Fork and Gobble It: A Real Handful

Me and Elvis the wonderdog were out at the dogpark one afternoon. It was a tough morning of running, wrestling and romping all doggystyle. On the way home we were passing our favorite Vietnamese restaurant Bien Hoa. Not coincidentally, it was lunchtime. I went in and ordered two Bahn Mi, Vietnam's contribution to the sandwich universe. Two small baguette rolls with the innards pulled out and stuffed with BBQ pork, pickled vegetables, fresh chilies, cilantro and a creamy, slightly sweet dressing were presented to me in just minutes.

A feast on a bun, the sandwich at its best is nothing less than miraculous. The bahn mi were scrumptious, balancing savory, spicy, sweet, and textures ranging from crunchy to chewy to moist and tender. I have to admit for all my culinary exploring, nothing beats a good sandwich. Whether it is a hoagie, tuna melt, Dagwood, or some otherworldly construction at a favorite deli, when it's done well, nothing is as satisfying to me. I tip my cap to John Montagu, the fourth Earl of Sandwich and very likely the inventor of the foodstuff bearing his name. It is told that he liked to spend quite a bit of time at the gambling table and to sustain himself he would ask his servant to bring him sliced meat between two slices of bread. Such humble beginnings!

Every ethnicity seems to have its own version(s) of this truly portable feast. Panninis, Cuban Sandwiches, Croque Monsieur, Subs, Vada Pav, to name just a very few are made from just about anything you can dream up. My own creations have been known to utilize anything from a mousse made from smoked salmon to meatloaf or grilled steak.

It's always a lot of fun for me to play "Clean out the Fridge" and make my own version of Dagwood Bumstead's eponymous sandwich. A veritable plug and play of principal ingredients and condiments. Horseradish sauce, Sriracha hot sauce, green peppercorn mustard, Kewpie mayonnaise, pickles, hot peppers, blue cheese, cheddar cheese, all flying out of the pantry onto baguette, 9 grain, sourdough and ciabatta.

Vegetarian possibilities abound whether it is the fresh tomato and mozzarella creation above or those heavenly Middle Eastern chickpea fritters called Falafel wrapped in a flatbread with tomatoes and cucumbers and a sauce made with tahini.

It is the food of summer. Hot dogs and hamburgers, sausage and pepper sandwiches, pulled pork and chicken salad, I bow to you all and owe you a debt of endless satisfaction. Like a perfect relationship there is room for endless growth, change, improvisation, while still clinging to the roots from which you sprung. All this and it fits in a brown bag!