The Up-To-Date Sandwich Book


 By Bruce Shawkey

Found this interesting cook book in the online Boston Public Library, titled "The Up-To-Date Sandwich Book." Published in 1909, it lists recipes for 400 different kinds of sandwiches, some truly bizarre by today's standards. Mutton and pea, anyone? Headcheese (see footnote)? English walnut and fig?

The author is Eva Greene Fuller. I can find no further information about her. Apparently, this is the only book she ever authored. But I would dare say she is the Queen of Sandwiches. Puts my PB&J and bologna sandwiches I used to carry to school for lunch to shame.

The forward to the book stresses the importance of using good bread. I agree. "Wonder Bread" and other forms of cheap white bread have no business in the making of a fine sandwich. I remember cheap white bread was referred to "slimy white slice" by Jennifer Paterson of the "Two Fat Ladies" cooking show that aired on the Cooking Channel from 1996 to 1999 (God, I miss that show!).

Reproduced below is the forward to the book, talking about good bread.




The book is still in print, by the way, and is available on Amazon and other sites. It now features a full-color, updated cover, and sells for $11.95 in soft-cover, and is also available for the Kindle for $1.95. Here's an image of the cover:

Here's what one reviewer said of the book:

Care for a Tutti-Frutti Sandwich? How about some Lobster Canapes? Anyone looking for new, easy ways to jazz up lunch will appreciate this eminently useful casual cookbook. Dating from the early twentieth century, the vintage collection presents 400 tasty recipes based on common, easily obtained fixings.

No skill is required for following the recipes, which are organized by main ingredient and offer brief, to-the-point directions. Categories include fish, egg, salad, meat, cheese, nut, sweet, miscellaneous, and canapes. A brief Foreword offers serving suggestions.

They make it sound like it's a new book or something, when it's actually 115 years old!

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Footnote: Head cheese is a cold cut terrine or meat jelly that originated in Europe, perhaps ancient Germania. It is made with flesh from the head of a calf or pig, typically set in aspic, and usually eaten cold, at room temperature, or in a sandwich.


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