Deviation: Book Review of The Sandwich Encyclopedia

There's nothing quite like a hot sandwich on a dreary day. But who wants regular old grilled cheese?? Jazz up your day with an Artisanal Grilled Cheese Sandwich instead!

The great thing about The Sandwich Encyclopedia, by Food Blogga Susan Russo, is this the book is not only filled with delicious classics - peanut butter and jelly, po'boy, croque-monsieur - but there are stylish twists on all your regular favorites. For instance, the above! The recipe starts off with a brief history of the Grilled Cheese Sandwich, which really remained unchanged for decades. Then in the late 1990s, classy restaurant chef Nancy Silverton started offering Thursday Grilled Cheese Night and introduced "a whole new world of designer sandwiches."

The book offers a standard and delectable recipe for an Artisanal Grilled Cheese Sandwich, but goes the extra distance to include variations to expand your options based on palate, ingredients available, etc. - and they do that with just about every recipe! I love that it helps the reader/eater think outside the box!

So my lovely sandwich was a "sweet and savory" variation: grilled buffalo mozzarella, tapenade, and fresh basil on ciabatta bread (well, I couldn't find buffalo mozzarella, but I used a nice regular fresh mozz instead). It was great! The tapenade was rich but the fresh basil gave a subtle contrast and freshness. The crunch of the soft cheese against the crispy panini was delicious. It's a combination I wouldn't've thought of - especially in the context of a grilled cheese sandwich - but I would have been sad to have missed out on it.

So the next time you start craving a monte cristo, crab melt, or BLT (or BLAT, BLOFT, or BLTT for that matter!) hop on over to Amazon.com and pick up the latest from Susan Russo, The Sandwich Encyclopedia. The quirky trivia and sandwich histories, great photographs, and delicious recipes will surly satisfy every sandwich-lover in your life!

Deviation: Review of Recipes Every Man Should Know

What's better than a little black dress? A little black book - OF RECIPES!


Well, that's probably a debatable point (it really depends on the dress - and the recipes ;-)

The essence of Recipes Every Man Should Know, the latest publication from Food Blogga author Susan Russo and Brett Cohen (author of Stuff Every Man Should Know), is embodied in its title. This little book is chock-full of uncomplicated, low-prep, sure-to-satisfy recipes, ranging from great breakfasts (for one...or two); bacon in greens, margaritas, and brownies; and romantic dinners that will impress that special lady (and then all her friends when she gushes to them later)!

The book makes a great first impression with it's sleek black cover, and a quick flip through reveals a clean and well-organized layout throughout the recipe pages. Inside, they begin with an easy-to-read table of contents and an amusing introduction ("So, why should men cook? 1. Women think men who cook are sexy, 2. It involves fire, sharp instruments, and meat, 3. Women think men who cook are sexy, and it involves fire, sharp instruments, and meat."). Next comes a graphic list of basic utensils every kitchen needs and a nice break-down of kitchen terms before launching into the recipes - they do a great job providing a good synopsis of "basically" everything without being overwhelming. It's a good way to start the book and set the tone: don't be intimidated, you're cool, you've got this.

So, to offer a thorough review of this Recipes Every Man Should Know, I tried out three recipes: a breakfast, a dinner, and a snack - plus a small bonus at the end!

BREAKFAST: Better-Than-IHOP Pancakes


This is a recipe that's simple and doesn't take a lot of time (spoiler alert: all the recipes in this book are like that!!). But this is a handy one to have on hand because while the basic pancake recipe holds up on its own, it also provides a great foundation for creative toppings and fillings. And if me suggesting "creative toppings and fillings" makes you want to run for the hills, fear not! Because Russo and Cohen have already been creative for you: listed right after the basic recipe are a few variations to spice things up a bit (chocolate chip, maple apples, rum bananas with nuts anyone?).

DINNER: Shrimp Fettuccine


I love pasta, and I love shrimp - but for some reason the thought of preparing seafood has always intimidated me a little. So this was new territory for me. And guess what?? The meal was great! I don't know what I was ever so worried about! Oh, the ingredients that you toss into the cream sauce just make the shrimp POP with flavor - I went back for a second, then a third helping. The best part was the timing: while the pasta is cooking, you can make the sauce and prepare the shrimp - it's really no more than 15 minutes to the table once the pasta water boils. It looks complex, it tastes complex, but it's a very approachable meal to make. This is the recipe that really sold me. I would be thoroughly impressed if someone - of any gender - whipped this up for dinner, especially in so short a time.

SNACK: Sweet-Potato Fries (Plain and also the Parmesan-and-Herb variation!)


While I consider myself a good cook, before Recipes Every Man Should Know, I only once ventured into the world of making fries. It didn't turn out so well (imagine eating a potato that's in a cute french-fries shape and warm...but kind of very raw). So I was excited to give a slightly more instructed try with Russo and Cohen's Sweet-Potato Fries. And what a turn out! This is a great example of why it's important to have a little easy-reference book on hand to guide you from one side of the kitchen - where fries turn out hard and raw and inedible - to the other side, where after a VERY few short steps you get soft and silky snacks worth passing around.

BONUS ROUND!

Though I didn't have this book on hand during Thanksgiving, in later reading through the "Turkey Carving" how-to, I realized the method described in Recipes Every Man Should Know was the same as ours this year. So here's a great example of the method they describe - look how beautifully it came out!! Have you ever seen such a gorgeous carving??


Obviously, this book is great for men AND women; I think it's important for everyone to know how to cook at least a little. Especially if you like bacon (and who doesn't?!), this is a great little book to have on hand no matter what your gender. I love that they point out in the intro, "It's small enough to fit in your back pocket, so you will never ever need to write a grocery list again." (Men, showing up at a grocery store with a recipe book as your shopping list is probably the ONLY way to pick up chicks at the supermarket. Just FYI.)

So not only is this a great little book to stick on your bookshelf, or slip in your back pocket - but can't you see it fitting just perfectly inside a Christmas stocking, too?? Check out Food Blogga here (where she even posts some of the recipes from the book!), or order a copy - modestly priced at $9.95! - from Amazon.com here.