Hot Turkey Sandwich By Way of Kentucky

Like most Canadians after the second Monday of October, you may still have turkey in your fridge from your Thanksgiving feast. If you're looking for a new way to use those leftovers, try putting them in the most famous sandwich to come out of the state of Kentucky.  The Kentucky Hot Brown was created in Louisville in 1926 at the Brown Hotel, and like most inventions, it came about out of necessity. Chef Fred Schmidt came up with this open-faced sandwich to serve hungry hotel guests who came for the dancing that occurred at the hotel every night. Now that Prohibition has ended, feel free to have a mint julep with this hearty meal as well.

Ingredients

400 g roasted turkey breast, sliced thick
230 g heavy cream
230 g whole milk
60 g whole butter
60 g all purpose flour
55 g Pecorino Romano cheese plus 15g for garnish
4 slices of Texas Toast, crust trimmed
4 slices of crispy bacon
2 Roma tomatoes, sliced in half
Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper
ground nutmeg
paprika
parsley

1. Fry the bacon to your desired level of crispiness, and set it aside once done.
2. In a saucepan, melt the butter and slowly whisk in the flour until everything is combined and forms a roux. Continue cooking the roux for two minutes over medium‑low heat, stirring frequently.
3. Whisk in the heavy cream and milk into the roux and cook over medium heat for 2‑3 minutes until the cream simmers. Remove sauce from heat and slowly whisk in Pecorino Romano cheese until the Mornay sauce is smooth. Add a pinch of nutmeg, and salt and pepper to taste.
4. Arrange the bread in an oven-safe dish, then cover with the turkey and top with the sliced tomatoes. Pour and completely cover the dish with the Mornay sauce. Sprinkle everything with some more Pecorino Romano. Place the entire dish under your oven's broiler until the cheese browns and bubbles. 
5. Remove from the oven, and either place or crumble the bacon over the sandwiches. Sprinkle with paprika and parsley, and serve immediately.

Happy Birthday Harley - The Perfect Bacon Egg and Cheese Sandwich

Photo: Credit: Warner Bros.

Margot Robbie gets a lot of deserved praise for her portrayal of Barbie in last year's blockbuster movie. But for me, she will always be Harley Quinn, the former psychologist turned Batman villain from the movie "Suicide Squad". Robbie was that film's highlight and breakout star, earning her a spinoff, "Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn)". At one point in this film, Robbie's character hopes to lift her spirits by getting her favorite breakfast sandwich from her local bodega. While you may not find yourself on a wild adventure after eating one, most New Yorkers (where the sandwich originated and was perfected) would tell you it's the best way to start your day. In honour of Mrs. Robbie's birthday, here is the recipe for this cinematic culinary delight.

Ingredients

3 slices of bacon
2 eggs (if you're allergic to chicken eggs as Robbie is, duck eggs can be used)
2 process cheese slices
1 sandwich roll (plain, kaiser, potato, poppy seed - whatever you prefer)
melted butter
hot sauce
kosher salt

1. Cook the bacon over medium heat in a skillet until it's crispy. Drain the excess fat into a clean container (save it for future use) and dry the cooked bacon on a paper towel-lined plate. 
2. While the bacon cooks, slice the roll in half lengthwise along the side, and set it aside. Heat another skillet over medium heat. Brush some melted butter on the cut side of the roll and place it face-down on the skillet after it gets hot. Press down on the roll with either a grill press or something heavy like another skillet. Toast the roll for about two minutes before transferring it to a cutting board.
3. Brush one of the skillets with melted butter and crack the eggs as close together as possible. Season with kosher salt. Flip the eggs when the whites are almost entirely set, then top with the cheese slices.
4. Place the bacon on one of the halves of the roll.  When the edges of the cheese melt, place the egg and cheese on top of the bacon.
5. Add two dashes of hot sauce to the top of the sandwich. Finish the sandwich with the other half of the bun and slice it in half before serving.

