The Ultimate Sandwich: 100 classic sandwiches from Reuben to Po'Boy and everything in between

by Jonas Cramby

When John Montagu, the fourth Duke of Sandwich, got the brilliant idea of putting slices of cold meat between two pieces of bread, he not only invented the first, really modern meal – he created a global obsession. Today there are variations of the portable, cheap (but, above all, good) sandwich in most cultures and it is about time a book appeared that takes the subject seriously. In more than 90 recipes, you learn such skills as how to make perfect versions of classics such as the Club Sandwich, Reuben and BLT, and you get to know a bit more about exotic sandwiches such as Mufflettas, Tortas, Po’boys and Banh mis. The Ultimate S andwich describes sandwich history, sandwich philosophy, how to bake the perfect bread, make your own cheese and cured and cooked meats, as well as the accessories and kitchen equipment every sandwich lover ought to have at home. This is quite simply a cookbook that at last affords the modest sandwich all the respect it deserves. The secret behind a happy life is, after all, as musician Warren Zevon said on his deathbed, to ‘appreciate every single sandwich’.

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Nonfiction

176 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 2014

Reviews

[Abibliofob · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now I'm hungry! Mackor: 100 klassiska sandwichar by Jonas Cramby. (The Ultimate Sandwich: 100 Classic Sandwiches, from Reuben to Po'Boy and Everything in Between) I may not like every recipe but it's close. I'm not much for cookbooks but sometimes there comes a great on and this is one.

[Björn Bengtsson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very great book! Makes you really hungry. (:
Great recipes, tasty pictures and well explained history with a good sense of humor.

What's great with this book is that it describes how to do a sandwich from scratch, or just how to assemble a sandwich from premade ingredients. That means that if you are really interested in cooking your own bacon and baking your own bread, or making your own ketchup - this book tells you how!

The only slightly negative point is that you are not given any sense of how time consuming a recipe is - it could take minutes or hours. And that you get very hungry from reading the book. (:

[Kylie Thompson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though often in Australia the sandwich is little more than a slightly dry ham and cheese combo, elsewhere in the world it’s something of an art form; filled to overflowing with a cavalcade of indulgent ingredients and flavour combinations.

Jonas Cramby has toured the world, seeking out the best sandwiches and their creators, and learning their secrets in making the perfect, most indulgent meals. The result is The Ultimate Sandwich, a DIY warrior’s guide to making the world’s best sandwiches from scratch. While it’s easy enough to just buy the majority of ingredients and ignore the DIY elements, Cramby has a knack for making the extra effort sound fun.

If you’re looking for quick, simple, and humble, this isn’t the book for you, and it’s probably cruel to give this as a gift to anyone on a diet. But if you’ve ever wondered not just how to bake your own breads, but also how to cure your own meats, or make your own cheeses, condiments, and sides, then you might just be onto a winner here.

For those with a sweet tooth, Cramby is also happy to share secrets to some entirely hedonistic ice cream sandwiches. Think banana bread ice cream sandwiches with homemade rum and coconut ice cream, or my personal favourite sarcastic salute, the cop coffee ice cream sandwich: coffee ice cream sandwiched between coffee glazed doughnuts. If you’re looking for food ideas that are larger than life, and sure to be a crowd pleaser, you’re probably really going to like The Ultimate Sandwich.

Note: This is an edited version of a review written for a publication. I received a copy of this book to review.

[Carmencitas Cookbooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

I live in Sweden and lately we see the birth of new stores offering other types of sandwich that is not the typical open one from Sweden. most likely with meatballs or Skagen (shrimp) that one finds in every cafeteria. There are some cool ones one can find in Scandwich in Stockholm completly recommend. I think this book will stay in my collection because is an easy grab and very nice pics to guide you into the sandwichs available in the world. Comind from south america, this is an alien topic for me and i think this book made it easy for me to grasp. No bullshit, just good recipes.

I have tried 4 recipes, one of the bread one went to hell cause im a terrible baker but overall happy with flavours.

[Charles · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great book that has been held back by some fundamental flaws.

The good and the bad

The good
- Great fun to flip through and read. Front-matter/overview is informative, there is a very wide variety of recipes described - including ice cream sandwiches! The book also covers equipment and ingredients in-depth.
- Production is really good - excellent look and feel, thick stock paper, lovely.
- Great photos, and a photo for pretty much every recipe.

The bad
- Some of the recipes could have been proofed a lot better - in the pickles section, one recipe copies out the previous one for a couple of sentences. One bread recipe crucially leaves out the amount of yeast you need.