Growing up for me was squishy "whole wheat" bread with miracle whip and Velveeta but microwaved so the cheese got melty. I haven't had one in probably 25 years - I feel like I should revisit to see how my tastes have changed!
I think there still can be a role for sliced bread in a nutrition forward, naturally leavened bread setting for the sake of accessibility! Mark Dyck was discussing recently on his podcast (Rise up!) that back when he owned a bakery, he made the decision to purchase a bread slicer because he got feedback from the local food bank that he donated to that the people who received bread didn’t have bread knives and had trouble utilizing the loaves. I mostly make my own bread these days but whether I make or buy, my family doesn’t go through bread fast enough to keep it out at room temp, so I slice it up and freeze in airtight container and just defrost and toast as needed. Slicing bread by hand for artisan style loaves is sometimes really challenging to get thinner slices; I’ve low key wished I had a bread slicer (even those deli slicer or vintage ones that have the blade that you pull down like a paper cutter) at home too!
My favorite sandwiches from dining establishments are from the great state of Pennsylvania: the pork sandwich from DiNic’s at Reading Terminal in Philly, and the Primanti Bros sandwich in Pittsburgh. The pork sandwich is composed of thin sliced roast pork, and perfectly balanced with some bitter broccoli rabe and maybe some sautéed peppers, all stuffed in a long hoagie/sub roll. It’s balanced, savory and juicy. The Primanti’s sandwich has protein of choice (I’m partial to the fried fish fillet, but cheesesteak and Italian deli meats of various sorts are popular too), tomato, vinegar-based coleslaw, and a big handful of fresh cut and fried French fries, on sliced white Italian bread. It’s hot from the fish/cold from the coleslaw and tomato, soft from the bread and fries/crunchy from the fish crust and coleslaw, salty/vinegary, and just all in all a balanced and over the top and delicious sandwich (that I can only ever eat half of due to its massive size). Also love a good egg and cheese and tomato bagel sandwich, preferably on an everything bagel.
At home, to be honest, I’m not much of a sandwich person. When I was a young adult, I’d pack peanut butter and orange marmalade sandwiches for lunch sometimes. Nowadays that I make my own bread, most of it goes to my daughter’s lunches, and she just loves open faced buttered toast! I also mostly make open faced sandwiches/toast with toppings, with avocado mash, butter and marmalade, ricotta with either salt and pepper or honey and cinnamon.
Thanks for your always educational and informative writing! Always learn something interesting!
Thanks for all of this! Especially the tip on PA sandwiches, as I happen to be near Pittsburgh right now -- for a writing workshop at Chatham, out in Gibsonia -- and I will put Primanti on my list!
Love this! My dad likes cheese and ketchup sandwiches. He once packed one in my lunch when I was in second grade, shortly after we moved to a new state and new school for me. Not only did I find it disgusting, it's not really a lunch to win you friends. These days, my husband packs lunch for himself and my daughter - his go-to (every single day) is ham and cheese with butter and lettuce, and she usually gets peanut butter and cheese on a rolled tortilla - another odd combo, but this one is actually tasty, something my husband invented as the perfect energy-packed hiking lunch and now her favorite anytime lunch! I agree with DPLK, it's hard to find a better sandwich than the one at Primanti Bros. French Fries in a sandwich is a revelation! It's a must-stop anytime we are visiting my mother's home state of PA.
I didn’t grow-up eating too many sandwiches, oddly. But I loved spreading whipped cream cheese and jelly on matzoh during Passover, and so a few times in my childhood, I recall eating a cream cheese & jelly sandwich. I loved fresh rye bread from the deli with mustard on top - no meat - just mustard. And my mom made us grilled cheese, not on the stove, but in a waffle iron (similar effect to a panini press). Now, as an adult & mom, I love sandwiches for their creative canvas!
I ate sandwiches daily for lunch all through school, and I eat natural peanut butter and strawberry jam on Heidelberg Cracked Wheat, which may be the best store-bought sliced bread you can buy. It also makes amazing toast. But the sandwich that sticks with me I had at Cornell during a research trip to their archives. A ciabatta bun, toasted, with a garlicky herbed cheese spread, half a sweet potato, roasted until very soft and slipped from its jacket, half a roasted red pepper, a slice of red onion, also roasted until soft, melty mozzarella, and baby spinach. It was a mess to eat but the best thing I'd ever tasted. I have since turned those flavors into a pie and hash but haven't eaten them as a sandwich since. I should.
