Between the Bread

Improvising With Eggplant and Goat Cheese

nancyeinhart — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 22:39:46 PST

I am powerless to shiny new food products at Trader Joe's. So when I recently spotted a melange of grilled eggplant and zucchini in the frozen food aisle, I bought a bag without any idea how I'd use it.

One night, an ideal sandwich came together. Happily burdened with leftover pistachio-infused goat cheese from some yummy stuffed dates I made, I dreamed up another Trader Joe's sandwich special.

I heated the grilled eggplant and zucchini, which even from freezer to microwave tasted deliciously chargrilled. Then, I lightly toasted a Trader Joe's whole wheat pita and spread on TJ's black olive tapenade.

After stuffing the pockets with the grilled veggies and spinach, I slathered on some goat cheese and melted it slightly in the oven. The resulting Mediterranean-flavored pocket was warm, hearty, and worth repeating.

Crafting the Tuna, Fennel, and Lemon 'Wich at Home

nancyeinhart — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 10:08:28 PDT

The mayo-free tuna sandwich at 'Wichcraft is one of my favorites, and compared to many of the other recipes in the cookbook 'Wichcraft: Craft a Sandwich Into a Meal - and a Meal Into a Sandwich, this one is relatively simple. The resulting meal is so magnificently complex and and innovative, I couldn't believe I'd made it all by myself.

As I learned making 'Wichcraft's goat cheese with avocado and celery, this cookbook gives you the option (and the recipes) of making many of the ingredients from scratch. In this case, I skipped the homemade lemon mayo but did make the lemon confit, which was extraordinary. I have since used the thinly sliced, cured lemons on numerous sandwiches and salads, and it's a great accent to have in the fridge.

Get the recipe now.

Southern Special: Pimento Cheese Sandwiches

nancyeinhart — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 15:29:41 PDT

The Blue Angels flew into town this weekend for San Francisco Fleet Week, and some friends of mine with a roof deck hosted a brunch bash. Since the Blue Angels hail from my hometown of Pensacola, I honored my roots by whipping up a Southern party-food staple: miniature pimento cheese sandwiches.

At work last week, we were sent some Oroweat sandwich thins minis, which were about the size of coasters, so I made some sammies with those (pictured below) and another batch with cute pumpernickel toasts from the supermarket (pictured above). I thought the pumpernickel tasted better with the pimento cheese, but the minis were classier and easier to eat.

Everyone from the South knows what pimento cheese is, but for the unfamiliar, it's basically a mayo-based cheese spread made with shredded cheddar and jarred pimento peppers. This time, I added chopped pecans and worchestershire sauce, which gave it a nice texture and smoky flavor. Get the recipe.

Holiday Bounty Between the Bread

Nancy Einhart — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 13:17:27 PST

In my sandwich world, the holidays mean two things: homemade cornmeal molasses bread (baked by my father- or brother-in-law) and Honey Baked Ham, which always seems to make an appearance.

I look forward to both special ingredients all year, not to mention the occasional mini-sandwiches at holiday parties. As we bid farewell to 2010, here are three of the special sammies I had the pleasure of eating this holiday season.

Homemade cornmeal molasses bread elevates a standard turkey, cheese, and spinach sandwich with pickles (pictured above) to gourmet levels.

Honey Baked Ham, served on Christmas Eve, is reborn as post-Christmas leftovers on my father-in-law's homemade dinner rolls.

I got giddy when I saw these miniature lobster rolls at a holiday party, though they didn't taste quite as cute as they looked. Still, I appreciate the sentiment.

What sandwiches did you eat this holiday season?

Thanksgiving Leftovers Part II: Revenge of the Mashed Potatoes

nancyeinhart — Sat, 04 Dec 2010 09:25:11 PST

My leftover turkey and sweet potato pone sandwich was good but not great. The sweet and savory combo craved a bit more salt. After debating between stuffing and mashed potatoes, I opted for the easier-to-spread taters and was not disappointed.

Yes, I felt a little gross after eating it, but what's Thanksgiving without a decadent, carb-laden sandwich to send it off?

A Sweet (Potato) Leftover Turkey Sandwich

nancyeinhart — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 22:04:42 PST

I love a sweet and savory Thanksgiving leftovers sandwich, but I went home without any cranberry sauce this year. Thankfully, missing cranberry sauce is the mother of invention, and I'm amazed I didn't think of this sandwich sooner.

The secret ingredient: sweet potato pone, my old family recipe made with shredded sweet potatoes, pecans, cinnamon, nutmeg and other spices. I spread the sliced casserole onto toasted honey wheat bread then combined it with leftover turkey, romaine lettuce, dijon mustard, and Swiss cheese.

The sweet potato pone was perfect, and the sandwich held together surprisingly well. It was just missing something else salty; dare I try it again with mashed potatoes or stuffing?

Venturing Into Vegemite

Nancy Einhart — Wed, 10 Nov 2010 08:25:49 PST

Though the idea of a banana and Vegemite sandwich didn't go over so well with my palate, I decided to try again with the last heirloom tomatoes of the season.

Since fresh salted tomatoes, simply combined with lettuce, cheese, and good bread, make a great sandwich, I figured the salty Vegemite could stand in for the seasoning. With thick aged white cheddar, the combo may not be purely Aussie, but it worked for me, and the condiment is slowly growing on me, if not inciting a long-dormant passion.

Shopsin's at Home: Gulf Pride Sandwich

nancyeinhart — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 09:52:52 PDT

Kenny Shopsin invented this sandwich - one of hundreds of items on his six-page, single-spaced menu - for a customer named Greg who is "trapped in shrimp land." Verbiage like that makes Eat Me: The Food and Philosophy of Kenny Shopsin a riveting book.

The cookbook/memoir by the eccentric owner of Shopsin's in New York reads like a weird friend dictating his home "recipes" to you. Naturally, the recipes sound weird, sometimes even off-putting, but this shrimp sandwich is wonderfully and weirdly delicious. I followed the directions almost to the letter but threw on some butter lettuce for good measure to cut the buttery, creamy richness and hint of hot sauce.

Get the recipe and more photos.

A Wedding Gift For Sandwich Lovers

nancyeinhart — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 07:11:49 PDT

What to get the woman who loves sandwiches? Just ask my childhood friend Tiffany and her husband David, who dropped off an early wedding gift when they passed through San Francisco this weekend.

Yes, those are sandwich-shaped salt and pepper shakers, but that's just the ~~icing on the cake~~ butter on the bread. A talented seamstress, Tiffany fashioned adorable owl-motif napkins and a matching picnic blanket with a sturdy plaid flannel underside. She wrapped the handiwork in a colorful picnic basket, along with melamine plates, sporks, plastic tumblers, and a card game called Slamwich that comes packaged in a lunchbox.

To top it all off, she added the salt and pepper shakers and a can of Slap Ya Mama hot sauce, from her family's hometown of Ville Platte, Louisiana. Get a closer look at the napkins and blanket.

Weekend Improv: Beet and Avocado Sandwich Redux

nancyeinhart — Sat, 14 Aug 2010 10:41:35 PDT

This avocado, beet, and goat cheese sandwich is one of my all-time favorite original creations. It's delicious, if I do say so myself; just ask Serious Eats or my mom.

With beets back at the farmers market, I improvised a similar sammie for dinner the other night. This time, I roasted beets and placed the slices on a rustic baguette with avocado, arugula, and feta cheese.

So simple and delicious, and I kind of love how the beets turn the whole thing pink. I served it with sauteed beet greens on the side. One more yummy photo after the break.