Finally! The Lunch Thread!

[Mark The Homer]

We'll start off here with a nice grilled panini.

I used Dave's Killer Bread - Organic - 21 grains and seeds

Get out a sheet of wax paper, lay it out, lay two bread slices on top.

Butter both slices. If the butter's hard, you can microwave it, power 1.

Flip them over.

Add cheese to one slice. I chose swiss. It might be wise to choose a "melty" cheese.

Add some shaved turkey. Season to taste.

Add a nice tomato slice. This is a heirloom in the photo.

Season it - I used salt and pepper.



Add some alfalfa sprouts.

Add a few slices of avocado - add a pinch of salt to the slices

Add another layer of cheese.

Put a large dollop of mayo and a large dollop of pesto in a small pyrex cup or tea cup and mix it up. Spread it on the second slice of bread, edge to edge.

Crown sandwich with the second slice, butter up.

Slide spatula under the sandwich and carefully place on your press. Lower press and press down gently. If you don't have a press, you can just griddle it like a grilled cheese. I would tent it with foil to help the cheese melt. The key is medium-low heat. The trick is to melt the cheese and warm the sandwich without over-toasting the bread.

After a while, put your ear next to the griddle. When you start to hear a sizzle, it's probably time to flip. Don't over-cook it. When ready, flip it very carefully so the sandwich stays intact. Press gently.

The second side will toast very quickly. Remove carefully and place on cutting board.

Cut sandwich in half. I like to use a bread knife to saw through the toasted crust, then finish it with a Chef's knife or Santoku by pushing straight down, rock it a bit, then pull it back.

Enjoy.

 

[RedWolf]

My favorite is a soft shell crab BLT with mayo on white toast. Old school eastern shore style

 

[Mark The Homer]

Very nice. Did you fry that crab yourself? I've never even had a soft shell crab. Kind of embarrassing to admit.

Took me a while but I finally figured out your signature quote! JG referring to ST. Duh.

 

[RedWolf]

Very nice. Did you fry that crab yourself? I've never even had a soft shell crab. Kind of embarrassing to admit.

Took me a while but I finally figured out your signature quote! JG referring to ST. Duh.

No internet file

“God made certain people to play football. He was one of them.”

 

[Iraolaball]

My lunch thought: If it doesn’t include a tortilla and/or salsa, you’re just doing it wrong.

 

[RandyHolt]

Does anyone here prefer rock hard butter? Folks, trust me, risk life and limb and just leave your butter on the counter top 24/7.

It took a trip to Europe for me to figure out we are likely the only country that is forced to cut butter razor thin and hoping the toast is warm enough to melt it before giving up and mashing it into the bread.

The endless clicking you hear of your knife hitting your butter dish with ~10 pounds of force every morning, ends now.

 

[Mark The Homer]

We keep the butter in the cabinet - a stick of salted and a stick of unsalted, tyvm. Been doing it my whole life. I'm still here!

Another somewhat related item - https://www.bgobsession.com/threads/the-perfectly-elusive-perfect-burger.140963/page-6#post-520533

 

[Chris]

Does anyone here prefer rock hard butter? Folks, trust me, risk life and limb and just leave your butter on the counter top 24/7.

It took a trip to Europe for me to figure out we are likely the only country that is forced to cut butter razor thin and hoping the toast is warm enough to melt it before giving up and mashing it into the bread.

The endless clicking you hear of your knife hitting your butter dish with ~10 pounds of force every morning, ends now.

Yep. Learned that when starting to live in Europe part-time 5 years ago. Game changer!

 

[RandyHolt]

Yep. Learned that when starting to live in Europe part-time 5 years ago. Game changer!

A few people have come to my house and used the room temp butter, and actually thanked me.

I saw so many things in Germany in 1998 that made me open my eyes... hmmm maybe we aren't the best at everything that we tell ourselves that we are.

I teased the Germans about Chrysler merging with Mercedes.... they just facepalmed.

 

[Ashburn Dave]

I'm going to get fat now with all these food threads.

 

[Ashburn Dave]

We'll start off here with a nice grilled panini.

View attachment 10459

I used Dave's Killer Bread - Organic - 21 grains and seeds

Get out a sheet of wax paper, lay it out, lay two bread slices on top.

Butter both slices. If the butter's hard, you can microwave it, power 1.

Flip them over.

Add cheese to one slice. I chose swiss. It might be wise to choose a "melty" cheese.

Add some shaved turkey. Season to taste.

Add a nice tomato slice. This is a heirloom in the photo.

Season it - I used salt and pepper.

View attachment 10477 View attachment 10476 View attachment 10475 View attachment 10474 View attachment 10473 View attachment 10472 View attachment 10471

Add some alfalfa sprouts.

Add a few slices of avocado - add a pinch of salt to the slices

Add another layer of cheese.

Put a large dollop of mayo and a large dollop of pesto in a small pyrex cup or tea cup and mix it up. Spread it on the second slice of bread, edge to edge.

