Sandwiches

1. Sandwiches The History of Sandwiches

2. 1st Century B.C. The first recorded sandwich was by the famous rabbi, Hillel the Elder, who lived during the 1st century B.C. He started the Passover custom of sandwiching a mixture of chopped nuts, apples, spices, and wine between two matzos to eat with bitter herbs. The filling between the matzos served as a reminder of the suffering of the Jews before their deliverance from Egypt and represented the mortar used by the Jews in their forced labor of constructing Egyptian buildings. Because he was the first known person to do this, and because of his influence and stature in Palestinian Judaism, this practice was added to the Seder and the Hillel Sandwich was named after him.

3. 6th to 16th Century During the Middle Ages, thick blocks of coarse stale bread called trenchers were used in place of plates. Meats and other foods were piled on top of the bread to be eaten with their fingers and sometimes with the aid of knives. The trenchers, thick and stale, absorbed the juice, the grease, and the sauces. At the end of the meal, one either ate the trencher or, if hunger had been satisfied, tossed the gravy-soaked bread to their dogs or given as alms to less fortunate or poor human. Alms were clothing, food, or money that is given to poor people: In the past, people thought it was their religious duty to give alms to the poor. Trenchers were clearly the forerunner of our open-face sandwiches.

4. 16th and 17 Century In Mark Morton's well-researched 2004 article Bread and Meat for God's Sake, he wrote: "What, then, were sandwiches called before they were sandwiches? After combing through hundreds of texts, mostly plays, that were written long before the Earl of Sandwich was even born, a possible (through somewhat prosaic) answer emerges. The sandwich appears to have been simply known as "bread and meat" or "bread and cheese." These two phrases are found throughout English drama from the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Dozens of other plays from the same era also make reference to "bread and meat" or "bread and cheese."     

5. 1762 The first written record of the word "sandwich" appeared in Edward Gibbons (1737-1794), English author, scholar, and historian, journal on November 24, 1762. Gibbon recorded his surprise at seeing a score or two of the noblest and wealthiest in the land, seated in a noisy coffee-room, at little tables covered by small napkins, supping off cold meat or sandwiches, and finishing with strong punch and confused politics. "I dined at the Cocoa Tree....That respectable body affords every evening a sight truly English. Twenty or thirty of the first men in the kingdom....supping at little tables....upon a bit of cold meat, or a Sandwich.”

6. 1762, Cont. It is also said that the cooks at London’s Beef Steak Club, a gentlemen's gaming hall held at the Shakespeare Tavern, invented the first sandwich. The sublime society of Beef-steaks' was very exclusive, limited to 24 members. The Prince of Wales became its 25th member. They dined off beef-steaks. The members met at 5 o'clock on Saturday's from November until the end of June. Each member could also invite a friend. John Montague (1718-1792), the Fourth Earl of Sandwich, was a hardened gambler and usually gambled for hours at a time at this restaurant, sometimes refusing to get up even for meals. It is said that ordered his valet to bring him meat tucked between two pieces of bread. Because Montague also happened to be the Fourth Earl of Sandwich, others began to order "the same as Sandwich!" The original sandwich was, in fact, a piece of salt beef between two slices of toasted bread.

7. 1840 The sandwich was introduced to America by Englishwoman Elizabeth Leslie (1787-1858). In her cookbook, Directions for Cookery, she has a recipe for ham sandwiches that she suggested as a main dish. Ham Sandwiches - Cut some thin slices of bread very neatly, having slightly buttered them; and, if your choose, spread on a very little mustard. Have ready some very thin slices of cold boiled ham, and lay one between two slices of bread. You may either roll them up, or lay them flat on the plates. They are used at supper or at luncheon.

8. 1900’s The sandwich became very popular in the American diet when bakeries started selling pre-sliced bread, thus making sandwiches very easy to create. Sandwiches became an easy, portable meal for workers and school children alike.
 

9. Fluffernutter Sandwich Ingredients White Bread Smooth Peanut Butter or PB Alternative Marshmallow Fluff Preparation • Spread PB or PB Alternative on 1 slice of bread. • Spread Marshmallow Fluff on other slice of bread. • Combine bread slices together and enjoy.

10. Marshmallow Fluff/Cream Ingredients 3 Ea. Egg Whites, Room Temperature 2 C. Light Corn Syrup ½ t. Salt 2 C. Powdered Sugar, Sifted 1 T. Vanilla Extract Preparation • In a large bowl of an electric mixer, add egg whites, corn syrup, and salt. • Using your electric mixer on high speed, mix for approximately 5 minutes or until the mixture is thick and volume has almost doubled. • On low speed, add powdered sugar mix until well blended. Add vanilla extract just until well blended. • Your homemade marshmallow fluff/cream is now ready to use in your recipes. Use immediately or refrigerate in a covered container for up to 2 weeks.

11. Philadelphia Cheese Steak Sandwich Ingredients 2 T. Vegetable Oil 2 Ea. Medium Onions, Sliced as Thin and Separated ½ C. Mushrooms, Sliced 12 Oz. Chipped Steak (Thin-Sliced Eye of Round, Rib-Eye or Sirloin Tip Roast) TT S/P TT Cheese Whiz, Provolone or Other Cheese 1 Ea. Hoagie Roll, Italian Loaf or French Baguette Preparation • Heat pan on high and add oil. Lower to medium. Add onions and mushrooms. Stir and cook until mushrooms darken and onion start to look transparent. • Add steak and cook for approx. 3 minutes or until meat is lightly browned. Add S/P. • Heap cooked meat mixture in a length-wise pile across the frying pan, lay cheese slices over meat until melted. If using cheese whiz, melt in a double boiler or in microwave. • Slice bread lengthwise. Using a spatula, scoop ½ the meat mixture and cheese and lay on bread with cheese on top. If using melted Cheese Whiz, ladle it on top. (Don’t use too much, b/c it can be over powering. • Slice sandwich into 2 or 4 pieces and serve with a dill pickle.

12. Baked Caramelized Onions Ingredients 5# or 5-6 Yellow Onions, Large ¼ C. Vegetable Oil 1 T Salt Preparation • Pre-heat oven to 400*F. • Cut off the stem and root ends of the onions, then cut into ¼ inch slices. • Toss the onions with oil and place into a Dutch oven. • Stir every 15 minutes for about 2-2.5 hours. Optional: Add a little Balsamic Vinegar during the last 15 minutes of cooking . Will add a little sweetness and will help balance the some of the tartness.

13. Veggie Hummus Wrap Ingredients 1- 14 Oz. Garbanzo Beans, rinsed and drained or other beans 2 Ea. Garlic Cloves 3 T Lemon Juice 2 T Water ¼ t Cumin, ground ¼ t Salt 1 C. Lettuce, Shredded ¼ C. Carrots, Matchstick ¼ C. Bell Peppers, Matchstick ¼ C. Cherry Tomatoes, Diced ¼ C. Black Olives, Diced 1 T. Feta Cheese or Other Cheese 2- 8” Flour Tortillas, Warmed

14. Veggie Hummus Wrap Cont. Preparation • Place first 6 ingredients in a blender or food processor until smooth. • Warm tortillas in microwave for (15 seconds for two tortillas). • Spread ¼ C. hummus over the top of each tortilla. Divide prepared lettuce, carrots, bell peppers, tomatoes, olives, and cheese evenly over the tortillas. • Fold top and bottom of each tortilla toward center, roll up burrito style. Note: Hummus recipe makes approximately 1 ½ C. or 6 servings. 1 serving equals ¼ C.