bacon breakfast sandwich

This post is dedicated to Nicole. We've been friends forever and I love her dearly. She's a little bit of a picky eater, but I know she likes breakfast food, and I know she would have liked this. I'll make it for you anytime Nicole. Have a great month in Montreal.





toasted whole grain bread
bacon
roast chicken
portobello mushroom
fried egg
maple syrup
creamed honey and dijon
salt

Review:
I fried the bacon, then fried the portobellos in bacon fat, then fried them both with the chicken in the creamed honey and dijon blend, and maple syrup. And the egg yolk was still a tad runny when I flattened the bread on top of it. You do the math. Holy shit, food is good.

roast chicken, BACON and swiss

This sandwich is dedicated to the boys of Burn Planetarium. They are as great people as they are songwriters. They play some of my favorite songs on the planet, yet they've decided to call it quits. I'm saddened but thankful for all the shows I've been able to see. Truly one of the best acts the local scene has had in the years I've witnessed. I strongly recommend catching their last show ever on July 10th at Sneaky Dee's. Check out their great acoustic video here http://www.southernsouls.ca/burnplanetarium.html and their myspace at http://www.myspace.com/burnplanetarium.





toasted dark rye baguette
BACON fried in maple syrup
roast chicken glazed in creamed honey and dijon
melted shredded swiss cheese
royal gala apple slices

Review:
OH MY GOODNESS! I used dark meat from the chicken, and glazed that with the creamed honey and dijon before popping that half into the toaster. This was the first time I didn't toast the bread before putting the fixings on to toast, which kept it really soft. Topped with bacon, cooked just long enough to let the fat render, it was still soft and chewy and dripping with insanely tasty fat and maple syrup. The other half, with toasted apple and swiss was the appropriate pairing. Dangerously similar to a delicious sandwich option "How To Fight Loneliness" at Sky Blue Sky Sandwich Company Ltd. http://sbssandwiches.com/. Go figure. And yes, this is the second posting in an hour, because I was feeding my friend Brendan, again, for the second time in an hour, because he was high as shit. And a fellow sandwich enthusiast, so I was only too happy to make another. It was SO fucking great.

sausage and cranberry

This post is dedicated to Franberry. The sandwich is modeled after a pizza he made me once that was pretty much the most unexpected and exciting pizza I've ever eaten.





toasted mini baguette
fried honey garlic sausage
fried portobello mushroom
fried rappini
fried garlic
melted swiss cheese
chopped dried cranberries
maple syrup

Review:
maybe later.

mixed meats and new potatoes

toasted sourdough bun
roast chicken with skin
maple roast ham
melted swiss cheese
toasted broccoli tops
tomato
maple syrup

served with:
boiled then fried new potatoes with salt, pepper, parsley, chives and maple syrup (made by b, thanks buddy)

Review:
I wish I had more to say about the appearance of broccoli on a sandwich. But this sandwich was just so rushed, I don't have the heart to write that it was only ok. I'm saving the other half for later, which I'm sure will be more enjoyable with 6 hours of flavor steeping time. This is also probably the first time on the blog that two meats have appeared on the same sandwich. It probably won't happen again, not often at least. With the exception of bacon. I finally got around to getting some. But bacon is less of a meat than it is a condiment.

portobello and red bell pepper

I think this was almost exactly what he wanted. Happy birthday Brendan.





toasted mini baguette
fried honey garlic sausage
melted swiss cheese
fried portobello mushroom
fried red bell pepper
fried garlic
secret ingredients
salt and pepper

Review:
This makes me wonder why I ever use any other kind of mushroom.

fresh pasta

So, it's been a really long while since I've posted something other than a sandwich. This is a really simple pasta dish that tasted wonderfully fresh. I'm dedicating this to Becca, because she's been asking me to cook with her for a while, and I think she would have loved this, and I would have been happy to make it for her. Come back from Europe safe and sound with some stories. Miss you man.

