Ode to Sandwiches...and More

Today I offer up an ode to sandwiches. I absolutely must start with a paean to the most perfect sandwich of them all: the open face tomato sandwich featuring fresh plant-ripened garden tomatoes. There is, in my opinion, not a more perfect food this side of heaven. Some folk dress up their tomato sandwiches with cheese, or basil, or some other folderol. That's okay, but really, the very basic combination of bread (preferably whole wheat or artisan bread), mayonnaise (preferably Kraft's olive oil mayo) and fresh garden tomato slices is enough to delight the palate and the soul, simple and plain.

For the inspired invention of the sandwich I give thanks to John Montagu of Great Britain. Information Week describes his contribution thus:

Nov. 3 is the anniversary of John Montagu's birthday. It's believed that this 18th-century English noble, better known as the fourth Earl of Sandwich, wanted to eat with one hand during a 24-hour gambling bender. So, he instructed his servants to serve him his lunch meat between two pieces of bread.

I would be loathe to connect a gambling addiction with inspiration, but we all know that out of horrible messes can come some good things. And the invention of the sandwich was a Very Good Thing. Even better than that invention, though, is all the forms in which you can now avail yourself of a sandwich. It is, I think, the most versatile meal on the face of this earth.  Here are a few examples that I particularly like, focusing on a broader theme than just two-breads-and-something-between:

The Veggie Queen sandwich. This is one of the tastiest ways to get your vegetables, in my opinion. The best one is actually found in our little town in eastern Washington State, at a vegan bakery and restaurant called "His Garden."  But you can make your own at home. The ingredients, loaded between substantially heavy whole-wheat slices of bread, include leaf lettuce, cucumbers, shredded red cabbage, bits of red onion, tomato, sprouts, and so on.

Then there's the pita sandwich. Again, homemade pitas are the most satisfying. I typically buy a mix to make the falafels, and buy the pita breads pre-made. But you can do it all from scratch if you have time. Once you deep fry the falafels, you tuck lettuce or sprouts into the pita breads and insert the falafels, adding some chopped tomato, sliced olives and tahini sauce. This Mediterranean sandwich was one of my staple foods when I used to invite students over to my house in California on spring and summer weekends, finishing up the meal with fresh watermelon slices.

Then there's the wrap. I never heard of a tortilla when I was growing up in Asia, but once I met one it didn't take long to identify its usefulness. The nice thing about a tortilla is that it's the best thing for keeping your ingredients from falling out, better than two sides of bread or a pita.

At first I just thought the tortilla was for the classic burrito: beans, cheese, salsa and whatever else usually goes in around those basics. And then along came the idea of a "wrap." Ahhh! This is definitely the most evolved version of Montagu's original idea! I'm particularly fond of spinach tortilla wraps, but there are many kinds available: rosemary, tomato basil, rye, multigrain, jalapeño, curry, garlic-herb, cilantro and more. You can fill a wrap with just about anything, even better if you have some wet and some dry ingredients, none of them chopped up too terribly small. I suppose you could think of it as the newfangled interpretation of the pita, but I think the wrap is even more versatile. And unlike bread, which has a way of inviting the additives of mayonnaise, butter, cheese, and other fat-filled toppings, the wrap seems to beg for more healthy ingredients.

So on this, the Earl of Sandwich's birthday, I plan to celebrate by having myself a sandwich...of some sort. And you?