About bread 19th century American sandwiches BLTs Canapes Club Dagwood Grilled cheese Gyros & doner kebabs Monte Cristo Panini Peanut butter & jelly Reubens St. Paul sandwich Sloppy Joes ,b>Subs, heroes, po'boys, Philly cheese steaks, Italian beef sandwiches & more! Western sandwiches (aka Denver omelets)

Have questions? Ask!

Who invented the sandwich? When? Where? And Why?
Although combinations of bread/pastry filled with meat or cheese and dressed with condiments have been enjoyed since ancient times, food historians generally attribute the creation of the sandwich, as we know it today, to John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich. This Englishman was said to have been fond of gambling. As the story goes, in 1762, during a 24 hour gambling streak he instructed a cook to prepare his food in such a way that it would not interfere with his game. The cook presented him with sliced meat between two pieces of toast. Perfect! This meal required no utensils and could be eaten with one hand, leaving the other free to continue the game. Sadly, the name of real inventor of the sandwich (the cook) was not recorded for posterity.

Recipes for sandwiches were not immediately forthcoming in cookbooks. Why? In England they were (at first) considered restaurant fare. In America? Many colonial cooks in the last half of the 18th century were not especially fond of imitating British culinary trends. Did colonial American cooks make sandwiches? Probably...most likely, though you will be hard pressed to find solid evidence. When viewed in historical context, it is understandable why Americans didn't begin calling their bread and meat combinations "sandwiches" until [long after the Revolution & War of 1812] the late 1830s. The primary difference between early English and American sandwiches? In England beef was the meat of choice; in America it was ham. A simple matter of local supply.

This is what the food historians have to say:

"The bread-enclosed convenience food known as the "sandwich" is attributed to John Montagu, fourth earl of Sandwich (1718-1792), a British statesman and notorious profligate and gambler, who is said to be the inventor of this type of food so that he would not have to leave his gaming table to take supper. In fact, Montague was not the inventor of the sandwich; rather, uring his excursions in the Eastern Mediterranean, he saw grilled pita breads and small canapes and sandwiches served by the Greeks and Turks during their mezes, and copied the concept for its obvious conveninece. There is no doubt, however, that the Earl of Sandwich made this type ofc light repast popular among England's gentry, and in this way, his title has been associated with the sandwich ever since. The concept is supremely simple: delicate finger food is served between two slices of bread in a culinary practice of ancient origins among the Greeks and other Mediterranean peoples. Literary references to sandwiches begin to appear in English during the 1760s, but also under the assumption that they are a food consumed primarily by the masculine sex during late night drinking parties. The connotation does not change until the sandwich moves into general society as a supper food for late night balls and similar events toward the end of the eighteenth century...Charlotte Mason was one of the first English cookbook authors to provide a recipe for sandwiches...During the nineteenth century, as midday dinner moved later and later into the day, the need for hot supper declined, only to be replaced with light dishes made of cold leftovers, ingredients for which the sandwich proved preeminently suitable. Thus the sandwich became a fixture of intimate evening suppers, teas, and picnics, and popular fare for taverns and inns. This latter genre of sandwich has given rise to multitudes of working class creations...During the early years of the railroad, sandwiches proved an ideal form of fast food, especially since they could be sold at train stations when everyone got off to buy snacks...During the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries the sandwich came into its own, especially as a response to the Temperance Movement. Taverns and saloons offered free sandwiches with drinks in order to attract customers."
---Encyclopedia of Food and Culture, Solomon H. Katz, editor, William Woys Weaver, assoicate editor [Charles Scribner's Sons:New York] 2003, Volume 3 (p. 235-6)
[NOTE: This book has far more information than can be paraphrased here. Ask your librarian to help you find a copy.]

"The invention of the sandwich and its acceptance as an institution is a typical example of the power of the ways of life to prevail over all so-called rules of gastronomy and even established facts of physiology and psychology. Bread, when cut into slices, has always proved a handy foundation for other food. From the buttered bread and thick slice which was used in the Tudor period as the foundation of meat dishes there is a direct line of descent to the sandwich. But according to all the rules of sciences governing nutrition the sandwich should never have been born. If a slice of bread is spread with some other appetizing food it is obvious to both eyes and nose what it is, and there is a definate psychological reaction. When, however, the appealing surface is covered by another slice of bread, it is a matter of guesswork to find out what the filling is. This is not so easy and often the eater does not try to guess at all but is satisfied with something eay to chew and swallow which satisfies his hunger. The sandwich is thus a poor substitute for a single slice of bread, spread with something won can both see and anticipate in advance. That it has all the same become a staple article of diet is in the first place due to its handiness for carrying, as compared with a slice of bread spread only with butter Sandwiches can replace a meal and avoid the necessity of carrying cooking utensils about. Their popularity owes much to the fact that the distances between home and work have increased enormously in recent times, and they can so easily be wrapped up and stowed away in a man's pocket, In the face of these advantages, the phyiological and psychological attractions of a single slice with its surface openly displayed could not prevail. Eating a sandwich requires neither crockery nor cutlery, and as the hand comes in contact only with the dry side of the bread the fingers are not smeared; this even creates the fallacy that dirt from the fingers will not adhere to the bread. The ease of handling has led to further uses of the sandwich. In many countries we find sandwiches set down on plates in the home for lunch or tea, and also at snack-bars...one sandwich tastes much the same as another, unless the filling has a very pronounced flavour...It is only high up in the culinary scale that one finds delicacies spread on bread without the coffin-lid which spells death to the flavour."
---The Origin of Food Habits, H.D. Renner [Faber and Faber:London] 1944 (p. 223-4)

"Sandwich. [Said to be named after John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich (1718-1792), who once spent twenty-four hours at the gaming-table without other refreshment than some slices of cold beef placed between slices of toast. This account of the origin of the word is given by Grosley [in a publication titled] Londres (1770). Grosley's residence in London was in 1765 and he speaks of the word as having then lately come into use.]."
---Oxford English Dictionary
[NOTE: according to this source, the first printed mention of the word sandwich appeared in a journal entry of Edward Gibbon, 24 November 1762 I dined at the Cocoa Tree...That respectable body...affording every evening a sight truly English. Twenty or thirty...of the first men of the kingdom...supping at little tables...upon a bit of cold meat, or a Sandwich'.]

"...[The sandwich] was not known in America until some time later. Eliza Leslie's Directions for Cookery (1837) listed ham sandwiches as a supper dish, but it was not until much later in the century, when soft white bread loaves became a staple of the American diet, that the sandwich became extremely popular and serviceable. By the 1920s white loaf bread was referred to as "sandwich bread" or "sandwich loaf."
---Encyclopedia of American Food and Drink, John F. Mariani [Lebhar-Friedman:New York] 1999 (p. 283)

A sampling of 19th century American sandwich recipes illustrates the evolution of this item from practical fare to complicated cuisine. What is the most popular American sandwich? According to our cookbooks the answer to this question is ham.

[1824] To Make Oyster Loaves [some say this the precursor to the New Orleans Po'Boy]
"Take little round loaves, cut off the top, scrape out all the crumbs, then out the oysters into a stew pan with the crumbs that came out of the loaves, a little water, and a good lump of butter; stew them together ten or fifteen minutes, then put in a spoonful of good cream, fill your loaves, lay the bit of crust carefully on again, set them in the oven to crisp. Three are enough for a side dish."
---The Virginia House-Wife, Mary Randolph, with Historical Notes and Commentaries by Karen Hess [University of South Carolina Press:Columbia] 1985 (p. 78)

[1840] Ham sandwich, Eliza Leslie's recipe

[1844] 707. Sandwiches
"Cut, and spread neatly with butter, slices of biscuit, placing between every two pieces, a very thin slice of tongue. Lean ham, or the white meat of fowl may be substituted for the tongue."
---The Improved Housewife, Mrs. A.L. Webster [Harftord Ct], fifth edition, revised 1844 (p. 210)

[1866] Sandwiches
"These are made of different articles, but always in the same manner. Cold biscuit sliced thin and buttered, and a very thin slice of boiled ham or tongue, or beef, between each two slices. Home-made bread cuts better for sandwiches than baker's bread; a loaf baked for this purpose is best; take the size of a quart bowl, of risen dough, mould it in a roll, about three inches in diameter, and bake it half an hour in a quick oven.

For bread and butter sandwich cut the bread in slices, not thicker than a dollar piece, spread it evenly with sweet butter before cutting it; let the butter be very thin, lay two slices, the buttered sides together, for each sandwich; when you have enough, arrange them on flat dishes, make them in a circle around the middle of the plate as a common centre, one lapping nearly over the other; put a spirg of parsley in the centre.

Sandwiches may be made with cheese, sliced very thin between each two slices of buttered bread, also cold boiled eggs sliced, for luncheon; stewed fruit of jelly or preserve spread thin over buttered bread, makes a fine sandwich for lunhk. Any cold meat sliced thin may be made a sandwich; it is gerenally spread with made mustard; tho most delectable are those made with boiled smoked tongue or ham."
---Mrs. Crowen's American Lady's Cookery Book, Mrs. T. J. Crowen [Dick & Fitzgerald:New York] 1866 (p. 329-330)

[1869] Plain sandwiches
Cut ham or tongue very thin, trim off the fat, and cut the bread thin; spread it with very nice butter; lay meat on very smoothly. Press the other slice on very hard; trim the edges off neatly.

A dressing for sandwiches
Take a half pound of nice butter, three tablespoonfuls of mixed mustard, three spoonfuls of nice sweet oil, a little white or red pepper, a littel salt, the yolk of one egg; braid this all together very smoothly, and set it on the ice to cool. Chop very fine some tongue and ham; a little cold chicken is very nice added. Cut the bread very thin; spread it with the dressing. Then spread over the meat, then the bread, and press it together very hard. Trim off the edges, that the sandwiches may be all one size."
---Mrs. Putnam's Receipt Book and Young Housekeeper's Assistant, Mrs. E. Putnam, New and Enlarged edition [Sheldon and Company:New York] 1869 (p. 110)

[1877] Mixed sandwiches
Buckeye Cookery Book, Estelle Woods Wilcox

[1884] Sandwiches
The Boston Cook Book, Mrs. D.A. Lincoln

[1887] Sandwiches
The White House Cook Book, Mrs. F. L. Gillette

BLT

Recipes are not invented, they evolve. In the case of the Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato sandwich (BLT), culinary evidence confirms this recipe descended from late Victorian-era tea sandwiches. The earliest recipes for BLTs were listed under different names in cookbooks.

Most of the ingredients of the BLT (bread, bacon, lettuce) were known to the Ancient Romans. Methods for toasting bread were also practiced during this time. Tomatoes were introduced to Europe in the 16th century. Mayonnaise? An 18th century French invention. According to the food historians, modern sandwiches were also invented in the 18th century. We searched serveral 19th-20th century European and American cookbooks to pin down the introduction of the BLT. It can be argued that the progenitors of BLTs are Club Sandwiches as they are similar in composition and ingredents. About club sandwiches.

The earliest recipes we find that begin to approximate the BLT were printed in the 1920s. Seven Hundred Sandwiches/Florence A. Cowles [Little, Brown:Boston] 1929 notes:

"Bacon sandwiches. Bacon is an ingredient of many of the sandwiches in this book, but in those under this heading it is the principal one. Sandwiches containing bacon are particularly good for on hikes or picnics. The recipe below is specially suited for such an occasion, when the bacon may be broiled over and open fire in the woods."
---(p. 31).

