A sandwich can be a mundane way of supplying nutrients to oneself, or a fantastic way of harnessing and consuming many flavors with a single bite. Food should never be just a way to get nutrients, so therefore I take sandwich-making very, very seriously.
The understanding of surface area can be applied to the creation of masterful sandwiches. You see, a spread of condiment on a sandwich must equal the total surface area of one piece of bread in order to achieve equal taste distribution throughout the sandwich-eating experience. In other words, you have to make sure your mayo, mustard, or chipotle-mayo is evenly distributed across all of the bread, otherwise you may get some bland bites! This applies not only to condiments, but to meats, cheeses, vegetables, and anything else people are piling on sandwiches these days.
Even distribution is especially important for my favorite kind of sandwich: the beloved panini. A lot of people may think that to make a panini you need to have one of those fancy presses, but this is a myth. You can just as easily use a plain pan, or even a waffle maker. I favor a plain pan, basically making a ramped-up grilled cheese sandwich. There are two things that you need to know to make the perfect grilled sandwich: 1, go low and slow and 2, condiments on top.
When we’re really hungry, we tend to get really impatient. But it can ruin your perfect sandwich! Patience is key; a sandwich cooked on the lowest heat (heat the pan first though) for as long as possible will yeild a perfect crunch and liquid-y cheese. To keep your bread crispy without getting soggy, put your condiments on only one slice of bread and use that as your top piece of bread. If you use it as the bottom piece, it will seep into the bread and make it soggy and weak. When it’s cold and you don’t want to leave your house, a panini is the perfect comfort food. Don’t settle for a plain or expensive deli panini, impress yourself with your new found sandwich know-how.
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