When Detlef and I first came to this country in 1960, the only bread we were able to find in our tiny New Jersey town was white sandwich bread or soft rye. The breads we were accustomed to had always been made in our own kitchen: sturdy, firm loaves baked with whole grains that we grew on our farm. We made white bread too, semolina rolls, rye breads with or without seeds, all kinds of breads that nowadays you can find in many markets or bakeries.
When we constructed sandwiches at home we used whatever was in our pantry or growing in our garden. There were leftovers, roasted fish and meats; eggs hard-boiled and made into salads; herring, smoked or cured salmon; and many cheeses that we made and ripened in our kitchen. Our garden yielded beans, corn, cucumbers, radishes, tomatoes, lettuces, peas, carrots, beets, rutabagas, onions, dill, parsley, and chives. As you can see, we had many possibilities when it came to creating a sandwich.
But hands down, Americans make the best sandwiches. What a variety! What generous proportions! Our grandson Kyle, born and bred here, after having returned home from a visit to family and friends in Holland, said, “Oma? I ordered a sandwich in Amsterdam and all I got was a little one with almost nothing on it.”
And now, with the arrival of the panini sandwich press, it is easy to see how the creative spirit could go wild. There is no secret to a panini sandwich—it’s your taste and cravings that determine how big, how small, what shape and size it can be, and whether or not your panini press is large enough to heat the sandwich through. Everyone, I think, loves the grill marks the press imbeds on the outside of the bread. I have a friend who has only a grill pan, stovetop, and a brick and has been making paninis for years. When the brick isn’t pressing sandwiches, it serves as a doorstop.
My family loves sandwiches at home, so in the following section, I’d like to share those that we like best. Some are closed, some are on kaiser rolls or French bread, some are open-face Danish sandwiches, called smørrebrød, that may require a knife and fork. I am including variations on the traditional grilled burger and others that are favorites from our Loaves and Fishes take-out department.
One night I caught my husband, Detlef, raiding the refrigerator. He had a ton of food spread across the counter and bread teetering in a pile right in front of him. “What in the world are you doing?” I asked. He gave me a smile and replied, “I think I may be constructing an architectural masterpiece!”
A popular lunch item because it travels well without refrigeration. It can last up to 3 hours at room temperature, or in a cooler, up to 8 hours.
1 medium eggplant
2 red bell peppers
Olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 baguette cut into 4 equal pieces and split
1/2 cup mayonnaise
16 thin slices soppressata
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
Slice the eggplant into 8 rounds. Cut the peppers lengthwise into quarters. Brush the vegetables with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place on a hot grill and cook 10 minutes, turning with tongs from side to side, until vegetables are nicely browned.
Spread mayonnaise on the baguette halves. Place 2 slices each of eggplant and pepper per sandwich. Top each with 4 slices of soppressata. Sprinkle with chopped basil.
Serve warm, perfect for picnicking.
Yields 4 sandwiches
Radishes and sprouts add a special crispness to this old standard. The egg salad can be made early in the day, and the sandwiches assembled at serving time. Cut these into mini sandwiches and they turn into delicious hors d’oeuvres. You can double the ingredients to make 8 sandwiches.
6 eggs
1/4 cup minced onion
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
8 slices white sandwich bread
8 large red radishes, sliced
1 container fresh radish or alfalfa sprouts
Place the eggs in a medium saucepan, cover with cold water, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 8 minutes. Drain and cool. Peel, then chop the eggs in a bowl.
Add the onion, celery, 1/3 cup of the mayonnaise, salt, pepper, and mustard. Stir to blend well.
Spread the remaining mayonnaise over the bread slices. Scoop egg salad onto 4 slices, arrange radish slices over the egg salad, and top with sprouts. Top with the remaining bread slices. Cut in half and serve.
Yields 4 full-size servings or 16 hors d’oeuvres
A great blending of tastes: sharp Cheddar, smoked turkey, the bite of creamy horseradish, and the fresh taste of arugula make this an extraordinary sandwich.
1 cup loosely packed arugula leaves, well-washed and dried
1 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
12 slices rustic-style bread
11/2 pounds smoked turkey (12 thick slices)
3/4 pound sharp Cheddar cheese (6 thick slices)
Preheat a panini press.
Using a food processor, finely chop the arugula. Add the mayonnaise, horseradish, salt, and pepper and mix. Spread the mixture on one side of all 12 bread slices. Cover 6 bread slices with turkey, top with Cheddar cheese, and cover with remaining bread slice, mayonnaise side down. Cut each sandwich in half and grill in the panini press for 3 to 5 minutes, or until bread is light brown, the interior is warm, and the cheese is melted.
Yields 6 sandwiches
Have your deli slice the cheddar and smoked turkey for you.
This has to be the ultimate make-ahead, one-dish meal; the recipe can be doubled to feed a crowd. When our children were teenagers, we often had four to six hungry ones around the house at lunchtime. Now it’s an even bigger hit with our teenage grandchildren. The only things that have changed are the title, and the meat. Thirty years ago they were called Sloppy Joes and were made with ground beef.
