Emotional Support Sandwich
14. What do you put in yours?
Hey Pretty Tasters,
It seems that everywhere you look on social media (or at least, everywhere I look on social media) there are people producing the most amazing looking sandwiches anyone has ever seen. Made with a thick loaf that is crunchy on the outside and pillowy soft on the inside. Filled with the most decadent looking layers of imported cheeses, deli meats, perfectly cooked steak or lovingly shredded chicken. Topped with the juiciest, best dressed, most in-season and on-trend salads there are. YUM.
Tiktok failed to load.Enable 3rd party cookies or use another browser
At home in Adelaide, my go-to to scratch my sandwich itch is always Lucia’s in the Adelaide Central Markets. Below is my favourite, the number 2: mortadella, provolone, green olives and olive oil. Number 7 gets a special shout out: marinated eggplant, artichoke, tomato, mozzarella, and house-made pesto. Mama Mia. If you love food porn you’ll have to scroll their instagram account. And yes, Ottolenghi WAS there two weeks ago. So epic.
Sandwiches are well and truly having their moment with the world. And they are also having their moment with me. Sandwiches can be anything you want them to be: an easy packed school lunch, a rich, decadent dinner, or something for high tea. For some reason, sandwiches are my number one emotional support/bonding food. For many reasons I find eating sandwiches cathartic.
Reasons:
They belong in the “I don’t care what I look like when I’m eating this in public” category of food.
The animalistic act of picking up food with your hands and shoving it into your mouth releases some kind of stress for me? (please do not analyze this)
The combination of all the fillings (one from each section of the food pyramid, hitting all of salt, fat, acid and heat, and involving lots of textures) creating the most satisfying mouth-feel known to this earth.
Maybe it’s just because it’s yummy.
Somehow when there are big things going on in my life, or if I’m upset or haven’t eaten for a while or something is going on and I need some sustenance, I always go for a big juicy sando. And for some reason I always have things on hand to make a big juicy sando (see my favourite tomato sandwich recipe here) or a place in mind to go get one from (a la my fave Banh Mi Place).
Last week, I was going through something, and I spent the weekend visiting some friends in Sydney. Somehow, In the 4 whole days I was there, I only managed to eat 4 actual meals (very slack and tragic of me, I agree) and three of them were emotional support sandwiches.
#1 (Small’s Deli - Potts Point)
Tess and I had been plotting to go to Small’s Deli for months after she shared their Instagram profile with me. In a very serendipitous fashion, we were both in Sydney at the same time and planned a little lunch. I must say, I spent about 20 minutes holding this sandwich in my hands pouring out the contents of my heart and soul to Tess as she absorbed everything I said and earnestly empathised. When I finally took a bite - the space inside me that emptied as I word vomited my woes to Tess were full again - with bread, pesto and friendship. The sandwiches made me feel better and sustained me for the rest of the day and night. There’s nothing like venting and sandwiching. Then we went to Mecca Maxima and dreamed about having $350 to drop on fragrance (I know this is a food blog but I am actually obsessed with the smell of Le Labo’s Santal 33). I love you, Tess.
#2 (Chicken Burger - The Vic on the Park)
The second one I ate was a fried chicken burger for dinner at Vic on the Park which totally counts as a sandwich for me. I was kind of intoxicated and it was about 9pm and I was starving but I am pretty sure it was actually good and I didn’t just like it because I was drunk. Would return. No photo sorry I was too hungry and inhaled the whole thing.
#3 (Chicken Schnitzel Bagel - Lox in a Box)
Ok so somewhere along the way I caught a throat tickle and I just KNEW that my taste was going to be the next sense lost in my cascade of losing all sense in this world. I was right. But NOT BEFORE I could Uber Eats myself this absolute monster of a sandwich. Yes - I spent the last day of my holiday hungover, headcolded and a little bit sad in my friend’s beautiful beachside apartment.
I KNOW, I know. The people of New York would not be pleased with me enjoying chicken in a bagel and the sandwich lovers out there would not be pleased with me calling a bagel a sandwich, but I don’t care.
This is a chicken schnitzel bagel with a side of lightly salted chips and sour pickles (my actual favourite). It made me feel amazing and I was really happy that I could still taste all the great flavours. This thing sustained me all day long. I ate half for brunch and half as a weird dinner-ish thing at 4pm before I got on the plane. It was dense, salty, crunchy, creamy, delicious. Everything I needed in one swift bite. Glorious.
Anyway, after all that. I am feeling very well supported by my sandwiches and I will continue to eat them both for support and pleasure.
Have a fantastic week, and think of me next time you’re having a sandwich.
Yours Truly,
G