Between the Bread

I suspected I would like pickled okra, but I had no idea I'd go crazy for it. I recently bought a jar to make Cajun Bloody Marys, and I'm hooked. If you like pickles and spicy stuff, I highly recommend pickled okra, which has a velvety texture and none of the usual sliminess.

But isn't this a blog about sandwiches? Why, yes! Keep reading for details on this weekend improv.

If you thought leftover sandwiches couldn't get weirder than pulled pork and zucchini, think again. These fillings were so bizarre, I wasn't even sure if I'd be able to dig in without total disaster ensuing. But not only was it edible, it was worth repeating.

Like most leftover sandwiches, this one started with a yummy dinner: cod sauteed with broccolini, fennel, and carrots and served in a light broth. Come sandwich time, I combined the leftover vegetables with sliced avocado and served it on Acme's olive bread with a bit of Dijon. The salty tang of the olives was the perfect counterpunch to the sweetness of the fennel and carrots, with the avocado bridging the gap. Truly a flavor explosion.

It's bread end week on Between the Bread! First, Lizzy shared her triple-decker solution, and now Andrew, who normally shuns the bread ends, presents this open-face invention.

Using what we had in the fridge, he laid out some multigrain bread ends, ham, and leftover roasted zucchini, then melted Swiss cheese over the top and dusted the delight with salt and pepper. Doesn't it look delicious?

Lately I've taken it as a personal challenge to make killer sandwiches out of whatever's in the fridge (stay tuned for more experiments), and I've had some triumphs.

The man behind the blockbuster buffalo chicken sandwich is branching out. For Sunday's Super Bowl game, my friend Jonas expanded beyond his customary spicy chicken wings (which did not disappoint) and made pulled pork in his new slow cooker.

Our hostess whipped up some slaw, and we dressed the pork with an incredible homemade barbecue sauce with flavors of apple cider vinegar, mustard, and just a little spice.Served on a soft roll, the sandwiches paid homage to the po'boy, perfect for cheering on the New Orleans Saints and to pair with my Cajun bloody marys.

Did you have any sandwiches at your Super Bowl celebration? If so, let's hear about them!

For a dinner party we hosted the other night, Andrew prepared porchetta: pork tenderloin butterflied and stuffed with a garlicky, fennel concoction, then wrapped in pork belly and roasted. It was succulent. But really one of my favorite things about pork for dinner is leftover pork sandwiches. And believe me, we had a lot of leftovers. We even made soup!

It reminds me of that book Dear Mr. Henshaw, where a boy corresponds with the author of a book called Moose on Toast, dealing with the myriad ways to eat leftover moose. The sandwiches got more gourmet by the day. The most recent, pictured above, used Acme seeded sourdough rolls, Humboldt Fog cheese, and Dijon mustard. Check out two more sammies and soup after the jump.

I think waffle sandwiches are divine, and at least one member of the Wu-Tang clan agrees.

A RZA burger is a veggie patty with a fried egg, cheese, lettuce, pickles and all that, smashed between two delicious waffles. Spread mustard and mayo on it with a little butter and put that shit together. Trust me, son, that shit needs to be in stores.

The blogger behind Eudaimonia recently re-created the recipe, pictured above, with a garden burger, a fried egg, cheese, caramelized onions, and a leftover chile relleño from Chevy’s. My mouth is watering, making me think I've been remiss is not putting veggie burgers on waffles. The leftover chile relleño is similarly brilliant. Would you eat it?