For the Love of Sandwiches

I was thirteen years old when I walked into a small café in northern California and discovered what I consider my first truly notable sandwich. It was a panini with warm roasted chicken, caramelized onions, creamy brie, and an ingredient that has forever changed how I approach sandwiches – slices of tart Granny Smith apples. I had always been a fan of the crispy, sour apple and would enjoy them often, but never had considered them for my sandwiches, or really as a core ingredient in any recipe for that matter. Nevertheless, the fresh apple flavor cleverly cut through the brie like a knife, finished delicately in the sweet onion and chicken, and taught me a lifelong lesson about flavor and texture pairing.

It was a good sandwich, that much is certain, but it was the structure of the flavor that was so clear to me in that moment that I remember most. All at once, I understood why pickles paired so well on a hamburger, and why mustard belongs on every hot dog. I began to comprehend the roles that each ingredient played and realized that classic sandwiches which I had treasured for years were actually carefully assembled structures designed by experienced people with a deep understanding of food. Through this site, I hope to take you through the same path of discovery I had, using only sandwiches as our guide.

Simple and delicious sandwiches are everywhere.

By visiting this site, you will understand sandwiches in an entirely new light. From cafés to fast food, all the way to Michelin-starred restaurants, you can find incredible burgers, melts, and sub sandwiches wherever you look. Even more important than their presence on a menu is their position as a common household meal. Most supermarkets have a large section dedicated to providing sliced bread, cheeses, vegetables, and spreads, entirely to make it easier for you to build affordable and tasty sandwiches.

This site will explore simple ingredient pairings that can drastically elevate your sandwiches by applying basic gastronomy principles. We also will look into why certain combinations like peanut butter and jelly, or bacon, lettuce, and tomato are such staples in sandwich cuisine. There are also many incredible recipes to explore that represent the tastiest versions of iconic sandwiches created around the world.

One of the most beautiful aspects of a sandwich is the ability to adjust the ratio of the ingredients depending on who will eventually be eating it. Certain people might love an Italian hoagie but despise tomatoes or pickles. Due to the open structure of a sandwich, it is fairly simple to adjust the final product to match individual needs. Throughout this site, as we include the background and context for why each ingredient belongs in a sandwich, so you’ll be able to rapidly adapt our recipes to your own palate.