By Darrell Roach

The Muffuletta is a Sicilian specialty sandwich that is affectionately called The Muff. When the Italians came to America The Muff was adopted by the southern states and specifically New Orleans. The Muff was made famous in 1906 by the Central Grocery shop of New Orleans. The Muff is like the ultimate club sandwich and then some. The Muff is made of a 10 inch wide round loaf or ciabatta. The loaf is traditionally hollowed out and stuffed full of cured meats like Parma ham, Mortadella, Pepperoni, Milano and Napoli salami layered upon each other. Then add a couple of different types of cheese like mozzarella and provolone and to finish it off with an olive salad made up of sundried tomatoes, black and green olives, capers, basil, parsley and extra virgin olive oil. Ideally you make up an olive salad the day before to let the flavours marry.

Once The Muff is made press it all down, wrap in shrink-wrap and leave in the fridge for 2-3 hours. It is best to add some added weight to compress the sandwich and so that the oils and flavours get absorbed into the meat, cheese and bread. I think the type of holed cheeses I used enhances this process. I like it warmed slightly in the oven for 5 minutes so that the fats run out of the meat into the bread and the cheese melts. This creates the ultimate warm ham and cheese sandwich or manwich might be more accurate. Apparently warming the sandwich is a big no, no for a Muffuletta. I also made mine more into a Mediterranean sandwich and not strictly Italian. I added Chorizo and Serrano ham, mainly because I couldn't get Parma ham. I also added German peppered salami and Jarlsberg and Emmental cheese. I have seen Peter Gordon do a version were he added some beetroot and carrot, I guess to put a New Zealand spin on The Muff. When I did mine I added the roasted beetroot, but not the carrot. The addition of the beetroot adds a wonderful vibrant colour to the layers when you cut into The Muff. Making and eating this sandwich is an experience, one that needs a napkin for all the juices that dribble down your chin.

Darrell writes an informal blog dedicated To Metallica, Fine Wine & Cake, Cigars, Innovative TV & Cinema. Music With Soul. And a joy of cooking.

At
http://tastemeyouwillsee.blogspot.com/

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By Nick Messe

The sandwich has become one of the food staples that keeps us going. In fact there are places to get great sandwiches and subs all over the world. Places like Bob's Pantry in Highland Park and Ravinia Illinois - a famous Ravinia Deli.

Sandwiches have been around for hundreds of years. Today a typical sandwich consists of two pieces of bread with filler in between, but early sandwiches were not always like this. The modern sandwich owes a lot to what we now usually call a "wrap". For example, for centuries there has been a Jewish food preparation consisting of Paschal lamb wrapped between two pieces of flat unleavened bread eaten during Passover.

But the open-faced sandwich has an interesting history too. Before the 1800's slices of stale bread were used by taverns instead of plates. They would place these slabs of bread - known as trenchers - on the tables and meat or other food would be placed on top of them, and the bread would sop up the juices from the meal. At the end of the meal the trencher would either be eaten or thrown to the ever-present dogs.

The word "sandwich" began to be used in the mid to late 1700s because the 4th Earl of Sandwich liked to eat his food in a manner that allowed him to carry on with other activities. More often than not this consisted of meat between two pieces of bread. This allowed him to continue working at his desk or playing cribbage with his friends without getting his hands greasy by having to handle meat directly.

The term "sandwich" eventually caught on in London because others who noticed this practice started asking for "the same as Sandwich". Eventually the name caught on to describe what we now call a "finger food" that could be eaten with the hands without causing a mess.

By the 1800's a sandwich usually meant a piece or several pieces of cold meat slapped in between two pieces of bread. Today there are many varieties of sandwiches, and many businesses that have profited from just selling sandwiches.

Today's sandwiches have grown from being just meat in between bread. Now we have a much broader range of sandwiches of different kinds - from fast food hamburgers to submarines and Italian sandwiches. These different varieties usually substitute a special bun for the classic two slices of bread. We now also add many different kinds of condiments and toppings to them. The most common condiments include lettuce, tomatoes, mayonnaise, pickles, mustard, relish, ketchup and many more. These are just a very few of what is out there to use to create your own masterpiece.

There are hundreds of different types of meats and sandwich fillers that one can build a sandwich around. When you walk into a carry out restaurant or deli store you order exactly what you want on that sandwich. Some restaurants have even created hot versions of sandwiches. These are much tastier than ones in the 1800's.

There are many different types of breads available too. The same sandwich can become a completely different creation depending on the bread that is used. That makes what used to be the common sandwich into a more exotic, more nutritious, and more tasty alternative to heavier fare. making lunches and dinners easier to do at a much more rapid pace. Sandwiches are a quick fix to supper and can accommodate even the busiest of schedules.

So as one can see, sandwiches have gone from the simple bread and meat variety into a nutritious food with a thousand variations. Each one is created to suit an individual's needs and tastes and they are perfect for the rushed pace that many people live their lives at. Since sandwiches are so readily available and can be made to order, they have become a staple in our busy lives.

These days having a sandwich doesn't mean sitting at a smokey tavern sopping up juices with bread. It means having one of a thousand different varieties of what has become the perfect food for busy people on the go.

For an outstanding sandwich or sub visit Bob's Pantry and Deli - the best Highland Park Deli you're going to find - deli sandwiches, Italian subs, garden and Caesar salads, gourmet coffee. For delivery call 847-432-DELI.

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By Mark Hewitt

Part 1: The Sponge

The sponge adds extra texture and body to the finished ciabatta, and it needs to be made the day before.

