I like some romaine and swiss on a nice dark german wheat bread (is also good with apples). It's simple and the crispness of the lettuce offsets the mellowness of the cheese. Good with mayo.

heart attack sandwich (this is good once every 3 years): apples, cheese, turkey bacon (I suppose pig bacon would work too) - on your favorite bread (like sourdough here), butter the bread and fry the sandwich. Then throw some sour cream or mayonnaise on top. (Raw red onion is good on this OR some sauteed sweet onion.)

artery clogging sandwich: peanut butter, apples, tiny bit of honey on your favorite bread - fry the sandwich up in some type of light oil, then shake it up in a bag with some cinnamon and sugar. (Would also be good Elvis style with bananas.)

There was one I'd made that a friend dubbed the "nirvanwich":

- turkey, lettuce, green peppers, sprouts, avocado, sun-dried tomatoes, and gouda. Sometimes I throw some hummus on there or substitute pepperocinis for the sun-dried tomatoes.

In fact, pretty much any sandwich with avocado or sun-dried tomatoes is awesome.

Arnold Health Nut or 7-grain bread, spread with peanut butter (stored in the pantry and not in the fridge like the crazies do) and currant jelly to taste.

mmmmm...pan bagna.

Oh fluffy kitten, why do you want me to battle hardened arteries? Those sounds dangerously delicious.

You know what else is good? Deviled egg sandwich. Wheat bread, sliced hard-boiled eggs and a spread made with mayonnaise, dry mustard, celery salt and paprika.

Home-grown tomatoes, pepper, and mayonnaise on a crusty sourdough baguette. Nothing better. In fact, that's what I'll be having today!

That, or a good bahn mi.

Another arterial nightmare: Roast beef, pepperoni, and provalone on a sourdough roll with lots of oil & vinegar

My top five sandwiches, from a blog post I made a while ago:

1. Club. A bonafide classic, and it's like a jazz standard or something--given the loose framework, it's great to see each individual take on it.

2. Po'boy. Like hip-hop music, the po'boy started out as a way to make something wonderful out of something cast-off and under-appreciated. And, like hip-hop music, things have changed a lot since then.

3. Philly chicken. Yeah, the cheesesteak is the canonical version, but I think the steak flavor can overwhelm the taste of the Provolone. If sandwiches were pop songs, the Philly cheesesteak would be the radio mix--too compressed, maybe even brassy. The Philly chicken, on the other hand, is like an audiophile reissue--it's got some dynamic range.

4. Hamburger with bacon and bleu cheese. I'm not in a hamburger mood very often, y'know? But when I am, I want a rich, indulgent monstrosity--a Wall of hamburger Sound, if you will, or a big band or an orchestra or something.

5. The Subway footlong veggie and cheese of about ten or fifteen years ago. Remember when the footlong veggie and cheese was, like, $2.50? That was the greatest bargain in the history of fast food. Hell, you could have 'em add bacon, and it would still be cheaper than a BLT (I'm a cheapskate, and/or a fan of internal consistency, so I like finding things like that). The veggie and cheese is four or five bucks now, which is still cheap, but now that Subway has become bloated and corporate (Pizza? What the fuck is that?), it's just not the same, like American Idiot versus Kerplunk! That analogy only appears because the other four sandwiches have 'em.

Honorable Mention: Monte Cristo. Ham, turkey and Swiss on white bread, egg-battered and deep-fried, usually dusted with powdered sugar and served with a side of jelly for dipping. Like the club or the po'boy, it's a classic American sandwich, and, like the bacon-and-bleu-cheese burger, it's rich and fatty. And, I just learned, the Monte Cristo received a big popularity boost when Disneyland included it on the menu of their ersatz N'awlins eateries, Blue Bayou and Tahitian Terrace.

Honorable Mention 2: Grilled Cheese. The grilled cheese simultaneously illustrates two important things about food, and people's relationship to it: first, the importance of ingredients; and second, the importance of nostalgia. Plus, vegetarians like 'em.