Recipes for BLT-type sandwiches printed American cookbooks in the 1930s-1950s typically include cheese.

WHO COINED THE ACRONYM "BLT?"
Our food history books, dictionaries/phrase books and databases do not reveal the person/place responsible for coining the name "BLT." John Marinani, American food historian, hypothesizes this term evolved from diner/lunchroom slang:

"Lunch counters have provided etymologists and linguists with one of the richest sources of American slang, cant, and jargon, usually based on a form of verbal shorthand bandied back and forth between waiters and cooks. Some terms have entered familiar language of most Americans--"BLT" (a bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwich)...and others--but most remain part of a bewildering and colorful language specific to the workers in such establishments."
---The Encyclopedia of American Food & Drink, John F. Mariani [Lebhar Freidman:New York] 1999 (p. 190)

Ingredient notes:

• lettuce
• tomatoes (in Europe)
• mayonnaise
• bread & toast
• bacon

Canapes

Food historians tell us the practice of serving savory foods before meals was established in ancient cultures. Why? Long before the advent of modern nutrition science, people who studied the relationship between food and the human body recognized the ability of some items to what the appetite and encourage proper digestion. Apicius [Ancient Rome]contains many such recipes. About appetizers.

The serving of savory protein/bread or pastry combinations [croutons, crustades] continued through the Middle ages, migrating toward refined spicy vinegar-based specialties of the Renaissance table. "Canapes," as we known them today, originated in France. They were a creation of classic French cuisine and, as such, were quickly adopted by countries (ex. England, United States) in the habit of following French culinary trends. In other cuisines this concept evolved differently.

What is a canape?

"Canapes--The primary meaning of this word is a slice of crustless bread, cut in rectangular shapes, the size and thickness of which varies depending on the nature of ingredients to be put on them. Canapes which are also called croutons are made of toasted or fried bread and can either be spread with various mixtures or left plain, depending on the nature of the dishes for which they are to serve as an accompaniment. Canapes are mostly used as an accompaniment to winged game, and, in this case, they are spread with a gratin forcemat or some other forcemeat and when actually at table the trail intestines of birds, which are not drawn for cooking, are also spread on the canapes. Recipes for preparing these will be found under the entries entitled Roties...Canapes (hors-d'oeuvre)--These canapes, which are made from crustless bread, home-made bread, common brioche or pastry, are garnished with various compositions. Recipes for this type of canape, some of which are referred to as Canapes a la russe, will be found in the section entitled Hors-D'Oeuvre. See Cold hors-d'oeuvre. Canapes for various dishes--These canapes are cut and browned in the same ways as those described above. They are mostly described as croutons and are used as foundations fro fried or grilled escalopes, noisettes, tournedos, kidneys, etc."
---Larousse Gastronomique, Prosper Montagne [Crown Publishers:New York] 1961 (p. 208)

What is the derivation of the term and when did it begin to appear in English?

This is what the food historians say about canapes:
"Canape. A French word which basically means sofa or couch, has become a culinary term in France since the late 18th century, when it was applied by analogy to the thin pieces of fried or toasted bread which served as supports for various savoury toppings. A century later, in the 1890s, it became in English word referring to a titbit of this kind. Now that yet another hundred years have passed, the usage continues, although it sounds old-fashioned and is most likely to be found in contexts such as catered receptions or 'cocktail parties'...Canapes may be hot or cold. If hot, they come close to what are called savouries in British English.In either case they are capable of being classified as hors d'oeuvres in some culinary contexts. Large canapes trespass on the territory of the open sandwich. In Italy, the term crostini continues to have much the same meaning as the old French usage. Thin slices of toast, cut into e.g. square or diamond shapes are used as a base for a savour topping. "
---Oxford Companion to Food, Alan Davidson [Oxford University Press:Oxford] 1999 (p. 128)

"Canapes are small thin pieces of bread or toast topped with some sort of savoury garnish or spread, and served as snacks with drinks. The word canape means literally 'sofa' in French (it comes ultimately from medieval Latin canopeum, source of English canopy), and the idea behind its gastronomic application is that the toppings--anchovies, caviar, smoked salmon, ham, etc.--sit on the pieces of the bread as if on a sofa. It is a relatively recent introduction into English, first mentioned in Mrs. Beeton's Cookery Book (1890)."
---An A-Z of Food and Drink, John Ayto [Oxford University Press:Oxford] 2002 (p. 53-4)

A survey of canape recipes through time:

[1869:Paris]
"Anchovy canapes.
Cut some slices of crumb of bread, 1/4 inch thick; cut these in pieces 2 1/2 inches long, 1 1/2 inch wide; and fry them in clarified butter, till a nice golden colour; When cold, spread the pieces with Anchovy Butter; Steep some anchovies in cold water; drain, open, and trim them; Place 4 fillets of anchovies, lengthwise, on each piece of bread, leaving three small spaces between the fillets; fill the first space with chopped hard-boiled white of egg; fill the middle space with chopped parsley, and the third with chopped hard-boiled yolk of egg; Dress the canapes in a flat china boat, or small dish, generally used for all these cold Hors d'oeuvre."
---The Royal Cookery Book, Jules Gouffe, translated and adapted for English use by Alphonse Gouffe [Sampson Low, Son & Marston:London] 1869 (p. 409)
[NOTE: This source also contains recipes for shrimp canapes, caviar canapes, crayfish tails canapes, lobster canapes, and smoked salmon canapes.]

[1873:Paris]
"Hot Canapes (Roties)
These are served as garnishes or entremets.
Veal-Kidney Roties. Take the kidnesy from a roast loin of veal. Chop and pound them very fine with their own fat, a little parsley, the peel of a lime, a little sugar. Spread on little slices of bread. Butter a pie dish and arrange your roties on it. put them into the oven until they have a nice color. Sprinkle with sugar and pass under the broiler to glaze.
Roties a la Richelieu. Make a salpicon of diced veal sweetbreads, cockscombs, and artichoke bottoms. Dice mushrooms and heat in butter, mositen with gravy, add the salpicon, cook with white veal stock, season, thicken with raw egg yolks. Let cool. Spread on bread slices, brush with beaten egg, fry, serve with a reduced white veal stock.
Capon Roties. Make a forcemeat of roast capon with sugar and lime rind. Prepare like either of the above.
Cucumber Roties. Cube, marinate, and press your cucmbers. Heat in butter with scallions and parsley, add gravy and bouillon, recude. Thicken with 3 raw egg yolks. Let cool. Add 2 more raw egg yolks. Spread on slices of bread. Smooth with a whole beaten egg. Bread. Fry. Serve with gravy.
Bacon Roties. Dice a pound of bacon and a slice of ham. Dry out and drain. Mix with parsley, scallions, 4 egg yolks, coarse pepper. Spread on slices of bread. fry. Pour a cullis, which must be very lightly salted, into your platter, adding a dash of vinegar. Put your rotis into this sauce and serve.
Similar roties can be prepared with spinach, and green beans, with poultry livers, with ham, with anchovies, and with fish, by adapting the above recipes."
---Alexandre Dumas' Dictionary of Cuisine edited, abridged and translated by Louis Colman, from Le Grand Dictionnaire de Cuisine [1873] [Simon & Schuster:New York] 1958 (p. 139-140)

[1874:London]
"234. --Anchovy toast.
Ingredients: Toast 2 or 3 slices of bread, or, if wanted very savoury, fry them in clarified butter, and spread on them the paste, No. 233. Made mustard, or a few grains of cayenne, may be added to the paste before laying on the toast."
---Mrs. Beeton's Cook Book, Isabella Beeton [title pages missing, probably 1874]
[NOTE: recipe no. 233 is for Anchovy Butter or Paste]

[1875:London]
"Canapes.
--Take slices of the crumb of bread about half an inch thick, and stamp them out in rounds, ovals, or diamonds, then fry them in boiling oil or butter till they are lightly browned. These form the foundation of the canapes. They may be seasoned and garnished with anchovy, shrimp, or lobster paste, toasted cheese, hard-boiled eggs, cucumbers, beetroot, crayfish, or salmon. A combination of two or three things gives them a handsomer appearance. They should be dished on a napkin and garnished with parsley, &c. Time to fry, ten minutes."
---Cassell's Dictionary of Cookery with Numerous Illustrations [Cassell, Petter, Galpin & Co:London] (p. 103)

[1884:Boston]
"Sardine Canapes,"
Boston Cooking School Cook Book, Mrs. D. A. Lincoln

[1896:Boston]
"Sandwiches & Canapes," Boston Cooking School Cook Book, Fannie Merritt Farmer

[1896:New York]
"Canapes. Cut serveral thin slices of bread, remove the crusts and toast them till they are of an even brown. Butter slightly and spread with any kind of potted meat or fish. Put two slices together, and cut them in long strips. They afford a tasty dish for tea or supper parties."
---The Cook Book By "Oscar" or the Waldorf, Oscar Tschirky [Saalfield Publishing:Chicago] 1896 (p. 126)
[NOTE: This book also includes recipes for: artichoke bottoms for canapes, canapes of caviar, cheese canapes, canapes of crab, egg canapes, eggs and caviar canapes, canapes of lobster, canapes Lorenzo, canapes Madison, olive and anchovy canapes, olive and caper canapes, oyster canapes, canapes of sardines, canapes of smoked salmon and tricolor canapes.]

[1903:Paris]
"Canapes or Toasts which are quite different from Tartines (garnished slices of bread and butter) are made from the white bread cut into various shapes and no more than 1/2 cm (1/5 in) thick. These are then either fried in clarified butter or moreusually toasted. As a general rule the ganrish for a Canape should consist of only one main item. But without destroying this principle, a combination of various items is acceptable provided that the flavours and presentation are in harmony. The best sort of garnish for canapes is fresh butter mixed with a puree of, if very finely chopped meat, poultry, shellfish, fish, cheese etc. It is recommended that the toast should be very well buttered whilst still hot so as to keep it soft and this holds good for any garnish used from Canapes even when it appears that butter does not enter logically into the composition of the garnish, e.g. when it includes marinated fish, anchovy, fillets of herring etc. When garnishing Canapes with compound butter based on a puree it is recommended that this is done by using a piping bag and fancy tube. This method is correct, quick and gives the opportunity for individual artistry in presentation."
---The Complete Guide to the Art of Modern Cookery [Le Guide Culinaire], A. Escoffier, translated by H.L. Cracknell and R.J. Kaufmann [John Wiley & Sons:New York] 1979 (P. 123-4)
[NOTE: Escoffier lists these canapes in the Hors-d'oeuvre section: canapes a l'Amiral, canapes d'Anchois, canapes a l'Arlequine, canapes au Caviar, canapes au crevettes, canapes city, canapes a la danoise, canapes a l'ecarlate, canapes d'ecrevisses, canapes au gibier, canapes d'homard, canapes Lucile, canapes au poisson, canapes printaniers, and canapes rochelais. He lists these canapes in the Savories section: canapes or toasts, canapes cadogan, canapes a l'ecossaise, canapes des gourmets, canapes de haddock, canapes Ivanhoe, canapes aux oeufs brouilles, canapes Rabelais, canapes de saumon, and canapes Saint-Antoine.]

