Lifting
sandwiches
to new heights
Greatness
between
two slices
of bread
32 ;e Costco Connection SEPTEMBER 2012
By Kathy Baruffi
SANDWICHES JUST keep getting better.
Even the classics, such as grilled cheese, BLT,
and peanut butter and jelly can be improved
with surprisingly simple variations. These easy
tips will help you intensify the flavors and transform this informal food into a favorite meal.
Not your mom’s PB&J. “I like to take
healthy ingredients and experiment with flavors,” says Adrian Fiorino, author of
Insanewiches: 101 Ways to Think Outside the
Lunchbox (St. Martin’s Griffin, 2011). Fiorino
urges everyone to be bold and creative when
making sandwiches. Something as simple as a
peanut butter sandwich becomes even more
nutritious with the simple addition of fiber-rich fruit.
“Try not to get stuck in a rut. Add blueberries, bananas, apple slices, figs or strawberries,” Fiorino suggests. “I recently experimented
with kiwi fruit and it worked really well. One
of my favorite sandwiches is banana, peanut
butter and a bit of honey. I’m a runner, and
that gives me energy. I have that for breakfast.”
Mix it up. Troy and Susan Davis, co-
owners of Melthouse Bistro (http://melt
housebistro.com) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin,
known for its many variations of gourmet
grilled cheese sandwiches, agree that cre-
ativity is key.
The Costco Connection
Costco warehouses carry everything you
need for making great sandwiches, including meat, cheese, fruits, vegetables, rolls,
bread, tortillas, condiments and more.
WISCONSIN MILK MARKETING BOARD
many of the regional differences in sandwiches—and says state lines shouldn’t keep a
good sandwich hidden.
For example, a hero sandwich, usually
made with meat, cheese, lettuce, tomato and
dressing on a small loaf of French or Italian
bread or a long roll, is called a submarine,
grinder, hoagie or poor boy (po’ boy),
depending on where you are. Ingredients
vary as often as the names. “In New Orleans
the poor boy has fried oysters on French
bread, and in Philadelphia the cheese steak
has beef, cheese and sautéed onions,” Stern
says. “In Maine the submarine is packed
with cold cuts.”
And take the venerable BLT. “The fried
green tomato is very popular in the South,”
Stern says. “Loveless Cafe, outside of Nashville,
knows how to make them with a good crunch.
Their fried-tomato BLT is excellent.”
At Royers Round Top Cafe ( www.royers
roundtopcafe.com) in Round Top, Texas, an
artsy town halfway between Austin and
Houston, the grilled-shrimp BLT is a favorite.
The shrimp are fresh enough and cooked
expertly enough to add great texture and a rich
flavor (see recipe). “Use a Creole mustard or
other flavored mustard to give zing to this
popular sandwich,” says Bud Royer, the creator.
It’s often the subtle details, like Royer’s
mustard tip, that unlock the flavor secrets of
a good sandwich. Simple variations such as
whole-grain bread, zippy sauces, chutney,
fruit and vegetables can provide surprisingly
healthy and savory taste twists that will lift
your favorite sandwiches to new heights. C
Kathy Baruffi is a freelance food and travel
writer based in New York’s Hudson Valley.
