#183 You need to be sandwich-maxxing
The sandwich is a health food
We need to rethink how we view sandwiches. They shouldn’t be a guilty pleasure. When you make a sandwich with the right ingredients, it can absolutely become a health food you can have every day. Use good quality sourdough. Fresh burrata. Build your sandwich with real meat. Nothing processed. Sauces made from scratch. No seed oils. Fresh greens. The right ratios. You can enjoy a sandwich every day, guilt-free. The sandwich is a health food.
This week, I challenge you to make a really good sandwich for yourself. You don’t have to do anything fancy. You don’t even need to follow a recipe. Look through the following sandwiches we have and simply see what ingredients you have on hand. Find sourdough baguettes for a good deal? Get extra and make bánh mì. Brought back some good kaya from Raffles Hotel on a Singapore trip? Make kaya toast. Got too much roast beef on your hands? Indulge in a French Dip.
This is a WARKITCHEN rendition of the iconic Jambon-Beurre. French sourdough baguette sliced lengthwise. Thin strips of tenderloin stuff the core. Raw truffle raclette and caramelized shallots. Fried egg with chives to finish. Served alongside broccolini and blistered cherry tomatoes. Health food.
Now, here's what each sandwich from the infographic is made of! I tried to keep these succinct and accurate, so they're descriptions, not full recipes. But if there's a particular sandwich you'd like an in-depth recipe for, let me know in the comments below and we’ll feature it in a future WARKITCHEN magazine.
French Dip: crusty bread, tender thinly sliced beef, melted cheese, and a rich savory beef broth (au jus) for dipping
Po Boy: crusty french bread, fried shrimp or oysters, shredded lettuce, tomato, pickles, and mayo
Sloppy Joe: soft potato bun, saucy ground beef simmered in tangy tomato sauce
Philly Cheesesteak: long hoagie roll, thinly sliced ribeye (or sirloin, even), grilled onions and peppers, and melted cheese
Caprese: grilled bread, fresh mozzarella, tomato, basil, and a drizzle of the finest extra virgin olive oil
Katsu Sando: crustless milk bread, shredded cabbage, breaded fried pork cutlet and tonkatsu sauce
Monte Cristo: egg-dipped (important) fried bread, ham, melted swiss, dusted with powdered sugar (typically served with fruit jam)
Jambon-Beurre: french baguette, raw butter and generous folds of ham
Doner: flatbread, carved spit-roasted meat, lettuce, tomato, onion, and a mix of garlic yogurt and chili sauces (you can get creative here)
Torta: telera roll, ham, beans, white cheese, avocado, tomato, and lettuce
Bánh Mì: french baguette, pâté, pork (or any cold cuts), pickled daikon and carrot, cucumber, cilantro, mayo and chili
Kaya Toast: toasted bread, sweet pandan-coconut kaya and a thick slab of cold butter
Patty Melt: griddled rye, beef patty, caramelized onions and melted cheese
Croque Monsieur: toasted white bread, ham, gruyère, béchamel, topped with chives
Chivito: soft buttered bun, thinly sliced steak, ham, bacon, mozzarella, fried egg, lettuce, tomato, and mayo
Ice Cream: two soft wafers (or bread if you’re going Singaporean style) around a thick slab of vanilla ice cream (don’t hate it until you try!!)
Porchetta: crusty ciabatta, thinly sliced roasted pork, provolone, tomato, and arugula
Muffuletta: round sesame loaf, mortadella, salami, ham, provolone, and tangy olive salad
Reuben: griddled rye, corned beef, swiss cheese, sauerkraut, and russian / thousand island dressing
BLT: toasted bread, crisp bacon, lettuce, tomato, and mayo (traditionally no cheese but… sometimes rules are meant to be broken)
What’s your favorite sandwich?
Summer fruits bingo
It’s going to be a beautiful summer. What fruits are you looking forward to the most? 🤩
You’ll find your greatest ideas in deep leisure
The greatest ideas are delivered in deep leisure. It's Sunday. Make yourself a beautiful affogato, go on an aimless stroll and let your mind wander.
Summer is for tasteful dessert
Make tasteful, healthy & hydrating desserts this summer. Pour a shot of espresso over real ice cream. Make watermelon granita. Enjoy a blueberry fool. Bake a basque cheesecake for your friends (it's easier than you think). Watch Wimbledon with strawberries & cream. You deserve a treat!
❋ Easy Dutch Baby Pancake (Looks Fancy, So Simple)
“A Dutch baby pancake is basically a cross between a crepe and a pancake if you ask me. It's a puffed up pancake that's baked in the oven and rises with the magic of eggs, creating a spongy popover treat that's dusted with powdered sugar, lemon zest, fruit and syrup. This will be the easiest and most rewarding breakfast recipe you'll ever make!
Breakfast doesn’t have to be complicated. The Dutch baby pancake is proof that with just a few simple ingredients, you can create something extraordinary!The beauty of a Dutch baby pancake is right when you pull it from the oven. It’s full of life, expressive and it always takes a different shape or form. Don’t be disappointed as it collapses as this is normal once it hits the cool air from leaving the oven. Enjoy its beauty while you can as it’s somewhat magical!
A Dutch baby pancake is a unique breakfast and a pure delight. It blends the characteristics of a crepe and a pancake into a fluffy, delicious creation. It’s a German pancake that will forever become a favourite for breakfast or brunch for the family!”