[1919:New York]
"Canapes," International Jewish Cookbook, Florence Kreisler Greenbaum

[1925:Boston]
"To make canapes: cut thin slices of bread in fancy shapes, or neat slices, and toast them (not too hard and dry) often upon one side only, or saute them in olive oil. These shapes may be oval, diamond, crescent or any form one chooses. The next step is to spread them with a savory butter or highly seasoned paste. On the butter or paste, arrange bits of fish, meat or any appetizeing foods, taking care that neither flavors nor colors clash and also that garnishes are decorations are simple and effective."
---A Book of Hors D'oeuvres, Lucy G. Allen [Little, Brown and Company:Boston] 1925 (p. 6)
[NOTE: Canape recipes included in this book: Anchovy, Tomato and anchovy, Artichoke and Caviar, Caviar and tomato, Caviar salad, Caviar with aspic, Cheese, Chicken and Pepper, Clam (Hot), CloverLeaf, Crab neat, Curried lobster (hot), Danish, Devilled tongue, Evelope, Epicurian, Herring, Hollandaise (Hot), Italian, Latticed, Lobster, Lobster and pimiento, Manhattan tongue, Olive and cheese, Oriental, Pate de foie gras, Pickled lobster, Quick caviar, Ripe olive and egg, Russell (Caviar), Russian (Caviar), Sardine, Savory (Hot), Shrimp, Southern (Hot), Striped, Tomato and bacon.]

[1938:Paris]
"Canapes. Tranches de pain de mie, taillees de forme rectangulaire, dont la grandeur et l'epaisseur varient suivant la piece qu'elles doivent supporter. Les canapes, designes aussi sous le nom de croutons, sont grilles ou frits au beurre, et farcis ou non, selon la nature des articles qui'ils accompagnent. Les canapes sout surtout employes comme accompagnement des gibiers a plume, et sont, dans se cas, presque toujours recouverts de farce a gratin ou d'une farce perparee, sur table meme, avec l'interieur de certains oiseaux cuits sans etre vides. On trouvera des methodes pour appreter ces dernieres farces au mot roties..Canapes (Hors-d'oeuvre).--Ces canapes, qui se font en pain de mie, en pain de menage ou en brioche commune, se garnissent avec des compositions diverses. De de genre de canapes, dont quelques-un sont designes sous le nom de Canapes a la russe, out trouvera les modes de preparations a la serie des hours d'oeuvre."
---Larousse Gastronomique, Prosper Montagne [Librarie Larousse:Paris] 1938 (p. 277)
[NOTE: This is the first edition of the famous Larousse Gastronomique cooking encyclopedia. There are many updated editions, many translated into English. Your librarian can help you find these.]

Club

Most food historians agree that the club sandwich was probably created in the United States during the late 19th/early 20th century. The where & who behind this classic sandwich remains a matter of culinary debate. The most popular theory contends this sandwich originated in men's social clubs, most notably the Saratoga Club in Saratoga, NY.

Theories of origin

"Club sandwich
...James Beard, in American Cookery (1972), insists...that the original club sandwiches were made with only two slices of toast...He and others have also cited the alternate name of "clubhouse sandwich," which suggest its origins were in the kitchens that prepared food for men's private social clubs. The first appearance of the club sandwich in print was in Ray L. McCardell's Conversations of a Chorus Girl in 1903, and recipes were printed in Fannie Farmer's "Boston Cooking-School Cookbook" in 1906, indicating the item had been popular for some time. A letter to The New York Times (March 9, 1983 p. C4) cited an explanation of the sandwich's origins in a book entitled New York, a Guide to the Empire State (1940, p. 309-310): "In 1894 Richard Canfield...the debonair patron of art, purchased the Saratoga Club [in Saratoga, NY ] to make it a casino...the club sandwich [originated] in its kitchens."
---The Encyclopedia of American Food and Drink, John F. Mariani [Lebhar-Friedman:New York] 1999 (p. 87)

"Some believe that it [the club sandwich] was originally only a two-decker, perhaps matching the two-decker club cars' running on U.S. railroads from 1895."
---Oxford Companion to Food, Alan Davidson [Oxford University Press:Oxford] 1999 (p. 692)

"Origin of the Club Sandwich
It will not surprise any who know how frequently most excellent things are born of necessity to know that the club sandwich originated through accident., A man, we are told, arrived at his home one night after the family and servants had retired, and being hungry, sought the pantry and the ice chest in search of something to eat. There were remnants of many things in the source of supplies, but no one thing that seemed to be present in sufficient abundance to satisfy his appetite. The man wanted, anyway, some toast. So he toasted a couple of slices of bread. Then he looked for butter, and incidentally something to accompany the toast as a relish. Besides the butter he found mayonnaise, two or three slices of cold broiled bacon, and some pieces of cold chicken. These he put together on a slice of toast, and found, in a tomato, a complement for all the ingredients at hand. Then he capped his composition with a second slice of toast, ate, and was happy. The name club was given to it through its adoption by a club of which the originator was a member. To his friends, also members of the club, he spoke of the sandwich, and they had one made, then and there, at the club, as an experiment, and referred to it afterward as the " club sandwich." As such, its name went out to other clubs, restaurants, and individuals, and as such it has remained. At least, this is the story as it is generally told."
---Salads, Sandwiches, and Chafing Dish Recipes, Marion H. Neil [1916] (p.91-92)

Historic recipes

The oldest recipe we have for something called a club sandwich from a American print source was published in 1897. Note: the ingredients are classic BUT it is not the triple-decker item we are currently used to being served (though? Just last year in Michigan we were served In England, beef would have been the meat of choice; in America it would have been ham.

The Coogler Club Sandwich
""Uncle Bud" Kernedle, he who presides over Durand's restaurant during the night hours, has promulgated the Coogler Club sandwich.... The Coogler sandwich consists of a slice of ham, two slices of pickles and a slice of turkey placed between thin pieces of light bread, along with a slice of tongue and an artistic touch of mustard. The sandwich will be copyrighted by the Coogler Club."
---"The Coogler Club Sandsich," Atlanta Constitution, May 30, 1897 (p. 10)

"Club Sandwich
Does your little one go to school and take a lunch? If so, prepare a club sandwich for the luncheon basket. Cut the bread in thin slices, toast and butter. Slice the white meat from a roast chicken, salt, pepper, and add a dash of mustard to suit taste. Put between the layers of chicken a slice of broiled breakfast bacon, not too well done. Lay next to toast two pieces of crisp lettuce, and you have the most palatable as well as healthful thing in the way of sandwiches."
---"Club Sandwich," New York American, April 6, 1898 (p. 10)

"An Atlantic City hotel serves a club sandwich that is composed of broiled ham, cold chicken, lettuce and mayonnaise dressing between thin toast. This is one of the newest evolutions of a dish that promises to rival hash as a general mixing up of foods. The club sandwich began mildly as a sandwich of cold chicken and lettuce; then warm broiled bacon was added, which in turn gave way to ham. The additional of mayonniase dressing with broiled ham seems rather startling, but under the mysterious influence of the toast, presumably, it has obtained a repuation among the hotel's patrons.--(New York Sun)"
---"Club Sandwich Rivals Hash," Boston Daily Globe, August 5, 1900 (p. 33)

"Club Sandwich
Toast a slice of bread evenly and lightly butter it. On one half put, first, a thin slice of bacon which has been broiled till dry and tender, next a slice of the white meat of either turkey or chicken. Over one half of this place a circle cut from a ripe tomato and over the other half a tender leaf of lettuce. Cover these with a gererous layer of mayonnaise, and complete this delicious "whole meal" sandwich with the remaining piece of toast."
---Good Housekeeping Everyday Cook Book, Isabel Gordon Curtis [Phelps Publishing:New York] 1903 (p. 224)

Grilled cheese

Food historians generally agree that cooked bread and cheese combinations [in many different forms, textures and tastes] were ancient foods known across most continents and cultures. The earliest recipes for food like these are found in Ancient Roman cookbooks. Modern grilled cheese sandwiches descended from these ancient recipes.

Who invented the grilled cheese Americans know today? We will never know, but we can (given the ingredients) place it in time. Culinary evidence suggests our modern grilled cheese (consisting of processed cheese and sliced white bread) began in the 1920s. That's when affordable sliced bread and inexpensive American cheese hit the market. Goverment issue cookbooks tell us World War II Navy cooks broiled hundreds of "American cheese filling sandwiches" in ship's kitchens. This makes sense. The sandwich was economical, easy to make, met government nutrition standards AND (if done right?) quite tasty. In the 1940s and 50s these sandwiches were open-faced and usually made with prepackaged grated "American" cheddar cheese. It wasn't long before school cafeterias and other institutional kitchens followed suit. The usual accompaniment? Tomato soup. At that time, tomato soup would have been perceived as a healthy dose of Vitamin C. Excess sodium was not an issue.

By the 1960s, the top piece of bread became standard. The reason is not clear. Possibly? This was the least expensive way to make a popular sandwich more filling.

Some people wonder about the difference between toasted cheese and grilled cheese. Are they the same thing? On the surface, recipes for both produce somewhat similar results (melted cheese nestled between two slices of crisp, warm, buttered bread). Actually? Food historians tell us this a linguistic puzzle. Notes here:

"Toast...is made by placing a slice of bread in front of dry heat-a fire, a grill, or an electric toaster...Certainly, toast has a long history in Britain. Tost was much used in the Middle Ages, being made in the ordinary way at an open fire...Often toast was spread with toppings...Meat toppings for toast became fashionable in during the 16th century...Towards the end of the 16th century all knds of things began to appear on toast....[including] melted cheese."
---Oxford Companion to Food, Alan Davidson [Oxford University Press:Oxford] 1999 (p. 796-7)

"Grill...to cook by direct exposure to radiant heat, as in when a piece of meat is placed on a grill...The North American word for the verb grill is broil."
---ibid (p. 354)

A survey of American cookbooks reveals that recipes titled for "toasted cheese" sandwiches predate those titled "grilled cheese." Grilled cheese shows up in print in the 1960s. BUT!!! It is also apparent that most recipes for toasted cheese sandwiches were broiled (what the English term grill). To further complicate matters, there seems to be little or no relationship between the name of the dish and the instructed method of cookery. Heating methods include toasting in a broiler, baking in a oven and frying on a cooktop with a frying pan, griddle or similar device. It is interesting to note one does not find recipes for "fried cheese sandwiches," even though many of the recipes called for this cooking method. Curious, yes?

Each of these American recipes below would produce something similar (but not exactly) to modern "grilled" cheese sandwiches:

• [1902]--Melted Cheese (hot oven)
  Mrs. Rorer's New Cook Book, Sarah Tyson Rorer (p. 275)
• [1916]--Cheese Dreams (fried in a chafing dish, served with hot tomato or catchup)
  Salads, Sandwiches and Chafing Dish Recipes, Marion H. McNeil (p. 23)
• [1929]--Toasted Cheese (broiled in the oven)
  Seven Hundred Sandwiches, Florence A. Cowles (p. 181)
• [1939]--Toasted Sandwiches (broiled in the oven or sauteed in butter in heavy frying pan)
  The Boston Cooking School Cook Book, Fannie M. Farmer (p. 719)
• [1949]--Toasted Cheese Sandwiches (sauteed in a skillet)
  Fireside Cook Book, James A. Beard (p. 152)
• [1953]--Waffle or toasted sandwiches (bread & cheese spread heated in a commercial waffle iron, prescribed for the maidless host')
  The Joy of Cooking, Irma S. Rombauer (p. 137)

Related foods? Fondue & Welsh rabbit. Dagwood Sandwich

The Dagwood Sandwich was introduced to the American public April 16, 1936. It was invented by Chic Young and featured in his comic strip Blondie. The first Dagwood consisted of tongue, onion, mustard, sardine, beans and horseradish. Over the years, the sandwich grew bigger and typically included everything "but the kitchen sink!" Here is a Dagwood sandwich circa 1944.

