Named for an aristocrat too busy to leave the card table to eat, the portable, versatile sandwich now appears in many guises around the world, open, closed, delicate or hearty. Here are my favourite sandwich recipes.
Pa amb Tomàquet Called pan con tomate in other parts of Spain, this classic Catalan snack is about as simple and delicious as you can get. There are many variations, but this is how it was taught to me many years ago by my Catalan flatmate, Susie. Susie told me that her family always made […]
Broad Bean Bruschetta Every meal at Lucio’s Paddington restaurant started with bruschetta, a slice of delicious toasted Italian bread, topped with a mound of something seasonal. I love using tender young broad beans during their short spring season; in summer it’s often diced ripe tomatoes; sliced sauteed mushrooms are wonderful in autumn; and in winter […]
I love the way food travels around the world, weaving aspects of one culture into another. The French brought their crisp, fluffy baguettes to Vietnam in the mid-1800s and just over a century later, the Vietnamese brought them to Australia. Now bánh mi are one of our take-away mainstays. While they’re a healthy quick lunch […]
I love recipes that are so simple they’re hardly a recipe at all – where great produce and flavours shine and I don’t have to do too much. That’s what these simple fried cheese sandwiches are all about, especially served with this vibrant green sauce (which keeps for a week in the fridge and is […]
Bruschetta Caprese It’s good to eat with the seasons, but occasionally I want a touch of summer year-round … that’s when I call on a few of my favourite things and create this delicious bruschetta. Windy Hills Farm pots of living basil are the perfect way to use this summer herb year-round, Vannella’s small buffalo bocconcini […]
One of the things I loved most about Lucio’s Paddington restaurant was the seasonal bruschetta that always arrived with our aperitivi, a tradition I like to continue at home. In autumn, the crisp air of Italy’s hilly regions is filled with the wonderful aroma of mushrooms, inspiring cooks to prepare many dishes (sometimes even whole […]
Grilling meat on a skewer over coals is one of the most basic forms of cooking. So kebabs, in their many forms, are popular throughout a huge area covering the Eastern Mediterranean, North Africa, the Caucasus and on to the Indian sub-continent (from whence they spread to South East Asia as satays). There’s shaved doner […]
A good steak sandwich is an Aussie icon. It makes for a satisfying, and relatively healthy, fast food meal on long road trips … and can also be upscaled for a delicious casual dinner. I use Beerenberg Tomato Chutney, Birch & Waite whole-egg mayonnaise and Brasserie Bread rustic loaf. As with its near cousin the […]
Rare Roast Beef Sandwich Rare roast beef sandwiches are popular in the USA, especially the north east, as a closed sandwich, often with American cheddar-style cheese melted over the beef. I prefer an open version without the cheese, using delicious Sonoma miche bread. The essentials are thinly shaved rare roast beef, a creamy sauce (usually […]
A recent discovery of wagyu beef patties at Vic’s Meat Market inspired me to make my own hamburgers – bringing back wonderful childhood memories of family road trips down the south coast of NSW. Stopping at a milk bar along the way for a hamburger was a rare holiday treat that ended up with the […]
