sandwiches

The Gluten-Free Pantry Favorite Sandwich Bread Mix, 22-Ounce Boxes (Pack of 6)
$35.88
When my son was first diagnosed, I tried making GF bread from scratch. I spend copious amounts of time and money on a variety of flours. When I found this mix, it was like a gift from God. I've since tried several other mixes, but none turned out as consistent a product as this mix. I do make some tweaks, however. I add a packet of unflavored gelatin (increases the protein content and helps with texture) and a teaspoon of xanthan gum. Often I will use my own yeast, just to make sure it's fresh. With these tweaks, I can easily make very good bread--without a bread maker (I have one, but I get much better results without it). I do find that I have to double the cooking time, but that could be from our area's temp and humidity and our oven.

I've occasionally tried some variations, such as raisin and cinnamon, poppyseed, etc., with varying results. Overall, however, this is so much better than the awful pre-made, mass-produced shelf-stable breads, better than other mixes, and as good as many of the local freshly-baked GF breads that sell for eight dollars a loaf in our area. My son still likes his frozen bread for some sandwiches, but otherwise we often make this.

Amazon's subscription-price is competitive, so we'll move to that!

Simple Italian Sandwiches: Recipes from America's Favorite Panini Bar
$21.95
These recipes are delicious. Using the tips on breads and fillings in this book took my paninis to a whole new level. I highly recommmend this book to anyone who is imterested in making seriously good paninis.

'wichcraft: Craft a Sandwich into a Meal--And a Meal into a Sandwich
$27.50
I'd never actually been to Wichcraft before purchasing this book so I had no idea what to expect. However to say that I was pleasantly surprised is an understatement. What makes this book wonderful is that on one hand it's very inspirational and offers up unique and deep flavors, but on the other it's actually doable. In other words, it's one of those cookbooks that actually gets cooked from and doesn't just sit on your shelf.

The philosophy behind the book is that there is no reason why the ingredients in a sandwich cannot be every bit as lovingly prepared and extraordinary as what you would find at the center of your plate in a fine restaurant. This philosophy comes through loud and clear in the recipes. What you get are not simply a rehashing of classic sandwiches, but a range that bring to life unique flavors ranging from savory to sweet. This means that you're unlikely to find a lot of repeats with other cookbooks in your collection or to feel like you've seen everything before. However, if you're looking for straight versions of classic sandwiches like a Croque Madame or a Reuben you might be disapointed. The book also offers up general tips and advice on everything from turning a sandwich to a salad to how to pick the right bread. Home cooks who are looking to move from following recipes to recipe creation will especially appreciate the later.

Among other things I appreciated about the book is that the recipes are accessible to the home cook. Unlike some restaurant cookbooks they don't feel out of place on the kitchen table or in a lunchbox. The prep work required is also less than what I've seen in other cookbooks by restaurant chefs. Most of what you need to do, for the most part, is contained within the sandwich recipe itself so there isn't a lot of flipping of pages or the deceit when you think a recipe is short only to find that is because it references 7 or 8 other recipes you must make. For the most part the only things kept separate are condiments and many of these could easily be swapped out for premade versions to save time.

That said, I wouldn't call this a quick and easy cookbook. Most recipes will still take over 30 minutes so if you're looking for a quick sandwich to whip together before dashing for the bus this probably isn't the cookbook for you. However, if you prepare components like the condiments and meats ahead of time these sandwiches are quite doable to prepare.

I also appreciated how many vegetarian recipes there were in this book or recipes that could easily be made vegetarian. I believe I counted something like 20+ recipes, which isn't bad for a book like this. Best of all, they go beyond the expected sandwiches and feel every bit as novel and special as the meat-based recipes.

Overall this is a great book with very few complaints. It's really brimming with sandwiches and they all feel unique and interesting. I would highly recommend this to anyone who's looking to make their sandwiches more interesting and doesn't mind spending some time in the kitchen to get there.

Nancy Silverton's Sandwich Book: The Best Sandwiches Ever--from Thursday Nights at Campanile
$16.95
This is a very nice book, many interesting and unusual recipes. But most recipes are neither atractive for a home cook, or for a culinary professional. This book could be so much better if many of the unatractive and complicated sandwich recipes would be switched to something more friendly like Campaniles short rib, dijon mustard, caramelized onions, gruyere cheese sandwich.