Sandwiches of History

Sandwiches of History: The Cookbook

by Barry W. Enderwick
Genres: Cooking / History
Published on November 5, 2024
Pages: 160
Format: eARC Source: Netgalley
Amazon

The ultimate book for the sandwich connoisseur (or even the sandwich curious): nearly 100 recipes spanning the centuries, from the most well-known to obscure but delicious sandwiches. 

Ah, sandwiches. They’re everywhere. But what’s the story behind the club, the Cuban, or the hot brown? Through his various social media platforms, Barry Enderwick (@sandwichesofhistory) has been exploring all things sandwich for years. In Sandwiches of History: The Cookbook, for the first time, he has taken the source material for dozens of sandwiches and painstakingly recreated them—staying as faithful as possible to every original sandwich, while providing much more guidance on successfully making each one. From the classics, like the Cucumber Tea Sandwich or The Sophisticated Club Sandwich, to the out-of-the-box, like The Hot Chicken Tuna Sandwich and the Mock Banana Sandwich, Barry provides not only recipes, but interesting information and fun facts that pertain to them. Chapters and recipes include:

  • Tea and Snack Sandwiches: Tomato Sandwich, Nasturtium Leaves Sandwich, Smoked Salmon Sandwich, Lettuce Sandwich, Watercress Sandwich, Cucumber Sandwich, Salad Sandwich, Pineapple Cucumber Sandwich  
  • Club Sandwiches: Club House Sandwich, Sheridan Park Club Sandwich, Milwaukee Sandwich, Salmon Club Sandwich, Olive Bacon Club, Swiss Club Sandwich, The Club Special, The Sophisticated Club Sandwich, The New Manhattan Club Sandwich 
  • Surprising Sandwiches: Spanish Sandwich, Schmancy Ham Sandwich, BBQ Beef Sandwich, Toast Sandwich, Dairy Sandwich, Shrimp Sandwich, Hot Dog Sloppy Joe, Hot Chicken Tuna Sandwich
  • Vegetarian Sandwiches: Mushroom Sandwich, Picnic Sandwich, Gruyere Sandwich, East India Lentil Sandwich, Olive Sandwich, Bombay Sandwich, Waffled Cheesewich
  • International Sandwiches: Pan Bagnat (France), Chicken Banh Mi (Vietnam), Barros Luco (Chile), Rou Jia Mo (China), Tomago Sando (Japan), Carne Asada Torta (Mexico), Chip Buttie (UK), Membosha (Korea), Croque Monsieur et Madame
  • Open Faced and Sauced Sandwiches: Kentucky Hot Brown, Horseshoe Sandwich, Hot Dog Sandwich, Surprise Sandwich, Tomato Cheese Club Sandwich, Cheesy Cheesy Hamburger Sandwich, Sloppy Joe, Shrimp Club Sandwich, The ‘70s Special 
  • Sweet Sandwiches: Chocolate Sandwich Number 3, School Sandwich, Date and Orange Sandwich, Ginger Sandwich, Strawberry Sandwich, Peanut Butter and Cherry Sandwich, Mock Banana Sandwich WWII, Dusty Nuttergoose Sandwich

And that’s not all! Barry also includes his signature “plus ups” for taking good sandwiches and making them great, as well as a handful of full sandwich remixes. There’s an argument to be made that this is the greatest thing since, well, sliced bread.

I picked up this book while I was browsing on Netgalley. It just looked like fun. The author has scoured old cookbooks from the mid-1800s to the 1970s for sandwich ideas. He researched recipes and rewrote them with standardized measurements so each recipe makes one sandwich. For many of the recipes he then presents ideas of how to enhance them to suit today’s tastes.

I think my favorite recipe was for the toast sandwich.  That is just about what it sounds like.  Take a piece of toasted bread and put it between two untoasted pieces of bread.  It was recommended for sick people who couldn’t handle anything harder to digest.  

The rest of the recipes are more complex.  There are several variations on club sandwiches and grilled cheeses.  There are a lot of flavor combinations that I would have never thought of.  I don’t know that I would ever end up making anything from this book but it was bright and colorful with delightful commentary on the recipes and the history surrounding them.  I also really enjoyed the sections of the history of mustard, mayo, and ketchup.  This is a fun read!