TIME TO GIVE THE PBJ SANDWICH A REST

Don't Forget The Classics! Ten Sandwiches That Can Save Your Day

Image: Raphael Nogueira

Everybody knows how to make a sandwich. You stick a bunch of ingredients between two pieces of bread and that’s it, right? If you are in a hurry and need to eat something, an improvised sandwich will probably do the trick. But there are many variations and combinations of the original recipe that can make the experience a much more enjoyable one. Take a look at the following ten and see if you can add one to your sandwich repertoire.

Image: Eaters Collective

Try a glorious combination that adds the freshness of the apple to classic sandwich ingredients. You will need 2 slices of any hearty white sandwich bread or other crusty bread, sliced about 1⁄2 inch thick, 2 tablespoons of Dijon-style or maple mustard, 2 slices deli-style Swiss cheese, 2 ounces of deli-style smoked turkey, 1 large Granny Smith apple, cored and thinly sliced, and 2 to 3 tablespoons butter.

Start by placing a skillet over medium-low heat. Lay four slices of bread on a flat surface. Top each with ½ tablespoon of mustard, followed by one slice of Swiss cheese. Add 2 ounces of smoked turkey and three to four apple slices. Then, top with the remaining cheese and bread. Butter the top of each sandwich and place the butter side down on the hot skillet. Butter the remaining side, then cook for 3 to 4 minutes per side, or until the bread turns golden brown and the cheese melts.

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A vegetarian-friendly sandwich, the Triple-Play Grilled Cheese requires 2 slices of fresh sourdough or good sandwich bread, 4 to 5 teaspoons of cream cheese, Dijon-style mustard, 1⁄3 cup of loosely packed shredded extra sharp cheddar cheese, 2 to 3 very thin slices of ripe tomato, 1⁄3 cup of loosely packed shredded Havarti cheese, and 1 tablespoon of softened butter or mayonnaise.

Start by smearing one slice of bread with half of the cream cheese and mustard, and cover it with the cheddar cheese. Then, lay on two or three slices of tomato, and cover with the Havarti cheese. After that, smear the other slice of bread with the remaining cream cheese, add more mustard, and place it, cream cheese side down, on the Havarti cheese. Place the sandwich on a hot skillet and cook it for 2 to 3 minutes.

Image: Eaters Collective

Sandwiches in Vermont farms can be exquisite, as this recipe shows. You will need 2 slices of whole wheat bread, brown mustard, horseradish, some sliced roast beef or other meat, a raw sliced yellow onion, and cheddar cheese.

Start by spreading one piece of bread lavishly with mustard and the other with a very thick layer of horseradish. Then, add the meat, several slices of onion, and two slices of cheddar cheese. Assemble the sandwich and enjoy.

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A classic sandwich, the Croque Monsieur has been around for quite some time and deserves every bit of the appreciation it receives. To make one at home, you will need 2 slices of white or sourdough bread, 1 slice of Gruyere cheese, 1 slice of smoked ham,

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, 1 egg, 1/4 cup milk, and 2 tablespoons butter.

Start by heating a large griddle over medium heat. Then prepare one ham-and-cheese sandwich, spreading the mustard on one slice of bread only. In a shallow bowl, beat the egg and milk together. Dip both sides of the sandwich in the egg mixture. Melt the butter and grill the sandwich, flipping once.

Image: Ola Mishchenko

Just like the PBJ, this is one of those sandwiches with a name that describes its contents. To make a Tomato, Basil, and Mozzarella sandwich, you will need 1 small loaf of French bread, 1 tablespoon of basil pesto (which you can substitute with olive oil), 1 large ripe tomato, sliced, salt and pepper, 2 slices of mozzarella cheese, and some fresh basil leaves.

Start by slicing the French bread on the diagonal, making at least a dozen slices. Coat one side of each slice of bread with pesto or olive oil. Then, layer on the tomato slices, season with salt and pepper, add the mozzarella slices and fresh basil leaves. Top with a second piece of bread, and you’re done!

Image: Scott Hendrickson

Sandwiches can be a gourmet food, and the French Toast Cordon Bleu is solid proof. To make one of these, you will need 2 slices of ham, 1 slice of mozzarella cheese, 2 slices of Portuguese bread or Brioche, 1 egg, 1 cup of milk or cream, 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract, a dash of cinnamon or nutmeg, and some confectioners' sugar.

Prepare a normal sandwich with the ham, cheese, and bread. Then combine the egg, milk, vanilla, and cinnamon, and holding the sandwich together, dunk it into the milk and egg, but don’t soak it. Grill on both sides until golden brown. Dust with confectioners’ sugar and serve with maple syrup.

Image: Dan Burton

Pita pockets are a great way to eat a sandwich with less bread. To make this delicious treat, you will need 1 well-drained can of tuna, 1 small firm apple, peeled, cored, and diced, 2 tablespoons of chopped sweet onion, 1 small stalk of diced celery, 1 teaspoon of curry powder, 1/2 a teaspoon of ground cumin, 1/4 cup of jalapeno jelly and 2 pita pockets.

Start by combining the tuna, apple, onion, and celery in a small bowl. Then, in a separate bowl, stir together the curry, cumin, and jalapeno jelly, add to the tuna, and mix well. Warm the pitas, cut open, and put the mix inside. Done!

