It’s late August and that means I am right in the middle of that 2-2 1/2 month window when I will eat a BLT. While I try not to be a “food snob” too often, when it comes to BLT’s I have to admit, I am a full blown food snob. If you haven’t read my rant about BLT’s, and wish to, you can find it here. This week our, when I went to pick up our CSA share it not only contained tomatoes and a mix of baby lettuces, but our bread share included a wonderful sourdough bread. All I needed was the bacon, already sitting at home in the fridge, as was the mayo. Score!!!!

Because I wasn’t really in the mood to do much cooking, and because we received yet again, more cucumbers in our box, I decided to wipe up a quick Asian inspired cucumber salad to accompany the BLT’s. This salad doesn’t get much more simple, but for it to be at its best it should be made at least 3-4 hours before you plan on serving it. Overnight is even better.

Cucumber Salad
serves 4

2 large cucumbers, seeds removed, and peeled if skin is thick
1/2 onion, red or yellow
1/3 cup rice wine vinegar
2 Tbl. sugar
1/4 tsp. sesame oil
1/2 tsp. sambal (garlic-chile paste)
1 tsp. soy sauce

Slice the cucumbers and onion as thin as you can and place in a bowl. In another bowl, combine the remaining ingredients, adjusting the sambal to suit your heat level. 1/2 tsp. of sambal will give the cucumbers a pretty good kick. Pour the sauce over the cucumbers and toss to coat. Cover and allow to marinate for at least 3-4 hours or overnight.

It’s that time of year, and the tomatoes have started popping up in our CSA share. I always look forward to these additions to our weekly boxes. For most of the year I’m not much of a tomato fan, mainly due to the fact that most supermarket tomatoes (those wrongly named vine-ripened included) are tasteless and have the texture of cardboard and water. But come the end of July and the beginning of August that all changes as local, truly vine ripened tomatoes start showing up at the farmer’s markets, roadside stands, and, especially in our CSA boxes.

The Caprese salad, that mixture of fresh tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and fresh basil, has become a cliche in recent years, but it comes by that title honestly. Sure the combination seems rather tired nowadays, but let’s face it, it’s popular because it works. Those items seem made for each other. Now slap those ingredients between 2 slices of bread, grill it off, and you have the ultimate in summertime grilled cheeses.

I’m usually happy with that, but today I was in the mood to add another dimension. I often like to drizzle my Caprese salads with balsamic syrup, a mixture of balsamic vinegar and sugar reduced to a syrup consistency, but that wasn’t taking it far enough for me today. So I starting thinking what else works with those components and I came up with strawberries. Now, at first this might sound rather odd, but think about it a bit. Strawberries drizzled with balsamic has become a classic light dessert, and basil and strawberries go together well, so now it was just a matter of how to add them to the mix. Slicing and placing them on the sandwich just didn’t seem right so I decided to make a quick balsamic strawberry jelly. This worked perfectly, adding a bit of sweetness and a hint of acidity to the sandwich and perfuming it with the most subtle of strawberry aromas. It also left me with a good bit of leftover jelly to experiment with further.

Quick Balsamic Strawberry Jelly
makes 3/4 cup

3/4 cup balsamic vinegar
3/4 cup stawberry jelly, preferably homemade (I used the freezer jam my wife made earlier this summer)

Combine both ingredients in a nonreactive sauce pan and cook until reduced by 1/2. Stir on a regular basis as this mixture has a tendency to stick and burn. Once reduced remove from heat and chill until it sets up. Will keep for 2-3 months in the fridge.

