David Wagner, who's currently in the thick of an A-to-Z blogging challenge, steered me to The Atlantic's profile of Don Johnson, the most famous blackjack player in the world. I'd never heard of Johnson, because my knowledge of gambling and casinos is limited to Las Vegas and surrounding areas by choice, being that I will be home in Henderson in the next few months, with easy access to Las Vegas. I've learned a little bit about Atlantic City by way of Super Casino: Inside the "New" Las Vegas by Pete Earley, which, in writing about the history of Mirage Resorts, along with the history of Circus Circus Enterprises, has a few pages about casino mogul Steve Wynn's experience in Atlantic City, running the Golden Nugget, as well as Las Vegas initially losing huge chunks of revenue when casinos opened in Atlantic City, since east coast Vegas visitors didn't have to go far for a casino.
The profile is impressive, about someone who has studied blackjack closely, and not by card-counting. When I started reading it, I didn't even see who wrote it. But at the bottom, there was "Mark Bowden is a national correspondent for The Atlantic," and I should have known. Bowden is one of the greatest journalists in the history of journalism. He not only can find the story, but can unearth details that few other journalists even think to write about. His books are much the same way, with attention fully focused on those he writes about. He is merely the tour guide, subtly pointing out to us what we should know, not having to jump up and down and wave his arms wildly to do it. When he does refer to himself in a story, it's for the story, not himself. And whatever he writes, you can be sure that you'll be grabbed and held tightly to the story from the first word to the last.
Read about Don Johnson, and pay no attention to the journalist behind the curtain. He's all about the story, and you will be too.
Sunday, April 1, 2012
My DVD Reviews So Far
At David Wagner's request, and to make it easier for those of you who haven't read them yet, here's the DVD reviews I've written so far for Movie Gazette Online, in chronological order:
Hey, Boo: Harper Lee & To Kill a Mockingbird
The Presidents
In Their Own Words
Adam-12: The Final Season
A World of Ideas: Writers
Hey, Boo: Harper Lee & To Kill a Mockingbird
The Presidents
In Their Own Words
Adam-12: The Final Season
A World of Ideas: Writers
Tidbits from the Fourth Issue of The Henderson Press
Volume 1, No. 4. December 10 - December 30, 2010. It doesn't look like much can be made of the holidays beyond advertisements, because of when this Henderson Press issue was produced, but let's see what there is here:
- There's a story about an uptick in holiday sales in November. I forgot about that. I love the section in this article about Susan Moyer, one half of the Sweet Bubble Soap Cafe on 147 Water St. with her sister, Mary Romero, "who made an oatmeal soap bar for her brother 10 years ago because he couldn't find a decent soap for his sensitive skin. From there, soap making grew into a business." I hope there's a full-on profile about Sweet Bubble Soap Cafe in a future issue. I don't know if The Henderson Press would do anything like that, because it would basically be free advertising, but they are part of the community, and there should be much written about the community. Plus, that background story is really interesting. I'm sure there's more to write about it.
And yet, there's a full article in this issue about the opening of Hobby Lobby in the Whitney Ranch Center on Sunset Road and Stephanie Street, so a story about the Sweet Bubble Soap Cafe would fit.
- Skyline Restaurant and Casino on 1741 N. Boulder Highway (one block south of Sunset Road), lists in its full-page color ad a $4.95 steak, pork chops, or 16oz. ham special, including eggs, potatoes, and toast, served all day; and "12 Days of Christmas Giveaway!", December 13th to 24th.
- The materials picked up as part of Henderson's Enhanced Recycling Program (which means pickups every week instead of every two weeks) go to a North Las Vegas facility operated by Evergreen Recycling for processing. No griping here about it not being kept local because in Southern Nevada, we're nearly all close enough to be considered local. It doesn't take long to get from Henderson to North Las Vegas and then Las Vegas proper.
- According to Jenny Twitchell's "Family Matters" column, The M Resort apparently has a giant Christmas tree every year.
- At the Henderson Events Plaza, the mayor of Henderson (Andy Hafen in this case, who runs for a second term in 2013) "officiates lighting the" Christmas tree. The calendar listing says "holiday tree," but it's a Christmas tree. There's no problem with that. Too much holiday sensitivity. Diversity's not a burden.
