Pots and Pans
Thursday, February 9, 2012
BLT, PB&J, Reuben, Grilled Cheese, Philadelphia Cheesesteak, Clubhouse, Chicken, Ham and Cheese. Egg, and a few others. What do they have in common?
They are all sandwiches! And they have been and will always be a part of our daily dietary routine. Well, maybe not every day but I am sure we do eat this a lot of times, whether as breakfast, lunch, dinner or snacks.
A sandwich is defined as a food item, using two or more slices of breads with fillings in-between. If, however, only a slice is used or served in an "open" style, this is more known as an "open" sandwich wherein the topping (filling) is obviously placed on top. It should also be handy and portable, meaning one can eat it with hands and can be "brought" along if needed.
So, what kind of bread is used in sandwiches? It can be any of the following more popular ones: bagel, baguette, biscuit, pumpernickel, rye, scone, sourdough, French, white and whole wheat. And for the Pinoys, it will be Pan de Sal naturally!
Aside from the Pan de Sal, we have "sliced" bread, which is actually white bread (and mistakenly always called as "American" bread"). We also make use of monay and star bread, which is kind of "heavier" in texture much like that of a bagel.
Simple fillings can include butter/margarine, with or without sugar, cheese slices, mayonnaise, peanut butter, egg, ham or bacon. But with more choices available in the market today, we mix and match with whatever we fancy like, ham and egg sandwich, with a layer of mayonnaise and even tomato and onions to make it more savory!
What about hotdog sandwich with mayo, catsup and mustard? Clubhouse sandwich with ham, egg, bacon, cheese, lettuce, mayonnaise, pickles and a side dish of French fries or potato chips? Hero (Sub) sandwiches were fillings are endless!
Really, the choices is now getting more complicated (if one looks at it that way!), because not only does one need to know the types of bread used, but also the filling one would like to have! There are ham, bacon, cheese, chicken chunks or slices, turkey, tuna, sausages, salami, pepperoni, bologna, etc. And also "extras" like lettuce, tomatoes, onions, olives, bell pepper, pickles, mushrooms and other "veggies"!
Now, with the cheeses, there are also a handful but the more popular ones includes cheddar which can be mild or sharp, mozzarella, Monterey jack, cream cheese, provolone, Swiss, brie and our very own Quezo de bola.
From the regular catsup, mayonnaise and mustard, we also have some "spicy" condiments which perks up our palates, depending on how "hot" one can take! Some even adds real chili peppers to their sandwiches for a spicier taste!
I am sure most of us have heard of hero or sub (short for submarine, because of its shape) and is made of a long roll of French or Italian bread, split lengthwise and filled with a variety of meat, cheese, vegetable, sauces and other seasonings. And true to its name, this can be as short as 6"-8" long although 12" is more available. I have even seen 24" and more of this type of sandwich during special occasions in the United States which is quite common. It is then sliced into about 3" short for easier handling.
As for the more Pinoy taste, we would go for (although we are now more open to newer tastes and trends!) the pan de sal with eggs (usually scrambled), with some mayo or catsup. And if we are lucky, then we will have hotdogs, bacon, sausages. We would even have longganisa, tocino, chorizo for a more Pinoy flair! What about adobo flakes? Humba?
Of course, who can forget the proverbial hamburger, cheeseburger, chicken sandwich, clubhouse and tuna sandwich? These are more of the "safe" sandwiches we normally order or eat, but as I have said earlier, we are now more challenged to try and taste new flavors, new style, trends.
Besides, what do we eat when we are in a hurry? Or whenever we run out of steamed rice? It is always breads and sandwich to the rescue!
Try to be more imaginative, try to explore and make your own delectable sandwich now!
(Website: www.potsnpans1976.weebly.com; email ad: potsnpans1976@yahoo.com)
Published in the Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro newspaper on February 09, 2012.
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