Superbowl Eats: Philadelphia Eagles edition

Philadelphia is known for its rabid sports fans and its love of sandwiches. After pelting Santa Claus with snowballs after an Eagles loss in the sixties, you can guarantee a lot of cheesesteaks were consumed afterwards. According to legend, the famous sandwich was created in the early 1930s by Pat and Harry Olivieri. The two brothers owned a hot dog stand, and one day, they decided to make a sandwich made with chopped beef and grilled onions. After a cab driver saw the sandwich and asked for one, he suggested the Olivieris quit selling hot dogs and make sandwiches instead. As Philadelphians hope Jalen Hurts' arm and the Eagles' running game can lead the city to another Superbowl victory, celebrate with cheesesteak of your own. It may not be an authentic one from the City of Brotherly Love, but it will lessen your chances of getting assaulted by a Philly fanatic.

Ingredients

454 g ribeye steak
28 g butter
30 mL olive oil
8 slices mild provolone cheese or warmed Cheez Whiz
4 submarine sandwich rolls
1 large onion, diced
1 garlic clove, pressed
salt and black pepper, to taste
fresh thyme, chopped

1. Place the steak in the freezer for about 10 minutes until it gets very cold but not frozen solid. Trim off any large pieces of fat, then slice the steak as thin as possible with a sharp knife. Season the meat with salt and pepper.
2. In a small bowl, mix together the butter with the pressed garlic. Slice the sandwich rolls 3/4 of the way through with a serrated knife. Spread the garlic butter onto the cut sides of the buns. Toast the buns on either a large skillet, a flat cooktop or griddle on in the oven on medium heat until they are golden brown then set them aside.
3. Heat in a large skillet or griddle half of the olive oil. Add the onions and season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 12 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally until the onions have softened and start to caramelize around the edges. Transfer the onions to a bowl once they're done.
4. Add the remaining oil to the skillet and increase the heat to high. Spread the thinly sliced steak in the skillet in an even layer. Let the meat brown for a couple of minutes undisturbed then flip and season with salt and  pepper. Sautee until steak is fully cooked through then stir in the caramelized onions.
5. Turn heat down to low on the steak, then add the provolone slices on top of the steak mixture (if that's the cheese you plan to use) and let the cheese melt. Stir to combine, once the cheese has melted.
6. Scoop the cheesesteak mixture into the toasted sandwich rolls. If you are using warm Cheez Whiz, drizzle the cheesesteaks with it. Sprinkle fresh thyme over top and serve warm. 

An Out of This World Corned Beef Sandwich

A good sandwich is one of the joys of eating. Delicious items stuffed in between two pieces of bread is such an obvious way to consume food it's hard to believe the Earl of Sandwich was the first person to ever do so. For my money, the best sandwich in the city is from Di Rienzo's. If I have to go on a long trip I've taken their turkey and prosciutto with Havarti, lettuce, mayo, tomato, and spicy eggplant with me as needed comfort food to deal with the rigours of traveling. An astronaut took this concept to the extreme in the sixties by bringing a sandwich into orbit with him. As we learned when Homer went to space back when "The Simpsons" was considered groundbreaking and risque, food particles in a weightless environment can gum up machinery. On his first flight into space, John Young took a corned beef sandwich a fellow astronaut gave him and zipped it into his space suit before he boarded the rocket for the Gemini 3 mission. At some point on the trip, Young pulled out the sandwich and showed it to his commander, who reminded him of the safety risk and scolded him for it. Young was more formally reprimanded when he came back to Earth, as part of his mission was to test new dehydrated food packets and some congressmen thought he was costing the U.S. millions of dollars by ignoring the actual food that they were up there to try out. In honour of National Sandwich Day, you can either recreate the basic corned beef sandwich Young smuggled onboard (he later remarked it was without mustard or pickles), or you can make yourself the deli mainstay that is the Reuben. 

Ingredients

rye bread (pretzel rolls can also be used)
butter
Swiss cheese
good quality corned beef
sauerkraut, drained
115 g mayonnaise
45 g ketchup
30 g horseradish
12.5 g granulated sugar
10 mL Worcestershire sauce
2. 5 g paprika
Kosher salt
black pepper, freshly ground if possible

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, ketchup, horseradish, Worcestershire sauce, sugar, and paprika until everything is combined. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Butter one side of a slice of bread. On another slice, spread the Russian dressing you just made on one side. Place some Swiss cheese, corned beef, and sauerkraut on the non-buttered side of the bread. Top the sandwich with the other slice of bread, dressing side down. Butter the top of the sandwich you've made.
3. Heat a skillet big enough for the sandwich over medium heat. Place the sandwich in the pan and cook until it is golden and the cheese has melted, 3 minutes per side.