Caprese Panini
makes 1 sandwich

1 small tomato, as fresh and as ripe as possible
fresh basil leaves
fresh mozzarella, sliced 1/4″ thick
ciabatta bread or any crusty rustic white loaf, cut to this size you want
about 1 tablespoon of the Balsamic Strawberry Jelly

Pre heat a panini press. If you don’t have a panini press heat a skillet or griddle over medium heat. Core and slice the tomato in 1/4″ slices. Slice open the ciabatta and spread both cut sides with the jelly. On the bottom half layer the tomato, fresh mozzarella, and fresh basil leaves. Cover with the top slice of ciabatta and grill on the panini press until heated through and the cheese is just starting to melt. This sandwich is best if the cheese and tomato are not overly heated. You just want them heated through with the cheese just on the verge of melting into a stringy mess. If using a skillet press the sandwich, with a spatula, while the sandwich is cooking, flipping it halfway through the cooking process (after approximately 4-5 minutes).

I’m a red meat loving, bacon scarffing carnivore. I make no apologies for the fact that I love steaks, burgers, and everything porcine, but as some of you may know, my doctor has other plans for me. Last October, during a routine physical, my blood work came back not so good. It wasn’t bad, but it could be better. My cholesterol was somewhat on the high side and my blood sugars were starting to creep up, although still below the level to be diagnosed with diabetes. For some reason, my doctor has the notion that I should live until I’m 80 or 90, and since I have to agree with him, on that point, it has meant altering my lifestyle and diet somewhat.

I have been somewhat successful in this endeavour. I have curbed my thirst for sugary sodas and have generally made the switch to the diet stuff and I have been successful at adding more fruits and vegetables to my diet, although looking through the last few posts I have done (mainly sausage related) one wouldn’t get that impression. And while I know that m not in danger of ever becoming a vegetarian or vegan, have am working hard to incorporate more meatless meals into my diet on a regular basis.

In this pursuit, I have tried a number of vegetarian “burgers.” I will say that imitation meat substitutes have come a long way in the last few years, but I’ve never been happy with the veggie burgers I’ve bought. One of my problems was that I was looking for a veggie burger that could imitate the real thing. Sorry but it doesn’t exist. I don’t care what anyone says, but textured soy protein and other various vegetable products just can’t come close to imitating the flavor and texture of real beef. Once I learned that lesson, I started looking for veggie patties that didn’t claim to imitate burger, but would stand on their own merit. Luckily I have found a couple of these types of veggie patties that I really enjoy. My favorite though it the “Garden Veggie Patty” by Morningstar Farms. You can find these in the frozen foods section of most grocery stores. Unfortunately, you are also going to pay a hefty price for them, with them running, on average, about $1 per patty, which I think is a little steep. My goal is to eventually create my own veggie burger, which I’m sure I can do for much cheaper, but until then I will stick with these guys, when I am feeling a little too guilty about cooking up a real burger (which believe me, doesn’t happen all that often).

I guess I really don’t have a “recipe” to offer up this post, but here’s my favorite way to eat a “Morningstar Farms Garden Patty.” I grill the patties over medium heat (not too high or it dries them out too much) and then place it on a whole wheat burger bun. Top with slices of avocado, a layer of kim chi, and finally a nice mound of spicy sprouts. Give the top part of the bun a healthy slather of mayo (I might be trying to eat healthier, but I still have a few vices!) and enjoy.

Well, the major parts of our kitchen renovations are done, for now, and just in time for me to participate in Tomato Bowl 2011 put on by Red Gold brand canned tomato products. This new marketing strategy/competition pits 6 Pittsburgh area bloggers against 6 Green Bay area bloggers to see who can come up with the most creative Game Day eats.

Playing for the Green Bay team, besides myself, are:
Proudtobecheap
Tummytreasure
Anniebakes
Cheesecurdinparadise
Runaroundaroo

Playing for Pittsburgh (and I’ll apologize now for your loss both here and on the field) are:
EatPGH
Youlittletarte
Evelynscorner
Ohfoodbaby
Justroxy
Dailyrumpus

For my first post of the Tomato Bowl, I thought I would do a take on the traditional Sloppy Joe, and create a Sloppy Jose. Now the web is full of recipes for “Sloppy Joses” but to be honest, I find them all pretty lacking in any kind of originality. Most of them basically take standard Sloppy Joes and merely add a packet of Taco Seasoning and a can of green chiles. I figured I would bump up the flavor profile a little bit and make it a little more Mexican. And yes, the recipe reads right; there is cocoa powder in the final product. Chocolate is used, in Mexico, in a number of sauces, especially in many moles. The great thing about this dish is it is even better the following day. So make it on Saturday and then slowly heat it up in a slow cooker on Game Day for an easy meal!