Crown sandwich with the second slice, butter up.

Slide spatula under the sandwich and carefully place on your press. Lower press and press down gently. If you don't have a press, you can just griddle it like a grilled cheese. I would tent it with foil to help the cheese melt. The key is medium-low heat. The trick is to melt the cheese and warm the sandwich without over-toasting the bread.

After a while, put your ear next to the griddle. When you start to hear a sizzle, it's probably time to flip. Don't over-cook it. When ready, flip it very carefully so the sandwich stays intact. Press gently.

The second side will toast very quickly. Remove carefully and place on cutting board.

Cut sandwich in half. I like to use a bread knife to saw through the toasted crust, then finish it with a Chef's knife or Santoku by pushing straight down, rock it a bit, then pull it back.

Enjoy.

View attachment 10470 View attachment 10468 View attachment 10467 View attachment 10466 View attachment 10465 View attachment 10464 View attachment 10463 View attachment 10462 View attachment 10461 View attachment 10460 View attachment 10458

Is Chuds Press worth $400? It looks like something I might want but 400 might be too much.

 

[Voice_of_Reason]

Mark The Homer alfalfa sprouts are so underrated. I love them. They give a little extra texture to a sandwich.

I generally don't each lunch. For whatever reason, never have.

But when I do, I like me a good sandwich.

Especially a nice MLT – mutton, lettuce, and tomato sandwich, where the mutton is nice and lean and the tomato is ripe. (iykyk)

 

[Ashburn Dave]

I couldn't find him holding a sandwich but this is what came to mind when you said you don't generally eat lunch but when you do it's a sandwich.

 

[Voice_of_Reason]

What’s the best non-sandwich lunch. I do like a good salad. I just don’t like anything heavy or I fall asleep at work.

 

[Mark The Homer]

Is Chuds Press worth $400? It looks like something I might want but 400 might be too much.

I dunno. Do you cook a lot? Do you appreciate well-made stuff? Mine was a Christmas gift from my family - I think they might have paid around $320 for it w/ free shipping. It does an excellent job with Cubanos and frying bacon. Also swordfish steaks, ribeye steaks and smashburgers. It will sear a roast nicely. It will work as a tortilla press if you want to make them from scratch. Quesadillas. Excellent for heating up leftover pizza. Heating up pita for gyros. Pressing ground sausage into breakfast patties. Roasted potatoes, hashbrowns. Excellent for rendering beef fat into tallow. Other stuff too. You need a gas stove top or an outdoor propane burner that's sturdy. It weighs 23 lbs. There are a few YT vids reviewing it. It's American made and it will last forever. It usually goes on sale after Thanksgiving. See my review on YT if you want: -----------> manpHtlgMvc

 

[Mark The Homer]

This is a variation of a Caprese sandwich I ran into on YT. It has excellent flavor. You will love it.

I used Dave's Killer multi-grain bread as I did in the OP.

Lay on a board. Spread both bread slices edge-to-edge with a pesto mayo mixture. You can use straight pesto if you want.

Add thin layer of proscuitto. I used shaved ham instead.

Optional: Add half an avocado sliced. Season lightly.

Add thin sliced fresh mozzarella. A little pepper for good luck.

Add a slice of tomato - this is a heirloom. Season lightly.

Put top slice of bread onto sandwich, pesto side down.

Add some nice olive oil into a good pan. Add a pat of butter.

Heat pan low to medium-low.



Smear butter around into olive oil. The olive oil will raise the smoke point of the butter and add flavor.

Carefully place sandwich in pan.

Add a couple pats of butter to the top of the sandwich to soften it.

Tent large sheet of foil over entire pan so that it catches the heat rising around pan and guides it back into the sandwich

Wait a while. When the butter on top softens enough to spread. Spread it nicely. You can then use a press if you have one to aid in browning the bottom.

After a while, put your ear near the burner. When you hear a sizzle, it's probably time to flip. Carefully flip, keeping sandwich intact.

Replace press if you have one. Don't use the foil tent - it's not needed.

After a couple minutes, it's probably ready. Carefully place on board. Slice, serve, enjoy.

 

[Mark The Homer]

What’s the best non-sandwich lunch. I do like a good salad. I just don’t like anything heavy or I fall asleep at work.

I would suggest a nice breakfast. I do breakfast or lunch. One or the other. Not both!

 

[RedWolf]

I make a fried grouper sandwich that's also very good. White toast mayo lettuce tomato thinly sliced red onion. Salt and pepper the fish, lightly toss in flour than fry it. Simple but killer

 

[RedWolf]

A few more favorites...

French onion soup

Oysters and a classic French frisee salad with poached egg and lardons

Grilled NY strip 8oz with two over easy eggs

Louisiana BBQ shrimp and cheesy grits

Fresh shrimp salad sandwich on white toast with lettuce and tomato

 

[Voice_of_Reason]

I would suggest a nice breakfast. I do breakfast or lunch. One or the other. Not both!

I live breakfast.

But this is a lunch thread!