Customer Reviews

American Sandwich

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If you've ever watched PBS at pledge time, there's a good chance you've had the pleasure of seeing Rick Sebak's incredible gustatory extravaganza called "Sandwiches That You Will Like." This available-on-DVD program "toasts" many delicious, mouth-watering, tastebud-tempting, bread-and-filling creations from local eateries around the country, such as lobster rolls at Red's Eats in Wiscasset, Maine, chipped-ham "slammers" at Isaly's in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and hot browns at the Camberley Brown Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky. Watching Mr. Sebak's nationwide odyssey to find America's best sandwiches is guaranteed to rev up your appetite.

"American Sandwich" is kind of a companion volume to Mr. Sebak's masterpiece--it includes some of the same memorable, droolworthy sandwiches--but it is actually much more. While Mr. Sebak took a "shotgun" approach in his travels around the country, "American Sandwich" goes it one better by featuring recipes for one hallmark sandwich each from all 50 states.

After a short introduction to the mystique of sandwiches, and a brief timeline tracing the rising popularity of sandwiches in American culinary culture, author Becky Mercuri gets to the "meat" of the matter. Alphabetized by state, she covers each signature sandwich in two to four readable, well-laid-out pages that, in addition to the recipe, contain other interesting, useful tidbits. Each sandwich gets a sidebar that describes its origin and history--the story of the muffaletta, for example, takes up a whole page of the Louisiana section. There's a "Where to Go" entry (sometimes more than one) with the address of the best place to sample the sandwich when you're on the road. You'll know to get your Iowa loosemeat sandwich at Taylor's Maid-Rite in Marshalltown, for example. Many sections also have a "Need a Quick Fix?" entry that lists mail-order or Internet sources for ingredients or for complete sandwiches. Vintage sepia-toned photos illustrate each section, many of them old postcards that touch on each state's history and provide glimpses of life in much simpler times. The only thing missing is pictures of the actual sandwiches themselves, which may seem like a strange omission for a cookbook, but in no way detracts from its value and usefulness--the "word pictures" alone are enough to put your salivary glands on overtime.

As a bona fide "foodie," adventurous cook and inveterate road-tripper, I can't praise "American Sandwich" enough, and I can't recommend it too highly. These sandwiches are classic road food in the best sense of the term, and Ms. Mercuri's work includes the best of both possible worlds--she tells you where to find them and also how to make them yourself--a winning combination. Now you'll have to excuse me while I go put together a Cuban (the recipe from Miami, Florida, is on page 28) and pop it into the sandwich press...

This cookbook has a story for every recipe. Since the recipes are organized by state, there are lots of regional specialties (i.e. lobster roll, hot browns). The recipes are very much along the lines of Road Food Sanwiches, and if you own that cookbook, then you will find a lot of overlap with this book.

As a foodie I find this very interesting. It's an easy read, historical & educational. You'll want to look up what sandwich is " your state". Then you might actually go to the kitchen and make it. Excuse me, I've got to go make a pork tenderloin sandwich.

If you are looking for a book with recipes for those classic American staple sandwiches this is it. Not only will you find the better known Reuben, French dip, Philly cheesesteak etc, there are other recipes from around the country that you probably have never heard of. If you are interested in the actual history of each recipe, you will find that here as well. Great buy!

Becki Mercuri has assembled an exciting, usable, creative offering of favorite sandwiches from across the U.S. that anyone in search of flavor diversity should grab immediately. Both old favorites and new discoveries await for anyone who likes the idea of more than the everyday "same old sandwich" you can get anywhere. With names like "Navajo Taco" or "Hot Brown," the names themselves can clue you in to the experiences you can taste with this book.

The book would have been more appealing if the pages had pictures of the sandwiches described or more pictures of the shop that made them famous.

The book however does give you the history of the area, customs of the people and references the sandwich shops addresses along with phone numbers and sometimes internet web pages.

The book covers one or two sandwiches from each state with interesting period, black-and-white photos of street scenes, which are mostly from the 1920s - 1950s. There are no photos of the sandwiches. The recipes are almost too primitive - greasy-spoon more than main-street diner. Not much to learn here.

Regional American sandwich recipes from all fifty states are profiled in American Sandwich: Great Eats From All 50 States, a unique cookbook which has gleaned sandwich recipes from across the country, from diners to delis and beyond. Pair a state-by-state organization for quick regional reference with introductions to each outlining the best delis and sandwich houses and recipes of many delights and you have a fun, appealing celebration of the sandwich which even Dagwood would enjoy.