Favorite Sandwich

One of the conversation starters I often use when dining with groups of volunteers on hand to help Habitat for Humanity, Pontotoc, and who are visiting Pontotoc for the first time, is to ask each one at my table what they consider their favorite, made-at-home sandwich. After each has described his or her favorite, I’m usually asked about my favorite sandwich.

I also watch a lot of shows on the Food Network, and one of the programs I enjoy is “The Best Thing I Ever Ate.” Various chefs and stars on the Food Network are asked to describe the “Best Thing I Ever Ate” with respect to a given food item or category. For example, one program might be devoted to desserts; another to an entrée, and one I saw fell into the category, “between two slices of bread.”

I’m not a star, but if I’m invited to be on the show, I’ll have to say my favorite thing to eat in the sandwich category is a BLT (bacon, lettuce and tomato). Of course, the sandwich is much better when home-grown tomatoes are in season and are of any variety which has plenty of acid. I also prefer honey-wheat bread, thick-sliced bacon, iceberg lettuce, and a generous slathering of mayonnaise, as components. And, given a choice of where to consume it, I’ll pick my house as long as my wife makes the sandwich. For some reason, the sandwich she makes tastes better than mine. I’ve watched her put them together and have tried to replicate her actions, but mine just don’t look or taste as good as hers.

My second favorite is even simpler. If the tomatoes are unusually acidic, I like a BMT, bread, mayo and tomato.

Rivaling my love for BLTs and BMTs is the peanut butter sandwich. I grew up eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches which Mom made for me. Mom always stirred the jelly, most often grape, into the peanut butter before spreading the concoction onto white bread. Toss in a glass of cold milk to wash it down, and it made a great after-school snack. I also enjoy peanut butter and banana, and while I will eat one with the bananas mashed into the peanut butter, I prefer my bananas sliced over the peanut butter.

A number of years ago someone introduced me to what is now my favorite way to consume a peanut butter sandwich and that is a PBMC, peanut butter marshmallow creme. No mixing, please; just spread peanut butter (smooth kind) on one slice of bread, spread marshmallow cream on the other slice of bread and press the sandwich faces together. I like to cut the sandwich along a diagonal, prior to eating, as it keeps me from getting marshmallow crème in my ears when taking big bites. And, if you’re brand conscious, I use Jif peanut butter and Kraft marshmallow crème.

If there’s a better sandwich than one of the three named herein, it’s yet to touch my lips. However, I’m open to suggestions.