easiest one to put together at a moment’s notice, especially if you just go with straight red onions and not ones that have been cooked down.

This is ricotta cheese and kale that’s been sauteed with butter and red pepper flakes. The idea for ricotta came not from the artichoke hearts sandwich, but was simply jacked whole from a Scanwiches post from some years back, which they credit to BKLYN Larder. Regardless of its providence, it is a fantastic concept. Simple, rich and creamy, this is the best way to highlight the kale. Ricotta is flavorful but not assertive, and it forms a spectacular background with which the greens can work.

Now, Kale not need be the exclusive providence of the healthy eating crowd. There’s no reason one can’t get some fresh chorizo, fry up a sausage patty, saute the kale in the sausage fat, and pile it all on some sourdough with some caramelized onions. There’s nothing preventing that at all, and I’m happy to report that if one does just that, one ends up with an incredibly tasty sandwich. The kale is as rich and earthy as ever, and the spicy sausage cuts through that just beautifully.

There it is. Ways to celebrate a delicious green in ways from fairly-healthy to not-so-much. It’s a delicious food in and of itself, and as is so often the case, that just means it’s capable of carrying some pretty tremendous sandwiches.

Wild at Heart – Kafe K, Main St, Santa Monica, CA

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I picked this up not at the cafe itself but their farmer’s market outpost, and I must say it’s exactly the sandwich that fits with that environment. Everything involved was fresh and bright, an intermingling of flavors that carried a brightness and a vibrancy a good number of sandwiches lack. A well-baked ciabatta roll held artichoke hearts, arugula, fresh ricotta cheese and pesto. That’s a fine lineup, particularly the ricotta. Ricotta is an underused sandwich ingredient, but that’s not without cause.

The roll was well baked, giving it a pretty substantial crust. That’s the mark of a baker who knows what they’re doing, but it also means I’m going to have to give it a pretty substantial bite, and sadly that sent quite a bit of the ricotta out at the edge. This isn’t enough to get me to dislike a sandwich, it’s just a regrettable part of some sandwiches. Consider what might have happened if this establishment had gone with sliced bread, rather than a crusty roll? The pesto soaks in, the cheese soaks in, and then you’ve got a much better contained sandwich, only one you have to hasten to eat. There’s a damned-if-you-do-damned-if-you-don’t dynamic at play here, and Kafe K elected to go with the tricky but quality ingredient, a fine choice. Besides, what kind of enthusiast would I be if I let a little sloppiness keep me from enjoying a delicious sandwich?

The Thanksgiving Leftover Sandwich – General Sandwich Discussion

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I’ve had my fair share of thanksgiving sandwiches. Not that it’s a tremendously complicated matter requiring some strict recipe, but all the same I thought it might be beneficial to consider what important considerations are involved in taking thanksgiving leftovers to the perfect sandwich.

The issue informing the entire construction is filling creep. Between the stuffing, the gravy, and the cranberry sauce, you’re dealing with a number of ingredients that are all too happy to pitch from hand to plate. No one wants to eat a limp, half-full sandwich and then have to fetch a fork to finish the job, so take some early precautions to avoid mishaps.

Firstly, use soft bread. This is important. Filling creep results when the frictional hold of your ingredients can’t bear the pressure of your bite, and the easiest way to reduce the pressure of your bite is to make sure your bread yields easily. The turkey is the toughest thing on the sandwich and whether it’s sliced or shredded there’s unlikely to be much resistance to your tooth, so once the bread gives way the whole thing should come away in a clean bite. But if you’ve got a stale or well-crusted roll containing things, good luck finding any sandwich remaining after you pull the old clamp-and-tear. Toast if if you want some crunch to things, but avoid a sturdy crust.

Personally, I like sliced bread, as seen in the Nobadeer from Jetties, pictured above. Avoid rolls like the one seen in the Thanksgiving on a Bun from The Village Bakery.

Using soft bread introduces the risk of things turning soggy, so one must compensate. A thin (and I emphasize thin) layer of mayonnaise on each piece of bread will help keep things from getting sloppy. If you don’t like mayonnaise, a thin layer of butter would have the same effect. If you don’t like either, careful sandwich construction and a haste in consumption should steer you clear of any trouble.

The third factor in filling creep involves ingredient ratios and layering technique. I can’t rightly tell you how much stuffing or dressing or anything else to put into your sandwich, but I beg you to remain sensible. Have two sandwiches if you suffer from insatiable hunger, don’t build yourself a tower that will only topple to terrible disappointment. Keep your gravy on the lesser side, my advice is to toss shredded turkey in a few spoonfuls of gravy, don’t just pour it directly on to your sandwich.

As for the stuffing and the cranberry sauce, some schools of thought put the turkey between the two, others put the two together on one side of the meat. It’s a question of aiming for one shifting layer instead of two, or instead trying to keep them apart so as to not allow them to combine their mispositioning power. I happen to think both settle about equally, so just run with whichever seems more sure in hand.

Above all, allow your layers to come in slightly as you build up. This allows the top slice of bread to bend down slightly and form a cap, allowing your hands to seal if off at the seams, keeping everything tidy as you eat. It’s a delicate trick that makes all the difference in the finished sandwich.

I think that covers most of the groundwork, but this is something that tends to vary quite a bit from person to person. I hope that your thanksgiving sandwich game plan steers you to a fine result, and I hope that if you’ve got some strong ideas you’ll share them with me.

Cemita de Carnitas – Cemitas Poblano, Pico Blvd, Los Angeles

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Cousin to the torta, the Cemita is a style of sandwich built around its namesake roll. Where the torta generally comes on a bolillo or telera roll, the cemita is sweet, with an exterior softer than your typical bolillo but tougher than your average telera. It has some chew to it, some body. The sandwich itself is fairly straightforward: avocado, onions, meat, a mild cheese, and a chipotle adobo that makes its characteristic smoke one of the more prominent notes in the sandwich. This one comes from a lunch truck that’s always parked on Pico just east of Sepulveda, but I’ve seen trucks scattered around the city with the same name.

I don’t know how much there is to be said. As a style of sandwich, it’s as tried-and-true as any classic archetype, it’s well balanced, and provided it’s assembled with fresh avocados and quality ingredients, you’re pretty much guaranteed to finish with a delicious sandwich. It’s not as widely available as the torta, but a delicious sandwich with the added zest of scarcity? Hunt one down some time, you won’t regret it.