Between the Bread

I set off on a mission to make my first Vegemite sandwich and ended up with an Elvis-inspired after-school snack instead.

I had every intention of creating what I'd dubbed the Aussie after-school snack: a Vegemite and banana sandwich, recommended by a Vegemite-loving acquaintance. But after tasting some of the very intense condiment on toast, I decided I needed to ease in to the Vegemite. Maybe something less exotic, like 'mite and cheddar.

Almond butter and banana on wheat is fast becoming my new comfort food. For more photos, including my Vegemite experiment, read more

Peanut butter and banana sandwiches and Elvis Presley are forever linked. The King's favorite appears on the diner menu at Graceland, and Peanut Butter and Co. in New York serves an Elvis sandwich that's a PB&B, plus honey and bacon. If you think that sounds decadent, sit down to the tale of Elvis and the Fool's Gold Loaf.

According to The Life and Cuisine of Elvis Presley, legend has it that in 1976, Elvis hopped a plane from Memphis to Denver and back in a single night just to get his jaws around a sandwich called the Fool’s Gold, served at the Colorado Mine Company restaurant in Denver. He'd been reminiscing about the delicious $50 sandwich when he decided to sate his friends' curiosity by flying them to Denver for a very extreme takeout order.

Serving eight to 10 people and containing more than 40,000 calories, the Fool’s Gold may be the most quintessentially American sandwich ever created. Here's why.