Cooking Corner by Various Authors

By Chris Ross

Susan Russo searched the globe for entries in her new "Encyclopedia of Sandwiches" (Quirk Books, 320 pages; $18.95), but her own favorite remains a childhood standby — her mom's meatball sandwich.

"A lot of the time, your favorite sandwich is the one that made you happiest," says Russo.

The San Diego food blogger and cookbook author never ate peanut butter and jelly as a kid. "I had meatball sandwiches in my lunch box," she says.

Russo is the creator of a popular blog, Food Blogga (that's how you pronounce "food blogger" in Rhode Island, where she grew up). She writes for NPR's "Kitchen Window" series and was co-author of the 2010 cookbook "Recipes Every Man Should Know," published by Quirk Books.

Usually, a cookbook author sells an idea to a publisher. But in this case, an editor at Quirk Books sought Russo out to research and write the book on sandwiches. And it is a subject that is dear to her.

"So many places where you eat sandwiches are fun occasions — baseball parks, picnics, watching sports," says Russo. "These are comforting foods we can all relate to."

She gathered 125 sandwich recipes, which were edited down to the final 110 in the book. "I tried to include all the classics," says Russo. Besides PB&J, those classics include the BLT, chicken club, Dagwood, grilled cheese, patty melt, Reuben and, of course, the meatball sub.

The book also includes many international recipes: banh-mi from Vietnam, croque-monsieur from France, falafel pitas from the Middle East, tea sandwiches from England and tortas from Mexico. "Most cultures have some type of sandwich," Russo says.

The book is structured like a reference book, with the sandwiches in alphabetical order. Each sandwich has a brief history and description, followed by the recipe. Illustrating each sandwich are photos by food photographer Matt Armendariz.

Over the four months it took to research and write the book, Russo says she made countless sandwiches. "Everything in the book I made and ate, some of them several times."

In the process of testing sandwiches, Russo discovered a new favorite, the Pork Tenderloin Sandwich, also called "The Iowa Skinny." She describes it as "a monstrous breaded, fried slab of pork tenderloin that completely overwhelms a hamburger bun and is simply dressed with mayo, onions and pickles."

After four intense months, she found she had grown weary of eating sandwiches and also had gained 7 pounds.

"Let's just say too many 'Iowa Skinnys' made my skinny jeans too tight," says Russo.

In her research, Russo says she discovered that interest in sandwiches has "exploded" in the last couple of years.

"Looking at Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco, there are a lot of new restaurants — bona fide restaurants — serving only sandwiches," Russo says. "At XOCO, a Rick Bayless restaurant in Chicago, they serve the most amazing tortas I've ever had. And some restaurants serve only one kind of sandwich!"

The variations are endless, according to Russo. "New sandwiches are popping up all the time." She believes a lot of the current experimentation has to do with the high quality and variety of breads and other sandwich staples.

"Nowadays, we have so many artisanal breads," says Russo. "You can find anything — sweet breads, olive oil and rosemary, dill and Cheddar. ... Plus all kinds of sauces and cheeses."

And social media plays a role, too. "People are always posting ideas on Facebook and Twitter," she says. "The Wikipedia page on sandwiches is constantly being updated."

Bottom line, Russo believes the continuing appeal of sandwiches has a lot to do with form and function.

"Historically, they have been a food of convenience, because you could eat and do something else at the same time," she says. "And cold cuts made life so much easier; you didn't have to depend on having leftovers anymore."

In her own life, Russo and her husband, who live in downtown San Diego, have their own sandwich ritual.

"It's definitely part of our diet," she says. "One of our traditions is frittata sandwiches on Sunday mornings."

FRITTATA SANDWICH

1 (12-inch) loaf of crusty Italian bread or 2 6-inch torpedo rolls, sliced lengthwise but still attached

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 small red-skin potato, diced

1 medium shallot or 1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced

1 small red bell pepper, thinly sliced

5 eggs

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh basil

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1_8 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided

Drizzle bread with 1 teaspoon olive oil; broil 2 to 3 minutes, or until golden. In a small pot of boiling water, cook potatoes for 3 minutes. Drain, and set aside.

In a small nonstick skillet over medium-low heat, add remaining 2 teaspoons olive oil. Saute shallots, bell pepper and potatoes for five minutes, or until golden brown.

Whisk eggs in a small bowl; add herbs, red pepper flakes, salt and half the Parmesan, and gently whisk to combine. Add mixture to skillet. With a fork, gently move it from side to side until eggs start to solidify and a crust begins to form around the edges, about 5 to 8 minutes. Jiggle the pan handle and, when eggs are nearly set, remove pan from heat.

Sprinkle frittata with remaining Parmesan, and broil 4 to 5 minutes, or until top puffs up and turns golden brown (but doesn't burn). Cool 2 to 3 minutes, slice into wedges, and tuck inside bread.

Serve hot or at room temperature with a side of tomato sauce for dunking.

Chris Ross writes for The San Diego Union-Tribune.

COPYRIGHT 2011 THE SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE.

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