Sloppy Joses
makes 10-12 sandwiches

12oz Mexican chorizo (sausage)
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 large onion, peeled and diced
1-3 jalapenos, seeded and minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (6oz) Red Gold tomato paste
1 can (14.5oz) Red Gold diced tomatoes
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 tsp. ground mustard
3/4 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. cocoa powder
1/2 bunch cilantro, stems removed and chopped

In a large skillet, brown the chorizo and ground beef along with the onions, until cooked through.

Pour off half the grease then add the jalapenos and garlic. Cook for 3 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes. Add the diced tomato, along with all the liquid, the brown sugar, vinegar, ground mustard, cumin and cocoa powder. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer for 30 minutes, stirring regularly so that the mixture doesn’t burn. Skim off the majority of the remaining grease and remove from heat. Stir in the cilantro and check for seasoning, adding more salt and pepper, if necessary.

If you make this a day ahead, leave out the cilantro until you reheat it the following day. Serve on burger buns, with plenty of napkins!!!

On a number of the cooking sites and forums I belong to, the topic often comes up about great local and regional sandwiches. Sandwiches that always get mentioned are Muffulettas (New Orleans), Philly Cheesesteaks, Kentucky Hot Browns, Chicago style Hot Dogs, Italian Beefs, Brats, along with some lesser known sandwiches. But there always seems to be one missing from this list, and that is the Pork Tenderloin Sandwich. Found sporadically around the Midwest, this sandwich reaches its apex in Iowa and in central Indiana. I remember, as a kid, coming back to Indiana (both my parents were born there, as was I, before we moved out East) and being treated to this regional delight. What fascinated me, at the time, was how big the sandwich was. And by big, I mean huge. While served on a standard sized hamburger bun, the meat in a Pork Tenderloin Sandwich is pounded into a thin disk about the size of an average dinner plate!

The Pork Tenderloin Sandwich, of Indiana, is a simple affair. Pork tenderloin, or sometimes pork loin, is pounded thin, dipped in seasoned flour, egg wash and then breadcrumbs before being deep fried. It is then placed on a bun and served, most often, with lettuce, tomato, onion and mustard. My grandfather, from what I remember, like any self respecting Old Timer, would forgo the tomato and once home with the sandwiches, would slice up some of his own homegrown, sun riped tomatoes to place on top.

There’s a chain of burger joints, up here in Wisconsin, that serve a pork tenderloin sandwich, but it just seems to lose something when the pork “patty” is massed produced and frozen. It just can’t compare with the real deal, freshly cut, pounded and still dripping with hot oil as it is placed on the bun.

I encourage everyone to, not only make this simple recipe, but to tout the joys of the Pork Tenderloin Sandwich. I want to see it take its rightful place, listed among the great sandwiches of our nation.

Pork Tenderloin Sandwich

1 pork tenderloin (about 1 pound) or 1 pound of pork loin
3/4 cup flour
salt
pepper
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
3 eggs
1 Tbsp. water
1 1/2 cups breadcrumbs
vegetable oil

Remove all the fat and silverskin from the tenderloin.

Cut into 4 portions, each weighing 4-5 ounces. Place 1 portion, cut side down, between 2 pieces of plastic wrap and pound until about 1/4″ thick and about 8″ in diameter or more.