- The theme of 2010's Henderson WinterFest was "Comic Strip Favorites," which included a production of "A Charlie Brown Christmas," a Superman gingerbread house, and Garfield and Friends parade floats, among other things.
- When I read an issue of The Henderson Press last year that Mom and Dad had brought home from their trip, I was impressed by reporter Jeremy Twitchell, who went straight into the matter of an article just like any journalist should. No self-conscious word choices, nothing off-track. He did the work and that was that, and became my favorite reporter. I think in later issues (from the point of this fourth issue), he became the publisher. Deservedly so, if that's true. What's amazing is that in this one issue alone, Twitchell wrote six articles and never showed strain in any of them. All professionally written.
- The Seventh Annual Library Tree Lane Fundraiser for Henderson Libraries was their biggest, raising more than the $21,000 brought in in 2009, possibly going over the goal of $25,000.
- I don't think Dr. Robert Fielden's column, "It's Henderson - Of Course!" will last long. His blog, at www.rafi-nevada.com, listed at the bottom of his column, is now a Chinese site, and I doubt his e-mail address, which uses the same address, is still active. Plus, I don't remember seeing his column in the one issue I read last year. Or if it was there, I probably didn't notice it. I'm sure I'll recognize that particular issue when I see it.
- In the coupons section, the Great Harvest Bread Co. is offering three separate coupons: $1 off a loaf of bread, free cookie with any sandwich purchase, and free jam with $20 minimum bread purchase. I like Panera well enough, but I'd like to try something different. Similar as it seems, this looks like it. Panera sure doesn't offer a free cookie with any sandwich purchase.
- At 2132 Boulder Highway (between South Magic Way and Wagon Wheel Drive) is the simply named "A Barber Shop." I don't need anything fancy for a haircut, so it suits me.
- Wildcat Christmas Trees at the Galleria at Sunset Mall offers $5 off any Christmas tree purchase. I hope the next issue will have an article two about what went on at various holiday festivities.
This one issue is 24 pages. Without pulling out the issues of Escape for which I was the interim editor, I think mine had either 18 or 20 pages every week, maybe even 16 because why would they trust a total neophyte to fill 20 pages? Yet I think I did ok, and 24 pages of The Henderson Press is far more interesting than what the Escape section became long after I left, just a repository for the same things year after year. There's no mind creative enough at The Signal to change that.
My favorite thing about reading these back issues, besides learning more and more about my future hometown, is watching the evolution of The Henderson Press. More Jeremy Twitchell will make it even better.
- There's a story about an uptick in holiday sales in November. I forgot about that. I love the section in this article about Susan Moyer, one half of the Sweet Bubble Soap Cafe on 147 Water St. with her sister, Mary Romero, "who made an oatmeal soap bar for her brother 10 years ago because he couldn't find a decent soap for his sensitive skin. From there, soap making grew into a business." I hope there's a full-on profile about Sweet Bubble Soap Cafe in a future issue. I don't know if The Henderson Press would do anything like that, because it would basically be free advertising, but they are part of the community, and there should be much written about the community. Plus, that background story is really interesting. I'm sure there's more to write about it.
And yet, there's a full article in this issue about the opening of Hobby Lobby in the Whitney Ranch Center on Sunset Road and Stephanie Street, so a story about the Sweet Bubble Soap Cafe would fit.
- Skyline Restaurant and Casino on 1741 N. Boulder Highway (one block south of Sunset Road), lists in its full-page color ad a $4.95 steak, pork chops, or 16oz. ham special, including eggs, potatoes, and toast, served all day; and "12 Days of Christmas Giveaway!", December 13th to 24th.
- The materials picked up as part of Henderson's Enhanced Recycling Program (which means pickups every week instead of every two weeks) go to a North Las Vegas facility operated by Evergreen Recycling for processing. No griping here about it not being kept local because in Southern Nevada, we're nearly all close enough to be considered local. It doesn't take long to get from Henderson to North Las Vegas and then Las Vegas proper.
