Between the Bread

Ann Arbor's famed ZIngerman's Deli is known for its corned beef sandwiches, but it's also not shy when it comes to packing on farmers market fresh veggies.

This recipe, dubbed Rodger's Big Picnic, comes from my trusty Roadfood Sandwiches cookbook, which describes this sandwich as Zingerman's ode to Michigan produce and particularly asparagus.

Putting this recipe together, I worried it would be too dull. The mushrooms are just broiled, not marinated, and the sandwich is adorned with nothing but sharp cheddar and Dijon mustard.

But with perfectly cooked, totally fresh produce, two ingredients are all you need. The sandwich was unexpectedly graceful, simple yet full-bodied, and hard to put down. Get the recipe now.

You may have noticed that I like sandwiches. The day my video came out declaring me a sandwich connoisseur, resident CEO and hoagie aficionado Brian Sugar offered to buy me lunch, on one condition. It had to be his favorite sandwich, what Brian calls a "big, sweaty sandwich" from Gambino's.

I love Gambino's New York-style subs, though I normally wouldn't order an Italian meat torpedo like this, stacked with ham, salami, and mortadella. But when the boss offers to buy everyone lunch, you get his favorite sandwich. And I must admit, it was delicious.

Here's what I love about a Gambino's sub: the shredded iceberg lettuce, the sturdy yet soft roll soaked with oil, and the generous dousing of red wine vinegar, which, as Brian points out, is underrated. The combination of the cool lettuce and vinegar with spicy, unctuous Italian meats just doesn't work as well with turkey.

Thanks, Brian. You have good taste.

My houseboy has been on a soft-boiled egg kick lately — or maybe you'd call them gently boiled eggs, because the whites have the firmness of a hard-boiled egg, but the yolk is not quite firm, not quite runny. On sandwiches, they are a revelation.

After a recent egg-boiling session, we put together this twist on a ham, egg, and cheese sandwich. The trio of crisped prosciutto, manchego cheese, and gooey egg provided a fascinating flavor and texture combination — salty, creamy, and reminiscent of some of the best parts of French and Italian sandwich concepts.

Like a good club sandwich, the balance of firm ingredients (toast, hard cheese) with moist (egg, mustard) made it all too easy to eat. This reinvention will most definitely be repeated.

Easter is second only to Thanksgiving when it comes to delicious leftover sandwiches. Here, loyal reader Phil proves that an egg-salad sandwich is to Easter as a turkey sandwich is to Thanksgiving.

Have you recently eaten a lunch worth sharing? Send in your sandwich photos to nancy@betweenthebreadblog.com, along with a description of what's on your sandwich.

Since my favorite Vietnamese sandwich costs $3, I was skeptical about Bun Mee, the bourgie but adorably hip banh mi spot in Pacific Heights. But after hearing some good things, I stopped by for some sammies with my mom before the Drive by Truckers concert.

We ordered two and went halvsies: five-spice chicken and smoky grilled eggplant. Though I wasn't disappointed, I also wasn't blown away. We loved the depth of flavor in the five spice chicken (below), though I couldn't distinguish the taste of the caramel aioli. The eggplant banh mi (above), dressed with cauliflower relish and red curry aioli, was underwhelming; I thought the eggplant was undercooked.

My biggest gripe, beyond the creative aiolis not standing out, was the bread. Though very fresh, it lacked the density and crustiness of the sandwiches in Little Saigon or even New Orleans po'boys. The sandwiches were good, but not great; I think I'll take Saigon Sandwiches for $3 instead.

On a rare day when I don't bring my lunch to work, I always tell myself I'll get a salad, but I end up falling for a sandwich instead. This happened on a recent excursion to Fleur de Sel to buy a tasty salad. But when I stepped up the counter, I was tempted by this bagel and lox-inspired sandwich.

On soft and yummy multigrain bread, this sandwich combined velvety smoked salmon, lemon-tinged cream cheese, pickled red onions, and capers. Though it was a little too wet (made earlier that day), it exceeded my premade sandwich expectations. The zesty, creamy, tangy, and bright flavors added up to a deliciously complex mouthful for just four ingredients.

Also: capers on a sandwich is a great idea. I'm going to try it on some other combos too.

Everybody likes sandwiches — at least everybody I know. So to serve a crowd, I love to make a loaf-wich. That is, one big sandwich on a loaf of ciabatta or French bread, sliced into individual servings.

At a recent family gathering, we made two of these ciabatta sandwiches, featuring prosciutto, manchego, fig butter, mustard, arugula, and a mix of fennel and lemon slices, sliced very thin and sauteed. The fennel and lemon combo, inspired by a 'Wichcraft recipe, tastes mild yet zesty and pleases even picky eaters.

Find out how to replicate this loaf-wich at home