It’s been a bit quiet around here, as my wedding output shifts into high gear, and Char continues soldiering on in the challenge of job finding.

We’ll be back around, hopefully soon, and hopefully with good things to share and good things to show. In the meantime, a preview of things to come.

xo.

Via the CCNY Library Archives

Make every day a time to tell the people in your life they’re loved.

I’ve been meaning to post this for a while now, but my poor laptop, Stevie, has been in the shop with a gimpy keyboard. We’ve since been reunited and the sandwich blogging can continue. I took pictures of this brilliant sandwich, but sadly, they were disappointing.

For the Superbowl, we kept it pretty low key and stuck to a menu of beer cheese soup, chips and dip and DIY roast beef sandwiches. We provided all the ingredients, and everyone built their own.

As I pursue my quest to master the art of sandwich making, this is only my third serious attempt. The first was this grilled apple cheese. The second, which I will blog about soon was a caramelized BLT. Both were from recipes I found in my Southern Living cookbook. This roast beef was my first inspired attempt at an original, and it was delicious and educational!

First things first, good ingredients are key. The folks at my grocer’s deli counter helped me choose the best meat. I bought whole wheat Kaiser rolls from their bakery, which were surprisingly wonderful for grocery bakery bread. And then I found the best head of lettuce and reddest tomatoes. I dressed it up with the best mayonnaise, Hellman’s, and a blue cheese spread.

The building of the sandwich is also key. I love to toast the inside of the bread in a buttered skillet. It takes some time, but you can taste the extra love. For an extra warm sandwich through the deli meat on the skillet for a few minutes too.

Then the order of the sandwich’s ingredients must be deliberate. From top-to-bottom inside the bread: mayo, lettuce, tomato, meat, cheese. I always keep the dressing and cheese completely separate, and I like the veggies to create a barrier between the meat and dressing. That’s my secret. What’s your secret to the perfect sandwich?