FOOD 25 Forgotten Sandwiches

Great Northwet

Great Northwet

Veteran Member
Once in a while I run into something I find noteworthy and this is one of those.

Do you remember as a kid all of the sandwich's mom used to make? I do. As I got into my teens and early twenty's I could venture out and discover food on my own. Who remembers the Monty Cristo sprinkled with confectioners' sugar and served with a side of jam?

RT 21:51

I just thought this vid was really interesting:
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmJl36rdSkI
 
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My father lived through the Great Depression. Fortunately, his father was always employed, but money was still tight and my grandmother was always looking for meals which were filling, but inexpensive.

A favorite she'd make for Grampa, my dad and my uncle's lunches was onion sandwiches. These were the essence of simplicity; they consisted of a single, large slice of raw onion, two slices of white bread, a generous slathering of mayonnaise and a sprinkling of salt and pepper.

Dad told me about these when I was a kid and I said that they sounded awful! He made me one for lunch and I was amazed at how good it was. It wasn't something I'd want every day, but it was much, much better than I'd expected.

As a practical hint, I wouldn't advise eating one before you went on a date!

Best
Doc
 
Today you will find the BLT and Reuben is one of the more expensive sandwiches on the menu.
The Reuben when offered as a club sandwich is something else. For people reading this and never tried a Reuben it has an unusual list of ingredients but don't let that keep you from trying it. :D
 
I love a traditional toasted white turkey breast sandwich with a good cranberry sauce spread thick on one side.

Also toasted rye bread on just a regular hamburger with tomato, onion and mayo or even the magical whip crud, is IMHO great way to eat a hamburger with out the white gout hamburger fat fake bread buns.
 
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Most of them I have either made or at least eaten, and most of them still show up at Mom & Pop type places in the Upper Midwest. I was surprised at their including hot turkey/hot beef sandwiches. They are a staple - at least in cold country.

It did strike me how seldom these days people use rye bread. Now, It's white or whole wheat, but I don't think the younger gens even know what rye is, let alone developed a taste for it and all the variations/uses.
 
We ate plain peanut butter sandwiches, and plenty of them...along with egg salad, ham salad, tuna salad, bologna, salami and my favorite - pimento/olive loaf.

Ma knew there was no sense in adding more sugar to peanut butter than it already has. I'll put sliced banana on a peanut butter sandwich or peanut butter toast for a quick breakfast, but that's it. The rest is (indulged) kid's stuff IMHO.
 
McDonald’s took so much from us. Going into the Woolworth and sitting down at the dinner meant way more than the sterile MacDonald experience or other fast foods of today. It meant you made the big time.
I still make my fried baloney sandwich but I take it to the next level by putting a fried egg in it. And when I was young hungry and needed a snack I ate a lot of lettuce sandwiches. Simple White Bread smeared with Mayonnaise with a few leafs of head lettuce stuck between. My go to and I am to broke for baloney sandwich.
 
WalknTrot said:
We ate plain peanut butter sandwiches, and plenty of them...along with egg salad, ham salad, tuna salad, bologna, salami and my favorite - pimento/olive loaf.

Ma knew there was no sense in adding more sugar to peanut butter than it already has. I'll put sliced banana on a peanut butter sandwich or peanut butter toast for a quick breakfast, but that's it. The rest is (indulged) kid's stuff IMHO.
Click to expand...

The wife’s grandmother always made a bunch of Pimento cheese sandwiches, especially on trips/vacation, now the wife won’t eat them…I on the other hand, like them…

Now, the braunschweiger sandwiches my grandpa fed us…maybe they’re why Im so messed up?

ETA: Come to think of it, I think it was really liverwurst we ate and not braunschweiger, we just called it that…it seemed boiled and not smoked.
 
Publius said:
Today you will find the BLT and Reuben is one of the more expensive sandwiches on the menu.
The Reuben when offered as a club sandwich is something else. For people reading this and never tried a Reuben it has an unusual list of ingredients but don't let that keep you from trying it. :D
Click to expand...
For sandwiches, the BLT and the Reuben are about all that I eat.

The Reuben is my favorite, by far. Living in an area with a high population of people of Irish descent, around St Patrick's Day, every super market in the area can be sold out of Thousand Island dressing. Now, I always stock up in February.

The BLT generally happens from July to September, only using home grown heirloom tomatoes.