2 cups finely chopped onion
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup olive oil
11/2 cups ketchup
1 cup chili sauce
1 cup water
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
11/2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 pounds skinned and boned chicken breast, cut into 2 × 1-inch strips
4 large garden lettuce leaves
4 large kaiser rolls or English muffins, split and toasted
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh chives
Sauté the onion and garlic in the olive oil for 5 minutes in a large heavy saucepan over medium heat. Stir often so it does not brown. Stir in the ketchup, chili sauce, water, vinegar, Worcestershire, sugar, and salt, and let it simmer for 5 minutes. Add the chicken strips, stir to combine, cover and simmer for another 12 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
To serve, place a lettuce leaf on the bottom of each roll, spoon chicken over the lettuce, and garnish with chives. Top with the other half of the roll.
Yields 4 sandwiches
Adding 2 extra rolls can stretch the servings from 4 to 6.
I was first introduced to tuna salad sandwiches many years ago when a new friend invited me and my two small children to lunch. She spoke a little German and I a little English. She turned white tuna from a can into a memorable sandwich that remains a family stand-by. Then one day, on our travels, I got brave and ordered raw tuna. I fell in love with its flavor and texture and the soy-ginger sauce that went along with it. This burger is a Fourth of July “cook-out special” at our house.
2 pounds fresh sushi grade tuna
11/2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon chili paste (see note)
2 tablespoons fish sauce (see note)
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil (see note)
2 large eggs
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
4 to 6 Kaiser rolls, split and grilled or toasted
Lettuce leaves, for serving
Sliced ripe tomatoes, for serving
Thinly sliced red onions, for serving
2 egg yolks
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
11/2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
3/4 cup safflower oil
3/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Cut the tuna into large chunks and pulse 3 or 4 times in the food processor. Do not chop any longer or the tuna will turn into a paste. Place tuna in a large mixing bowl and add the ginger, chili paste, fish sauce, salt, pepper, sesame oil, eggs, and bread crumbs. Mix with your hands, just to blend. Shape tuna into 6 patties, each about 11/2 inches thick. Place patties on a plate, cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes or more.
Preheat the grill to high.
To make ginger-lemon sauce, place the egg yolks, lemon juice, ginger, garlic, mustard, hot pepper sauce, and sesame oil in a food processor. With the motor running, add the safflower and olive oils by droplets. When the sauce starts to thicken, add the remaining oil in a thin, steady stream. Add the cream and salt. The sauce will have the consistency of mayonnaise. Transfer the sauce to a bowl.
Place the patties on the hot grill, and cook 2 to 3 minutes per side until golden brown outside and rare on the inside. Serve on the rolls with the ginger-lemon sauce, a platter of lettuce leaves, sliced fresh tomatoes, and thinly sliced sweet red onions.
Yields 4 to 6 sandwiches
Fresh chili paste, fish sauce, and toasted sesame oil are available in the Asian food departments of most supermarkets.
Tilapia, farm-raised or imported, is a mild-tasting lean fish that is a wonderful choice for a sandwich, especially when it’s served warm. Try it for brunch, lunch, or dinner.
1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup minced flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons minced shallots
3 tablespoons capers, drained and finely chopped
3 tablespoons finely chopped cornichons
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
11/2 pounds tilapia fillets (4 fillets, same size)
11/2 cups panko or dry bread crumbs
1/3 cup sesame seeds
11/2 teaspoons kosher salt
11/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons (1 ounce) unsalted butter
2 tablespoons peanut oil
4 French bread rolls, split
To make the tartar sauce, combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and stir well. Taste for seasoning. Refrigerate until needed.
For the fish, stir the mayonnaise, mustard, and lemon juice together and rub the mixture into both sides of each fillet. Combine the panko, sesame seeds, salt, and pepper and sprinkle the mixture onto a flat plate.
Heat the butter and peanut oil in a large skillet.
Dip the fish fillets into the crumb mixture, coating both sides and carefully place each into the heated oil. Sauté over medium high heat for a total of 10 to 12 minutes, turning once.
Spread tartar sauce on the rolls, stuff each roll with hot, freshly cooked tilapia, and serve.
Yields 4 servings
The Tartar Sauce can be made up to 2 days before needed and can be used as a spread or a sauce. And if you wish, plain mayonnaise can be substituted for the Tartar Sauce.
Belegtes brot, covered bread, is consumed daily by thousands of Germans and Danes who live in the border region where I come from. It is also called smørrebrød, buttered bread, in Danish and consists of one slice of bread, always buttered, topped with whatever is in the pantry or refrigerator, and eaten with a knife and fork.