Hot pastrami, butter-sauteed mushrooms, honey dijon mustard and emmenthaler cheese, on a baguette.
Add some sort of wheat beer, and you have a little chunk of heaven

Brown granary baguette. Sliced lengthways, with a reasonable amount of balsamic vinegar sprinkled onto one half. No butter or spread of any sort. Add a layer of sliced tomatoes, season with salt+pepper. Add sliced ham and maybe cucumber. Devour. Yum.

Summer = vine ripe tomatoes. Gotta be a BLT on just ever-so-lightly-toasted whole wheat. Nothing is better, YMMV, but for me, nothing is better.

Mmmm bacon. (but that's another thread)

Onion marmalade with cream cheese and tomatoes, avocado optional, on whole wheat or seven-grain bread.

Hummus on anything with shredded cucumber and carrots, quartered grape tomatoes scattered with salt (or real tomatoes in season!), and spinach leaves, all squirted with a jolt of lemon and dusted with black pepper.

Pita or focaccia stuffed with baba ghanoush, tomatoes, slivered olives, cucs, and spinach. Feta optional.

One of our favorite hot-weather dinners: I lay out a basket of breads and a platter of whatever's on hand: avocado, blanched brocolli, sliced veggies, sauteed mushrooms, and a dish of hummus or the tangy lemony artichoke-tofu dip I make, and we construct our own sandwiches.

And from the ice cream place where my grandparents took us when I was a child, where propriety required us to eat lunch before ice cream: peanut butter (the kind with transfat and sugar) and cheap grape jelly (the kind that breaks into wobbly little crumbs, not sauve slabs of gel) on flabby white bread, served with a tall styrofoam glass of root beer and a pile of cheap potato chips.

Delicately insert one chips into sandwich. Do not break the chip. Do not let Grampy catching you "playing with your food." Take a bite and feel the crunch under your teeth meld with the unctuous pb and the cool jelly. Sip root beer and feel the fizz dance in your mouth. Eat to the very edge of the chip.

Covertly watch Grampy until he's occupied reprimanding one of your siblings; it won't be long. Insert another chip.

Ooh, not for the first time, Elsa, you've made something sound really delicious. Also, I like a nice banh mi, or a muffuletta.

This time of year? A caprese sandwich, of course.

Good crusty bread brushed with olive oil and good balsamic vinegar, with sliced tomatoes, fresh mozzarella (or burrata-- YUM) and some basil leaves.

Any time of year-- a French ham sandwich:

Crusty baguette with butter and dijon mustard, with good ham, some butter lettuce, and brie.

Newest discovery:

Fava bean puree (puree blanched fresh favas with lemon, garlic, olive oil, mint, basil, and parmesan or pecorino cheese) on flatbread.

Tuna salad - mayo, tuna, chopped gherkins, gherkin juice, salt, pepper, English mustard

Bacon, lettuce, avocado, tomato, with a smidge of hellman's mayo on toasted sunflower. So good. So so good.

For me, the key aspect of most sandwiches is excellent bread. Get good bread and the rest will follow.

Cracked wheat sourdough, the dressing put on salads at Lawry's Prime Rib and The Tam'o Shanter in LA (can't remember the name of it but it's available at local markets) sliced rare beef and cheddar cheese. I eat lettuce and tomato, but pick them off and eat them separately when they're put on a sandwich.

Spicy Italian organic chicken sausages: boil briefly, then slice in half and pan fry until golden brown and crisy 'round the egdes.

Walla Walla onion and red bell pepper: fry gently in olive oil for a very long time, until incredibly sweet and melty. Salt, pepper, cayenne.

Fresh crust baguette.

PPrime Rib, jack cheese and horseradish on a roll is great. so's genoa salami, proscuitto, provolone and hot peppers on a sub. sometimes a baloney and cheese on wonder bread with mustard hits the spot, too.

Leftover roast chicken salad with cranberries and walnuts and fresh pepper on a challah roll.
I am so hungry.