Gyros & doner kebabs

The history of gyros poses some unexpected questions. Certainly, the ingredients (lamb, pita bread, grilled vegetables, & seasonings) were known to Ancient peoples of the Middle East. Kebabs (roasted skewered meat) and other spiced meat minces have been sold by Middle Eastern and Greek street vendors for hundreds of years. Doner kebabs have been popular in Europe (especially Germany) in the second half of the 20th century.

The Arabs, Turks, and Greeks all make a variation on the same theme of vertical rotissing seasoned meat. The Turks call it doner kebabi, the Greeks gyro...and the Arabs shawurma. It is said that the doner kebabi was born in the Anatolian town of Bursa."
--A Mediterranean Feast, Clifford A. Wright [William Morrow:New York] 1999 (p. 115)

"...[one of the] the most highly regarded dishes of Baghdad [9th century AD]: judhaba (also called judhab)...Judhaba was basically roast meat; one thinks of shish kebabs....In the case of judhaba, the first thing to note is that the meat in question is not a skewer or kebab grilled over coals but something sliced off a large cut of meat roasted in a clay oven--an tannur (tandoor)--and then, as we have seen, minced fine. The sweet that accompanies it was actually the essence of the dish, the judhaba proper. It was a sort of sweetened Yorkshire pudding, stuck under the meat as it roasted to catch running fat and meat juices...The only surviving tenth-century cookbook, Kitab al-Tabikh, the contents of which date mostly from the ninth century, gives no fewer than nineteen recipes."
---"What to Order in Ninth-Century Baghdad," Charles Perry, Medieval Arab Cookery, Essays and tranlations by Mxime Rodinson, A.J. Arberry & Charles Perry [Prospect Books:Devon] 2001 (p. 220-1)

Gyros, as we know them today, presumably evolved from this tradition. Food historians generally agree the name "gyro" and the current product are both recent inventions, originating in the New York. According to the New York Times, modern gyros were very popular in the city during the early 1970s. They were marketed as fast food and embraced by diners looking for something different.

"Gyro. A Greek-American sandwich made from rotisserie-roasted, seasoned lamb that is sliced and served with onions in a pocket of pita bread. The word (which first appears in print in 1970) is from the Greek gyros, meaning a "turn" and is pronounced "JEER-o." The dish is better known in America than in Greece and possibly created in New York, where gyros are sold at Greek lunch counters and by street vendors, although some say it originated in the Plaka neighborhood of Athens. It is not a dish found in classic Greek cookery or listed in Greek cookbooks. It also seems possible that the name "gyro" may have some association with the Italian-American sandwich called Hero."
---Encyclopedia of American Food and Drink, John F. Mariani [Lebhar-Friedman:New York] 1999 (p. 147)

"A sandwich that is said to have originated 2,000 years ago is capturing the attention of Manhattan's quick eaters. The sandwich, a Greek gyro, pronounce "year-oh" is a lamb, tomato and onion concoction nestled in a fold of a soft bread called pita. More than 30 Greek snack stores selling the gyro have opened in Manhattan in the last year, according to the proprieter's estimates. In a heavily trafficked areas such as Times Square, three stores have opened in the last two months. Why has the Greek Gryo gained a prominent place in the fast food race? Store owners, patrons and native Greeks agree that the two major reasons are that the gyro is "different" and "delicious...The increase in the snack's popularity may be related to the large number of Americans who visit Greece and sample the local cuisine...The term gyro denotes a ring or circle and refers to the rotation of the meat as it is cooked. Greek historians attribute the origin of the dish to soldiers from the army of Alexander the great, who skewered their meat on long knives and cooked it by repeated turning over an open firet. Modern gyros are cooked on an electric rotisserie and are sold for prices ranging from 85 cents to $1...A Young Greek couple enjoying a gyro or "doner kebab" at the new Plaza de Athena on Broadway at 45th Street said they thought the food was "close to what it's like in Athens."
---"The Gyro, a Greek Sandwich, Selling Like Hot Dogs," New York Times, September 4, 1971 (p. 23)

"There will be lots of broiled meats, including gyro, that agglomeration of meat sold in booths all over New York, although its Greek provenance is questionable. "We found that people are associating it with Greeks, so we included it," said Harry Raptakis, chairman of the bazaar. "Besides, it might even have some Greek background to it." Of things definitely Greek, there will be souvlaki and shish kebab, which will be broiled atop a 2-by-10 food cinderblock cooking pit. "We only use lamb," said Mr. Raptakis."
---"Joys of Greece at L.I. Fair," Irvin Molotsky, New York Times, June 9, 1978 (p. C21)

"A keen nose for street food once led my husband and me to discover something called doner kebab in the market stalls in Herakleion the capital of Crete, long before it reached New York under the name gyro." ---"Dining a la Cart: Street Food Mirrors the Tastes of a City," Florence Fabricant, New York Times, April 17, 1991 (p.C1, C8)

"Gyro. [Spitted spiced lamb]. Gyro, gyro oli is a favorite children's game, comparable to farmer in the dell, which describes the round-and-round motion of gyro. Since spreading to Greece from the Middle East, industrious Hellenes have brought it to the United States (New York is spinning with gyro restaurants), and one more snack has been added. On a vertical spit, which turns electrically, or is run manually by the mikro (apprentice), the meat is roasted t flavorful crispness." ---The Food of Greece: Food, Folkways and Travel in the Mainland and Islands of Greece, Vilma Lia couras Chantiles [Anteneum:New York] 1975 (p. 155)
[NOTE: This book contains a recipe for gyro on p. 156. Your librarian can help you find it.]

About doner kebab

"A doner kebab is a Turkish specialty consisting of slices of marinated lamb or mutton which are packed in a cylindrical mass on a vertical spit and then grilled as they revolve. Slices are cut from the surface as it reaches the required degree of 'oneness', and are typically eaten with pitta bread or rice. Turkish immigrants have brought it to many parts of Europe, and sicee the early 1970s the doner kebab house has become a familiar part of the British inner-city scene. The term means literally 'turing roast meat', incidentally (doner derives from the verb donmek, 'turn, rotate'); and the Turkish letter o is pronounced similarly to German o (the closest English sound is er). The Arabic word for the dish is shawarma."
---An A to Z of Food & Drink, John Ayto [Oxford University Press:Oxford] 2002 (p. 111)

"Doner kebab...has become a familiar sight in western countries wherever Turkish immigrants have become established...When Turks began to work in large numbers in Germany during the 1960s, their food followed but, although much liked by the immigrants, it did no find favour with Germans until the ofering was dressed up as a pitta bread sandwich filled with the doner meat, a salad of shredded lettuce, and a sauce (usually chilli, barbeque, or garlic). The meat itself may be lamb, beef, or chicken and will be both thinly sliced 'leaves' and minced or minced and ground...Doner kebab is very significant in Austria, Denmark, and Britain... It is also important in Australia, alhtoug it may go under different names (depending upon which immigrant group is more important) such as souvlaki or gyros. In Canada their is a variation called Donair, named after a Halifax restaurant which invented it in 1973. The gyro of Greece (also named for its turning action) is the same but different. Clifford Wright suggests it was not introduced into Greece itself until after the exchange of populations between Turkey and Greece in the 1920s. It too has travelled, particularly to America and Australia...The shawarma of the Middle East...is broadly similar, although the meat may be more highly spiced, and other sauces such as tahini may be offered."
---Oxford Companion to Food, Alan Davidson [Oxford University Press:Oxford] 2nd edition, 2006 (p. 254-5)

"In Turkey, doner kebab consists of thin cuts of lamb laid over warm "fladenbrot," a round flat loaf similar to pita, and steeped in tsatsiki sauce, with tomatoes, onions, and lettuce on the side. It is usually served in sit-down restaurants. In Germany, "doner," has taken on a sandwich form, and is sold from small booths catering to takeout customers. The meat is slowly roasted on a vertical spit, sliced almost paper-thin, and then stuffed into a triangular piece of fladenbrot, topped by the vegetables. For about 60 cents more, a few slabs of feta cheese are included. The sauces - garlic or tomato-based and ranging from tangy to sharp - often vary. "The different doner booths make their own sauces according to their own recipes," says Tuncay Zulkaflu, owner of Knig Doner in Dresden. What makes "Istanbul Doner," another doner booth in Dresden and two-time winner of a magazine-sponsored survey for the city's best doner, so popular? "The sauces," answers a worker there. "It is a very special recipe, but it is a secret, so I can't say [what it is]...There are an estimated 9,300 doner vendors in Germany...As far as the doner's place on the German snack circuit, "It is equal to the bratwurst or bockwurst," says Uwe Stuhrberg, editor at Sax Magazine, which conducted the doner surveys. According to a 1998 study on doner by the Turkish Studies Center at Essen University, the average German eats eight doners per year. Not bad for a sandwich developed less than thirty years ago, when Turkish "guest workers" in Germany, who found themselves unemployed in the midst of the '70s economic crisis, starting selling doners to support their families. Back then, vendors prepared the meat themselves and sold it from street corners. It remained mainly a mom-and-pop industry until German reunification, when vendors tapped into the East German market."
---"More Germans nix kraut for kebabs," Omar Sacirbey, Christian Science Monitor, August 25, 1999, FOOD; Pg. 17

German kebab company plans doner domination (2003)
Germany moves to regualte kebab industry (2007)
Doner University: Germany kebab qualification for students

Our research indicates Turkish-style kebabs were enjoyed in Germany in the early 19th century. These were coated with bread crumbs. Perhaps this was a forerunner>

"Small chunks of lamb, mutton and pork can be treated in the same way [placed on a spit over a moderate coal fire. As soon as the pieces, which should should not be too close together, begin to exude their fat, they should be sprinkled with a mixture of fine salt and fine breadrumbs and this should be continued until no more fat appears. If this is done carefully and not heedlessly, as happens in most kitchens, each individual piece becomes evenly coated with a crust which can be made more crunchy by an increase in heat just before serving...], rather like the delicious kebabs of Turkey, especially if slices of Spanish or Levantine onions are interspersed with the meat. Tiny branches of bay, sage, rosemary or other bitter, aromatic herbs can also be placed between the pieces of meat as long as they do not create too strong a flavour. The pieces should not be too close together. A little more salt should be applied under the breadcrumbs than is necessary for the eel and, if desired, a little of the favourite household seasoning can also be used."
---The Essence of Cookery, Karl Friedrich Von Rumohr, Translated by Barbara Yeomans, originally published in Germany in 1822 [Prospect Books:London] 1993 (p. 78)

Related food? Kebabs

Monte Cristo sandwich

Recipe-wise, food experts generally consider the Monte Cristo sandwich to be a simple variation of an early 20th century French dish called Croque Monsieur. According to several articles published in newspapers and magazines, Monte Cristo sandwiches were first served in southern California and were very popular in the 1950s-1970s. Therin ends the agreement. The who/what/why/where/when behind the Monte Cristo sandwich is still very much a subject of debate.

This is what the food writers say...

