Between the Bread

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?

I'm planning to make an epic Thanksgiving leftovers sandwich for dinner tonight, but until then, let's look to Anna for inspiration. She shared this very serious sandwich of leftover turkey, mashed potatoes, homemade cranberry sauce, and a recent revelation: veganaise.

What leftovers sandwiches have you made this Thanksgiving? Tell me in the comments or, better yet, take a photo and email it with a description of your sandwich to nancy@betweenthebreadblog.com.

For some reason, I always get excited to eat when I'm on airplanes. Maybe it's because it breaks up the monotony of air travel, or because it reminds me of when I still romanticized flying and airline food. But I'm sure I don't have to tell you this: it's almost always a disappointment.

Now, after the six-layer sandwich in Taiwan, I found another winner. On a recent flight out of LAX, I picked up this roasted vegetable melt at one of those Wolfgang Puck places. Dare I say, it would have been delicious even if I hadn't eaten it on a tray table. The bread tasted like Puck's renowned pizza dough, stuffed with assorted, tender roasted vegetables and goat cheese. The best part: it stayed warm through takeoff and as I slowly savored it.

When Andrew and I were planning our wedding, almost everyone asked immediately, "Will there be sandwiches?" My answer: how could there not be? While I have a sandwich blog, Andrew is nearly as obsessed as I am, and our romance blossomed over a shared passion for sandwiches.

Our reception at Cafe Du Nord featured three kinds of mini sandwiches: turkey meatball (above), pulled pork with spicy slaw (below), and a veggie option with fresh mozzarella. Of course, I sheepishly requested some photos of them. The platters don't really do them justice, but they were pretty darn good, though not quite as transcendent as the mini corn dogs.

I've become mildly obsessed with Cuban sandwiches, as if it is my duty to find the best one in the Bay Area or beyond. The quest is somewhat quixotic, given that I have never eaten a Cubano from Cuba or even Tampa, FL. While I don't have genuine experience on which to base my comparisons, I know what makes a good sandwich.

My most recent Cuban taste test took place at Parada 22, a charming Puerto Rican place on Haight Street with cheerful teal walls lined with Caribbean curios. Not surprisingly, it serves a fairly traditional Cuban sandwich, with soft roasted pork, gentle ham, swiss, and pickles on a sort of smushed down baguette.

Find out how it compares.

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.

I can't help but respect a sandwich joint that advertises itself as "wrap free since 2006." Admittedly, I eat the occasional wrap when I'm trying to be healthier, but they just don't satisfy like a sandwich made with bread. And Cambridge, MA's All Star Sandwich Bar certainly isn't a place to start trying to get healthy.

I've come across All Star before, and recently, its atomic meatloaf meltdown sandwich (pictured) landed on a list of 12 great sandwiches in Boston; featuring grilled meatloaf and jack cheese laden with hot sauce, this is a very serious sandwich indeed. Other standouts at All Star include some of America's greatest hits: Buffalo's very own beef on weck, a Reuben, a "Texas Reuben" (which looks like it's made with brisket), a very topnotch looking Cuban, and even a veggie Cuban.

My only problem would be deciding what to order. If anyone has eaten here, I'd love to hear your recommendations.

As a reward for having to start working early today, I had an egg and cheese bagel sandwich at Oasis Cafe. Though devoid of atmosphere, this place has wonderful coffee and friendly service, and it isn't annoyingly overpriced or inefficient like the Matching Half up the street.