Grilled Cheese at Kafka's Coffee and Tea

Executed well.

This was a well-executed grilled cheese sandwich from Kafka's Coffee and Tea, a cafe near Main and Broadway in Vancouver that serves well-executed coffee and tea. Everything they do seems to be well executed.

Subway sandwich footlong measurement scandal erupts

Last week the New York Post broke a story that is rocking the sandwich world to its buns.

Two reporters for the paper conducted a sting at Subway Sandwich locations in the best three boroughs New York, and found the lengths of the sandwiches lacking.

According to Kaylee Osowski and Natalie O'Neill:

"Four out of seven Footlongs — purchased at Subway locations in Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens — measured only 11 or 11.5 inches, according to the test." 

So is it false advertising, or just a measurement malfunction? Subway has responded, I'll post their thoughts in the coming days.

I'll be honest, I noticed this phenomenon about 15 years ago. I mentioned it to the people who worked at the Subway on West Street near Commerce Drive in Orillia, inside the gas station, and they said that the pans are 12 inches, but sometimes the bread shrinks in the ovens.

I was satisfied with their answer, and satisfied with the footlong "Assorted" sub that I ate that day, with extra lettuce.

Here's a link to the full exposé.


UPDATE: It appears this story originated in Australia, and the Post work was done as a followup.

Crudtités Thon Baguette Sandwich in Paris

Bought this delicious crudités thon (tuna) sandwich at one of my favourite bakeries in Paris. A relatively nondescript boulangerie on Rue du Faubourg du Temple, a block east of Place de la République.

The bread was perfect: light and crispy, biteable, tasty. The dressing on the tuna was buttery and lightly salty.

Ate it in a square nearby, on the way to buying a printer at FNAC.

5€20 including drink.

Location:Paris

Smoked Ham Sandwich, Grilled at the Dirty Apron Deli

What a great sandwich!

A sandwich gentled filled with mayo, parsley, pickle, smoked ham and a couple other elements on perfectly grilled white bread. I mean, seriously, the grilling job on this bread was artistic. A thin crispy layer of toastedness, rippled like a Greek sandbar, soft and biteable.

Ideal proportions. No mess, nothing on my hands, but lots of flavor. The condiments were present but not gooey.

Well worth the $7.99. Topped it with a fantastic root beer.

In hindsight, the parsley was the key to unlocking the flavour.

Dirty Apron Cooking School and Deli
540 Beatty Street, Vancouver

Thanksgiving for a turkey sandwich

Overcooking the turkey has terrible consequences for the next day's sandwiches. That's what was going through my head yesterday as I cooked the bird, debating whether to take it out of the oven.

I did. It was the right decision.

This sandwich was perfect: moist meat on soft white bread --- leftover from the stuffing recipe --- with cheddar cheese and just a few dabs of Dijon mustard, and salt and pepper. Pepper, in fact is the second most important ingredient.

This conforms to the definition of a sandwich because the essence is of a naturally formed, not shredded or formed into a weirdo shape, like a burger. Amazing.

Hot Smoked Salmon Salmwich at The Kaboom Box

A nice sandwich. Not easy to eat sitting on a bench though.

There was a seismic shift in the street food landscape in Vancouver in 2010 when the city started a program to increase the number of food carts. The Kaboom Box, formerly Fresh Local Wild, is one of 91 vendors currents permitted, with another 12 set to launch in May of 2012.

Vancouver's climate isn't always ideal for street food. When it's cool out, or rainy, eating outside isn't comfortable. Plus, not all foods were meant to be eaten on the street. The ideal dish is contained in some way, not too messy, and doesn't require utensils. That's why hot dogs are such a popular item, obviously. The bun frame protects your hands from sauces. For sandwiches to be successful on the street, vendors must be reserved in the amount of sauces and toppings they tack on.

The Hot Smoked Salmon Salmwich from Kaboom Box was really nicely done, with tender, tasty meat, and just enough spicy mayo and maple-mustard slaw. The bun was lightly toasted and fresh. It was a bit messy, but I found a bench to sit at, and used the tray to contain my spillover. I'll be back for me.

- - -
The Kaboom Box
Price: $7.14
Located on the northwest corner of Robson and Granville in Vancouver.
Or check the location of all Vancouver food carts.

From the Kaboom Box website: "The Kaboom Box was founded to bring fresh, sustainable, healthy and local food to the streets of Vancouver. We use only the best ingredients, sourced locally whenever possible, and prepare all our food fresh to order with care and love of the trade. We are committed to serving only Oceanwise seafood and sustainably produced meat. Likewise we use organic vegetables whenever possible and are committed to using biodegradable and compostable packaging."

Pulled Pork: A Revelation in Taste

Everybody should do this atleast once, monthly.

I slow roasted a pork shoulder, and ate a good slab of it like that, then, after it cooled, I pulled it, and ate it all week on sandwiches. So moist and tasty, salty from the rub before it went in the oven.

This recipe was a true discovery. And it clearly falls under the
definition of a sandwich, since the meat has been shredded, not formed into an unnatural shape such as a patty.

Sandwiches on an English Muffin

Not really muffins

These homemade English muffins are the perfect frame for a turkey sandwich. The definition of freshness.

Sandwiches and Bubbly

A drink best served cold

Champagne is a great lunch drink. With sandwiches. This bottle was a gift from my employer.

A Paris Apartment

Cabinets by Ikea.


Dreaming of the ceiling.


A big red pole in the middle.

