Bread, the Missing Element

If you do a tour of American Sandwich Shops and Burger Joints, you could easily come to the conclusion that the only reason for bread is so that you do not have to handle the meat and cheese with your fingers.  Rather than being an important part of the sandwich, they seem to have become little more than the delivery system.

Burger Joints were probably the first purveyor of this tragedy.  Of course, that might be because most of the big burger chains got their start in the 1950s, when Wonder Bread was king.  Wonder Bread, and most buns seem to be mostly flour and air.  They have no body, or true texture.  They add nothing to a sandwich, except something to grab it by.  Very occasionally, you will see somebody try putting a burger on better bread, but the big chains never get the message, and so none of them are any different from the rest.

Some get the idea, like Schlotzkys,  Their sourdough roll is a joy, it has bite and flavor.  I sometimes wish that I could just buy the rolls, and it is even better as a pizza dough.  I keep wondering why no one has stolen that idea.

Some don't get the idea, but they try.  Subway offers a selection of breads, but no matter what you order, you are getting Wonder Bread with flavors added.  It tastes good, but there is no body, no bite, nothing to chew.  It's a little sad really.

Even good sandwich shops can suffer from this problem.  They take the time to find the best meats, and good cheeses.  They procure good, flavorful condiments, and then when it comes to bread, they seem to think any old thing will do.  Even when the bread isn't bad, like at Jimmy Johns, it isn't really good either.  I will take Jimmy Johns over Subway any day, because they are a little better at each and ever aspect of the sandwich, but not enough to make me go out of my way.

So, to all you sandwich makers out there, give a little more thought to your bread.  I have some ideas too. 

Pretzel Buns might be nice, but remember to get a really chewy pretzel dough if you are going that direction.

How about a Rye Bun?  I think this would be phenomenal with a good Hot Dog.

Bagels anyone?  They are already round, just like your hamburger buns.  I would suggest a bagel on the lighter end of the spectrum.

Ciabatta's been used, but it would be better than Wonder Bread...much better.

So, be creative, make your sandwich something unique.  Don't follow the present trend of putting meat and cheese between two pieces of cardboard and hoping people don't notice.

Central Market Trip

Central Market

4001 N. Lamar Blvd.

Austin, TX 78756

(512) 206-1000

I love Central Market.  I don't get down there very often because it is rather expensive, but I love the selection.  Today I was looking for something a bit French, something to remind me of things that I used to buy 30 years ago when I spent two years in France.

Strangely enough, I ended up with nearly as many English things as French things, but oh well.

Cheese

I love any store with a wall of cheese.  Okay, maybe it's not a wall, but there is a good twenty feet of cheese, on two sets of shelves, surrounding a central island that included more cheese.  If you love cheese like I do, then this is one of the Austin Meccas.  Cheeses from all over the world, and lots of them.  So, here is what I got.

• Red Dragon
  English Cheddar Cheese with Wholegrain Mustard & Ale from Somerdale

This is a wonderful cheese.  It isn't too strong, but the mustard seeds give it a distinctive flavor.  You can melt this over a burger and you won't need to put any mustard on it.  It is whole mustard grains, so there is also an occasional, but wonderful crunch in the cheese.  My personal preference is just to eat this cheese, no burgers, no crackers, just cheese.

• Clawson Dairy Stilton

I am not a big fan of blue cheese, but I have always wanted to try Stilton, since watching the show Chef. 

"Stilton is Cheese 1.  Everyone knows that."  -Chef Gareth Blackstock (Lenny Henry)

It was good, very blue-y, but not so strong that I turned away immediately.  I ate a few little bits and left the rest for my wife.

• Life in Provence
  Camembert

I remember going into grocers in France and seeing a wall of Camembert, not just a wall of cheese, but a wall of Camembert.  I remember one Super Marché with a staggering amount of Camembert.  Dozens of brands, and dozens of each of those brands.  You pulled off the little wooden box and put a thumb gently to the middle of the cheese to judge how hard it is.  The softer the cheese, the stronger the taste.  My general tendency was to buy a hard mild cheese and then let it ripen in the fridge.  A week later that cheese would be oh so runny and smell strongly of wet diapers.  Only someone who has tried a ripe Camembert can understand the wonders of the taste that goes with that diaper smell.

Central Market only had two brands.  I would have been disappointed, but they were both from France.  Finances got the best of me.  I bought the cheaper Camembert, but it turned out okay.  I remember buying Camembert in France and I rarely bought the most expensive brand then either.

• Black Pepper Paté de Campagne
  Central Market Deli

I have always preferred Paté de Campagne to the more common Paté de Foie.  I prefer the texture and the taste.  This paté has a layer of peppercorns on the top, but there aren't many mixed into the paté.  This makes the paté itself quite mild, with a nice kick, if you want it.  I was very happy with my choice.

I wish I could have found a better loaf of bread to go with my treats, but the Central Market Baguette wasn't bad.  They have a large selection of breads, but nothing really seemed to catch my fancy today.  Bread is the best accompaniment to Camembert and Pate.  A smallish baguette, no more than two inches across, works well.  You cut the baguette into slices half an inch thick and spread cheese or paté on each one.

A wonderful treat, and something more common to the gourmet than the gourmand.