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The Super Steak Sandwich won’t disappoint you. You will need vegetable oil, a cup of beer, 1 chopped garlic clove, 1/4 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper, 1 tablespoon of Dijon-style mustard, 1 beef flank steak, a tablespoon of butter, 1 sliced onion, 1 cup of sliced mushrooms, 1/4 teaspoon of paprika, 1 large loaf of French bread, and cheese (choose your favorite).

Start by combining the oil, beer, garlic, pepper, salt, and mustard in a medium bowl. Marinate the steak overnight in the refrigerator. In a large skillet, melt the butter and sauté the onion and mushrooms with the paprika until tender and lightly browned; keep warm while cooking the steak. Remove the steak from the marinade and broil or grill for about 4 to 5 minutes per side. Slice the meat diagonally into 1/4-inch pieces. Cut the French bread into two equal pieces, then cut each piece in half horizontally. Divide the onion-mushroom mixture evenly among two pieces of bread, top with meat, and cover with the remaining bread.

Image: Youjeen Cho

This fresh take on a classic adds an ingredient that has already been present in some of the previous recipes. To make this tuna sandwich, you will need 1 can of well-drained chunk tuna, 2-3 tablespoons of mayonnaise, 2-4 slices of red onion, 1 Golden Delicious or Granny Smith sliced apple, some lettuce, and 2-4 slices of Cheddar cheese.

Mix the tuna, mayonnaise, onion, and apple together. Place a slice of lettuce on 1 piece of bread, then spread the tuna over it. Top with the cheddar cheese. Broil the sandwich without closing it and serve.

Image: Amber Fisher

Anything tastes better with bacon, and sandwiches are not an exception. To make this bacon sandwich, you will need 6 rashers of rindless back bacon, 1 white country loaf, butter, 3 tablespoons of tomato chutney, and 1 large garlic clove, peeled and cut in half.

Start by heating a frying pan, then cook the bacon for 3 minutes each side or until golden and crisp. Then, cut 6 thick slices from the loaf and butter each one on one side. Spread the chutney evenly over 3 slices of the bread and then top each with 2 rashers of bacon. Top with the other slices of bread, buttered side down, and then press together. Put the sandwiches on the pan for 2 more minutes, rub the cut sides with the garlic clove, and serve.

1.

How do you like your food?

Beyond "well done" and "rare": words to describe how you want your food

Image: amirali mirhashemian

Taste is subjective; what seems overcooked to some may be perfect to others. What is too salty for one person might be too bland for someone else. Fortunately, over time, certain terms have been widely agreed upon to describe and distinguish the different stages of the cooking process and the varying degrees of seasoning typically used. Everyone knows what "well done" and "rare" mean, but many other words can describe how we want our food, often with great precision. Do you use any of these?

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If "rare" is still too cooked for your taste, then "extra-rare" or "blue" describes the doneness level you're looking for in a piece of red meat.

This is a steak that is lightly seared on the outside but remains red and cool on the inside. To achieve this, a blue steak is cooked for a very short period of time, just enough to brown the surface. The result is a steak that is soft and tender, perfect for those who love a melt-in-your-mouth texture.

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One of the two most well-known terms for doneness, "rare" describes a steak that is browned on the outside but remains very soft and red on the inside. The center is warm, though not hot to the tongue, typically cooked to an internal temperature of about 120–125°F.

Image: Stu Moffat

What if you don’t want your steak to be too juicy, but not dry either? Then you ask for it "medium rare." This steak is firm and browned on the outside, but still very tender in the center, with a warm red middle and a slight pink ring around the edge. This is considered by many chefs as the ideal doneness for flavor and texture balance.

Image: Tim Rüßmann

Pink but not too juicy. That is a good, short definition of a "medium" cooking point. This steak has a small ring of gray-brown on the outside and a warm pink center, with only a hint of red. For cuts with more marbling, this is the point where the fat begins to melt, enhancing flavor and tenderness.

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A bit more cooked than "medium," "medium well" is the point at which a steak starts to become noticeably firm. The meat is mostly gray-brown throughout, with only a slight hint of pink remaining in the center.

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You know this one. "Well done" is the most thoroughly cooked level of doneness on the menu. The steak is uniformly brown or gray throughout, with no trace of pink in the center. It’s typically quite firm and can be tough to chew, though it can still be flavorful, especially with the right cut and seasoning.

Image: Emerson Vieira

Most people consider this level of doneness flavorless, dry, and tough to chew, but some genuinely enjoy it. An overcooked steak is usually solid light gray throughout, with a heavily charred exterior that can add a distinctive, smoky flavor.

Image: Klara Kulikova

Moving on from meat doneness, you’ve probably heard this one. Al dente is an Italian expression meaning "to the tooth," used to describe pasta that is cooked just enough to remain firm to the bite.

In contemporary Italian cooking, it’s considered the ideal texture for pasta and is achieved with a relatively short cooking time.

Image: Krisztina Papp

Sometimes you don’t want your egg soft-boiled, but you don’t want it hard-boiled either. A medium-boiled egg offers the perfect middle ground. At this stage, the white is fully set, while the yolk remains jammy, thick and creamy, but not runny.

Image: Louis Hansel

How do you like your broccoli? Cooked but not overdone or soft, right? The correct term to describe this cooking point is "tender crisp." Broccoli or asparagus prepared this way is cooked until tender while still retaining a slight crispness.

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When fully cooked, the meat of a fish should easily separate into flakes. A "flaky" fish is well-done, tender, and moist.

Image: Toa Heftiba

A "seared" fish is cooked quickly over high heat—usually in a pan—to create a browned crust while keeping the interior less cooked. This technique is often used for tuna or salmon.