- According to Jenny Twitchell's "Family Matters" column, The M Resort apparently has a giant Christmas tree every year.
- At the Henderson Events Plaza, the mayor of Henderson (Andy Hafen in this case, who runs for a second term in 2013) "officiates lighting the" Christmas tree. The calendar listing says "holiday tree," but it's a Christmas tree. There's no problem with that. Too much holiday sensitivity. Diversity's not a burden.
- The theme of 2010's Henderson WinterFest was "Comic Strip Favorites," which included a production of "A Charlie Brown Christmas," a Superman gingerbread house, and Garfield and Friends parade floats, among other things.
- When I read an issue of The Henderson Press last year that Mom and Dad had brought home from their trip, I was impressed by reporter Jeremy Twitchell, who went straight into the matter of an article just like any journalist should. No self-conscious word choices, nothing off-track. He did the work and that was that, and became my favorite reporter. I think in later issues (from the point of this fourth issue), he became the publisher. Deservedly so, if that's true. What's amazing is that in this one issue alone, Twitchell wrote six articles and never showed strain in any of them. All professionally written.
- The Seventh Annual Library Tree Lane Fundraiser for Henderson Libraries was their biggest, raising more than the $21,000 brought in in 2009, possibly going over the goal of $25,000.
- I don't think Dr. Robert Fielden's column, "It's Henderson - Of Course!" will last long. His blog, at www.rafi-nevada.com, listed at the bottom of his column, is now a Chinese site, and I doubt his e-mail address, which uses the same address, is still active. Plus, I don't remember seeing his column in the one issue I read last year. Or if it was there, I probably didn't notice it. I'm sure I'll recognize that particular issue when I see it.
- In the coupons section, the Great Harvest Bread Co. is offering three separate coupons: $1 off a loaf of bread, free cookie with any sandwich purchase, and free jam with $20 minimum bread purchase. I like Panera well enough, but I'd like to try something different. Similar as it seems, this looks like it. Panera sure doesn't offer a free cookie with any sandwich purchase.
- At 2132 Boulder Highway (between South Magic Way and Wagon Wheel Drive) is the simply named "A Barber Shop." I don't need anything fancy for a haircut, so it suits me.
- Wildcat Christmas Trees at the Galleria at Sunset Mall offers $5 off any Christmas tree purchase. I hope the next issue will have an article two about what went on at various holiday festivities.
This one issue is 24 pages. Without pulling out the issues of Escape for which I was the interim editor, I think mine had either 18 or 20 pages every week, maybe even 16 because why would they trust a total neophyte to fill 20 pages? Yet I think I did ok, and 24 pages of The Henderson Press is far more interesting than what the Escape section became long after I left, just a repository for the same things year after year. There's no mind creative enough at The Signal to change that.
My favorite thing about reading these back issues, besides learning more and more about my future hometown, is watching the evolution of The Henderson Press. More Jeremy Twitchell will make it even better.
Saturday, March 31, 2012
A World of Ideas: Writers Review
I promise my blog won't become a repository of links to my DVD reviews. I've just been pumping them out quick lately. The latest is Bill Moyers' A World of Ideas: Writers.
Over the next few weeks, I plan to, of course, write whatever spurs me on to write, as well as more Henderson Press posts. With there now being a firm time that we'll move, I want to read the rest of the issues of Henderson Press, up to the latest, whenever that might be, and I'm also going to start shrinking my Las Vegas books stack in my room. I've started with Super Casino: Inside the "New" Las Vegas by Pete Earley, and I'm thinking of reading The Desert Rose by Larry McMurtry next. I have a combination of novels and nonfiction books, all about Las Vegas. This will serve as a transition to ransacking the Nevada history sections of my local libraries after I become a Henderson resident. I will learn what there is in these books, and then I want to know everything else, everything from the beginning of Nevada. I'm gradually doing the same for New Mexico, for my trips in the years to come, but Nevada takes priority, especially Henderson and Las Vegas.