What does a Paris apartment look like? This. They tend to be on the small side, but not unpleasant. Necessarily. Sure, ours was a little mouldy and occasionally dripping, but it wasn't like we couldn't get rid of the clinging bacteria after a few days of hard scrubbing. I think it's almost out of my lungs, too.

You might note the double bunk-bed style sleeping arrangement. This is about as good as it looks. Getting up in the middle of the night is not recommended. You can't sit up too fast either. But if you are a sound sleeper and slow sit-upper, you are totally fine.

We had a washer but no dryer. Fortunately there was a laundro just down the street. But when we brought our wet laundry there, we were asked several questions about the source of the washing. Did you hand wash those clothes? Where did you wash them? Are they wet? After passing this test ("Yes", "At home, in our washing machine", "Not too wet, no"), we were allowed to use one of the three dryers. This test happened three times.

Our kitchen was entirely satisfactory, a small oven, yes, but with a little ingenuity you can do almost anything. Sandwiches, boeuf bourguignon, beaver tails and nachos all were conceived in this space. And eaten nearby.

Good times in a great neighbourhood. The 11th. I will miss it always.

The Belgian Fry Stand

Belgium's contribution to the world

Sometimes you just need fries. I do, anyway.

Down the street from our apartment in Paris is a Belgian burger stand. I should probably call it a fry stand, really, as that's where the focus seems to be.

One of the big differences you notice between eating in Europe and North America is the portion sizes. Everything is a little smaller here in the old world. The focus tends to be on quality and freshness rather than quantity. That theory flew out the window when my wife and I ordered food from the Belgian burger stand. A small order of fries is enough for both of us. And we like fries. They are always tasty and salty, though I wish they wouldn't pre-cook them. While it does add to the crunch, it makes them too hard sometimes. And it's just not necessary.

Working in the food industry I learned that the best way to make fries is to cook them straight from the freezer, and don't over fry. If done right, they're crispy on the outside and soft but not raw on the inside. A perfect match for sandwiches, burgers or nothing.

A Sandwich With Tapenade, Olive-Style

Memorable sandwich toppings come in many forms, some of which are spreadable.

I got into olives recently.

Why it took 26 years I do not know. I think the green was a turnoff.

But one day in 2005, at 1-For-1 Pizza (you pay for one, you get one) on Bank Street in Ottawa with my friend Steve, I ordered a fresh slice full of black olives. There were too many. It was very salty.

But the flavour stayed with me.

Soon I was craving them all the time. Now I buy black olives by the tiny bagful at the Richard Lenoir market on a tri-weekly basis.

This sandwich, loaded with olive tapenade freshly made by my wife, was delicious. Try something like it.

Debunking Conventional Wisdom: The Eagles

Why don't we come to our senses?

Conventional Wisdom:
The Eagles are a talented musical group, with many memorable, well-written songs that will stand the test of time. In fifty years our childrens' friends' kids will still be listening to the Eagles Greatest Hits, one of the most essential collections in the history of recorded music.


Debunking:
This is not true.

Chocolate Donut Sandwich

Great for breakfast

It shouldn't be a surprise that this chocolate donut is a sandwich. It has a frame (the dough) and an essence (the chocolate) and can be picked up without excessive mess. As long as the dough is baked first, and the chocolate added later, it's a sandwich. And this is obviously the case. See the CUSD for more.

The chocolate is actually Nutella, which I don't like in large quantities. Hazelnut does not always agree with me. But for a day's first meal, few sandwiches are finer.

Roast Chicken Sandwich

Just add pepper.

Bought a roast chicken at the Richard Lenoir Market, near Bastille. The leftovers made two days worth of lunch.

Sandwiches For Bastille Day

Waiting in the afternoon.

On Bastille Day, 2007, we ate sandwiches on the champs de mars, a long stretch of park under the Eiffel Tower where Napolean's troops marched and trained.

We watched Nelly Furtado and others, waiting for the fireworks.

Space Invaders

Another invasion near Bastille

Mosaic Space Invaders are everywhere in Paris. They remind me of being seven. Always a good thing.

This one was in the 11th arrondissement.

Champagne, Great With Sandwiches

Happy underground.

A cave under the town of Reims in the region of Champagne, France, full of bottles. Champagne is great with chips, and sandwiches, especially cured ham.

North Americans in Paris

Don't blame the Canadians.

Music by LDC Soundsystem.

Versailles Made Me Sick

Versailles, from behind


The aptly named Hall of Mirrors


Outside

In 1682, the official residence of the Court of France moved from the Louvre in Paris to Versailles, a chateau 25km to the southwest. Today, more than three hundred years later, Versailles still makes a lasting physical impression on visitors.

In my case, in the form of a cold.

I'll admit, it was a minor cold, more a nuisance than a malady. I first felt ill-effects on the evening of our visit after returning to our apartment. Thinking I had just got too much direct sun, I slept without worry. But the next morning I awoke with a scratched throat and vigorous sniffle.

All week I hoarded kleenex, staging a patient but resolute defense against the medieval germs. While the symptoms were not intense, the bug proved to be an adept networker, spreading to my coworkers, my wife, and my wife's coworkers. Today, thirteen days after my first sneeze, I am cured.

Visitors to Versailles, be warned: behind the thick oak panels and priceless gold-foil detailing, under the rigid balustrades, within the mirrored halls, the decorative cornices and tasteful friezes, hidden in the greenery of the sculpted geometric gardens, microbes await.