4 slices whole-grain bread
4 tablespoons (2 ounces) softened unsalted butter or 4 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 pound tiny cooked shrimp
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill
4 lettuce leaves
1/4 cup large salmon roe
4 sprigs of dill, for garnish
1 lemon, quartered, for garnish
Spread the bread slices with the butter or mayonnaise. Combine the shrimp, lemon juice, and dill in a bowl. Top each bread slice with a lettuce leaf and one-quarter of the shrimp, then top with a tablespoon of salmon roe. Garnish with dill sprigs and lemon wedges.
Yields 4 sandwiches
Using your imagination and taste, you can create many more combinations to serve as lunch, a cold supper or, when cut into bite-size pieces, as appetizers. For four slices of bread:
• 8 pieces pickled herring, 8 onion rings, and 4 wedges of tomato, on whole-grain bread
• 2 fillets of smoked herring, topped with 8 tablespoons chopped red onion and scrambled eggs, on rye bread
• 12 slices salami or 8 slices of ham, topped with 8 raw onion rings and 8 tablespoons blue cheese, on sourdough bread
• 8 slices smoked salmon, thinly sliced and arranged in overlapping layers, topped with 4 tablespoons sour cream and 1 tablespoon chives, on white bread
A juicy grilled hamburger on a toasted bun, grilled onions, maybe some lettuce and sliced ripe tomatoes, and a creamy gorgonzola sauce to give it that extra special touch. We usually serve these with a platter of corn on the cob, piled high and drizzled with fresh butter.
1/2 cup minced shallots
3/4 cup dry white wine
11/2 cups heavy cream
4 ounces Gorgonzola cheese, cut into small pieces
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 pounds ground beef chuck or sirloin
2 tablespoons coarsely ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 red onions, peeled, cut into 1/4-inch slices
6 hamburger buns
For the Gorgonzola sauce, combine the shallots and wine in a small heavy saucepan and cook over medium-high heat for 7 to 8 minutes, until mixture is reduced to 1/4 cup. Add the cream and cook until liquid is reduced to 1 cup or until it thickens slightly. Add the Gorgonzola and pepper and cook over low heat for 2 minutes, stirring, until the cheese is melted. Set it aside.
For the burgers, heat the grill to medium-high. Without overworking the meat, shape the beef into 6 patties. Sprinkle the patties on both sides with the coarse pepper and brush both sides with olive oil. Place on the grill for 4 minutes. Turn the patties and grill 4 to 5 minutes longer for medium rare. Meanwhile, brush the onion slices with oil and grill until brown and tender. Grill the buns to crisp lightly.
Serve the patties on a platter with the toasted buns, grilled onions, and reheated Gorgonzola sauce on the side.
Yields 6 beef burgers
Do not compress the meat while shaping burgers since it breaks down the fat and will dry out the meat: this I learned from James Beard while attending his cooking school.
The sauce can be made 2 hours ahead of time and reheated.
It would be best to prepare the tzatziki sauce first, since it should be chilled until ready to use. We make these lamb patties throughout the summer and, believe me, they are always an enormous hit with all ages.
1 small, seedless cucumber halved lengthwise, center scooped out
1 clove garlic, minced
2 teaspoons distilled white vinegar
1 cup Greek-style yogurt
1/2 cup sour cream
11/2 teaspoons kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
2 tablespoons minced fresh mint leaves
2 pounds lean, ground lamb, from the hind leg
1/2 cup minced shallots
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup minced fresh mint leaves
2 teaspoons kosher salt
11/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons cold water
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 pita breads with pockets, top third removed
1 cup crumbled feta cheese (about 6 ounces)
11/2 cups shredded lettuce leaves
Using the large holes of a grater, shred the cucumber. You should have about 2 cups. Press liquid out of the shredded cucumber and place in a bowl. Add the garlic, vinegar, yogurt, sour cream, salt, hot sauce, and mint and stir to blend. Chill until needed.
Preheat the grill to medium-high.
Place the lamb in a mixing bowl. Add the shallots, garlic, mint, salt, pepper, and water. Mix with your hands, just to combine. Shape into 6 round patties. Brush each with olive oil and place on the grill for 12 minutes, turning once, for medium-rare.
Meanwhile, grill the pita bread over indirect heat, for only a few minutes, just to warm.
To serve, spoon tzatziki sauce into each pita pocket, tuck a lamb patty inside, add feta and shredded lettuce and serve with the remaining sauce on the side.
Yields 6 servings
This, hands down, has been voted the favorite lunch sandwich by my four grandchildren, all teenagers with very healthy appetites. They always ask for pickles and potato salad to complete this meal.
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup packed cilantro leaves, minced
1 cup mayonnaise
Four 6-inch sections French bread, split
1 pound thinly sliced roast beef (store-bought)
3 large tomatoes, thinly sliced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
4 large lettuce leaves
Stir together the garlic, cilantro, and mayonnaise. Spread this onto the 8 bread sections. Arrange the roast beef and tomato slices on the bottom half of the bread. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, top with lettuce, cover with the other bread half and serve.
Yields 4 sandwiches