Over the next few weeks, I plan to, of course, write whatever spurs me on to write, as well as more Henderson Press posts. With there now being a firm time that we'll move, I want to read the rest of the issues of Henderson Press, up to the latest, whenever that might be, and I'm also going to start shrinking my Las Vegas books stack in my room. I've started with Super Casino: Inside the "New" Las Vegas by Pete Earley, and I'm thinking of reading The Desert Rose by Larry McMurtry next. I have a combination of novels and nonfiction books, all about Las Vegas. This will serve as a transition to ransacking the Nevada history sections of my local libraries after I become a Henderson resident. I will learn what there is in these books, and then I want to know everything else, everything from the beginning of Nevada. I'm gradually doing the same for New Mexico, for my trips in the years to come, but Nevada takes priority, especially Henderson and Las Vegas.
Friday, March 30, 2012
Four Months (Or Less) Left!
Dad has to initial some papers at the bank in an hour. They'll take 15-30 days to process, and once they're through, we have three months to move out, which means in four months or less, I'll finally be a resident of Henderson, Nevada! I'll have everything I've wanted so badly and much more. Plus, it brings me a bit closer to my life's goals of traveling throughout New Mexico, and to the rest of the presidential libraries and museums throughout the nation. I've got quite some time before I can even begin planning those trips, but to finally have a home, and a home base, and to feel comfortable where I am, my goals become more possible.
Sandwich #1: Egg Salad Hoagie from Pavilions
Dad, Meridith, and I went to Sprouts and Pavilions for groceries last night since Mom has a mammogram appointment late this afternoon. In a refrigerated case near the entrance, I saw one of the "All-American Sub Sandwiches" that are on sale for $5 today. I couldn't handle that much sandwich over two days. It wouldn't have only been for me, but that thing was bigger than I thought! Whoever makes those has to have the utmost concentration so all the elements stay together. It seems like a game of Jenga! But then, that would be the Dagwood sandwich, whereas a sub sandwich sits squat.
In the Vons/Pavilions ad was a listing for hoagie sandwiches at $2.99 each. Upon seeing them next to that lone massive sub sandwich, I found that it's $2.49 each if you buy two. Not really worth it, because the "Turkey & Jack" (Monterey Jack cheese) hoagie I picked up looks like it was made without much care. I know a job's a job, and you do whatever's necessary in that job each day in order to earn the money you need to live, but one of the slices of cheese was jutting out from the middle of the sandwich, moreso than a slice of cheese usually sticks out from a sandwich. Part of the turkey looked torn, and the lettuce was haphazardly placed. I wanted to try it, but not like that. For me, a sandwich with meats and cheeses should be designed well. That was a sad design.
Then I saw an egg salad hoagie that is the exception to my personal rule because you can just glop on egg salad, making sure it's spread out evenly, or at least if there's one noticeable glop in the sandwich, it spreads out when you bite into it. I hadn't had egg salad in a while, and wanted to try this one, which included, according to the label, "chopped celery, dill pickle, and onions." Plus, I couldn't remember the last time I had a hoagie roll. It's the burly construction worker of bread. It can take a lot of punishment.
I just finished it, and the hoagie roll itself stood out to me first. If they make these things behind the deli counter and then wrap them with the price sticker and the barcode and ingredient list, then they've got a fine bread supplier. The same would be even if these sandwiches are simply shipped to the store. Obviously the expiration date is close to the date you buy the sandwich (the expiration date on mine was tomorrow, the 31st), but even so, the bread held together, no matter how long it sat in that refrigerated case until I got there, no matter that it sat in the fridge since last night until a few minutes ago. It held firm the entire time. That's bread I can respect.
Whoever made the sandwich was smart, because egg salad directly on the bottom slice of hoagie roll is going to get soggy quickly. The top slice isn't much to be concerned about. Lettuce leaves were placed on the bottom slice, then the egg salad was put on. It's elementary, and quite obvious, but important if you're not eating a sandwich right then.
The egg salad was decent, well-mixed, but though this was my first time trying it like this, I'm not fond of dill pickle in egg salad. For tang, I'll stick with mustard in egg salad. Condiments can stick out any which way they want in meat-and-cheese-based sandwiches, but I prefer a smooth egg salad.