Season the flour with salt, pepper and the garlic powder. Make an egg wash by beating the eggs with the water until well mixed. Fill a large skillet (at least 10-12″ in diameter) with about 1 1/2 – 2″ of oil. Preheat to 350°F. Bread the tenderloins by first dredging them in the flour, then dipping in the egg wash and then coating in breadcrumbs. Allow to rest for about 4-5 minutes to allow the breading a chance to stick.

One at a time, fry the tenderloins until golden brown on both sides and cooked all the way through, about 3 minutes on each side. Drain and season with salt while still hot.

Place in a 150°F oven to keep warm as you fry up the remainder. When done place on burger buns and serve with the condiments of your choice.

America has a passion for grilled cheese sandwiches. From the standard home fare of American cheese stuffed between white bread to the exotic creations dreamt up in fine dining establishments across this country, we can’t seem to get enough of this humble sandwich. Of course, in finer dining establishments they aren’t called grilled cheese sandwiches, but rather they are called paninis. No one in their right mind is going to drop $8 or $9 or more for a “grilled cheese”, but give it an Italian name and stuff it with some roasted veggies and Italian cheese and we’ll snatch them up!

Don’t get me wrong; I love grilled cheese sandwiches in all their guises. There is something just so very satisfying about toasty bread oozing stringy cheese. I’ve mostly graduated from that childhood standard of American processed cheese and Wonder bread, though sometimes even that is just what I am looking for, to more exotic flavors. Gone is the Wonder bread, replaced by sourdough or a hearty whole grain bread. American processed cheese has been replaced by a world of cheese, sometimes something mild and gooey such as fresh mozzarella, sometimes it’s something tangy like asiago or a well aged cheddar and sometimes it’s something pungent (or stinky as my daughter might say) such as a well ripened Gorgonzola, or better yet a mix of cheeses, providing a number of flavors and textures all at once.

Some days I like my grilled cheese plain, with nothing but cheese. On other days, I like to stuff my sandwiches full with meats, vegetables, or even fruits, all depending on my tastes and what cheeses I have hanging around.

Today’s sandwich was a last minute creation, when my wife asked me to pick something up, at the store, for dinner. I would love to be able to tell you that the roasted peppers, marinated artichokes, and roasted tomatoes packed in olive oil were my creations, but they weren’t. This was dinner “on the fly,” after a hard day at work.

Living in Wisconsin, I would be remiss if I didn’t tout the cheeses made here, in this state. Wisconsin gets kind of a bad rap, I should know, I used to kind of laugh at it before I moved here, but this state produces some extraordinary cheeses. Wisconsin has some of the best cheesemakers in the world. It is easy to focus on the vast quantities of bland, “American” cheeses this state produces to supply our countries demand for boring, tasteless cheese, but beyond that there are many great cheesemakers here producing cheeses that are well thought of and sought out the world over. The fresh mozzarella I used comes from Belgioioso. It’s a cow’s milk mozzarella with a delicate milk flavor and a nice soft texture that melts well. To give the sandwich a counterpoint I sprinkled some grated Bellavitano cheese over top. Bellavitano is a line of cheeses from Sartori, another Wisconsin cheesemaker. Paul Sartori emigrated to this country, from a small village just outside of Asiago, Italy in the early part of the 20th century. By 1939 he had started his own cheesemaking company, which eventually became Sartori Foods. They have always focused on Italian and Italian influenced cheeses. One of their newest cheeses is Bellavitano, and I find it’s flavor profile to be somewhere between asiago and parmesan. Not quite as sharp or as dry as parmesan, but a bit more assertive than asiago. This one was then finished off with a soaking in balsamic vinegar adding another layer of flavor and a hint of sweetness, a perfect mix with the fresh mozzarella.

I call this an Antipasto Panini as most of the items in this sandwich you would find on a standard antipasto board.

