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Set just about anything on any type of bread
and you've made a sandwich. But credit for "inventing" the sandwich goes
to the Fourth Earl of Sandwich (1718-1792). It is said that he couldn't
bear to leave the gambling table, so he brought his meals right to the
table between slices of bread. It caught on. Today sandwiches are one of
the world's most popular forms of food.
To make an easy-to-eat sandwich, just make
sure that all the ingredients are securely enclosed by 2 slices of
bread, wrapped in a tortilla, or stuffed into a pita. If the sandwich is
made of many small ingredients, spread the bread with a thick dressing
such as mayonnaise or mustard to help "glue" the ingredients together.
Toasting the bread can prevent a soggy sandwich.
When required to make sandwiches ahead,
spread bread with butter or cream cheese to keep wet ingredients from
making the bread soggy. Also, pack high-moisture ingredients, such as
tomato, lettuce, and cucumber, separately. Add them to the sandwich just
before eating. To keep moist sandwich spreads such as tuna or chicken
salad from touching the bread until just before eating, place a sheet of
plastic wrap between the filling and the bread on both sides. Just
before eating, remove each slice of bread and peel off the plastic.
Sometimes, sandwiches need to be frozen.
Wrap them in individual sandwich bags or plastic wrap, then wrap them
again in bundles of no more than 3 or 4 in a freezer bag or foil marked
with the contents and date. Freeze up to 2 weeks. Avoid freezing
sandwiches that include mayonnaise, cheese, or fresh vegetables because
these ingredients may separate during thawing. To use frozen sandwiches
for lunch, just remove individual sandwiches from the freezer in the
morning. Do not refrigerate. They will thaw by lunchtime.
Leftover cooked meats, fish, or grains make
quick sandwich fillings. Grains such as rice work particularly well in
wrap sandwiches, using pita as the bread. Add 2 tablespoons finely
chopped cored apple and 2 chopped toasted walnuts to 3/4 cup chicken
salad to flavor a chicken salad sandwich.
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