This was a good start to my quest for great sandwiches. I'd place this one in middle territory. It's reliable for when you need something for lunch, but don't want to make it. Heaven it's not, but it does the job it's made for.
In the Vons/Pavilions ad was a listing for hoagie sandwiches at $2.99 each. Upon seeing them next to that lone massive sub sandwich, I found that it's $2.49 each if you buy two. Not really worth it, because the "Turkey & Jack" (Monterey Jack cheese) hoagie I picked up looks like it was made without much care. I know a job's a job, and you do whatever's necessary in that job each day in order to earn the money you need to live, but one of the slices of cheese was jutting out from the middle of the sandwich, moreso than a slice of cheese usually sticks out from a sandwich. Part of the turkey looked torn, and the lettuce was haphazardly placed. I wanted to try it, but not like that. For me, a sandwich with meats and cheeses should be designed well. That was a sad design.
Then I saw an egg salad hoagie that is the exception to my personal rule because you can just glop on egg salad, making sure it's spread out evenly, or at least if there's one noticeable glop in the sandwich, it spreads out when you bite into it. I hadn't had egg salad in a while, and wanted to try this one, which included, according to the label, "chopped celery, dill pickle, and onions." Plus, I couldn't remember the last time I had a hoagie roll. It's the burly construction worker of bread. It can take a lot of punishment.
I just finished it, and the hoagie roll itself stood out to me first. If they make these things behind the deli counter and then wrap them with the price sticker and the barcode and ingredient list, then they've got a fine bread supplier. The same would be even if these sandwiches are simply shipped to the store. Obviously the expiration date is close to the date you buy the sandwich (the expiration date on mine was tomorrow, the 31st), but even so, the bread held together, no matter how long it sat in that refrigerated case until I got there, no matter that it sat in the fridge since last night until a few minutes ago. It held firm the entire time. That's bread I can respect.
Whoever made the sandwich was smart, because egg salad directly on the bottom slice of hoagie roll is going to get soggy quickly. The top slice isn't much to be concerned about. Lettuce leaves were placed on the bottom slice, then the egg salad was put on. It's elementary, and quite obvious, but important if you're not eating a sandwich right then.
The egg salad was decent, well-mixed, but though this was my first time trying it like this, I'm not fond of dill pickle in egg salad. For tang, I'll stick with mustard in egg salad. Condiments can stick out any which way they want in meat-and-cheese-based sandwiches, but I prefer a smooth egg salad.
This was a good start to my quest for great sandwiches. I'd place this one in middle territory. It's reliable for when you need something for lunch, but don't want to make it. Heaven it's not, but it does the job it's made for.
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Sandwiches: The Most Personal Food
Who the hell invented the sandwich? They ought to write a book about him! - Fat sandwich eater in Barfly (1987)
Meatloaf, pasta dishes, Thai food, all kinds of cultural food, really; pizza (which can be turned into a sandwich, but doesn't count because it started as pizza), salads, they're not personal overall. There's individual recipes, and family recipes, and therefore expectations to deliver. A sandwich is private; it's all up to you. You can put meats, cheeses, toppings, vegetables, whatever you want, in a sandwich. There are suggested methods of sandwich construction so that the bread doesn't get soggy from condiments. After putting two slices of bread on a plate, separate from each other, I put cheese down first before mustard if I'm going to eat the sandwich later. I wish I had thought it to be done that way when I was in elementary school. Whenever my mom made me cream cheese and jelly with cheese, the cream cheese was on one slice of bread, the jelly on the other, and the slice of American cheese in the middle. By the time I sat down in the cafeteria for lunch, the sandwich was soggy. I've no complaints because a sandwich is a sandwich. If you eat it right away, then you can prevent that. But if later, then you've got to build defenses against a soggy sandwich. You don't want the contents of a sandwich falling on a table or in your lap.
I also remember that the times I made lunch for myself for school, I loved peanut butter and jelly. Peanut butter thick on both slices of bread, with a lot of strawberry jelly smushed in the middle, jam whenever I could get it. Good for peanut butter cravings and for sugar desires. It's why I began to get heavy without noticing it. I just figured it was part of growing. Working in his father's bakery, long before I was even a mildly dirty thought, my dad didn't think in terms of weight or health. All that chocolate, all that bread, all those cookies and cakes and other confections: Yes, yes, YES! It's why he got diabetes later on. He manages it well today.