"Monte Cristo sandwich...A sandwich composed of ham, chicken, and Swiss cheese enclosed in bread that is dipped in beaten egg and fried until golden brown. The origin on the name is not known."
---Encyclopedia of American Food and Drink, John F. Mariani [Lebhar-Friedman:New York] 1999 (p. 209)

"A classic story deserves a classic sandwich, even though nobody knows how the sandwich got its name. It may have been invented in San Francisco in the 1950s."
---"I'm going to see a remake of "The Count of Monte Cristo...," Hartford Courant, January 24, 2002 (p. 10)

"Monte Cristo sandwich invented in the Coronado Hotel in San Diego..." [no date provided] ---"LA really is a bread basket," Los Angeles Times, December 19, 1996 (p. H13)

"...the [Blue Bayou in New Orlean's Square, Disneyland/Anaheim California] restaurant's Monte Cristo sandwich probably has been the most recognizable -- and demanded -- item on the menu since it first appeared in 1966. It hasn't changed since then," said Boll, "and it's become a standard. It's a very, very popular item. We serve about 160 to 200 of them every day. When the first one of the day comes out, everybody who sees it wants to order one. It comes close to the croque monsieur that originated in France."
---"Chef du Jour: Disney's counter of Monte Cristo," Los Angeles Times, July 15, 1993 (p. 36)

The earliest reference we find to a a Monte Cristo sandwich is printed in a 1941 menu from Gordon's on Wilshire Blvd., Los Angles. We do not know how these were made.

The oldest recipe we have (so far) for the Monte Cristo sandwich was printed in The Brown Derby Cook Book, 1949. The Brown Derby restaurant is located in Los Angeles, California and is famous for serving Hollywood's elite.

"Monte Cristo Sandwich.
Take three slices of white bread. Butter the first and cover with lean baked ham and chicken. Butter the middle slice on both sides, place on meat, and cover with thinly sliced Swiss cheese. Butter the third slice and place, butter down, over cheese. Trim crusts; cut sandwich in two; secure with toothpicks; dip in light egg batter; fry in butter on all sides until golden brown. Remove toothpicks and serve with currant jelly, strawberry jam, or cranberry sauce."
---The Brown Derby Cookbook [Doubleday & Company:Garden City NY] 1949 (p. 183)
[NOTE: This sandwich appears to be a cross between a club sandwich and a toasted French-style sandwich, two very popular menu items of this period.]

An old menu from Disneyland's Tahitian Terrace restaurant features the Monte Cristo.
[NOTE: Disney didn't invent the Monte Cristo, but it is certainly responsible for introducing it to thousands of theme park visitors.]

We checked many popular American cookbooks published in the 1920s-60s and found several recipes for sandwiches which are essentially Monte Cristos [ham--sliced & deviled/turkey/chicken sandwiches dipped in egg & then fried to a tasty golden brown], under different names:

Seven Hundred Sandwiches/Florence A. Cowles [1929]

---Hot Ham Sandwich II (p. 174), Fried Cheese Sandwich (p. 180)

Prudence Penny's Cookbook/Prudence Penny--Los Angeles Examiner newspaper [1939]

---French Sandwich (p. 267); John Hall's French Fried Chicken Sandwich (p. 339)

The American Woman's Cook Book/Ruth Berlozheimer [1940]

---Suggestions for Breakfast Sandwiches (p. 155)

Toll House Tried and True Recipes/Ruth Wakefield [1947]

---Toasted Ham Sandwich (p. 245)

The Fireside Cook Book/James Beard [1949]

---French Toasted Cheese Sandwiches (p. 151)

Good Housekeeping Cook Book [1955]

---Baked Ham-And-Egg Sandwiches (p. 358)

Where does Croque Monsieur fit in?

"Monte Cristo...Prepare Croque Monsieur...substituting very thinly sliced chicken for the ham and Swiss cheese for the Gruyere."
---Joy of Cooking/Irma S. Rombauer et al, [1997 edition] (p. 191)
[NOTE: the 1976 edition of this book makes no mention of Monte Cristo]

"Croque-monsieur...A hot sandwich, made of two slices of buttered bread with the crusts removed, filled with thin slices of Gruyere cheese and a slice of lean ham. The croque-monsieur is lightly browned on both sides, either in butter in a frying pan (skillet) or under the grill (broiler). The top my be coated with a Gruyere bechamel sauce and cooked au gratin. There are several possible variations on this basic recipe...If the croque-monsieur is served with a baked egg on top, it is then called a croque-madame. The first croque-monsieur was served in 1910 in a Parisian cafe on the Boulevard des Capucines..."
---Larousse Gastronomique, New American Edition, Jenifer Harvey Lang editor [Crown:New York] 1988 (p. 339)

Panini

A survey of historic cookbooks and food articles confirm grilled sandwiches, including those cooked with special apparatus designed for the purpose, have been popular since the dawning years of the 20th century. Electric sandwich makers were just as intriguing to folks in the 1930s are they are today. Recipes varied according to place and taste.

Food historians generally agree panini, as we Americans know them today, originated in the panintecas (sandwich shops) of Italy, perhaps as early as the 1960s. A survey of newspaper articles confirms panini origin caught American consumer attention in the mid-1970s. As time progressed, panini evolved from upscale fare to trendy sandwiches for the masses. Industry experts credit both novel flavor texture and the product's *staying power* (they can be made ahead of time) for panini's success.

In the 1990s, panini nudged its way into family restaurants and institutional menus (colleges, hospitals, airports). Sales of panini grills soared, both commercial and home versions. Recently we sample two of Stouffer's frozen/microwaveable panini products. They were not too bad.

Of course?

"For centuries bread was the complete meal par excellence, until it became the support or container for a condiment or filling, without losing the identity associated with its linguistic diminutive [panino, diminutive of pane, denotes a sandwich in Itlian--Trans.]"
---Italian Cuisine: A Cultural History, Alberto Capatti & Massimo Montanari [Columbia University Press:New York] 1999 (p. 153)

"Panino..."small bread." Small sandwich. The name was apparently coined at Milan's Paninoteca Bar Quadronno. Panini cresciuti (grown rolls) are fried Sicilian potato rolls containing ham and cheese. From the Latin panis."
---The Dictionary of Italian Food and Drink, John Mariani [Broadway Books:New York] 1998 (p 177-8)

"'Panini' is the Americanized version of the Italian word panino, which means little sandwich and refers to a class of sandwiches that became popular in the United States in the late 1990s. Flavor is the key to panini, which are based on high-quality Italian artisan breads like focaccia or ciabatta. The sandwiches are layered, but not overstuffed, with flavorful combinations of cheeses, meats, or roasted vegetables. Various dressings or condiments are added, and the sandwich is pressed and lightly grilled. Panini-style sandwiches are popular in trendy restaurants throughout the United States."
---Oxford Encyclopedia of Food and Drink in America, Andrew F. Smith editor [Oxford University Press:New York] 2004, Volume 2 (p. 235)

"[Panini] are said to have originated in Lombardy, Italy, in response to the demand among Milanese office workers for a quick lunch without sacrifice in flavor and quality. In both Italy and the United States, panini are eaten for lunch and as snacks and appetizers. In Italy, sandwich shops traditionally wrap the bottom of the panino in a crisp white paper napkin, providing a practical solution to drips while enchancing aesthetics. Quality Italian bread is an absolute must for a killer panini, and most sandwich chefs will opt for a relatively thin artisan bread like grooved focaccia or ciabatta, slicing it in half horizontally. Panini are always grilled, so most restaurants and cafes have invested in professional grooved sandwich presses that flatten and heat the sandwich while creating a crunch, buttery outer crust."
---American Sandwich: Great Eats from all 50 States, Becky Mercuri [Gibbs Smith:Salt Lake City UT] 2004 (p. 81)

The earliest print reference we find for panini (as a food) in an American newspapers is 1956. We cannot tell from the article if the panini served at this fair is the same as the one commonly found in contemporary menus.

[1954]
"The visitors ate Italian sausage, also pizze fritta, zeppole, calzone, torrone, panini, pepperoni, taralli."
---"Old World Festival in East Harlem," New York Times, July 25, 1954 (p. SM 22)

[1976]
"Another attraction, even for northern Italian visitors to Rome, is the nice price of a meal, now even nicer...Most cafe-bars serve sandwiches--which may be called tramezzini, panini, or medaglioni, depending on their composition..."
--"Revel in Rome's Unholy Year '76," Los Angeles Times, March 7, 1976 (p. G7)

[1976]
"By noon today it is probable that lines will already be forming at the brand new Caffe Orsini, opening at 11:30 this morning at Bonwit Teller's second floor, overlooking 57th Street. Luxuriously decorated with rough white plaster walls, tomato-pink upholstered banquettes, tile inlaid tables and polychromed wooden wall sconces and frames, this Continental style coffee house is an offspring of Orsini's restaurant on 56th Street. The menu will offer stylish Italianate salads and panini sandwiches..."
---"Food and Style: Shoppers Find Both in Store Restaurants," Mimi Sheraton, New York Times, October 7, 1976 (p. 77)

[1982]
"Speaking of Italian foods, many readers wrote in about an earlier reference to "panini." I stated that the only recipe for panini that I could uncover in my research was for panini di pasqua, or Easter Breads. Panini, I was told is simply the plural of the Italian panino, an overall word for rolls. One reader wrote that "the sandwiches you get on small rolls in cafes in Italy are 'panini imbotiti' - stuffed rolls.""
Q& A; [Question] New York Times, Apr 14, 1982, (p. C8)

[1985]
"The restaurant also makes a pungently flavorful lasagna, the thin sheets of pasta layered with cheese and so barely sauced that it is reminiscent of the spare food that Kleiman popularized at Verdi. This is not the southern Italy that comes out of No. 10 cans of tomatoes, but the southern Italy of light-handed cooks. There are calzone, both fried and baked (I found the fried version rather bland), and a whole range of wonderful panini, Italian sandwiches stuffed into crusty home-made rolls."
ETHNIC PLACES SERVE FOODS THAT THEY LOVE BEST," RUTH REICHL, Los Angeles Times, Jan 13, 1985 (p. 86)

