BREAD, Interrupted

I was recently visiting relatives in Richmond, Virginia, when I happened upon a little hole-in-the-wall diner. This place was too hole-in-the-wall to even make it on Guy Fieri’s show. Perusing the menu, I noticed a sandwich called The Grilled Sailor and couldn’t stop laughing. What a name! I couldn’t even imagine what this meant.

I asked the waiter, expecting him to laugh with me, then describe the joke behind the name. No such luck. He described the contents as if it were a BLT – you know, a well-known, everyday sandwich. The ingredients were pastrami, knockwurst, sautéed onions, spicy mustard and Swiss cheese, grilled on rye bread. “Holy guacamole, that’s for me,” I thought, immediately ordering it. Let me tell you, it was amazing!

Because the waiter was so nonchalant in his description of this marvelous, amazing sandwich, I figured there must be a little history behind the terrific creation. As it turns out, The Grilled Sailor is an iconic Richmond sandwich that originated in 1943.

Because many American cities have their own examples of regional cuisine in the form of sandwiches, I thought it would be a really cool thing to start making a few of them to Chef Up sandwich night. So I made a little list to pique your appetites.

The obvious starting point here is good ol’ Florida – the Cuban. It’s very common these days, with both Miami and Tampa fighting over claiming rights.

Another familiar sandwich is the Philly Cheesesteak. When I first tried the original at its birthplace, many years ago, I didn’t really buy in. Cheez Whiz just ain’t for me. Los Angeles lays claim to the famous French Dip … as in, “This is the ’70s calling, and I need that French Dip to go with my Perrier.”

I wholeheartedly embrace sandwiches with weird names. Gems like the Fluffernutter of New England, which is peanut butter with marshmallow fluff. Or Chicago’s Mother-in-Law: a corn tamale topped with chili on a dog roll. How about the Horseshoe, hailing from Springfield, Illinois: an open-faced hamburger on toast with fries and cheese sauce on top?

Now we’re talking regional cuisine. One of my all-time favorites comes from New Orleans … no, not the Po’ Boy, but the Muffuletta. Ah, even the Earl of Sandwich would agree. It’s a masterpiece.

Try this classic olive spread to complete your own Muffuletta.
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Chef Bill’s Muffuletta Olive Relish
Ingredients:

• 1-1/2 cups green olives, pitted
• 1/2 cup kalamata olives, pitted
• 1 cup giardiniera
• 1 Tbsp. capers
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/8 cup celery, thinly sliced
• 1 Tbsp. Italian parsley, chopped
• 1 Tbsp. oregano
• 1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
• 3 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup roasted red peppers
• 1 Tbsp. green onions, thinly sliced
• 1-1/2 cups olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Place all the ingredients in a food processer and pulse to a thick, chunky relish consistency.

Until we cook again,
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Contact Chef Bill Thompson, owner of Amelia Island Culinary Academy in Fernandina Beach, at cheffedup@folioweekly.com with your recipes or questions, to find inspiration and get you Cheffed Up!