Confessions of a Sandwich Addict: Intro

This blog is dedicated to my love for sandwiches. To me, a sandwich is the most complete meal that you can ever have in hand-held form. You've got your carbs in the bread, your protein in the meat and cheese and your vitamins from the veggies. It truly is the perfect food. I've always loved sandwiches, but I think my appreciation for putting love into making a sandwich came from working in the sub station at Dion's when I was in high school. I was the fastest sandwich maker at Dion's, so they would always put me on that station on Friday nights, which were our busiest nights. Just being fast wasn't enough though. Each sandwich had to be made perfectly. My goal was to make the sandwiches as fast as I could, but at the same time for them to look and taste perfect.

I've often said that if money was no issue and I could have any job of my choice, I would choose to open a sandwich shop on a beach somewhere. I've imagined the kinds of sandwiches that I would have on my menu and two sandwiches always seem to be at the very top of my list.

The first sandwich is called "The Sheep Herder". I've had a few different versions of this sandwich, but I think the first time I ever had it was at The Sandwich Company on Candelaria and Carlisle. It's made up of pastrami, green chili, mustard, provolone cheese, diced tomatoes and lettuce all wrapped in a tortilla. You put the pastrami, green chili, mustard and provolone on the tortilla and wrap it up like a burrito, making sure to tuck in the ends to not let the mustard and juices poor out. You wrap the sandwich tightly in foil and place it on a cookie sheet in the oven for about 15 minutes at 400 degrees. You want the cheese to melt completely and the tortilla should be slightly crispy on the outside. Once you take the sandwich out of the oven, you unwrap it and open the tortilla. Now is when you put the cold lettuce and tomatoes in and roll the sandwich back up. It used to be a family tradition to make these sandwiches on Christmas Eve (weird thing to eat on Christmas Eve, I know...), so they always remind me of Winter, but these sandwiches make an excellent meal anytime of the year.

The second sandwich is quite possibly the most delicious sandwich that I've ever had the pleasure of eating. It's called the "Stormin' Norman" and to my knowledge is served exclusively at Ned's on Rio Grande and I-40. This sandwich is enormous, so make sure you come hungry. The Stormin' Norman is comprised of ham, roast beef and pastrami topped with provolone cheese and green chili (sliced NOT chopped). It's served on pita bread and cut into four triangle shaped sections. Each section is garnished with a slice of green chili and a green olive, held in place by a toothpick. It comes with mustard and mayo on the side, but you won't need them. The natural flavors of the meat, green chili and cheese are more than enough to satisfy. The sandwich is served hot. On a perfect Stormin' Norman, the pita bread should be lightly toasted and the cheese should be slightly melted, but not completely. The one thing that I usually don't like about sandwich shops is they don't serve beer. However, this is not a problem at Ned's because it's also a bar. If you're ever in the area, I definitely recommend checking this place out.

I plan to update this blog regularly with posts and pictures of the delicious sandwiches that I come across.