[1995]
"I'll bet a hundred bucks that panino, the Italian word for sandwich, will soon slip off your tongue like honey. Pretty soon, you'll start noticing restaurant menus and sandwich shops featuring panini (plural) exclusively. You'll find them at such places as the MOCA (Museum of Contemporary Art) cafe, Il Panino, in the new downtown museum complex, and at a spot in Beverly Hills called Giannino's. You'll see them on the menu at Il Piccolino and at Angeli Caffe, both in Los Angeles, and you'll see them at picnics and party buffets.An Italian might shrug if you ask the origin of panino. Said Celestino Drago, who operates Il Panino, "No one ever asks where or how they came about. They are just there." In Italy, panini are everywhere. They are fast food eaten on the run, to and from work, on the job, in train stations, in cars on the street. Sky-high piles of panini are packed in glass cases at almost every bakery and coffee shop for the hordes who want to grab a bite before or after work or a movie. Mothers pack them in schoolchildren's lunch bags. The ever-growing numbers of young, fast food lovers in Italy, called paninari, prefer the social scene at sandwich shops and McDonald's golden arches to the family dinner table, where every family member should be, but no longer is, to the chagrin of traditionalists bemoaning the disintegration of the Italian family fiber. In Milan, upscale paninotecas have emerged only in the last five years as havens for gourmet sandwich-eaters, who stand at tables to nibble on such fillings as duck or wild boar prosciutto while sipping fine wine. In Los Angeles, the panino has just begun to find a place among those who enjoy Italian flavors and great bread. For it's the bread that distinguishes every panino. The word derives from the word pane, meaning bread. There are dozens of different types of bread used for panini. Every region in Italy boasts a specialty. In Tuscany, you'll find michetta, a roll with a hole in middle, a strong favorite, whereas in Milan the specialty is rosetta, a rosette-shaped roll, and in Genoa it is focaccia, a flatbread with baked-on flavorings such as pesto, garlic butter and onions. The rolls may be elongated, round, square or flat. They may be seasoned or not. We give a few recipes for dough typically used in panini, but you can also use store-bought rolls and loaves found in fancy food shops as well as the neighborhood supermarket. Some Italian bakeries such as Il Fornaio in Beverly Hills and Santa Monica carry several popular panino varieties used by Il Panino, including michetta and ciabatta. Kaiser rolls, onion rolls and the like are ideally suited for panini. Square loaves such as pane in cassetta, ideal for grilling, can easily be substituted with firm-textured white or wheat bread. In Italy, with the exception perhaps of those found at paninotecas in Milan, panino fillings tend to be traditional types-sausage, roast peppers, cheeses, tomatoes, vegetables, mortadella, salamis and other sausages. In Sicily, veal and chicken cutlets are slapped between two pieces of bread. Roast peppers are also a popular panino filling. The panini appearing in Los Angeles, however, are something else. "They are not as fancy as those you'd find at the paninotecas in Milan, because we want to educate slowly, but they are interesting," Drago said. Actually, anything goes. At the MOCA cafe, Il Panino, Drago has introduced eight sandwich fillings that are California variations on the traditional Italian theme. In a sandwich called Milano, sliced turkey is served with California goat cheese, avocado, sun-dried tomatoes, and arugula. A smoked salmon and mascarpone cheese filling is garnished with salmon roe, capers and chives. Evan Kleiman, chef and co-owner of Angeli, a California-style Italian restaurant, fell in love with the sandwiches on her first visit to Italy at the age of 16 and does take-offs on traditional themes. "You open your mind to what is put in between two pieces of bread," she said. A sandwich Kleiman has called panino rustico contains chicken salad, dressed with Dijon mustard and arugula. This and other fillings such as roast pork are found in her book, "Cucina Fresca," co-authored with Viana La Place (Harper & Row: 1985). The roast pork is seasoned with Dijon mustard and topped with pickled onions. Dino Baglioni of Il Piccolino restaurant in Los Angeles serves several types of panini, including some using long, tapered rolls and round ones. They may be filled with red and green peppers and sausages; veal scaloppine with mozzarella cheese or ricotta cheese with prosciutto. There is also a sandwich made with smoked salmon, horseradish and capers. At Giannino's, the paninoteca in Beverly Hills, the sandwiches are simple and basic. Nothing fancy here. The sandwich called Godfather contains ham, mortadella, provolone and mixed peppers; the Capone has capocollo (sausage) and mixed peppers, and the tachinello contains smoked turkey and Swiss cheese." Panino Translated as "little loaf," panino is known throughout Italy as a sandwich you pick up on the go. Now panini are here in Los Angeles to delight the palate and expand the
"Sandwich Repertoire," ROSE DOSTI, Los Angeles Times, Jul 23, 1987 (p. 1)

[1995]
"Just watch. In coffee bars, cafes and delis everywhere, soon you'll hear: "Give me a grilled veggie panino." The distinctive little sandwich familiar at way stations on Italian autostradas, the pressed panino (panini in the plural) is gaining a foothold in Washington. Picture a good old grilled cheese, but without the grease, layered with sauteed vegetables or deli meats or a combination. Light, flavorful and, yes, oh-so-trendy, panini (like coffee bars) have leap-frogged across the country. From Seattle to Chicago to Dallas, hot pressed sandwiches, made with focaccia or rustic bread, striped with grill marks, are a have-to-have with that latte. "People want a little something other than sweets at a coffee bar," says Joel Edwards, president of Issaquah, Washington State-based Caffe Andiamo, which manufactures a panini press called Pane Bella Grill. "And for cafe owners panini are a way to attract that 11-to-2 customer base." Edwards credits Nordstrom stores with spreading the craze eastward. All Nordstrom espresso bars feature pressed panini. "What's unique is the press itself," says restaurant consultant Mark Caraluzzi, co-owner of Bistro Bistro and D'Angelo. "It's a gentle heat that crisps the bread but steams the inside so it doesn't dry out." Grill stripes, Caraluzzi contends, let the customer know his sandwich was not browned in a puddle of oil. "We are the grilling country," he says."
"LET THEM EAT PANINI," Walter Nicholls, The Washington Post, July 5, 1995, (p. E11)

[2002]
"PANINI grills have been around for more than 100 years, but were generally ignored in the United States until the Italian grilled sandwiches made with them began to show up in carryout shops and on restaurant menus. Now these grills are set to become the Belgian-waffle irons of the 21st century. Two years ago, I couldn't find anything called a panini grill. Suddenly, there are all kinds of possibilities. Eat your heart out, Dagwood. Panini are nothing more than grown-up cheese-and-meat sandwiches toasted on a ridged grill that has a weighted top to press down the sandwich to the thickness of a waffle. It is that weighted top that seems to draw men to panini grills. They are the functional equivalent of something you might cook with in the yard. ''Men have taken to the panini grill like they took to barbecue,'' said Michael Chiarello, the host of a cooking show on public television that is based in the Napa Valley. ''Guys just want a general concept of a recipe -- bread and stuff,' he said. ''They don't want to measure anything.'"
"Presses New and Old Prove That Panini Aren't Picky," Marian Burros, New York Times, July 17, 2002, (p.F6).

Peanut butter & jelly

Who invented this popular sandwich, why & when? The when is easy to document, the why is a relatively simple matter of technology, economics & commerce. The who? Is still a mystery.

Let's start with a quick study of the ingredients. Food historians tell us that finely chopped nuts (especially almonds) were regularly used by ancient cooks in a variety of dishes. BUT! It wasn't until the late 19th century that peanut butter...as we know it...came on the market. Did you know that peanut butter was first marketed as a health food? Ancient cooks also knew how to preserve fruit. BUT! It wasn't until the 15th century that modern jellies/jams/preserves were made. Ancient cooks also made bread. BUT! Sliced pre-packaged bread...the stuff we Americans use today to make our peanut butter & jelly sandwiches...didn't happen until the late 1920s. Interesting, yes? More notes on the history of PB&J ingredients:

• Marmelade & Modern jelly/jam
• Peanut butter
• Wonder Bread, one of the first American brands associated with sliced white bread.

Peanut butter sandwiches moved down the class structure as the price of peanut butter declined due to the commericialization of the industry. Peanut butter's use also moved down the age structure of the nation as manufacturers added sugar to the peanut butter, which appealed to children. The relationship between children and peanut butter was cemented in the late 1920s, when Gustav Papendick invented a process for slicing and wrapping bread. Sliced bread meant that children could make sandwiches themselves without slicing the bread with a potentially dangerous knife. As a consequence of low cost, high nutrition, and ease of assembling, peanut butter sandwiches became one of the top children's meals during the Depression. "
---Peanuts: The Illustrious History of the Goober Pea, Andrew F. Smith [University of Illinois Press:Urbana] 2002 (p. 35)
[NOTE: this book is the BEST source for information on the history of peanuts & peanut butter. It is well researched and copiously documented. Ask your librarian to help you find a copy].

More on the history of PB&J:

• How PB&J Came to Be, Christian Science Monitor
• The History of Peanut Butter & Jelly, Smucker's

Peanut Sandwich
Peanut Butter and Apricot Sandwich
Peanut and Pimento Sandwich
Peanut Butter and Raisin Sandwich
Peanut Butter and Apple Sandwich
Peanut Butter and Salted Peanut Sandwich
Peanut Butter and Jam Sandwich
Peanut Salad Sandwich
Peanut and Celery Sandwich
Peanut Butter and Cabbage Sandwich
Peanut Butter and Orange Sandwich (orange juice & peel)
Peanut Butter amd Marshmallow Sandwich
Peanutpine Sandwich (peanut butter, honey, walnuts, lettuce, pineapple)
Peanut Butter and Prune Sandwich
Peanut Buter and Ham Sandwich
Peanut Butter and Tomato Sandwich
Peanut Butter and Pickle Sandwich
Pimcel Sandwich (celery, pimento, salad dressing, salt & paprika)
Peanut Butter and Ginger Sandwich
Peanut Butter and Currant Sandwich
Peanut Butter and Maple Sandwich
Peanut Butter and Honey Sandwich
Peanut Butter and Strawberry Sandwich (strawberry jam)
Egg and Peanut Butter Sandwich
Peanut Butter & Cherry Sandwich
Dixieland Sandwich (roasted peanuts, fried bacon, pimentos & salad dressing)
Peanut Butter and Banana Sandwich
Peanut and Lettuce Sandwich
Southern Sandwich (tomatoes, mayonnaise & salted peanuts on whole wheat)
Peanut Butter and Chili Sandwich (on wheat)
Peanut Butter, Cheese, and Olive Sandwich
Peanut Butter and Olive Sandwich (with mayo on white or rye)
Peanutraise Sandwich (raisins, peanut butter, brown sugar, salt, lemon juice & orange juice)

ABOUT PEANUTS & PEANUT BUTTER

Before there was peanut butter, there were (naturally!) peanuts:

Peanuts (aka ground-nuts, ground-peas) are a new world food. Achaeological evidence suggests the first peanut butters (ground peanuts, really) were made by Ancient South American Indians. Peanuts were introduced to the the Old World by European explorers. These nuts thrived in Africa. Historians tell us that peanuts were introduced to North America by Europeans via Africa.

Peanut history
History of peanuts
Peanuts

Books we recommend:
Cambridge World History of Food, Kiple & Ornelas
Encyclopedia of American Food and Drink, John F. Mariani
Oxford Companion to Food, Alan Davidson
Peanuts: The Illustrious History of the Goober Pea, Andrew F. Smith

About peanut butter
Peanut butter (as we know it today) was invented in the second half of the 19th century. Did you know this product was originally marketed as a health food? Nut butters were valued for their high protein content and easy digestion. At first, peanut butter was a food known mostly to wealthy people who frequented health spas. Before long, the product was available to the public at large, though companies targeted their promotions to the upper classes. Recipes for early 20th century fancy tea sandwiches included peanut butter. When that market was saturated companies began adding sugar to make the product more appealing to children. Bingo! The popularity of the product soared and to this day is a staple in many American pantries.

Food historians currently entertain several theories regarding the origin (invention, if you will) of peanut butter. While ground peanuts were used by native Amercans and Africans early on, John Harvey Kellogg (of Battle Creek Michigan cereal fame) was the first person to obtain an American patent for the process [1895]. In the late 19th century many American households owned grinders for coffee and meat. Special grinders were also made purposely for grinding nuts.

Peanut butter invention & modifications

Ella Eaton Kellogg's recipe:

Peanut Butter.--A nut butter mill is desirable for the preparation of nut butter at home. If one designed for the purpose is not obtainable, a coffee or hand wheat mill may be used. Blanch the nuts, but do not roast and grind. The meal thus prepared may be cooked by putting it (dry) in the inner cup of a double boiler and cooking as directed for grains, for eight or ten hours. As it is required for use, add water to make of the desired consistency, and cook again for a few minutes, just long enough to bring out the essential oil of the nuts. Water may be added as soon as the nuts are ground, and the mixture placed in a covered bean pot and baked from eight to ten hours in a moderate oven, if preferred."
---Science in the Kitchen, Mrs. Ella Eaton Kellogg [Modern Medicine Publishing Co.:Battle Creek, MI] 1895 (p. 395)

Compare Mrs. Kellogg's instructions with how peanut butter is manufactured today.

