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'Wich of the Week: Eggplant Grilled Cheese

YumSugar — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 14:30:57 -0800

When dealing with Thanksgiving leftovers, sandwiches are an obvious choice — and believe me, I consumed my fair share of turkey and stuffing on wheat bread last week. But in a more unexpected repurposing, I also used the breadcrumb mixture leftover from my New Orleans-style baked oyster dish to make this twist on a grilled cheese.

In this case, the "bread" is actually sliced eggplant coated with breadcrumbs, and the cheese is provolone (though mozzarella would also be good with a marinara dipping sauce on the side). I can't say this recipe is any healthier than a typical grilled cheese, since the bread crumb mixture is made with butter, but it is a creative take on a classic for all you grilled cheese fans.

What's cool is that the golden-browned breadcrumbs take on both the look and flavor of grilled, buttered bread, and the skins of the eggplant slices resemble bread crust. The breadcrumb mixture is easy to make, even for a weeknight supper. To get the recipe and step-by-step photos,

'Wich of the Week: Fried Oyster Po'boy

YumSugar — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 14:00:07 -0800

If you're a fan of oysters, you may be sneaking the seafood into your Thanksgiving stuffing. But the batter-fried bivalves are even more divine stuffed inside a sandwich — in this case, the famous New Orleans French-bread creation known as an oyster po'boy or oyster loaf.Just how divine is the oyster loaf? In the 1800s, the sandwich was nicknamed la mediatrice or "the peacemaker," because husbands brought them home to placate angry wives. Some skeptics wonder how a po'boy is different from a sub or a grinder, so for further insight and two great recipes,

'Wich of the Week: Navajo Taco

YumSugar — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 14:00:04 -0800

Countless sandwiches are native to America, but the Navajo Taco is a Native American sandwich in the strictest sense of the word. Made by piling New Mexican taco fixings onto traditional Navajo frybread, this scrumptious sandwich is a specialty of Arizona, so on a recent trip to Phoenix, I stopped by The Fry Bread House to do some firsthand research.

My first question, of course, is why a Navajo Taco — also called an Indian Taco — is considered a sandwich rather than a taco. The crucial distinction is that tacos are made with tortillas and sandwiches are made with bread — in this case, Navajo fry bread, which tastes like a cross between a thick fried pita and funnel cake without the sugar. Indian tacos are typically filled with beans, ground beef, or a combination of both; I opted for refried beans, flavored with strips of New Mexico green chiles. Salivating yet? For the juicy details and a recipe,

'Wich of the Week: Rotisserie Chicken, Chutney, and Cheese

YumSugar — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 14:00:32 -0800

Store-bought rotisserie chicken is one of the tastiest culinary shortcuts around. It's incredibly moist and flavorful, but all you have to do to prepare it is pull the meat off the bird. Since I love leftover sandwiches, I combined my current passion for chutney and bread-and-butter pickles with some excess chicken from a recent dinner.

The mango chutney, salty-sweet pickles, and smoky chicken come together to create a perfectly provocative bite, while the melted swiss and sprouts hold the potentially slippery sandwich in place. It's a ridiculously easy meal you can make in minutes, but the flavors are anything but simple. To get the recipe and step-by-step photos,

'Wich of the Week: Hawaiian Pizza Sub

YumSugar — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 14:00:09 -0800

I'm surprised how many people share my affinity for pizza topped with Canadian bacon and pineapple. While I will happily devour many, many slices of Hawaiian pizza, it seems like an unlikely popular favorite. But to my delight, the yummy combo endures, so I figured why not turn the pizza toppings into a ridiculously easy sandwich? This Hawaiian pizza sub would be even better with fresh pineapple, but since it's out of season, I bought canned. To make up for it, I made the tomato sauce from scratch, though any premade marinara will do fine. The key is finding a great, soft sub-sandwich roll that will toast nicely without being hard to sink your teeth into. If you like Hawaiian pizza, you will devour these things almost as quickly as it takes to make them — that is, really fast. To get the recipe and step-by-step photos,

'Wich of the Week: The Ex-Boyfriend at Ike's Place

YumSugar — Wed, 29 Oct 2008 14:00:41 -0700

I love Ike's Place so much that I could start a 'Wich of the Week spinoff devoted solely to sandwiches from Ike's. I was hesitant to write about my new favorite sandwich place in San Francisco, since the lines are long enough already. But keeping the enormous, palate-entertaining creations to myself wouldn't be in the spirit of sandwich love.

