All the sandwich news that’s fit to (re)print. Here’s what we’ve been reading this week.
Sandwiches and The City (via America’s Test Kitchen) — We’re big fans of America’s Test Kitchen, and their Food of Yore column this week features a brief history of the rise of the sandwich in the Big Apple. “In the years before prohibition, New Yorkers were said to eat only six kind of sandwiches. The varieties were limited to sardine, tongue, roast beef, swiss cheese, liverwurst, and egg…” Who knew? Many of these delicious early varieties are still available at your corner deli, while others — lemon prune and baked bean and celery are examples — have thankfully faded from prominence. The recipes included in the article, all of which look like winners, are available for free through next week.
Cap City’s 5 Most Incredibly Melty Sandwiches (via Thrillist DC) — This week’s obligatory best-of list celebrates National Grilled Cheese Month, which is April. How did April become National Grilled Cheese Month? As Thrillist rightly answers: Who cares? D.C. is a town that loves its grilled cheese, and this list details five of the very best examples available. (You can also check out Eat a Sandwich’s commentary on grilled cheese and let us know your thoughts.)
Pollan Cooks! (via the New York Times) — I’ve been a fan of Michael Pollan since my World of Plants professor assigned me to read “Botany of Desire,” still one of my favorite short reads on human manipulation of nature. Pollan has since become something of a messiah among those interested in rehabilitating our food system, and with his most current book “Cooked: A Natural History of Transformation,” he makes his first foray into the actual practice of preparing food. In this conversation with Mark Bittman, Pollan offers support for his insightful observation that our food problems began when we stopped cooking at home. “People who cook eat a healthier diet without giving it a thought. It’s the collapse of home cooking that led directly to the obesity epidemic.” Moral of the story: Buy a Griddler and start making your own damn sandwiches!
Save DC Food Trucks! (via savedcfoodtrucks.org) No recent dining-related trend has contributed more to advancing the art of sandwich-making in this country than the popularization of food trucks. And in case you missed it, D.C.’s food truck industry is under attack by what some townspeople, including yours truly, consider to be a misguided and overzealous mayor and city council. Facing new regulations that could effectively outlaw food trucks in vast swaths of otherwise food-barren downtown areas, operators are asking for the public’s support. As sandwich lovers, it’s our duty to check out the video the video below and sign the petition at www.savedcfoodtrucks.org. (You can also read the most prescient policy argument against the new regulations at the Greater Greater Washington blog.)