❋ Sourdough Cinnamon Sticks (discard recipe)
“If you’re looking for a fun and easy way to use up your sourdough discard, these cinnamon sticks are just the thing. Soft, buttery, and coated in a crackly cinnamon-sugar layer, they’re everything you love about a cinnamon roll—without the rolling. Finished with a simple cream cheese glaze, they make the perfect cozy treat for breakfast, dessert, or an afternoon pick-me-up. This discard recipe comes together quickly and makes a generous batch to share (or not!).”
❋ 3 Pairs of Shoes for a Summer Trip by Retro Ralph
“One moment you’re walking through a dusty old town in 32-degree heat. The next, you’re at a dinner table pretending you understand the wine list. Your shoes need to survive both and everything else in between.
Ideally, your suitcase covers three bases:
something smart enough for linen trousers and evening drinks,
something airy for beachside wandering,
and something comfortable enough for cobblestones, stairs, and “it’s only a 20-minute walk” lies.” — Retro Ralph
❋ Striped Rhubarb and Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta by Jillian
“There is no sweeter way to celebrate forced rhubarb season than with these cuties. Creamy vanilla bean panna cotta balances out the tart bite of pink rhubarb jelly for the perfect not-too-sweet dessert.
This recipe makes 8 panna cottas. My molds hold 140ml each. Depending on the size of yours, you might need to tweak things a little.” — Jillian
❋ Banana coffee cake pancakes (w/ warm vanilla bourbon maple syrup) by Kiley Heard
“These Banana Coffee Cake Pancakes are soft, fluffy, and perfectly tender in the middle with that beautifully golden exterior and crisp edges. Then you get the warm cinnamon streusel — it caramelizes on the bottom, melts into the middle, and crisps up on top as they cook, and the way it works with that warm, sweet banana flavor is like nothing else. Every bite is cozy, warm, and feels like the best parts of a coffee cake and a stack of pancakes all at once.” — Kiley Heard
“The idea for this simple drink was inspired by my favorite latte from a little town called Lusten, at a coffee shop named Fika, on our trek up North to the cabin. Fika translates to coffee break, which is an understood, universal, planned daily break in Sweden. Maybe you don’t need a baby or a pandemic or anything else to take good, simple care of yourself every day. Twist my finger and pull a shot of espresso: it’s coffee break time.
This is one of those no recipes, recipes, where all you need is a dash, a splash, a glug, a handful, a pinch, and a shot—of milk, ice, cardamom, maple syrup, salt, and espresso. Let your tastebuds guide you on the specifics.”
❋ The Green Conspiracy by Ryan B. Anderson
“There is a starkness to November you feel when its wicked winds rip through the high places, tearing away leaf and cloud alike, leaving nothing between you and the void of space. It feels as though you are more vulnerable then, more scrutinized by the world and all its wounded ways, judged harshly for the faults that are not wholly your own. It is hard to describe, but you know the feeling; the trees are bare, the sky contains but distant stars apathetic to your condition, and it seems you are weighed and measured in a way that is not fully fair. Winter arrives whether you are ready or not and there is little leniency given for the ill prepared bare in the cold light.
Not so in the early days of June. Here you can walk along the old stone walls amid the just-born calves, the fully-leafed maples and birches creating a protective tunnel for you. There in the green places, shielded from the uncaring harsh-light of space and sin and the wounded world, you are able to slow and notice creation again. The salamander, the moss, the fiddlehead fern. Those ferns, not fully unfurled, resemble something nearly arcane in these late spring days: a shepherd’s crook, a crozier, a staff. Sheltered away from the demands and neon noise of the modern world, strolling or even sitting amid those ferns more appropriate for a fairy tale than real life, you may even allow yourself to contemplate the not-wholly-real. A day dream, a fantasy, even magic. You remember, however faintly, the sort of imagination you possessed as a child before adulthood narrowed, blended, and reshaped everything toward the greasy grey ease of utility and speed. The green world quiets everything just enough so that part of you, the part that still dreams and wonders, can knuckle up back from the wet loam into the light for a little while.” — Ryan B. Anderson
Rebuild your IG Algorithm (more fun links):
❋ Magazines are becoming cool again
❋ The easiest way to cut a pineapple
❋ Vintage plastic-free ice maker
❋ Olive oil fried dates over Greek yogurt
❋ The sound of an Italian summer
❋ Honey ice cream & beeswax paper recipes
Have an amazing week!
— Rocky
❋ All our digital issues are free to peruse. Explore our latest:
❋ Winter 25/26 Coffee Table Book (Print)
❋ Explore the full WARKITCHEN archive here.
❋ Got an article or recipe in mind? We’d love to hear more! Please send your pitch to rocky@warkitchen.net.
I love sandwiches! Just last night my genius husband made us delicious meatball sandwiches using sourdough bread, mozzarella, and some coq au vin blanc meatballs I made the other night. Fantastic.
Ever since you posted the sandwich tier list I've been on a quest to try them all. I haven't completed it yet, but it's a delicious journey!
OMG. This reminds me of an old friend I had years ago.
He was a neighboring boater that was solo and always would talk about just wanting a woman that could make him sandwiches in the cabin of his boat.
That was his dream. =)
I love sandwiches. I realized its the addons that are the secret sauce.