Lately, I've developed an interest, a fascination, an obsession with the sandwich. After we settle in Henderson, I want to find a decent marinara sauce, a good butterscotch sundae, a perfect fettucine alfredo, a pastichio as wonderful, or better, than the one I had on my birthday at Athena's in Canyon Country, and a few more things I'm probably forgetting right now, but toward the top of the list is a great sandwich. Or, preferably, great sandwiches.
I stopped eating sandwiches regularly when I started losing weight back in late 2010, but I want them again. Not as regularly as before, because I want to explore. I want time in between sandwiches (most likely not more than two days), so I can appreciate the ingredients, the construction, the taste. I'm serious about my personal quest, but I'm not going to be snobbish about it. I believe that most anything can be part of a great sandwich. It depends on how you put it together, how you make the tastes of the individual ingredients blend. Bacon doesn't work alone, though my sister would surely argue that I'm wrong about that. It needs partners and contrasts. I'm not sure yet what those would be for me, but I do know I'd want mustard on a sandwich that includes bacon.
There is an irony lying in wait: How personal is a sandwich if you order it from a sandwich shop, choosing from a menu put together by others, and someone makes it for you? I think it's still personal. You chose a particular sandwich from Subway or from some truly local joint (the best kind to support) because it suits your tastes. And after it's made and you pay for it, and you either eat it right there or take it with you because it's early morning and that's your lunch for while you're at work, that sandwich is yours. It's what you want. When you sit down to eat it, it's just you and the sandwich, whereas with a meatloaf or a lasagna, it's a bigger investment. It takes more time. I believe you get closer to who you are with a sandwich.
I've come to realize over the past two months that I will never be a chef like Meridith. She's gotten enough experience that if there's a hot surface and she touches it, she doesn't feel it right away. She's done that much cooking. She jokes with me, though I know it's probably true, that she's well on her way to having asbestos fingers. She's not worried about calluses. It's part of cooking as well as she does.
When she told me that, I knew I wasn't going to reach her skill level, nor do I want to try. I'm content with reading books by food writers, articles, columns, recipes, learning about the food culture of different states and countries. I am content to limit myself to making sandwiches, because whereas ingredients meld into each other in lasagna and cakes and cookies and whatnot, ingredients in a sandwich remain staunchly themselves before being eaten. Then, bite after bite, they work together, bringing forth flavors not possible when those ingredients are on their own.
One of the few things I've liked about the supermarkets in Southern California is that in Vons and Pavilions for example, you can get freshly-made sandwiches right there at the counter. I've never tried any, but I like that the option's there, and I'm sure I can look forward to it in supermarkets in Henderson and Las Vegas. In the weekly Vons/Pavilions ad, though, in the $5 Friday section, there's "All American Sub Sandwiches," which serve 3 to 4. "Made fresh daily," it says. I plan to see what's in these sandwiches if we go on Friday. Ham or turkey or roast beef, I'm sure, but I hope they're made well. Solid construction and all. A well-made sandwich is a monument to the stomach.
It may well be a good start to my close study of the sandwich. I want to know a lot more. For now, here's links to my two favorite sites for sandwiches thus far: Scanwiches and A Sandwich a Day.
Meatloaf, pasta dishes, Thai food, all kinds of cultural food, really; pizza (which can be turned into a sandwich, but doesn't count because it started as pizza), salads, they're not personal overall. There's individual recipes, and family recipes, and therefore expectations to deliver. A sandwich is private; it's all up to you. You can put meats, cheeses, toppings, vegetables, whatever you want, in a sandwich. There are suggested methods of sandwich construction so that the bread doesn't get soggy from condiments. After putting two slices of bread on a plate, separate from each other, I put cheese down first before mustard if I'm going to eat the sandwich later. I wish I had thought it to be done that way when I was in elementary school. Whenever my mom made me cream cheese and jelly with cheese, the cream cheese was on one slice of bread, the jelly on the other, and the slice of American cheese in the middle. By the time I sat down in the cafeteria for lunch, the sandwich was soggy. I've no complaints because a sandwich is a sandwich. If you eat it right away, then you can prevent that. But if later, then you've got to build defenses against a soggy sandwich. You don't want the contents of a sandwich falling on a table or in your lap.
