The sandwich is a marvelous invention. Bread. And then anything between. From ice cream to smoked salmon to good brisket. There are unlimited permutations. It's truly the ONLY food in the world you could eat every day and not get bored. It's as healthy and unhealthy as you want it to be. You need to be sandwich maxxing.
I’ve always appreciated a well constructed sandwich. It’s one of the joys of life that I never took for granted. It’s so beautiful how almost every culture in the world has their version, their sandwich and that to me adds to the beauty of it all.
This is why it blows my mind how some people say sandwiches are unhealthy. They’re literally an open canvas!! It’s anything and everything you wish it could be.
While we’re speaking about sandwiches I have to put you on caramelized onions. If you’re making your own sandwiches at home, learn to make amazing caramelized onions! Contrary to popular belief, onions don't have to make you cry. They're best eaten SWEET! So good they melt in your mouth...
All you need to make:
1. Slice as thinly as possible
2. Pan on LOW heat with enough fat
3. Add a pinch of sea salt as they cook
4. Keep throwing fat in (drizzling EVOO / knobs of butter) as they caramelize
5. WAIT!
You will fail if you:
• Don't spend enough time rendering it down
• Blast the heat too high & end up with fried onions
Make sure you keep them moving or they'll burn and get stuck to the bottom of the pan. You need constant movement. Constant swirling of the wrist. Wooden spoon stirring. Onions must be coated well in fat. The entire process will take AT LEAST 15 minutes. Onions will slowly get more color and eventually be a silky caramel brown. Some chefs even say to give it 30! Yes it takes time, but it's worth it. Properly caramelized onions are the best condiment for just about anything from a breakfast sandwich (as pictured above here), to sliced steak.
Btw, you should not cry when cutting onions. That only happens if you're using a blunt knife. With a sharp one, the odds of tearing up are extremely low.
So of course, we love sandwiches so much that we thought with the launch of The Sandwich Issue we should refresh our Ultimate Sandwich Tier List and so we did! Not all sandwiches are the same… S stands for superior, a cut above the rest. After that, A, B and C are graded just like school. These rankings were collectively decided by the WARKITCHEN SOIRÉE Instagram Channel - get involved with a future vote here.
S tier: Croque Madame, Philly Steak, Smoked Salmon, Chicken Club, Bánh Mì, Ice Cream
A tier: Reuben, BLT, Cuban, Tamago Sando, Croque Monsieur, Muffuletta, French Dip, Lobster Roll, Grilled Cheese, Panini, Kaya Toast, Chivito, Oxtail Melt, Jambon-Beurre, Bifana, Monte Cristo
B tier: BBQ Chicken, Patty Melt, Pastrami on Rye, Caprese, Turkey Club, Primanti’s, Mortadella, Porchetta, Italian Sub, Lox Bagel, Pan Bagnat, Pane Cunzato, Sloppy Joe, Bocadillo, Bacon Egg, Kielbasa, Katsu Sando, Walleye, Po’ Boy, Egg Salad, PB&J, Shawarma, Smoked Herring
C tier: Curry Tuna, Roast Pork, Cucumber Tea, Chip Butty, Jackfruit, Meatball, Bologna, Prawn Roll
F tier: Anything with plastic ‘American’ cheese slices, Artificial ‘Impossible’ meat, Frankenstein buns
What do you disagree with? What’s S tier for you? What should be rated lower?
What if your coffee order was a car?
For once we didn’t make fun of the americano… :)
Fruits for September
How blessed are we to live in a world of beautiful fruit? Here are your Fruits for September 🤩
❋ Crunchy Halloumi and Marinated Tomato Salad by Jillian
“What’s for dinner? Halloumi medallions - coated with panko breadcrumbs and nigella seeds - served with a fresh tomato salad on top. This is the perfect recipe to use up all of the colourful cherry tomatoes that are available right now. Finish things off with a liberal grating of horseradish for an extra savoury kick.” — Jillian
❋ I Tested Raising Cane’s Sauce 50 Times. This Is the Perfect Ratio by andrew gruel
“Let’s be honest. The real reason people go to Raising Cane’s isn’t the chicken.
It’s the sauce.
That creamy, peppery, slightly tangy sauce is what makes the whole meal memorable. The ingredients aren’t especially complicated, but getting the proportions right is another story.
I tested this recipe close to 50 times. I increased the black pepper, reduced the black pepper, added more Worcestershire sauce, pulled it back, and adjusted everything against the mayonnaise and ketchup.
After all that testing, this is the ratio that delivered the closest result.” — andrew gruel
❋ Recipes to Make Before Summers Over by Ella Henry
“Ok I know 50% of you are ready for pumpkin spiced lattes and baked goods, but hi I am the other 50% who is not yet ready to concede summer being over (even though I woke up kinda starting to crave cozy season…we’re not talking about it).