The Need to Know Classic That Is The: Shrimp Po'Boy

The last time I went out for a meal on a patio, I ordered a sandwich New Orleans made famous. It was a warm autumn day in 2020, a perfect day for a lunch date. Because of its patio and proximity to our home my wife and I decided to go to Taproom 260. After scanning the menu, instead of the chicken wings or tacos I usually order when at a bar, I went with a shrimp po'boy. During a streetcar strike in 1929 in New Orleans, Benny and Clovis Martin of the Martin Brothers’ French Market Restaurant and Coffee stand gave free sandwiches to the working-class members of Division 194 - the po'boys. Served between a style of French bread with a crispier crust and fluffier centre than a baguette, these sandwiches usually consisted of roast beef or fried seafood. I wasn't expecting much from a sandwich made so far from Louisana but I was pleasantly surprised when my order arrived. The shrimp were cooked well, the toppings were fresh and their in-house remoulade (a mayonnaise-based sauce) had a nice kick to it. It may still be a while before we can eat on a restaurant patio again, so in the meantime, here's a recipe for this superior seafood sandwich for you to make and bring with you whenever you can eat outdoors.

Ingredients for two sandwiches

10-12 medium peeled and deveined shrimp
240 mL buttermilk
240 g all-purpose flour
150 g yellow cornmeal
75 g shredded iceberg lettuce
60 mL hot sauce, divided into two equal portions
50 g mayonnaise
15 g kosher salt, divided into three equal portions, plus more to taste
3 g cayenne pepper
3 g dried oregano
3 g dried thyme
3 g freshly ground black pepper
3 g garlic powder
2 10-inch po'boy rolls or French hero rolls, halved lengthwise
1 beefsteak tomato, thinly sliced
vegetable oil, for frying

1.  In a medium bowl, toss the shrimp in the buttermilk, one portion of the hot sauce and one portion of the salt. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
2. Whisk another portion of the salt with the flour, cornmeal, cayenne, oregano, thyme, garlic powder, and pepper in another medium bowl, and set it aside. In another bowl, mix the remaining hot sauce with the mayonnaise until it's a smooth consistency, and set it aside.
3. Heat 5 cm of oil to 177°C in a medium Dutch oven, then line a plate with paper towels. Get the shrimp from the fridge, remove them from the marinade, and toss and coat them well in the flour mixture. Working in batches, fry the shrimp until they are golden brown and cooked through, about 1 minute. Carefully take the shrimp from the oil and put them on the prepared plate to drain, immediately seasoning them with the remaining salt. Let the oil return to temperature between batches.
4. Spread the mayonnaise mixture on both halves of the rolls. On the bottom halves, divide the fried shrimp, then top with the sliced tomatoes, and the shredded lettuce. Place the top halves on the sandwiches, then slice them in half and serve.

The Get It Together BBQ Grilled Cheese Sandwich

You never know you'll find at your local public library until you look. I was pleasantly surprised to find "Beastie Boys Book" waiting for me at the pick-up shelf, I had reserved it so long ago I had forgotten I wanted to check it out. It was through my best friends in elementary school back in the 80s that I discovered the groundbreaking white rappers; it was around the same time I got into their future touring partners in RUN-DMC. The beat from the streets of New York made quite the impression to three kids in Ottawa's suburbs. "Brass Monkey", "Paul Revere", and the classic anthem "Fight For Your Right (To Party)" were my favourite songs from Ad-Rock, Mike D, and the late MCA, but I drifted away from the Beasties by the time "Paul's Boutique" came out. Other than "Hey Ladies", I didn't care for the sample-heavy future masterpiece that it was (all I wanted was another "Licensed to Ill"), but I have liked at least one single from every album they've put out since "Check Your Head". Though mostly written by the surviving members, the memoir includes entries by some of their famous fans turned friends, such as celebrity chef Roy Choi. As the Mac My Cheese Fest is happening this week, I thought I'd pay tribute to one of the recipes Choi contributed to this absolute must-have for any serious Beastie Boys fan; grill these up the next time you're listening to "Sabotage", or if you're still hungry after you check out the festival.

