The Perfect Sandwich

I love sandwiches.  They are a mainstay of my diet in the summer, a regular on my lunch rotation, and my first suggestion on a "what shall we eat when the fridge is nearly empty" night.  I eat them cold, eat them toasted, eat them heated.  I eat them with salad, with carrots, with chips, with cottage cheese, with a brownie.  Oh so versatile!

The Perfect Sandwich, though, has a few characteristics that you can count on.

First, you need good bread.  This good bread can be anything from a deli roll or hoagie bun to a slice of rye or pumpernickel or good ol' wheat.  We have good ol' wheat.  We recently discovered Orowheat and their 100% Whole Wheat Bread.  It's a nutty, textural delight, and won't break your bank.

Next, you need a couple good spreads.  I used guacamole and coarse, grainy mustard.  I like the combination of creamy and savory.  Other good options are hummus, mayo, regular mustard, cream cheese, cranberry preserves, fig jam, artichoke dip, olive tapenade.  Just make sure it'll work with your toppings.

Quality meat and cheese.  Go with what you love.  Or what you have on hand.  For me, that was honey-roasted turkey and colby jack cheese.  If you're lucky, maybe you have cooked chicken breast, peppery turkey breast, juicy roast beef, fresh mozzarella, sliced gouda, half-melted brie... again, the list could go on and on.  Just make sure you have a meat and a cheese, ok folks?

Tasty extras.  Lettuce, spinach, avocado, red onion, basil, artichokes, parsley.  Something to give a little height to your sandwich, plus a little color.  You can see that my sandwich is sorely missing this.  So maybe I ought not to have titled this "The Perfect Sandwich."

Well, let me say this - you don't know what perfect looks like until you've seen imperfect.  Philosophy begins in the kitchen.