Antipasto Panini
for each sandwich

4 oz. fresh mozzarella, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1oz. Bellavitano Balsamic cheese, grated (substitute asiago in place if you can’t find Bellavitano by Sartori)
2 slices prosciutto
1 oz. roasted peppers, cut into julienne
2 oz. roasted tomatoes, tossed in olive oil with minced garlic, basil and oregano
2 oz. marinated artichoke hearts
2 slices sourdough bread, at least 1/2 inch thick
olive oil

Preheat a panini grill. Meanwhile place mozzarella on one slice of bread, covering completely. Cover with prosciutto. Top prosciutto with peppers, artichokes and tomatoes. Sprinkle Bellavitano or asiago over top of everything. Cover with second slice of bread. Brush outside of sandwich with olive oil and grill until browned on the outside and the cheese has melted.

Out of the blue the other day, I got a craving for Falafels. I haven’t had one in years, but I suddenly had a craving for them. I really like Falafels, but it’s not something that comes to mind often, unless I bump into someone selling them, and, here in the middle of Wisconsin, that doesn’t happen too often. I guess I am too much of a carnivore. I need to start rethinking this whole ultimate carnivore thing a little bit. I really need to start eating a little healthier a little more regularly. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll never give up the “good stuff.” Let’s face it, I like steak, bacon, burgers, pepperoni, and sausage way too much to ever give all that stuff up, but at age 40, and considerably overweight, maybe I should think about adding some healthier stuff to my diet.

Don’t worry, I’m not about to turn this into a health food blog, but I imagine you will start seeing a few more healthy options added to the mix. But there will always be room for bacon and butter in my blogs. I have friends who have given up all the “good” foods for the sake of health and they are miserable. I don’t understand the thought process of giving up all the things that you love just to add a few more years on to your life so that you can spend those years avoiding the things that you love. On the other hand, I know many vegetarians that are very happy with the diet and lifestyle they have chosen. More power to them, but I’m not one of them, though if I can find more foods like Falafels, I would be happy eating vegetarian more often. In fact, this past Friday, as I went to bed I realized that I had gone through the whole day meatless. To many of you that may not be a big deal, but to me, I was amazed that I had gone the whole day without eating an ounce of meat. Lunch was vegetarian lasagna and dinner was Falafels. What amazed me wasn’t so much that I went the whole day without eating meat as much as I was amazed that at no point during that day did I crave meat. Yes, sad, I know. Man, I got to change my diet!!!

Falafels

1 cup chickpeas (garbanzo beans), dried,not canned
1/2 onion, small, peeled and diced
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 1/2 tsp. cumin, ground
1/2 tsp. coriander, ground
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/2 cup cilantro, leaves only, no stem
salt
pepper
vegetable oil for frying (the deviant in me says use lard, but I will try to refrain )

Soak the chick peas in 2-3 cups of water for 12 hours. Place in a food processor pulse until the chickpeas are roughly chopped. Add the onion, garlic and spices. Process until everything is incorporated. Add the cilantro and continue to process until mixture turns greenish, is finely ground, and holds together when formed into a ball.

Season with salt and pepper. Allow to rest for 30 minutes. Meanwhile heat 2 inches of lard….I mean vegetable oil to 350°F, in large pot. Divide the mixture into 15 balls. They will be about the size of a walunt. Once formed into balls, flatten slightly. Add 4-6 balls to the oil and fry until dark brown on the outside and cooked all the way through.

They should take about 5-7 minutes to cook through. Drain on paper towel, and season with salt while still hot. Allow to cool just briefly. Meanwhile stuff a pita pocket with lettuce, diced tomato, and chopped cucumber (optional), place 3 Falafels on top and drizzle with Tahini Sauce (recipe) below.

Tahini Sauce

1/2 cup tahini paste
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1/2 lemon, juiced
water
salt

Combine the tahini paste, garlic and lemon juice. Stir well then add enough water to thin out into a thin sauce. Season with salt.

