National Sandwich Day - November 3rd

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The sandwich as we know it was popularised in England in 1762 by John Montagu, the 4th Earl of Sandwich. Legend has it, and most food historians agree, that Montagu had a substantial gambling problem that led him to spend hours on end at the card table. During a particularly long binge, he asked the house cook to bring him something he could eat without getting up from his seat, and the sandwich was born. Montagu enjoyed his meat and bread so much that he ate it constantly, and as the concoction grew popular in London society circles it also took on the Earl’s name.

Of course, John Montagu (or rather, his nameless cook) was hardly the first person to think of putting fillings between slices of bread. In fact, we know exactly where Montagu first got the idea for his creation. Montagu traveled abroad to the Mediterranean, where Turkish and Greek mezze platters were served. Dips, cheeses, and meats were all “sandwiched” between and on layers of bread. In all likelihood Montagu took inspiration from these when he sat at that card table.

Why would this creation go unsung in America for so long? It seems early American cooks tended to avoid culinary trends from their former ruling state. And the name “Sandwich,” comes from the British peerage system, something that most Americans wanted to forget.

That is, until The Reuben, that decidedly un-Kosher treat of corned beef, Swiss cheese, and sauerkraut, appeared not in a New York City deli, but in Omaha, Nebraska. Named after Reuben Kulakofsky, a Jewish Lithuanian-born grocer, asked for a sandwich made of corned beef and sauerkraut at his weekly poker game held in the Blackstone Hotel. (Sandwich and gambling again,) The creation really took off when the hotel owner featured it on the dinner menu. It later won a nationwide recipe contest, and the rest is history.
 
I just finished a sloppy Joe sandwich, or that's what we called them back in high school, probably grade school, too. Take crumbly hamburger meat put it on a bun with some melted provolone cheese on top. That's what they gave us in school (although they used American cheese). I added lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle, and a little thousand island dressing. It was a bit messy, but dee-licious.
 
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