Fusilli with red onion, garlic, fresh-picked rosemary from my herb garden (dried, packaged flake stuff doesn't compare, I wouldn't bother serving it in a dish), and chopped spinach fried in olive oil, grated romano cheese, and raw tomato, drizzled with a hint of red wine vinegar, salt and pepper. Eating something that is closer to alive than cooked to death is such a different experience. Now I just have to find myself some good, fresh pasta.

roast beef, swiss and honey mustard

toasted poppy seed bagel
toasted roast beef
melted swiss cheese
steamed spinach
sliced nectarine
creamed honey and dijon
salt and pepper

Review:
The spinach and nectarine added negligibly to this sandwich. It was all about the title ingredients. Specifically the honey mustard. And how the fat of the roast beef tastes when rendered.

roast beef, cream cheese and basil

I think I'm gonna dedicate this one to Chad. He's great. He made me a delicious sandwich, and my day suck a little less yesterday. And he got me wondering why I never but basil on sandwiches. You should all visit him at his fantastic (and my favourite) sandwich shop Sky Blue Sky Sandwich Company Ltd in the Bathurst and Bloor area (605 Bloor St W at Palmerston). Check out the delicious sandwiches he has to offer at http://sbssandwiches.com/.




toasted poppy seed bagel
toasted roast beef
green onion cream cheese
fried zucchini
toasted and raw basil
salt and pepper

Review:
The roast beef was warm, which uncongealed the fat. Delicious. The cream cheese is airy and unsweetened. It almost melted on top of the hot bagel, sublimely creamy. The zucchinis were sweet with a hint of intended dryness from the pan. And the basil added an interesting layer. Definitely glad I went with that over parsley. I did however, bite in and regret not including the tomato slices I had prepared, so I did put the tomatoes from the plate on top of the sandwich. It was really really really good.

''How does that taste?''

For John Henry. He likes pulled pork.





toasted naan
pulled pork (from Big Fat Burrito)
green onion cream cheese
fried butternut squash
cherry tomato
fried red onion
dill
salt and pepper

Review:
This is probably the ugliest looking sandwich I've ever posted. But don't be fooled, it's one of the absolute best sandwiches I have ever eaten, we were both pretty floored. I knew I wanted to make him a pulled pork sandwich, and I knew that cream cheese and squash would be the perfect compliments. The cherry tomatoes and naan were his idea. The naan couldn't have been a better suggestion. We decided to open-face it, then fold it over. It was ugly. And messy. But fucking incredible. Special thanks to my buddy Jake, of Big Fat Burrito, who hooked us up with a pile of some of the most delicious pulled pork around.

fried egg and raw pumpkin seeds

lightly toasted rye bun with raw pumpkin and sunflower seeds
fried egg
fried red onion
tomato
parsley
chives
butter
salt and pepper

Review:
Exactly what one might expect from this sandwich.

avocado and brie

This post is for Kent. He got me eating brie, which there has been a lot of on the blog lately. Thanks buddy. Hope you enjoyed.








uber fresh toasted dark rye bun
avocado
brie
fried butternut squash
tomato
red onion
parsley
creamed honey and dijon
salt

salmon 'n squash STANWICH

I made this sandwich for my dear friend Stan.








toasted poppy seed bagel
smoked salmon
fried butternut squash
green onion cream cheese
raw zucchini
tomato
raw red onion
sliced walnuts

Review:
This sandwich was centered around salmon, as Stan doesn't eat land animal meat. It had to be a bagel, and I was really wanting to do something with cream cheese, since it's so classic, yet I haven't, thus far, done it for the blog. But then I thought, how many salmon and cream cheese bagels has Stan eaten in his lifetime? It had to be special. So I came up with fried squash, as it would be heavenly with the cream cheese. And it was heavenly. Finished off with the tang of the tomato, seamless with the cream cheese and salmon, and rounded off with the fresh crunch of the raw zucchini. Stan picked the blackberries, and I picked the blueberries, as they would look so delightful against the pink of the salmon, but they also tasted great in intermittent bites from the sandwich. This sandwich just looks so majestic, at the same time inviting. I impressed the pants offa myself with this one, I really did. I mean for that statement to show humility. I was just really proud to be able to serve this to a friend, and not have to enjoy it by myself.