'wichcraft: Craft A Sandwich Into A Meal--And A Meal Into A Sandwich (2009) - Plot & Excerpts
I only know the author from Top Chef, which I don't watch that often, but I picked it up by chance when I got my new library card because of the gorgeous photos of sandwiches inside. I do like that the index includes images of every sandwich, as there are not as many scattered throughout the book. I'm not sure if it is a misprint or because it is a library book, but there are about 10 pages missing from the book, so I'm missing about 4 of the breakfast sandwiches. That aside, I loved the ideas for the breakfast/cool sandwiches the best, esp as they had so many vegetarian options in there. The Stewed Apricots and Fennel with Ricotta, Pistachios, and Black Pepper; Goat Cheese with Avocado, Celery, Walnut Pesto and Watercress; Raw Yellow Beets with Avocado, Grapefruit, and Radish Sprouts; Smoked Salmon with Avocado, Green Mango, and Basil; and Lobster with Sweet Potato-Fennel Slaw with Tarragon Vinaigrette looked the best to me. The Beer-Braised Short Ribs with Pickled Vegetables, Aged Cheddar and Horseradish; Fried Squid Po-Boy with Avocado and Black Chile Oil; Fontina with Black Trumpet Mushrooms and Truffle Fondue; and Pork Sausage with Pickled Grilled Fennel and Argula also sounds awesome. As you might have guessed from my picks, I have a thing for fennel and avocado, lol. The only thing I didn't like was the part about the restaurant/chefs instead of coming out "look at all the cool things we do" came out as shameless self-promotion, though I would be interested to try the actual sandwiches at one of their locations. I was never all that interested in the Craft cookbook, but I was looking for a cookbook devoted to sandwiches and there really aren't that many options available. Some of the recipes are fairly complicated, for a sandwich, but then . . . a complicated sandwich is still a lot easier than most complicated entrees. And after I tried a few recipes I became more trusting of Colicchio's odder sounding choices. I started off skeptical of using deliberately under-ripe mangoes or something called "onion marmalade" but once I tried it I couldn't imagine why I'd never been exposed to it before. The condiments are worth the price of the book alone, and its great because just cooking for two, I usually end up with plenty left over which I can use to experiment with for other purposes.
What do You think about 'wichcraft: Craft A Sandwich Into A Meal--And A Meal Into A Sandwich (2009)?
The best part was the "menu" at the beginning, and that's only for the design.
—mandye
Gorgeous photos, but not many sandwiches I can actually see myself making.
—lance
Good sandwich ideas. If this book was $3 I would buy it.
—ethan