Growing up: White bread, miracle whip, bologna, and a slice of Velveeta
Growing up for me was squishy "whole wheat" bread with miracle whip and Velveeta but microwaved so the cheese got melty. I haven't had one in probably 25 years - I feel like I should revisit to see how my tastes have changed!
I think there still can be a role for sliced bread in a nutrition forward, naturally leavened bread setting for the sake of accessibility! Mark Dyck was discussing recently on his podcast (Rise up!) that back when he owned a bakery, he made the decision to purchase a bread slicer because he got feedback from the local food bank that he donated to that the people who received bread didn’t have bread knives and had trouble utilizing the loaves. I mostly make my own bread these days but whether I make or buy, my family doesn’t go through bread fast enough to keep it out at room temp, so I slice it up and freeze in airtight container and just defrost and toast as needed. Slicing bread by hand for artisan style loaves is sometimes really challenging to get thinner slices; I’ve low key wished I had a bread slicer (even those deli slicer or vintage ones that have the blade that you pull down like a paper cutter) at home too!
My favorite sandwiches from dining establishments are from the great state of Pennsylvania: the pork sandwich from DiNic’s at Reading Terminal in Philly, and the Primanti Bros sandwich in Pittsburgh. The pork sandwich is composed of thin sliced roast pork, and perfectly balanced with some bitter broccoli rabe and maybe some sautéed peppers, all stuffed in a long hoagie/sub roll. It’s balanced, savory and juicy. The Primanti’s sandwich has protein of choice (I’m partial to the fried fish fillet, but cheesesteak and Italian deli meats of various sorts are popular too), tomato, vinegar-based coleslaw, and a big handful of fresh cut and fried French fries, on sliced white Italian bread. It’s hot from the fish/cold from the coleslaw and tomato, soft from the bread and fries/crunchy from the fish crust and coleslaw, salty/vinegary, and just all in all a balanced and over the top and delicious sandwich (that I can only ever eat half of due to its massive size). Also love a good egg and cheese and tomato bagel sandwich, preferably on an everything bagel.
At home, to be honest, I’m not much of a sandwich person. When I was a young adult, I’d pack peanut butter and orange marmalade sandwiches for lunch sometimes. Nowadays that I make my own bread, most of it goes to my daughter’s lunches, and she just loves open faced buttered toast! I also mostly make open faced sandwiches/toast with toppings, with avocado mash, butter and marmalade, ricotta with either salt and pepper or honey and cinnamon.
Thanks for your always educational and informative writing! Always learn something interesting!
Thanks for all of this! Especially the tip on PA sandwiches, as I happen to be near Pittsburgh right now -- for a writing workshop at Chatham, out in Gibsonia -- and I will put Primanti on my list!
Love this! My dad likes cheese and ketchup sandwiches. He once packed one in my lunch when I was in second grade, shortly after we moved to a new state and new school for me. Not only did I find it disgusting, it's not really a lunch to win you friends. These days, my husband packs lunch for himself and my daughter - his go-to (every single day) is ham and cheese with butter and lettuce, and she usually gets peanut butter and cheese on a rolled tortilla - another odd combo, but this one is actually tasty, something my husband invented as the perfect energy-packed hiking lunch and now her favorite anytime lunch! I agree with DPLK, it's hard to find a better sandwich than the one at Primanti Bros. French Fries in a sandwich is a revelation! It's a must-stop anytime we are visiting my mother's home state of PA.
Wild combos!
I didn’t grow-up eating too many sandwiches, oddly. But I loved spreading whipped cream cheese and jelly on matzoh during Passover, and so a few times in my childhood, I recall eating a cream cheese & jelly sandwich. I loved fresh rye bread from the deli with mustard on top - no meat - just mustard. And my mom made us grilled cheese, not on the stove, but in a waffle iron (similar effect to a panini press). Now, as an adult & mom, I love sandwiches for their creative canvas!
Mustard on rye! You’re right, sandwiches are great creative canvases—
I ate sandwiches daily for lunch all through school, and I eat natural peanut butter and strawberry jam on Heidelberg Cracked Wheat, which may be the best store-bought sliced bread you can buy. It also makes amazing toast. But the sandwich that sticks with me I had at Cornell during a research trip to their archives. A ciabatta bun, toasted, with a garlicky herbed cheese spread, half a sweet potato, roasted until very soft and slipped from its jacket, half a roasted red pepper, a slice of red onion, also roasted until soft, melty mozzarella, and baby spinach. It was a mess to eat but the best thing I'd ever tasted. I have since turned those flavors into a pie and hash but haven't eaten them as a sandwich since. I should.
Eggs are a tricky food to eat!!