• 1/2 teaspoon of yeast
• 1/3 cup of warm water
• 1 cup of bread flour

If the yeast is the dry active kind, mix it with the warm water first and leave it for about 10 minutes or until a goodsized lump of gack floats to the surface - that shows the yeast has activated. Then mix in the flour. If it's instant, just put it all in a bowl and mix. Then cover it in clingfilm and let it stand for 12-24 hours. The yeast will grow, feed, turn the mixture to bubbly froth and then die. Don't feel sad for it, yeast dies every day and also is non-sentient and therefore unable to regret it's own mortality. Just enjoy its delicious bubbly leavings.

Part 2: The Dough

• 2 teaspoons of yeast
• 2 tablespoons of milk
• 2/3 cup of warm water
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 2 1/2 cups of bread flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt
• The sponge from yesterday

As before, if you're using dry active yeast, activate it in the water first. Otherwise mix everything together and either knead or (if you're relatively lazy like me) pound it in the food processor until the magic smoke comes out. Then put the dough in a bowl and put in a warm place to rise - keep it a little damp somehow, either cover with a damp towel (I always find it sticks when the dough rises) or put a pan of water next to or under it (my approach).

Let the dough rise for 1 and a half hours, then gently turn it out onto a floured surface - just tip the bowl and gently help it out with your fingers, try to keep it in roughly the same lump. Now press it down lightly till it forms a round as in the picture, cut it in half, and shape each half just a little to be more like the standard ciabatta loaf.

Now cover the two ciabattas with a wet towel (you'll probably have to wet it again a couple of times to stop it sticking) and let them sit for another hour and a half to rise just a little more. Preheat your oven to 200 degrees, and heat the baking tray in there for a few minutes. Whip it out, and turn the two ciabattas over onto it so the floured side is now on top - the dough should be quite firm and easy to lift without misshaping them too much.

Now you just bake the ciabattas at 200 degrees until they are golden brown and sound hollow when you thump them. They will develop a thick crust in the process, but thanks to the sponge and long rising times they should be light and airy in the middle. Let them cool for a good hour (or the crumb inside will get mashed up when you cut them).

After that it's time to play a little game I like to call "how many ingredients can I get in a sandwich?" Today, in honour of the noble Italians who invented both this marvellous bread and Al Pacino, I'm going to be making a fairly classic Italian sandwich with sausage (a mixture of hot and sweet - my beloved local butchers Clarks have just added both to their repertoire), sauteed pepper and onions, garlic mayo and some of my home-made pesto. Woohoo!

The other one goes in the freezer - they freeze really well and defrost surprisingly quickly with no loss of crustiness. Good to have stocked away for emergencies, like when you really want a sandwich.

Mark Hewitt is an English foodie, cook, philosopher, geek, shaman and writer. At the start of 2007 he sold or gave away almost all his possessions and left on a backpacking journey round the world, the purpose being (at least in part) to figure out why he would want to do such a thing. You can follow his journey and find other articles at: http://www.scadindustries.com/sael/journal.html

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You do not have to have a specialty panini sandwich maker to make great and authentic tasting panini grill sandwiches; you can make them on your outdoor gas or charcoal grill or indoors with your George Foreman grill or even on a griddle or in a skillet. The secret to making a great panini is a bit of pressure while cooking and your panini grill sandwich recipes.

A panini sandwich is made with the filling placed between the two slices of bread that is grilled very quickly and the sandwich is pressed together tightly while it is being cooked. This pressure causes the ingredients to meld into a more delicious combination and because this is all done with high heat, it also results in a crispier outside, too. And that is why panini are so popular, the combination of super flavorful and a bit of crunch in the crust. When you look for panini grill sandwich recipes, you'll find endless variations, but the best ones will consist of thinly sliced meat or fish, grated or thinly sliced cheese and everything will be as fresh as possible.

The bread is another important choice in selecting a panini grill sandwich recipe. The bread you use should be hearty, not light and airy. Ciabatta bread or focaccia are the traditional Italian choices, but any dense bread, especially an herbed bread, is a good choice. Make sure it is flat so that it grills evenly.

Your choices for fillings are as varied and interesting as you'd like them to be. When choosing meats you will want them to be precooked or cured as the grilling process is meant to heat the sandwich, not cook the fillings. Favorite meat choices include prosciutto, salami, roast beef, chicken, turkey or pastrami. Thinly sliced salmon is a wonderful choice, smoked makes a delicious sandwich and using last night's leftover grilled fish is sublime. The smoky flavor from grilling is tailor made for the flavor melding that panini are known for. Look for panini grill sandwich recipes that use the flavor melding to its fullest.

Most panini grill sandwich recipes will tell you to use a specialty panini grill. While it is nice to use the proper equipment to make these sandwiches, if you don't have one and can't get one, don't despair. You can make a panini sandwich on your outdoor grill; this is a great choice for adding flavor through a cooking method as well as ingredient choice. You can also use a two surface grill such as a George Foreman grill or even a skillet or griddle. If you have a waffle maker, that will work, too. The key is to make sure you preheat the surface well and apply pressure to the sandwich while cooking. If you are using a grill or skillet you can use a foil wrapped brick or a pie pan filled with rocks or sand, or you can just press the sandwich firmly with your spatula.

There are many options for panini grill sandwich recipes, but the simplest and the tastiest panini grill sandwich recipes are the ones you come up with yourself. Your family will appreciate the personal touch and you'll want to make them again and again.

Yum, those lovely and delicious Panini Grill Sandwich recipes. For more tips and ideas on outdoor bbq grills.

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