Ingredients:

250 g shredded cheddar cheese
230 g dry macaroni
225 g butter
250 mL of your favourite BBQ sauce
125 mL milk
60 mL olive oil
1 loaf of sourdough or white bread
1 pineapple, peeled and cored

1. Cook the macaroni in boiling water according to the directions on the package. In another saucepan, melt the cheese over low heat with the milk. Mix the drained macaroni and the cheese sauce together and set aside.
2. Drizzle the pineapple with the olive oil, and sprinkle with a bit of sugar and salt. Roast at 177 °C until brown and soft, for about half an hour. Take it out, chop it up,, and puree it in a blender with a splash of water. Add the pineapple mixture to the BBQ sauce and combine.
3. Spread the butter on the outside of the bread slices, then layer the macaroni mixture inside. Drizzle the BBQ all over the macaroni, then close the sandwich. Cook the sandwich on a griddle on low heat until each slice is crispy.

DIY Fried Chicken Sandwich

The creation of a fried chicken sandwich from Popeyes has caused fried chicken lovers across the United States to lose their damn minds. The hype over this sandwich has caused people to pull out guns upon learning their local restaurant has sold out of the sandwich; because of the different partners and suppliers used in this country, Canada won't see this sandwich anytime soon. So what's a hungry Canadian supposed to do in the meantime? One could wait until the sandwich makes its way up here, or they could go across the border and hope for the best, but I propose that people save time and money by making the sandwich with the recipe below. It may not be the real thing, but you can make it Louisiana fast and enjoy it until Popeyes gets its act together.

Ingredients:

4 hamburger buns or medium-sized brioche buns
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts
720-960 mL canola oil for frying
240 mL buttermilk
5 g each paprika, garlic powder, black pepper, salt
240 g flour
120 g corn starch
15 g each paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper
5 g each salt, pepper
120 g mayonaisse
5 g hot sauce
5 g paprika or cajun or taco seasoning
2.5 g garlic powder
Sliced pickles

1. Pound the chicken breasts in between two pieces of parchment paper or plastic wrap. Cut each chicken breast in half crosswise to make 2 small pieces of chicken about the same size as the bun.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the buttermilk and the 5-gram portions of the paprika, garlic powder, salt, and black pepper. Add the chicken to the mix and place in the fridge to marinate up to 24 hours or use right away. 
3. In a medium shallow bowl, whisk the flour, cornstarch, and the 15-gram portions of the paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne pepper (if you want it spicy) together. Drizzle 2-3 tablespoons of the buttermilk batter into the flour mixture and mix it through with a fork.
4. Heat oil in a large heavy-duty skillet or pot on medium temperature or until the temperature reaches 176°C. Working with a piece at a time, dredge the chicken in the flour mixture and press some of the flour on the top of the chicken breast to form a thick crust. Transfer the chicken to hot oil and fry for 3-5 minutes per side or until the outside is crispy and golden and the internal temperature reaches 75°C. 
5. Melt some butter in a large saucepan and toast the buns face down until golden and crisp. In a small bowl whisk the mayonnaise, the hot sauce, and the remaining spices together and spread a generous layer of the spicy mayo on each bun. Add the chicken and the pickles and serve immediately.
   
   Note: Popeyes might disagree, but I like to add some bacon and some shredded lettuce when I feel like a fried chicken sandwich. 

Comfort Food in Uncomforting Times - My Take on the KFC Double Down

On November 8, the United States decided love does not trump hate and elected an orange goblin to be its next president. In surprising numbers, people decided Hillary Clinton's pantsuits and poor e-mail usage were a worse offense than being Donald Trump, a failed businessman, reality show host, and admitted sexual predator who said he could solve all of America's problems with racism and bullshit. I didn't watch last Tuesday's results unfold on television because the coverage of election over the last 18 months had worn me out. Waking up the next morning and seeing just how badly Americans wanted a white man in charge again didn't surprise me as much as I thought it would (never underestimate the stupidity of the American public goes the old adage), it just left me depressed and deflated. Longing for the days when a Trump presidency was just a joke on "The Simpsons", it's times like this when comfort food really hits the spot. No matter what side of the political spectrum you're on, fried chicken, bacon, and cheese is a pleaser. As America doubles down on its race to the bottom, it seems right to make my own version of KFC's seasonal treat (for those who forgot, the Double Down is bacon, slices of Monterey Jack and pepper Jack cheese, and a spicy "secret" sauce in between two fried chicken fillets). I know I can't eat my worries away, but it's going to be a long four years, might as well eat something tasty. Enjoy this recipe, and may God have mercy on our souls.