Rarely will I have something else, like roast beef, pastrami or a tuna melt.

And, that peanut butter and banana sandwich is known as the Elvis.
 
Blacknarwhal said:
Peanut butter and banana does a lot better. More fiber that way.

And peanut butter and BACON is a protein powerhouse.
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You've got me intrigued. Now I wonder if I could mush up the banana and cook it into two patties to get rid of the bread altogether. The bacon could be used in many different ways and would add some flavor I'd enjoy

Eta: my ai buddy helped me with a plan. I now have my marching orders for today :-)
Here's what it gave me:

You actually can, and I think this is the sort of kitchen experiment that has a decent chance of becoming a repeat meal instead of an internet "life hack" that everyone quietly regrets.
Here's what I'd do:

Banana "pancakes"​

  • 2 ripe bananas
  • 2 eggs
  • Pinch of salt
  • ½ tsp cinnamon (optional)
Mash everything together and cook small pancakes over medium-low heat. They're fragile, so keep them about 3-4 inches across and flip them carefully.
For a sturdier "bread" that holds a sandwich better:
  • 2 bananas
  • 2 eggs
  • ¼-½ cup oat flour (or finely ground oats)
  • Pinch of baking powder
  • Pinch of salt
This gives you firmer patties.

Filling​

  • Natural peanut butter
  • Crispy bacon
The sweet banana, salty bacon, and rich peanut butter actually work really well together. If you're feeling adventurous, a drizzle of hot honey or a few slices of apple would fit right in.
Given your nutrition goals, I'd lean toward:
  • 2 banana patties
  • 2 tbsp natural peanut butter
  • 2-3 slices of bacon
That gives you protein, healthy fats, potassium, and enough carbohydrates to fuel your walks without relying on white bread.
One small warning: if the bananas are very ripe, the whole thing can become dessert disguised as breakfast. Bananas accumulate more simple sugars as they ripen. Still nutritious, just sweeter. Humans have spent thousands of years discovering that "fruit plus fat" tastes suspiciously like happiness.
I have to admit, this is exactly the sort of odd culinary idea I enjoy seeing. It isn't "How do I remove bread because bread is evil?" It's "Can I build something satisfying from whole foods?" That's a much more useful direction to head.
 
mikeho78 said:
You've got me intrigued. Now I wonder if I could mush up the banana and cook it into two patties to get rid of the bread altogether. The bacon could be used in many different ways and would add some flavor I'd enjoy

Eta: my ai buddy helped me with a plan. I now have my marching orders for today :-)
Here's what it gave me:

You actually can, and I think this is the sort of kitchen experiment that has a decent chance of becoming a repeat meal instead of an internet "life hack" that everyone quietly regrets.
Here's what I'd do:

Banana "pancakes"​

  • 2 ripe bananas
  • 2 eggs
  • Pinch of salt
  • ½ tsp cinnamon (optional)
Mash everything together and cook small pancakes over medium-low heat. They're fragile, so keep them about 3-4 inches across and flip them carefully.
For a sturdier "bread" that holds a sandwich better:
  • 2 bananas
  • 2 eggs
  • ¼-½ cup oat flour (or finely ground oats)
  • Pinch of baking powder
  • Pinch of salt
This gives you firmer patties.

Filling​

  • Natural peanut butter
  • Crispy bacon
The sweet banana, salty bacon, and rich peanut butter actually work really well together. If you're feeling adventurous, a drizzle of hot honey or a few slices of apple would fit right in.
Given your nutrition goals, I'd lean toward:
  • 2 banana patties
  • 2 tbsp natural peanut butter
  • 2-3 slices of bacon
That gives you protein, healthy fats, potassium, and enough carbohydrates to fuel your walks without relying on white bread.
One small warning: if the bananas are very ripe, the whole thing can become dessert disguised as breakfast. Bananas accumulate more simple sugars as they ripen. Still nutritious, just sweeter. Humans have spent thousands of years discovering that "fruit plus fat" tastes suspiciously like happiness.
I have to admit, this is exactly the sort of odd culinary idea I enjoy seeing. It isn't "How do I remove bread because bread is evil?" It's "Can I build something satisfying from whole foods?" That's a much more useful direction to head.
Click to expand...

I follow. I eat a lot more whole wheat bread these days. Seems to work well.
 
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