Don’t get me wrong, I love Fall, it’s my favorite month, but it doesn’t officially start for a few weeks. We have a few more weeks of warmth, humidity, and longer days, and so it’s time to soak it up as much as possible. I have created a recipe roundup of summer-centric bevs, smoothies, baked goods, meals, sweets & more to make before we dive head first into fall!!! If you’ve been wanting to make any of these the time is nowww. Tomatoes are perfect. Melons & stone fruit are still abundant. & it’s still hot enough to cool down with an iced bev, smoothie, or maybe some froyo…
Let’s get into it…” — Ella Henry
❋ How to Spot & Overcome an Iron Deficiency by Kaya [Paid Post]
“Iron sustains life.
It is used to make hemoglobin—the oxygen-delivering protein. Without oxygen, our cells suffocate, as they can’t make the energy they rely on to perform vital functions, maintain their structure, communicate with one another, and repair damage.
Because iron deficiency impairs cells’ ability to generate life-sustaining energy, the list of iron deficiency symptoms is nearly endless. They include fatigue, breathlessness, hair loss, brittle nails, weakness, insomnia, cold hands and feet, chest pain, depression, anxiety, irritability, difficulty concentrating, restless leg syndrome, exercise intolerance, and more.
Every organ, every cell, and every function takes a hit when iron is in short supply.
However, increasing iron levels and bringing ferritin and hemoglobin back into range is often more challenging than just taking an iron supplement.
Many people experience adverse reactions to iron pills (suffering from symptoms like bloating, constipation, digestive pain, or headaches), or they fail to get their ferritin up no matter how much iron they take or how many steaks they eat.” — Kaya
❋ Travel Like Your Favorite Artists by First Class Jerk
“When it comes to travel, handing over control is the hard part. I learned that when I started dating a book-the-flight-the-week-of girl, having been raised in a we-already-have-our-Thanksgiving-tickets family myself. But letting go is the fastest way to end up somewhere you’d never have picked…which is usually the point.
So here’s an idea: travel like someone else. Ideally someone you admire. I’m not saying to go book the exact trip to Positano and Mykonos your favorite lifestyle influencer. Those photos are staged, the parties are paid for by a brand buying follower count instead of brand alignment, and they just met that “group of friends” on a yacht day sponsored by a newly minted rosé brand.
Instead, travel like your favorite singers, authors, and artists. Anyone that you look up to or find honest inspiration from. Travel writing works because you want to live the thing you’re reading. So lean into it.
We’ve been kicking around this idea for a while, and I believe there’s a real well of inspiration in it. It’s not better than traveling to do absolutely nothing…that’s a different sport. But I’m hoping to put it into practice very soon.” — First Class Jerk
❋ Romanticizing between seasons by Mary Beth
“Very indulgent breakfasts. I’ve always been a person who believes in breakfast. Many, many years ago I fell victim to an extreme wellness protocol and tried fasting. The only thing I got out of it was fainting at work, so I promised myself to never try that again. Lately, I’ve been enjoying breakfasts that mix sweet and savory. Eggs, sausage, some sliced fruit, maybe some cheese, a piece of toast with blackberry jam, coffee and orange juice. I also really enjoy mixing a drop of almond extract and some honey into plain greek yogurt. I like to feel as if I’m at a fancy hotel’s breakfast buffet on a regular weekday morning. The other day I was feeling lazy, but I realized that I had already prepped rice and salmon, and I always have miso paste and seaweed stocked just in case. So I made a japanese breakfast with some carrot salad, fresh kiwi, and a matcha on the side.” — Mary Beth
❋ Have the Spirit of a Bulldog by John Thompson
“To this day, I remember the beginning of Coach DJ’s words: “Johnny, you’re my bulldog. I can always count on you to stay in the fight.” I felt a sense of pride in that moment, and now at the age of 29 I feel that emotion even more.
When I hear bulldog, I think fierce and persistent. They’re never afraid to roll up their sleeves, and they are unabashedly themselves. That’s the whole identity of the Georgia Bulldogs football team, which was given the name by sportswriter Morgan Blake in 1920.When I think of two famous figures who exhibit bulldog qualities, Winston Churchill and Pete Rose come to mind. Two celebrities I know that own bulldogs are Brad Pitt and Lewis Hamilton—who, in many ways, carry those same character traits themselves.” — John Thompson
Rebuild your IG Algorithm (more fun links):
❋ The difference between storing your produce in plastic vs cotton vs our raw linen produce bags
❋ I love having a coffee after a coffee
❋ Posagna — potato meets lasagna
Hope you’re having a beautiful Labor Day weekend!
— 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.
❋ Join WARKITCHEN book club here.
❋ Got an article or recipe in mind? We’d love to hear more! Please send your pitch to rocky@warkitchen.net.
You do such beautiful work. Love it!
Thank you for the shoutout! 🫶 I always appreciate your support. 🥂