Opened a year ago, Ike's is a tiny storefront in the Castro neighborhood, barely big enough to accommodate its sizable staff — making sandwiches this well is no easy task — and massive menu of 50-plus sandwiches with playful names like Nacho Boy (hot roast beef, mushrooms, avocado, and swiss) and the Paul Reubens (a take on the Reuben with poppy-seed coleslaw). Priced between $7 and $9, these are some of the largest sandwiches I've ever eaten; if I have one for lunch, I'm hardly hungry for dinner. But that's not even a taste of why I like Ike's. To count the ways,

'Wich of the Week: Cap'n Blue Cheese Chicken Sandwich

YumSugar — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 14:00:09 -0700

With double-meat sandwiches, it is important to tread carefully. So for this indulgent combination of marinated chicken and cured meat, I gathered exceptionally gourmet ingredients: Point Reyes blue cheese, capocolla (aka coppa) from Chris Cosentino's Boccalone deli, and organic chicken thighs. Since I was piling meat upon meat with creamy cheese, I made extra-small sandwiches using soft but firm dinner rolls.

Somewhere between salami and pancetta in terms of flavor, the capocolla adds a bacon-y bite, so the resulting cap-and-cheese-laden creation is reminiscent of a bacon cheeseburger without the beef. Using chicken thighs and a nutty, salty marinade adds to the heartiness, while the sautéed mushrooms and tomato help temper the richness. To get the recipe for this double-meat delicacy,

Adventures in Expensive Sandwiches: 'Wichcraft Anchovy

YumSugar — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 14:00:13 -0700

On my last adventure in expensive sandwiches, I declared that while I will (in rare cases) pay $10 for a sandwich, it'd better be divinely delicious, pretty hefty, and well assembled. I can especially be persuaded to part with serious dough if the sandwich features somewhat weird ingredients, and this white anchovy and soft-cooked egg sandwich from 'Wichcraft is a far cry from turkey and swiss.I've sampled several sammies at 'Wichcraft, the chain cofounded by Top Chef judge Tom Colicchio, and the results have been hit or miss. The slow-roasted pork with red cabbage and jalapeños is divine; the chicken salad is merely ordinary. Obviously, if you hate anchovies, you should probably skip this one, but for the more adventurous, this truly innovative and bold sandwich is worthy of its $8.95 price tag. To find out why, and get the recipe,

'Wich of the Week: Fall Gouda-ness Grilled Cheese

YumSugar — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 14:00:39 -0700

When the produce bins brim with Fall bounty, I love to swap out the tomatoes on my sammies for sliced apple. Together with melted cheese, the slightly sweet, slightly tart fruit makes for a hearty autumnal meal.

Though apple and cheddar is always a safe bet, last night I whipped up a grilled ham and cheese with one of my favorite indulgences: smoked gouda. With the condiments, I created two versions: one with just sweet mustard and another with mustard and Branston Pickle relish. I actually preferred the robust, saltier sandwich with the Branston, but if you don't like (or can't find) this popular British spread, sweet mustard will do just fine. For vegetarians, just subtract the ham. To get the recipe and see how I made it,

'Wich of the Week: Fish and Farm Baguette

YumSugar — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 14:00:42 -0700

Faced with some random farmers market booty a few weeks back, I ended up inventing a rather out-there sandwich that may just be one of my favorite creations since I started this series. This pile of goodness combines quick stir-fried veggies with orange roughy fillets baked in a parchment paper pouch — or, in my case, a paper bag since I was out of parchment. Either one works equally well.I used zucchini, leeks, and peppers to take advantage of what's in season, plus some enormous trumpet mushrooms I couldn't resist buying. But you could easily adapt the veggies on this 'wich to correspond with the changing seasons. The sweet marinade for the fish reminded me of a delicious sea bass, and the Asian flavors played well off of the simple baguette. To see how I made this easy but surprising sandwich,