Sandwich Queen

Current favorite breakfast:
Locally made bagel, sprouts, tomatoes, and laughing cow cheese

The Background.

I have a coffee shop where I am a regular. It has trendy black tables and chairs, uses natural light effectively, and is independently owned. The owner was talking with people about revising their sandwich board and I thought "Hey! I can help with sandwich inspiration!"

The Story.

Woo's Brews of Wooster, Ohio is a cute place.  It is nestled in the corner and not necessarily obvious unless you are looking for it. That is one of the perks for me; the quiet location is part of its charm. 

Monte Cristo with strawberry jam

The other part of the charm is the atmosphere. It is like a roomy version of a city coffee shop (for roomier Midwestern bodies like mine, I am sure). The owner addresses people by name, often coming around the corner to give hugs. The barista knows my drink (down to the "hold the foam" part) and I always feel like I am being genuinely greeted when I walk in.

They opened in November of 2010 in downtown Wooster, Ohio, about a five minute walk from my house. They are the sort of place that sells baked items from local kitchens, shares samples of said baked goods with the regulars, and begins making my latte as soon as they see me through their glass doors.

This is the sort of place where a discussion among two retired men resulted in panic in the whole coffee shop; there was fear that  a local bakery had closed. I was able to provide the gentlemen with the address (with the use of that new fan-dangled Internet); it turns out that the bakery moved. One of the gentlemen drove to the bakery and called back to Woo's Brews to let everyone know that it is indeed still in business.

Regulars bring in cupcakes to share, and give me newspaper articles to protect me from new Mac viruses. Another regular is a retired man who used to design Lennox crystal; he brings a small portable tablet and paints with water colors while drinking his coffee. A group of cyclists comes in post ride and drinks coffee (picture 5 men in spandex with coffee in their hands). There is one guy who regularly pays for friends and acquaintances, and offers to get other customers coffee refills. It is the sort of place where I can exclaim frustration with the student work I am grading and someone well reassure me that I am invested and that my students should be pleased to have such a dedicated instructor.

Goat cheese, Balsamic V., and Turkey on left. 

One day the owner and her husband were talking about revisiting their sandwich board. They rely heavily on paninis, and since I am (a) trying to eat a bit healthier, (b) want this newly established café to thrive,  (c) not fond of the other options in town, and (d) still slighted from not going to culinary school, I offered to come up with some sandwiches for inspiration.

It seems like the husband was more interested in changes than the owner, but by then my head was already thinking of ideas. I offered to bring in a sandwich a day the following week for a total of 5 sandwiches.

Just two days ago one of my co-workers accused me of being an over-achiever. 

I created a list of 20 sandwiches, 2 salads, 2 potential themes, and an alternative to chips. 

The Recipes.

Turkey Panini with (cheap unauthentic) Mango Chutney

Turkey Panini with Mango Chutney
Country white or sourdough
Sliced turkey breast
Roasted red pepper
Jarlsbery cheese
Mango chutney

Garden Grilled Cheese
Whole Wheat
Cheddar
Sliced cherry tomatoes
Sprouts

MonteCristo
Country white bread
Shaved ham
Swiss cheese
(can consider a thin spread of honey mustard)

Grandma's Grilled Cheese

Grill and serve with strawberry preserves for dipping

Grandma's Grilled Cheese
White bread

Colby
Thinly sliced apple

Balsamic, Goat Cheese, and Turkey Sourdough french bread
Goat cheese
Shredded cooked turkey
Balsamic vinegar
Basil leaves
Sliced english cucumber

Consider broiling turkey and cheese, or grill 

The Process. 

I went to Local Roots and got some great bread that must have been made by a woman who must be either Amish or Mennonite. The honey whole wheat was very much like my own that I blogged about, and the white was perfect for indulgent peanut butter sandwiches. 

The Future. 

