Sandwiches - The New Black (Sandwich)

Member Name: funzo

Product:	Sandwich
Date:	10/11/08 (349 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Many many variations, cheap filling meal

Disadvantages: have to buy the ingredients

In these credit crunching times, one has to look at ways of saving money. For me one of the easiest savings to make was to take my own sandwich's to work instead of schlepping to Marks and Spencer and spending 3 pound a time on sandwich's full of salt and questionably fresh ingredients. Instead of spending 15 pound a week I was spending 5 pound a week on all the ingredients and 5 minutes a day making the sandwiches that I wanted to eat.

Now as all of my reviews are there to educate and inform as well as entertain here is a short history of the sandwich.

History.

Accredited and named after the 4th Earl of Sandwich - John Montagu, it came into prominence, certainly in England in the 18th century. It is said that The Earl was fond of the meal made up of cold slabs of meat inbetween two slices of bread because it allowed him to continue to play cards, most notably cribbage, while eating without getting his hands and cards greasy from eating meat with his bare hands. The popularity of the sandwich spread with the rise of the industrial society and the need for a fast, portable and inexpensive meal was essential.



My History

As a kid I was what can be described as a Fussyatarian. In that I was very particular as to what I ate, much to my parent's annoyance. To prevent me not eating those school dinner spam fritters and rice pudding that you could stand a spoon in, I was given pack lunches. Lovingly prepared by my mother of the morning of school. In my A-team lunch box with masking flask was always sandwich made by mum. Thick doorstep slices of Cholla bread - a traditional Jewish plaited loaf bread made with egg yeast dough smothered in Stork butter (there wasn't much choice back then!) wrapped around a slab of meat - normally chicken, with a token amount of green by the way of lettuce and cucumber. I loved my sandwiches and if anyone hasn't had Cholla bread I would heartily recommend it, especially toasted. As i left school and entered the big bad world of work, I generally used to buy my lunchtime sandwiches from whatever sandwich shop was most convenient, spending up to 4 pounds a time. Whilst this was easy, it was also expensive and as I moved into working for high street banks, I was finding that it was all too easy to make the 30 second walk to a shop or sandwich bar but I was spending up to 20 pound a week on this. It was then that my love affair with sandwiches was reborn.


Now.

Although no longer working in High street locations with a Subway within 30 yards, the sandwich making habit is one my better habits that I maintain. I love buying fresh wholegrain bread, fresh deli meat and a big bag of salad and making my sandwiches. I tend to avoid white bread because it isn't as healthy as brown and in my humble opinion not as tasty. One day I shall start baking my own bread... one day... as I love fresh baked bread and fresh baked Cholla from the bakers of North West London is still a favourite of mine.


Tips and Observations

With this comprehensive sandwich making experience I am going to pass onto you readers some tips and observations that I have.

For some reason red meat fillings like beef and ham taste better in white bread than brown bread. Whereas white meat like chicken and turkey go well with white and brown bread.

Mighty White bread is the best for toasted Tuna sandwiches

Tuna tastes better with white bread than it does brown

The value types of bread are horrible and shouldn't even be fed to the ducks. What have they done to deserve that?!?

Cholla bread is lovely!

There...that's my sandwich tips and hints......... and that's my review of the sandwich. Essential for Fussyatarians, essential for money saving, no picnic or days fishing is complete without one.

Thanks for reading

Summary: Sandwiches - The New Black