Sometimes, I’m not so smart. This is sometimes true even when I haven’t been drinking. Take this post, for example. I was planning on posting this recipe last night, but in my excitement I made up my sandwich and ate it before I remembered to shoot a picture of it. Luckily I had plenty of beef leftover so tonight I “forced” myself to eat another one, just so I could take a picture of it to share with you, my readers.

Okay, so it really wasn’t much of a sacrifice since I absolutely love Italian beef sandwiches. While you can find them in most major cities nowadays, Chicago is where it was created and it is in Chicago where this sandwich reaches its apex.

For the uninitiated, a Chicago style Italian beef sandwich is made up of thinly sliced, highly seasoned roast beef that has been warmed in jus, stuffed into a long roll, drizzled with more of the jus, and topped with either fried sweet peppers or giardiniera-a mixture of sliced hot peppers and vegetables. It rivals the Muffuletta (the famous New Orleans sandwich) for its shear messiness, and kicks the Philly Cheesesteak’s ass flavor wise, in my opinion (I’m willing to hear a rebuttal on this, but good luck changing my mind!).

While the sandwich, itself, is not complicated to make, finding a couple of the ingredients may be slightly difficult. First off trying to find the proper giardiniera can be difficult. Any slightly spicy mix of pickled vegetables might be called giardiniera, but not all really work with this sandwich. You want to find a brand that contains mostly sliced hot peppers with just a few other vegetables thrown in, mainly carrots, celery, bell peppers,etc. There are many brands out there that are mostly cauliflower and carrot. Stay away from those, as they don’t provide the right flavor. Scala’s is the brand most recognized in Chicago and I believe you can buy their giardiniera online. The other difficult item to find is the bread. In Chicago there are numerous bakeries that specialize in making loaves for Italian beefs. It can be difficult to find a bread the right size with the right crust and crumb consistencies. Most baguettes are too hard, most “Italian” breads are too large and too soft. Outside of Chicago I have found the best bet is the cheap, grocery store baked “French” bread. I usually stay far away from these loaves that tend to make a mockery out of the French baguette but in this case they work perfectly. The crust is just tough enough to hold all the jus for just about the length of time it takes to eat a sandwich (don’t delay in eating too long or the bread will dissolve into nothing) while the soft interior is perfect for soaking up all that just.

One final word about this recipe. I often try to stay far away from those little beef bouillion cubes, but they are virtually essential to making a jus of the proper flavor so I make an exception in this case.

It is best to roast the beef at least 1 day in advance to cool it down completely. This will help with slicing, especially if you don’t have an electric slicer.

Italian Beef Sandwich

3 pounds beef, sirloin roast (or other less fatty roast)
1/2 Tbsp. oregano, dried
1/2 Tbsp. basil, dried
1/2 Tbsp. granulated garlic
1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 tsp. black pepper
salt
4 cubes beef bouillon
5 cups hot water
1 loaf french bread
1 jar giardiniera

Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly season roast with salt. Mix the spices and dried herbs together along with the peppers. Generously sprinkle over the roast, coating it well on all sides. Place the roast on a rack over a 9×13 pan. In the pan place the beef bouillon and the hot water. Add any remaining season. Roast to an internal temperature of 140°F.

When meat and jus has cooled add meat to jus and refrigerate overnight. The following day slice the beef as thin as you can. This takes a little patience if you don’t have an electric slicer, but try to cut as thinly as possible. Your efforts will be rewarded in the long run. In a pot, heat the jus to a low simmer or just below. You don’t want it boiling or you will overcook your beef. Cut the bread into 6 inch sections and slice open but leave a thick hinge. Taking about 6 oz. of beef, dip it into the hot just and allow it to warm for about 45 seconds, give or take, depending on how out the jus is. What you don’t want to happen is for the beef to start to curl. This means you have overcooked it and it will be dry and tough. When the meat is warmed just through, use tongs to transfer to the bread. Don’t shake off the excess jus. Try to transfer the meat leaving it as wet as possible. Drizzle a little more jus over the top then top the sandwich with as much giardiniera as your mouth can handle, drizzling a little of the oil, the vegetable are packed in, over the top of everything. At this point you want to eat this thing pretty quickly or you find your bread disintegrating before your eyes