Dr. George Washington Carver's peanut recipes (31 June 1925):
[Puree of peanuts, recipes 6 & 7; Peanut butter, recipe 51; Peanut butter sandwiches, recipe 59; Peanut butter candy, recipe 70; Peanut butter fudge, recipe 80

Skippy brand peanut butter ad, circa 1950 (nice history!)

Related food? Peanut butter cookies.

Reuben realm

The basic ingredients of a "classic reuben" are: rye bread, Emmenthaler cheese, thin sliced, Kosher-style corned beef brisket, sauerkraut, and Thousand Island Dressing. This sandwich is buttered, grilled, and served warm.

During the second half of the nineteenth century ground beef gained popularity in America because it was both economical and nourishing. Recipes for Hamburg Steaks (aka hamburgers) were included in many popular American cookbooks. Cooks often added inexpensive fillers (bread crumbs, ketchup, tomato paste, eggs, sweet peppers, minced onions, Worcestershire sauce, bottled horseradish, pickle relish, mustard, salt & pepper were the most popular) to stretch the meat. This ground beef mixture was then fashioned into meatballs, meat loaves, hamburger stew, and loose meat sandwiches.

Early 20th century American cookbooks offer plenty of sloppy-joe type recipes, though they go by different titles: Toasted Deviled Hamburgers, Good Housekeeping Cook Book, Katharine Fisher [1944] (p. 534); Chopped Meat Sandwiches, Young America's Cook Book, Home Institute of the New York Herald Tribune [1940] (p. 36); Hamburg a la Creole, Prudence Penny's Cookbook, [1939] (p.67); Beef Mironton, The New Butterick Cook Book, Flora Rose [1924] (p. 266); Minced Beef Spanish Syle, Mrs. Rorer's New Cook Book, Sarah Tyson Rorer [1902] (p.157).

Where do sloppy joes fit in?

"The origins of this dish are unknown, but recipes for the dish date back at least to the 1940s. It dates in print to 1935. There is probably no Joe after whom it is named--but its rather messy appearance and tendency to drip off plate or roll makes "sloppy" an adequate description, and "Joe" is an American name of proletarian character and unassailable genuineness. There are many individual and regional variations on the dish. In Sioux City, Iowa, a dish of this type is called a "loosemeat sandwich," created in 1934 at Ye Olde Tavern Inn by Abraham and Bertha Kaled."
--- Encyclopedia of American Food & Drink, John F. Mariani [Lebhar-Friedman:New York] 1999 (p.297).

"Sloppy Joes...I remember eating these in the 1940s and suspect they may have been a way of stretching precious ground beef during World War II. Apparently not. My friend and colleague Jim Fobel tells me that in his own quest to trace the origin of the Sloppy Joe, he talked to Marilyn Brown, Director of the Consumer Test Kitchen at H.K. Heinz in Pittsburgh (the Heinz "Joe," not surprisingly, is reddened with ketchup). Brown says their research at the Carnegie Library suggests that the Sloppy Joe began in a Sioux City, Iowa, cafe as a "loose meat sandwich" in 1930, the creation of a cook named Joe..."
---The American Century Cookbook: The Most Popular Recipes of the 20th Century, Jean Anderson [Clarkson Potter:New York] 1997 (p. 349)

The state of Iowa does seem to have a history of loose meat sandwiches:

Taylor's Maid-Rites (est. 1926)

"Sloppy Joe's...any cheap restaurant or lunch counter serving cheap food quickly, since 1940."
---Dictionary of American Slang, Wentworth & Flexner, 2nd supp. edition (p. 488)

"Sloppy...[definition 6] Sloppy Joe, sloppy joe (a) used...to designate a loose-fitting sweater; (b) U.S. a kind of hamburger in which the minced-beef filling is made into a kind of meat sauce;...." [this source traces the phrase *sloppy joe* as it relates to food only as far back as 1961].
---Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd edition

The U.S. Patent & Trademark Office's TESS trademark database yields 100+ matches on the phrase "sloppy joe," none of which are conclusive.

The earliest recipe we find so far for sloppy joes was printed in 1963:

1/2 lb ground beef
1 can (1 lb) beans and ground beef in barbecue sauce
1/4 cup catsup
3 hamburger buns, split and toasted

1. In medium skillet, saute meat, stirring, until it loses its red color.
2. Add beans and catsup, mixing well. Simmer, uncovered, 5 minutes. Spoon mixture over buns.
---McCall's Cook Book, (p. 625)

Recipe from the McCormick Company, manufacturers of prepackaged Sloppy Joes seasoned mixes

Want to make your own sloppy joes? You will find several recipes listed in RecipeSource. Just run a search on "sloppy joe." You will also find a recipe for sloppy joes in recent editions of The Joy of Cooking, Irma S. Rombauer

Submarine sandwich

Food historians generally agree the modern American sub, hero, wedge, hoagie, grinder, Italian sandwich, Po'Boy, torpedo, zepplin..and their heated cousins (Philly cheese steak, Chicago Italian beef sandwiches, Binghamton, New York spiedies) are regional variations on the same culinary theme. These overstuffed meat, cheese and vegetable oblong-shaped foods sandwiched between Italian or French bread were recipes built on local culinary traditions and ethnic preference.

The "Sub" (salami, cheese, peppers, olives, oil) was introduced to America by immigrants from Southern Italy in the early part of the 20th century. The progenitor of the sub was probably the "muffolette," (see below for references to the muffoletta sandwich). This type of Sicilian bread was traditionally toasted then filled with fresh ricotta, anchovies oregano, and olive oil. Other Italian meat/cheese/vegetable filled breads (calzones, impanatas) were also brought to this country. After World War II Italian food gained popularity with mainstream America. Over time, the sub assimilated. This accounts for the use of other meats (turkey, roast beef), cheese (American, Swiss), vegetables (lettuce, tomato) and spreads (mayonnaise, mustard).

"Pizzerias may have been among the first Italian-American eateries, but even at the turn of the century distinctions were clear-cut as to what constituted a true ristorante. To be merely a pizzamaker was to be at the bottom of the culinary and social scale; so many pizzeria owners began offering other dishes, including the 'hero' sandwich (also, depending on the region of the United States, called a 'wedge,' a 'hoagie,' a 'sub,' or a 'grinder') made on a Italian loaf of bread with lots of salami, cheese, and peppers."
---America Eats Out, John Mariani [Morrow:New York] 1991 (p. 66)

"I happened to glance through a column that appeared in the New York Times [1957]...in which Manganaro's, the famed food establishment at 492 Ninth Avenue in Manhattan, staked a claim to the original hero. That may be open to debate, but I was interested in that store's beginnings, which I had never read before. "In 1905...James Manganaro, who had been making whale-sized sandwiches of prosciutto and French bread to nourish himself on all-day fishing trips, came from Italy to New York to join his cousin in the grocery business. ..It was James Manganaro who branched into the sandwich business, making them the same way he liked a sandwich--big.""
---Craig Claiborne's The New York Times Food Encyclopedia, Craig Claiborne [Times Books:New York] 1985 (p. 212)

Each sub-type sandwich has it's own naming story. Some can be substantiated, others are fine examples of culinary lore.

Subs
"During World War II, the commissary of the United States Navy's submarine base in Groton, Connecticut, ordered five hundred hero sandwiches a day from Benedetto Capaldo's Italian deli in New London, where the name 'sub' was soon applied to the item."
---America Eats Out, John Mariani [Morrow:New York] 1991 (p. 114-5)

Hero
"...In the 1930s food writer Clementine Paddleford [she was a food writer for the New York Herald Tribune newspaper] noted that the name derived from the hyperbole that one must be a hero to eat such a sandwich."
---Encyclopedia of American Food and Drink, John F. Mariani [Lebhar-Friedman:New York] 1999 (p. 154)

Wedge
Term used exclusively in Westchester County, NY (Yonkers, especially)

"Wedge (for the shape of the sandwich, usually cut at an angle) is another common alternative for hero..."
---Encyclopedia of American Food and Drink, John F. Mariani [Lebhar-Friedman:New York] 1999 (p. 154)

"To the Editor: Your article ''In Hoagieland, They Accept No Substitutes'' (May 28) and the many names for a sandwich on hero bread brought to mind an experience I had in Brooklyn. I have lived in Yonkers all of my life, and we refer to the hero/hoagie/grinder/submarine as a wedge. When I went to a coffee shop in Brooklyn, they had a sign listing meatballs as a sandwich special of the day, and I ordered a meatball wedge and they hand't a clue as to what I was talking about!"
---New York Times, Jun 4, 2003. pg. F.8

"Westchester: Wedge Sandwich
A regional sandwich name in Westchester (Yonkers) for the hero/sub/hoagie is "wedge." Again, I checked the telephone directories.
Yonkers, Mt. Vernon, Bronxville, Tuckahoe
YELLOW PAGES
CLASSIFIED TELEPHONE DIRECTORY
1958
Corrected to January 3, 1958

Pg. 320, col. 3:
GAITO'S INN
Specializes in Hot Wedges
434SawMillRiverRd -- YOnkers 9-9269

Yonkers, Mt. Vernon, Bronxville, Tuckahoe
YELLOW PAGES CLASSIFIED TELEPHONE DIRECTORY
1960
Corrected to October 13, 1959

Pg. 315, col. 1 ad:
GAITO'S INN
YOnkers 9-9269
Specializing in
ITALIAN
HOT WEDGES
TO GO
434 SAWMILL RIVER RD.
YONKERS"
Barry Popik

Memories of Landi's

Po'Boy
The place? New Orleans. The people? Most commonly attributed to Benny and Clovis Martin. The year? Varies, though most agree the name was made popular during the 1929 streetcar strike. Culinary evidence suggests the sandwich predates the name.

"Po'boy. Also "poorboy." A sandwich made from French bread loaves split in half and filled with a variety of ingredients like ham, beef, cheese, oysters, tomatoes, and gravy. Similar to a hero, they are a specialty of New Orleans, where they were originally called push sandwiches because the meat was pushed along the length of the bread to save the best parts for last. The Po'boy was created in the 1920s by Benny and Clovis Martin, owners of Martin Brothers Grocery, who served the sandwich to striking streetcar workers free of charge (other sources say for fifteen cents) until the strike ended. They used up more than a thousand loaves of bread in one day. Another story says the term is related to the French for a gratuity, pourboire. Nonetheless, the term "poor boy" for a sandwich goes back to 1875. An oyster loaf is a form of po'boy made with oysters."
---Encyclopedia of American Food and Drink, John F. Mariani [Lebhar-Friedman:New York] 1999 (p. 246)
[NOTE: According to Mr. Mariani, the 1875 reference is from the 2nd edition of the Random House Dictionary of the English Language.]