I also remember that the times I made lunch for myself for school, I loved peanut butter and jelly. Peanut butter thick on both slices of bread, with a lot of strawberry jelly smushed in the middle, jam whenever I could get it. Good for peanut butter cravings and for sugar desires. It's why I began to get heavy without noticing it. I just figured it was part of growing. Working in his father's bakery, long before I was even a mildly dirty thought, my dad didn't think in terms of weight or health. All that chocolate, all that bread, all those cookies and cakes and other confections: Yes, yes, YES! It's why he got diabetes later on. He manages it well today.
Lately, I've developed an interest, a fascination, an obsession with the sandwich. After we settle in Henderson, I want to find a decent marinara sauce, a good butterscotch sundae, a perfect fettucine alfredo, a pastichio as wonderful, or better, than the one I had on my birthday at Athena's in Canyon Country, and a few more things I'm probably forgetting right now, but toward the top of the list is a great sandwich. Or, preferably, great sandwiches.
I stopped eating sandwiches regularly when I started losing weight back in late 2010, but I want them again. Not as regularly as before, because I want to explore. I want time in between sandwiches (most likely not more than two days), so I can appreciate the ingredients, the construction, the taste. I'm serious about my personal quest, but I'm not going to be snobbish about it. I believe that most anything can be part of a great sandwich. It depends on how you put it together, how you make the tastes of the individual ingredients blend. Bacon doesn't work alone, though my sister would surely argue that I'm wrong about that. It needs partners and contrasts. I'm not sure yet what those would be for me, but I do know I'd want mustard on a sandwich that includes bacon.
There is an irony lying in wait: How personal is a sandwich if you order it from a sandwich shop, choosing from a menu put together by others, and someone makes it for you? I think it's still personal. You chose a particular sandwich from Subway or from some truly local joint (the best kind to support) because it suits your tastes. And after it's made and you pay for it, and you either eat it right there or take it with you because it's early morning and that's your lunch for while you're at work, that sandwich is yours. It's what you want. When you sit down to eat it, it's just you and the sandwich, whereas with a meatloaf or a lasagna, it's a bigger investment. It takes more time. I believe you get closer to who you are with a sandwich.
I've come to realize over the past two months that I will never be a chef like Meridith. She's gotten enough experience that if there's a hot surface and she touches it, she doesn't feel it right away. She's done that much cooking. She jokes with me, though I know it's probably true, that she's well on her way to having asbestos fingers. She's not worried about calluses. It's part of cooking as well as she does.
When she told me that, I knew I wasn't going to reach her skill level, nor do I want to try. I'm content with reading books by food writers, articles, columns, recipes, learning about the food culture of different states and countries. I am content to limit myself to making sandwiches, because whereas ingredients meld into each other in lasagna and cakes and cookies and whatnot, ingredients in a sandwich remain staunchly themselves before being eaten. Then, bite after bite, they work together, bringing forth flavors not possible when those ingredients are on their own.
One of the few things I've liked about the supermarkets in Southern California is that in Vons and Pavilions for example, you can get freshly-made sandwiches right there at the counter. I've never tried any, but I like that the option's there, and I'm sure I can look forward to it in supermarkets in Henderson and Las Vegas. In the weekly Vons/Pavilions ad, though, in the $5 Friday section, there's "All American Sub Sandwiches," which serve 3 to 4. "Made fresh daily," it says. I plan to see what's in these sandwiches if we go on Friday. Ham or turkey or roast beef, I'm sure, but I hope they're made well. Solid construction and all. A well-made sandwich is a monument to the stomach.
It may well be a good start to my close study of the sandwich. I want to know a lot more. For now, here's links to my two favorite sites for sandwiches thus far: Scanwiches and A Sandwich a Day.
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