Ask Mecha: if you were me, and you were going to this place for lunch, which sandwich would you get? Here are the choices:

Club Mex
Smoked turkey, bacon, & hot pepper
cheese on a hoagie roll or pumpernickel
with lettuce, tomato & house spread

My Hero
Ham, smoked turkey, corned beef
& Provolone cheese on hoagie roll
with lettuce, tomato & house spread

Corned Beef
Piled high on seedless swirled rye
with mustard

Thai One On!
Hot & spicy Thai chicken breast with
lettuce, Asian style slaw & a no-fat
Thai lime dressing on a ciabatta

The Garden
On pumpernickel, we melt
3 cheeses, add mushrooms,
sunflower seeds, sprouts &
our famous spinach salad spread

It's Greek to me!
Hummus with roasted red peppers,
saut&eacutre;ed onions, lettuce & our crunchy
veggie yogurt sauce in a wrap

Marinated Chicken Breast
On wheatberry bread with lettuce,
tomato & low fat ranch dressing

Turkey, Swiss & Guacamole
With lettuce & tomato in a wrap

Chicken Salad or Tuna Salad
With lettuce & tomato on
toasted wheat bread.

Smoked Turkey
Your way! Choose your breads and spreads

Peking Pork
Spicy Asian-rubbed tenderloin with cool
mint cucumbers & lettuce on a ciabatta

Salmon, Red Chile-Rubbed
Roasted corn & black beans mixed with
a mild jalapeño lime dressing in a wrap

The corned beef.

and of course there's this work of art:

≡ Click to see image ≡
The Katz's Pastrami Reuben.

oh, yum! The Garden! (Then come back here and tell us exactly how to make it.)

Speaking of sandwich menus, nothing beats that of Roy's Place, in Gaithersburg, Maryland.

My current favorite: smoked turkey and guacamole on sourdough. Guacamole makes a wonderful spread (in place of mayo) on many different kinds of sandwiches, though.

I am also partial to the fried egg sandwich, as a cold-morning breakfast.

And this thread is making me ravenous. (*glumly eats cottage cheese*)

When I'm minding my diet properly, I don't eat bread at all. There are various reasons for this which I won't go into here. But I really do miss a great sandwich.

So I will pass on reading this thread in case it results in my relapsing!

tangy lemony artichoke-tofu spread

Recipe, please!

Favorite boughten sandwiches (rare and regional induldences):

Genoa and provolone on a sub roll soaked in red wine vinegar and oil, with shredded lettuce and tomato, sprinkled with salt, pepper, and oregano.

Texas beef brisket barbecue, shredded on a soft white bun with plenty of smoky-spicy sauce, a glass of sweet tea, and side of slaw.

Favorite homemade sandwiches:

Open face turkey melt on whole wheat triangles, with smoked turkey, red onion, honey mustard, and swiss cheese melted on top.

BLT with avo instead of mayo, gaspode style.

Sliced portobello mushrooms, grilled zucchini and grilled yellow squash, marinated in balsamic vinegar, with roasted red peppers and fresh mozzarella, on ciabatta.

Curried chicken salad with walnuts and grapes on a whole wheat wrap.

If you've got the time and patience to assemble one, it's hard to beat a good Dagwood, with a Fluffernutter for dessert.

The Chicago Diner makes a damn fine vegetarian Dagwood. And I had a wonderful vegetarian Monte Cristo at Alice's in Key West.

But on a hot hot summer day like this, when my garden is overflowing with veggies, I'm game for a nice swiss, tomato, and cucumber sandwich with a little mayo and honey mustard.

Favorite all timer though? PB&J make with real peanut butter, all fruit jelly, and smushed betwixt two hearty slices of wheat bread. Filling and wonderful, fraught with memories of being a young boy.

tangy lemony artichoke-tofu spread

Recipe, please!