I don’t consider myself to be a food snob. Sure, after years of cooking in high end restaurants I can extoll the virtues of foie gras, debate whether American or New Zealand lamb is superior, or lose myself in discussions of the world’s greatest cheeses, but I also love to debate the best fat to meat ratio of a properly made burger, lose myself to the comfort of great diner food, and swap secrets to making the best chili. I think yellow mustard has its rightful place as a condiment of choice, I like salads made of iceberg lettuce, but worst of all, late at night I sometimes succumb to the call of the frozen pizza. Good luck finding any food snob that will admit to those infractions!

That being said, years of being a chef have left their mark on me and occasionally a bit of snobbery shows through. A case in point is the BLT. How can a BLT, a staple of diner food, be associated with food snobbery? This lowly sandwich is rife with chances for snobbery in my opinion. First off, as far as I am concerned there are only about 2 1/2 months, a year, when BLT’s should be eaten. The most important cornerstone of a BLT is the tomato and that tomato must be ripened on the vine, and by that I don’t mean those semi tasteless “vine ripe” tomatoes found in grocery stores. Those things are only a small step above the regular tomatoes. So here comes the most important lesson in BLT making-if you have to buy your tomato from the store to make a BLT then forget it. A BLT should only be made with locally grown tomatoes that truly come to you ripened on the vine, whether that tomato was grown in your garden or bought at the local farmers market, it doesn’t matter as long as that tomato wasn’t sent half way across the country. Most areas only have about a 2-2 1/2 month window in which tomatoes are ripe. I would rather wait through most of the year to eat a BLT made with sun ripened tomatoes than waste my time eating a BLT made with tasteless, acidic tomatoes with the texture of cardboard. (continue reading…)

It’s a sad state of affairs, but, believe it or not, chef’s don’t often eat well.  Working around food all day, constantly tasting and sampling, we often find we miss meals and aren’t really all that hungry anyways.  Even when we are hungry we rarely have time to sit down and enjoy a meal.  Most of our meals are eaten “on the fly” which usually means throwing something between 2 pieces of bread and wolfing it down between tasks.  Despite that fact, I love sandwiches.  The variety is endless and a well crafted sandwich can be a work of art, in my opinion.  Of course most people go through life not giving much thought to the lowly sandwich.  We “slap” sandwiches together because they are easy, we’re in a hurry, or we don’t know what else to fix. It’s too bad because with just the smallest amount of work sandwiches can be so much more than just quick fuel. With this blog I hope to help combat that mindset. Sandwiches, in all forms, will make their way into posts here as I have lots of great, satisfying sandwich recipes to share. Don’t worry, this isn’t turning into a “sandwich” blog. I still plan tackling plenty of other foods and topics, but expect to see sandwiches appear here regularly. Today’s recipe is quite simple but makes a great luncheon entree when served with a small salad.

Curried Chicken Salad Sandwich
2 stalks celery, small dice
1/2 medium onion, small dice
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, small dice
1/4 cup Raisins (preferably golden raisins, but regular works well also)
2 1/2 cups Chicken breast, cooked and diced
3/4 cup mayonnaise
2 tsp. lemon juice
1/2 cup Pecan pieces
1 Tbls. Curry powder
salt
pepper
Red Leaf or Green Leaf Lettuce
12 slices Whole Wheat or 7 Grain Bread (any hearty, whole grained bread works best though any bread is fine)

Toss diced apples with lemon juice. Toast the pecans on a sheet pan until starting to brown. Allow the pecans to cool and mix all ingredients together. Season with salt and pepper. Divide among six slices of bread. Top with lettuce then the other slices of bread