I want to work my way through my "theme" lists; I made a peanut butter list and a grilled cheese list. In addition to the sandwiches above these are a part of the lists that I want to make again/for the first
time:

Peanut Butter: (a) grilled PB&J, (b) grilled PB & honey, (c) grilled PB & banana, (d) PB & applesauce, (d) PB & nutella, (e) "Fools Gold": PB, blueberry jam, bacon, (f) fluffer nutter

Grilled Cheese:
(a) roasted red pepper, artichoke heart, and cheddar, (b) cream cheese and strawberry jam cheddar and bacon

Lentil Sprouts

Day 3

The Background.

Full disclosure: this "recipe" is all from Honest Fare. She seems to be an adorable gal and is just starting a food truck (gourmet empanadas - yum). You should go find her (and her two partners in crime) if you live near Winter Park, FL. 

The Story.

When I was in first grade I had Ms. Showalter as a teacher. She was amazing. The best teacher ever. She was my Kindergarden teacher as well, and she told our class she liked us so much she was following us to first grade to teach us again. It is only now, at age 32, that I question her motives for teaching first grade other than to spend more time with us especially cool kids. 


Ms. Showalter did all sorts of cool things with us, I am sure. But I remember a few things in particular about her class: 

Garden Grilled Cheese: Pre grilled

1) I learned how to write my first name in cursive, but since I go by my middle name, kids made fun of me when I didn't know how to spell my first name. In fairness there are a lot of letters in my name. People with names like Amy, Rob, Jason, Sara, or Kurt should not make fun of people with long names like Katharine Elizabeth McDonald. It didn't matter in the end anyway - no one writes in cursive anymore (the jokes on you, mean kids!) 


2) I learned that dried hard brown beans can quickly turn into tender green shoots with only a plastic baggie, some water, and a paper towel from the girls' bathroom. I remember how magical it was to watch the beans grow through the baggie; we measured the growth with rulers at the beginning and the end of the day. After three days we planted the tender shoots in pixie cups and took them home. 

I won't deny that I really wanted to grow beans again. I thought about doing this when I was at Penn State. Sometimes a dissertation really gets to a girl, and it seems like regression might be fun. Plus growing things is cool. 


I recently opened an account on Stumbleupon. It turns out that I am not interested in a lot of topics that are online (which seems strange, given the prodigious amount of time that I spend on the internets). One page, though, that was provided to me through Stumbleupon that made me excited. It was a blog. 

It turns out that, instead of taking those brown beans and putting them in dirt....you can EAT them. What a brilliant idea. It turns out that lentils can be used too! Who knew! They have a spicy crisp to them that are wonderful in salads, sandwiches, and even straight out of the fridge into my mouth. And you don't need any fancy kitchen gadgets, just a Mason or Ball jar! 

The "Recipe".

1. Rinse 1/2 cup lentils (not split or dal form) in cool water, checking for pebbles. 
2. Soak the lentils for 8-12 hours in cool water. 
3. Rinse lentils and place in a canning jar (with enough space that at least 2/3 of the jar is empty). 
4. Cover mouth of jar with cheese cloth and secure with a tight rubber band. 
5. Twice a day fill the jar with water and drain through the cheese cloth - do this a couple of times. 
6. In 3-4 days you will have lentil sprouts! 

The Process & The Future. 

I let my first batch grow for 4.5 days. This was too long and they took root. The roots are fine to eat, but they would be more tender without them. I also let them get too full in the jar and they were difficult to get out! Less grow time for me!


I now use only 1/4 cup dried lentils at a time and, upon Heather's brilliant idea, place the jar on its side. 

I have eaten sprouts in sandwiches both hot and cold, and I must admit that I am particularly fond of them in grilled cheeses! It is nice to know that I am getting that little bit of extra nutrition in, and the sprouts add a little zip without overpowering (think an extra grind of pepper). They also almost melt when warm, which is nice when trying to stack a whole bunch of things onto a sandwich. 

Garden Crilled Cheese: sprouts, tomatoes, & colby

(sneak preview: next post is on sandwiches)

I will be honest, as this time I am thrilled with the idea of sandwiches and salads and have not thought much further than these two items yet. Ideas are welcome!