Ingredients (makes 2 sandwiches)

4 boneless chicken breasts
4 strips of bacon
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
375 mL buttermilk (Or use this substitute, 375 mL milk minus 15 mL plus 15 mL lemon juice or vinegar.)
your favourite hot sauce
salt

250 g flour
60 g paprika
45 g white pepper
30 g garlic salt
15 g celery salt
15 g black pepper
15 g dried mustard
15 g ground ginger
10 g salt
7 g tablespoon thyme
7 g tablespoon basil
5 g tablespoon oregano

Note: The spices above are allegedly the ones uses in Colonel Sanders' original chicken recipe.

1. Place the chicken breasts between two sheets of plastic wrap and pound them with the flat side of a meat tenderizer until they are roughly the same thickness. Place the chicken in a bowl, give them a generous sprinkling of salt, and cover them with the buttermilk for at least an hour, four hours max.
2. Cook the bacon however you see fit. When I have the time, I like to bake bacon in the oven at about 205 °C for about 10 to 20 minutes, until it is crispy. Set the bacon aside when done.
3. Combine the flour and the spices in a bowl. Take a chicken breast and covered it with the flour mixture, then cover it in the egg mixture, and back again in the flour mixture for another coating. Set the pieces aside when done.
4. Whether you pan fry or have a deep fryer, get your oil to 182 °C in order to get the internal chicken temperature to an optical 72 °C. Place two chicken breasts in the oil, and fry them for about eight minutes.
   
   Note: If you have access to a pressure cooker, use that for frying your chicken to be even more like the Colonel; wearing a white suit is optional.
   
   
5. Using the breasts like bread, assemble the cheese, the bacon, and the hot sauce into a sandwich. 

The Trailer Park Sandwich

One of my all-time favorite Canadian TV shows is "Trailer Park Boys". If you're unfamiliar with this show, it's a comedy mockumentary about the misadventures of a group of trailer park residents, some of whom are ex-convicts, living in the fictional Sunnyvale Trailer Park in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. With pre-production beginning on a ninth season, and a third movie, "Trailer Park Boys 3: Don't Legalize It", to be released on April 18, this clip will gets fans ready for the continuing adventures of Ricky, Julian, and Bubbles.

   

Lunch with pop stars

Until that record deal comes through, this is as close to eating with Beyoncé and JT as any of us are going to get.

Summertime Sandwich Review

How's your summer been? Mine has been filled with entertaining family and friends. Finally got a chance to bang out a blog post...

Where I work, my lunchtime choices when I'm not brown-bagging it are either the fast-food places around Bronson Ave., or the wallet-taxing restaurants in Little Italy. Luckily I managed to find some alternatives to those places that aren't to far from my office when I want to have a sandwich for lunch, Di Rienzo Grocery and Deli, and Pressed. For what it's worth, here's what I thought of both places:

Atmosphere
Di Rienzo's: A cozy family business. When it's busy, you will be in a lineup that weaves around the grocery aisles until you can place your order. Luckily the lineup moves quickly, which is good as there is no air conditioning in the place.

Pressed: Kitschy, laid back layout, with both table and lunch counter style seating. Performances by musicians are a regular occurrence. A strong commitment to serving organic/fair trade coffee and supporting the use of local ingredients.

Sandwich Chosen
Di Rienzo's: Cold turkey and prosciutto with lettuce, tomato, Havarti, mayo, and spicy eggplant (on request)
Pressed: Warm Chicken Caesar Salad

Sandwich Impressions
Di Rienzo's: The soft crusty bread and the authentic deli meats and cheeses are filling, tasty, and blow anything from Subway or Quinzo's out of the water. Strongly recommend adding the spicy eggplant to any of the 17 different sandwiches available.
Pressed: Fresh crispy lettuce and flavourful seasoned chicken make for one good pressed sandwich.

Time of Sandwich Preparation
Di Rienzo's: About a minute
Pressed: Approximately ten minutes

Cost
Di Rienzo's: $5, all sandwiches, extra for additional meats and/or cheeses.
Pressed: $10; sandwiches range from $7-11

Final Verdict:
If you're in the area, and watch a quick bite, go to Di Rienzo's. If you're looking for a place to impress someone on a lunch date, head to Pressed. You can't go wrong with either taste-wise.