Oh, man, it's sooooo easy. I don't have a proper recipe written out yet, but I adapted it from a vague outline in a Mimi Smartypants entry years ago, with a few tweaks and additions. It does require a food processor.

Rinse and drain one can of artichoke hearts --- plain, not marinated. Chop coarsely across the grain with with knife or scissors. (If you don't chop them before processing, the finished product will be feature the occasional whiskery artichoke fiber, and no one will know it is the artichoke's hair and not the cook's.)

Whir in fp (with a small strip of lemon zest if desired) until finely chopped. Add one block of well-drained tofu. I use the shelf-stable sani-packs, so, um, about 10 oz. or so. (?) Also add one minced garlic clove, chili powder or cayenne, oregano, a few leaves of basil, and a healthy squirt of lemon juice. Also salt and pepper as needed. Whirrrrrrrrrr until smooth. While whirring, drizzle in a bit of olive oil.

Ta-da!

I serve it as a dip or sandwich, to vegans and carnivores alike. Friends and family have started requesting it for parties. It takes less time to make it than to clean the food processor.

Its only failing in my eyes: it doesn't keep very well. If there's any left over, you might like to freshen it by adding a bit more basil and a tiny squirt of lemon juice.

Here are some serving suggestions, but basically you just make it, then scarf it down.

Yum. Thank you. Anything involving tofu that tastes good stands a chance of becoming a menu staple.

Yum. Thank you. Anything involving tofu that tastes good stands a chance of becoming a menu staple.

Anything involving tofu that tastes good stands a chance of becoming a menu staple.

Miko, you do know that there is some indication that soy may be linked to health problems, especially for women, right?

A "menu staple" does necessarily mean "consuming various forms of soy nearly every day", as the woman in the article stated she had done for years.

Soy, like everything else, in moderation is fine.

I didn't mean to imply I think soy is bad in and of itself; I don't think that. Hell, I eat it some myself.

I just wanted to put it out there that there is some indication that it may be linked to women's health issues.

For me, the key aspect of most sandwiches is excellent bread. Get good bread and the rest will follow

This is my guiding sandwich philosophy, pode. I'm especially particular about hoagie rolls. The chewiness inside has to be in perfect proportion to the slight crispiness outside, else it's crap.

dersins, no, I didn't know about that, and thanks, but according to the article I shouldn't have much to worry about. Soy is a good lean protein for me, with no cholesterol, and I don't currently eat it more than once or twice a week, and in the form of tofu. The article says:

Epidemiological studies have shown that Asians, particularly in Japan and China, have a lower incidence of breast and prostate cancer than people in the United States, and many of these studies credit a traditional diet that includes soy. But Asian diets include small amounts--about nine grams a day--of primarily fermented soy products, such as miso, natto, and tempeh, and some tofu. Fermenting soy creates health-promoting probiotics, the good bacteria our bodies need to maintain digestive and overall wellness. By contrast, in the United States, processed soy food snacks or shakes can contain over 20 grams of nonfermented soy protein in one serving.

The main interview in the story, this Dr. Bauman, says eating soy in moderation is OK:

Bauman's eating-for-health approach calls for a variety of natural and seasonal unprocessed whole foods, including soy in moderation, tailored to individual biochemistry and sensitivities. "Using soy as part of a diet can bring relief for perimenopause, for example," he says..."The literature is extensive on the benefits of soy, and that should always be stated, just as the hazards should be.

All points considered, I don't see too much reason to fear. I am not one of those people who is sensitive to soy, and don't eat more than nine grams a day, on the average, in any given week. He warns about soy "sneaking into" your diet via processed foods like tofu pups and protein shakes, but since I mostly cook from whole foods, I'm probably not getting much of that stuff. Besides all that, the health risks of meat, which the tofu is basically replacing in my diet, seem to be a greater concern. I appreciate the heads-up but it looks like a caution toward moderation, rather than a serious red flag. I do know people who eat soy stuff all day every day, from soy milk with breakfast to tofu ice cream as dessert, and they'd probably want to at least give this a look.