The Oxford English Dictionary traces the earliest print origin to 1932:

poor boy sandwich.
A kind of large sandwich; = PO' BOY n1932 New Orleans Classified Telephone Directory 108/2 Po Boi Sandwich Shoppe Inc. 1951 N.Y. Herald Tribune 4 July 7/8 The beginning of the Po' Boy sandwich we credited to a sandwich shop in New Orleans. 1978 C. TRILLIN Alice, let's Eat 166 Three hours after we had arrived..I was settled under a tree, almost too full to finish my second hot-sausage po' boy. 1984 P. PRUDHOMME Prudhomme's Louisiana Kitchen x. 268, I think they're superb on sandwiches; we use them on our po boy sandwiches made with French bread and various fillings. 2003 Time Out N.Y. 3 Apr. 35/4 New Orleans raised chef Richard Pierce is serving po'boys and jambalaya at this new restaurant.

Excellent summary with supporting primary documents here.

What goes in a Po'Boy?

New Orleans Oyster Loaf (aka La Mediatrice) recipe, circa 1901:

"Oyster Loaf La Mediatrice.
Delicate French Loaves of Bread.
2 Dozen Oysters to a Loaf
1 Tablespoonful of Melted Butter.
This is called the "famous peacmeaker" in New Orleans. Every husband, who is detained down town, laughingly carries home an oyster loaf, or Mediatrice, to make "peace" with his anxiously waiting wife. Right justly is the Oyster Loaf called the "Peacemaker," for well made, it is enough to bring the smiles to the face of the most disheartened wife. Take delicate French loaves of bread and cut off, lengthwise, the upper portion. Dig the curmbs out of the center of each piece, leaving the sides and bottom like a square box. Brush each corner of the box and the bottom with melted butter, and place in a quick oven to brown. Fill with broiled or creamed oysters. Cover with each other and serve."
---The Picayune Creole Cook Book, Second edition, facsimile 1901 edition [Dover Publications:New York] 1971 (p. 66)

Philly cheesesteaks, Chicago Italian beef sandwiches, Binghamton N.Y. spiedies & New Orleans Muffulettas
While the origins of these tasty Italian sandwiches (and their relatives: Greek gyros & souvlakis) are of ancient southern European heritage, food historians generally agree the modern versions were introduced to America by food vendors in the 20th century. Each one is popularly attributed to a specific person, and the *true* recipe is honored. Regional culinary pride at its very finest.

Philly cheese steak: Philadelphia, PA
"Philadelphia Cheese-steak. A sandwich made with thin slices of beef topped with cheese and other condiments and served on a crisp Italian-style roll. It is a specialty of Philadelphia. Its origins have never been satsifactorily explained, although Pat and Harry Olivieri of Pat's Restaurant claim to have created the item in 1930 (although Pat Olivieri claimed to have added the cheese only in 1948)."
---Encyclopedia of American Food and Drink, John F. Mariani [Lebhar-Friedman:New York] 1999 (p. 238)

• Pat's King O' Steaks, 1930
• The Story Behind the Philadelphia Cheese Steak, NPR (includes audio link)

Italian beef sandwiches: Chicago, IL
"Italian beef stand. An inexpensive restaurant or streetside stand selling sliced beef in a spicy gravy. Italian beef is a specialty of the Midwest, especially Chicago. The name merely refers to some vague idea of how Italians would serve their beef--highly, seasoned--but there is no such dish in Italy."
---Encyclopedia of American Food and Drink (p. 168)

• Al's Chicago's Italian beef sandwiches, 1938
• For the Love of Al's

Spiedies: Binghamton, NY
"A sandwich of Italian bread enclosing grilled, skewered cubes of marinated beef or lamb, it is a specialty of Binghamton, New York. The name--pronounced "speedy"--probably derives from the Italian word spiedo, "kitchen spit." Credit for the introduction of this item to the Binghamton area has gone to Augustino Iacovelli, who opened Augie's Restaurant in 1939 in nearby Endicott, New York, and began selling skewered meats reminiscent of those he'd enjoyed in his native Abruuzzi section of Italy."
---Encyclopedia of American Food and Drink (p. 307)

• Upstate New York spiedies, 1939

Muffulettas: New Orleans, LA
"One day, the owner of the Central Grocery, Lupo Salvatore himself a Sicilian immigrant -- made an agreement for the Sicilian baker to supply bread to the Central Grocery, which then re-sold the bread to its customers. With that agreement, the Sicilian baker became a wholesaler, and the workers no longer bought their bread from the Sicilian baker but from the Central Grocery, where the workers bought all their lunch ingredients: bread, meats, cheese and salad. In 1906, Lupo Salvatore decided to combine these ingredients into a sandwich. He decided to use the muffoletta bread, because of its ability to hold the filling without leaking. To make each sandwich, Lupo filled a muffoletta loaf with olive salad, meats and cheeses; then he wrapped the sandwich in paper; and then he sold it as a muffoletta sandwich, except that he misspelled the name as muffuletta. After all, Lupo was a grocer, not a baker and thus not familiar with the spellings of the many Sicilian breads. In any event, even when misspelled, the muffoletta sandwich was so much easier to carry that it became an immediate, major success for the Central Grocery....Because muffoletta sandwiches were such a success, other groceries including the nearby Progress Grocery also began to sell muffoletta sandwiches. The other famous New Orleans sandwich, the po-boy, dates from the 1920's and so is not as old as the muffoletta sandwich. Over the last century (1903 2003), history lost the name of the Sicilian baker who first baked and sold muffoletta bread in New Orleans. But history did not lose the name of the Sicilian grocer who first introduced the muffoletta sandwich to the world: Signor Lupo Salvatore, owner of the Central Grocery."
--- http://www.muffoletta.com/history/

"Certain dishes are so ingrained in this region's stew-pot cuisine that to eliminate them would be unthinkable. One is muffuletta, an Italian submarine-type sandwich with a distinctive olive salad. It was created at Central Grocery Store in the early 1900s and still is sold there. Marie Lupo Tusa, daughter of the grocery's founder, tells the story of the sandwich's origin in her cookbook, Marie's Melting Pot (1980). Sicilian farmers selling produce at the nearby Farmers' Market stopped at the grocery every day for lunch. "They would order some salami, some ham, a piece of cheese, a little olive salad and either long braided Italian bread or round muffuletta bread," Tusa wrote. "In typical Sicilian fashion they ate everything separately." Her father decided it would be easier for the farmers if he cut the bread and put everything on it like a sandwich. After experimenting, he determined that the softer muffuletta bread worked better than the crusty Italian loaves, Tusa says. Shortly, the farmers began asking simply for the "muffuletta."
--- http://www.dispatch.com/news/trips/taste/trad0707.html

Western sandwiches

The classic Western Sandwich (also sometimes known as a Denver Sandwich) is composed of scrambled eggs or egg omelet cooked with ham, onions, green peppers, salt and pepper. It is served hot on toast or on rolls.

Americans did not *invent* the Western Sandwich. Combinations of eggs, meat and spices were enjoyed by ancient people, and evolved in many different cultures and cuisines. Our notes on the history of omelets. These recipes arrived on our shores with colonial settlers and immigrant cooks. 17th-19th century English and American cookbooks have plenty of ham and egg recipes which confirm the popularity of this particular combination. Eggs on Toast, Frizzled Ham and Eggs, and other popular recipes from Estelle Woods Wilcox's Buckeye Cookery, [Minneapolis] 1877.

About the Western Sandwich
There are several theories regarding the origin of this sandwich. Most food historians connect it to19th pioneers on their treck into the American west. A few notes to place this recipe in context:

• Eggs were considered luxury foods by westerward-bound pioneers. The were hard to obtain, harder to keep fresh in rolling wagons parched by hot sun. Cookbooks and diaries confirm many recipes were adapted to be "eggless" for lack of that ingredient.
• The addition of onions and spices to eggs dates to ancient times; there is no evidence in historic cookbooks suggesting this practice was employed to cover *bad* eggs.
• Green peppers were not typically employed by eastern cooks in egg recipes of the day (according to historic cookbooks).
• As is common with many popular foods, the recipe precedes the name. And! The recipe has more than one name.

"Western sandwich. The American Heritage Cookbook and Illustrated History of American Eating and Drinking (1964) fixed the origin of this sandwich in Westward Ho days when pioneer women masked the flavor of over-the-hill eggs by mixing them in plenty of onions. Of course those frontier women lacked some of the principal ingredients of the classic Western Sandwich--green and/or red bell peppers. Other food historians believe the sandwich may have originated with chuckwagon cooks, then been refined and embellished over the years. Whatever its origins, the Western Sandwich seems not to have made it into the pages of cookbooks--or onto the menus of restaurants--until well into the twentieth century. In the West, it's often called a "Denver."
---The American Century Cookbook: The Most Popular Recipes of the 20th Century, Jean Anderson [Clarkson Potter:New York] 1997 (p. 349)

"The Western Sandwich was invented by pioneers. It was common for eggs to get "high" after a long haul over hot trails. In order to salvage the eggs, and kill the bad flavor of them, pioneers women mixed eggs with onions and any other seasonings on hand.

1/4 pound ham or 4 slices bacon, diced
1 green pepper, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
4 eggs
Salt
Pepper
Bread or round buns

Fry ham or bacon in a skipped for several minutes. Toss in green pepper and onion and cook until vegetables are almost tender. Beat eggs in a bowl with salt and pepper. Pour over mixture in skillet and cook until eggs are set. Turn with a broad spatula and brown second side lightly. Place between slices of buttered bread or buns. Makes 4 sandwiches."
---American Heritage Cookbook and Illustrated History of American Eating and Drinking, Menus and Recipes [American Heritage:New York] 1964 (p. 539)

"Other Chinese were cooks for the work gangs, and one of these, I am willing to believe, invented the sandwich that is called a "western" in the states east of the Mississippi and a "Denver" in most of the rest of the country. When a hungry cowboy asked for a sandwich between meals, the story goes, the Chinese cook prepared eggs foo yung by making the traditional Oriental omelet from meats and vegetables at had--in this case the green pepper that was grown by early Spanish in the West, along with onions and some chopped ham. Put between slices of bread, this hasty Chinese creation became the prototype of one of the most American of all sandwiches."
---American Food: The Gastronomic Story, Evan Jones, 2nd edition [Vintage:New York] 1981 (p. 166)

"Western. A sandwich composed of an omelet with green pepper, chopped ham, and onions on white bread or toast. It is sometimes called a "western omelet" (which first appeared in print in 1935; "western" in 1951) or, in Utah, a "Denver omelet" or "Denver sandwich") (in print since 1925)
---Encyclopedia of American Food and Drink, John F. Mariani [Lebhar-Friedman:New York] 1999 (p. 345)

"Denver Sandwich...The first identified print reference to date is from a 1918 restaurant industry publication."
---Oxford Encyclopedia of Food and Drink in America, Andrew F. Smith editor [Oxford University Press:New York] 2004 Volume 2 (p. 382)

"Basques in America...The French Basque omelet called piperade may have been an influence on the western omelet and the Denver sandwich made from it."
---Oxford Encyclopedia of Food and Drink in America, Andrew F. Smith editor [Oxford University Press:New York] 2004 Volume 1 (p. 698)

Regarding piperade? Yes, quite likely an influence. The French Basques settled in the Nevada territory:

"Piperade. A specialty of the Basque country whcih is sort of supercharged scrambled eggs. To make it you stew tomatoes and peppers in olive oil or goose fat, then mix them with beaten eggs and scramble the whole. Piperade is a Bearnais dialect word, derived from the local piper, 'sweet pepper' (standard French has poivron)."
---An A to Z of Food & Drink, John Ayto [Oxford University Press:Oxford] 2002 (p. 257-8)

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