I Love SPAM.  I do.  It’s silly, I know but I can’t help it and I really don’t want to help it.  I’ve made SPAM dishes on CbsoP before and I’m sure I will again… In fact I have a new dish that features SPAM all lined up and waiting for a sunny day.

That’s one of the best things abut SPAM. It’s like smoked oysters, sardines, olives or pickles.  You buy it and it’s just sitting there waiting for you when you have the urge for it.  Shelf stable is good, and especially good if you’re in a crunch for something to make in a hurry.

This dish is actually brought to you by the fine folks at Hormel, who emailed me to ask if I’d be willing to get in on a program they’re running called the “SPAM: Dish This! program.”  Of course my answer was well, thought out, cordial and written in a welcoming, but not to eager tone…

Oh who do I think I’m kidding?  I answered back with barely enough restraint to keep the “Hell Yes!” out of my response. Someone offered me free SPAM!  I ain’t turning that offer down for anyone.

Of course the FTC requires that I disclose that I was given product to work with, so here’s the legal stuff before I get into why of all the things I could have made, I chose an extremely simple sandwich…  So, in the words of the Legal Department:

To participate in the SPAM: Dish This! program, I was provided with complimentary samples of SPAM product and merchandise, valued at approximately $35. Hormel Foods did not tell me what type of creations I should make nor did they require me to use any specific ingredients. My statements reflect my honest and truthful opinions and actual experience.

There.  Now that we’ve got that out of the way; on with the subject at hand.  The wonder meat in a can, the glorious, jiggly, bright-pink SPAM.

As promised, the guys from Hormel sent along a package containing a few varieties of SPAM.  It also included a SPAM spatula and a hand painted art tile depicting a can of SPAM that I’m not going to show you because you would want it really, really badly and I can’t find one anywhere to send you to, which is a bummer because it’s COOL.

Upon closer inspection, there was one package in the box that I wasn’t prepared to see.  Among the classic, low fat and individual-serving sized containers was a tin of Bacon SPAM.  I’d never heard of this particular variety, but since I was specifically asked to make a sandwich with some part of the package, I saw “bacon”, thought “BLT” and this post was born… sort of.

I didn’t want to make a standard BLT, I wanted something a little different.  I also just happened to have some of my favorite little sourdough rolls handy, which are perfect for sliders.  Also, the bacon flavor in this product is very subdued even after cooking, so to give the whole thing a deeper, richer flavor I added some Worcestershire sauce to the equation.

In the end, this was the perfect combination, or at least was for me.  I took care of both of those sliders in one sitting and had another today. (In penance I swear I’ll have salad for breakfast and lunch for the next week!)

Do you love SPAM as much as I do?  If not, WHY NOT?!? what’s your favorite way to cook/make/serve the stuff.  I’d love to know.

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© Jerry D. Russell and Cooking... by the seat of my Pants!.com, 2010. | Permalink | 6 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: entree, lettuce, lunch, main course, mayonnaise, Sandwich, spam, tomato

(An update from the archives:  I’ve recently remade this recipe with more honey than originally called for.  The result was amazing, so I thought I’d share the recipe again.)

It’s simple. It’s easy. It’s wonderful. It’s… Homemade white bread, and it only took a few minutes of actual work to make perfectly the very first time.  Trust me folks, if I can do this, so can you!  if you’ve got a stand mixer with a dough hook this is as simple as it gets, it contains no preservatives and it stores well. (The loaf pictured above spent a week in the fridge… It’s still wonderful and will be finished off tonight.)

This is probably one of the tastiest bread recipes I’ve come across for everyday use.  The recipe makes two full-sized loaves and my kids think it’s got the over the counter stuff beat by miles when it comes to a good PB&J.  If you figure up the cost to make it, it’s about 1/4 the price of any loaf at your local market, but twice as good, so even the tiny bit of effort required makes this cost effective as well as delicious.

Another plus of this recipe over other is that it’s a very firm crumb and easily handles duty as a sandwich bread.  I’ve tried several recipes that simply could not hold up to the role of sandwich bread.  This loaf does not disappoint in that regard.  It’s soft enough to be enjoyable, but firm enough to stand up to everything from peanut butter to hot roast beef without crumbling or turning to mush.  In short, it’s the perfect alternative to store-bought sandwich bread.  Give it a try, you’ll like it!

And if your wondering if this is the perfect bread to make your family his Thanksgiving or Christmas, the answer is YES!  It’ll make wonderful Turkey Sandwiches!

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© Jerry D. Russell and Cooking... by the seat of my Pants!.com, 2010. | Permalink | 6 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: bread, breads and pastries, christmas, Holiday, Holiday-Recipes, Sandwich, Thanksgiving, white bread

If you’re wondering why I would take the time to post a recipe for a simple salami sandwich, I assure you that there is a very valid point behind this entry. The idea stemmed from a comment in a twitter conversation that got me thinking about a few things.  That idea simply could not go without being written because I think that it pertains to every food blogger in existence at least at one time or another.

This post is dedicated in particular to my good friend Judy from No Fear Entertaining. It was a the following tweet that got me thinking about food today.  In particular, it got me thinking about what food is good food, and what is worth serving to family, friends or acquaintances.

I was checking my twitterstream when the following popped up from Judy (You are following her on twitter, aren’t you?):

@nofearentertain Dinner tonight:  Ham and salami sandwiches…I suck :-(

Of course several of us chimed in to say there was absolutely nothing wrong with this idea as a meal (To be entirely honest, I was contemplating the sandwich above long before she brought the subject up), but the statement itself got me thinking about food bloggers and how the act of being a food blogger changes our idea of what food should be. It also started me thinking about how it changes our perspective in relation to every person out there who might someday read what we’ve written.

Regardless of whether we make our money directly from our writing, food bloggers are in a sense professional foodies.  We follow the latest news in food, chefs and restaurants.  We seek out unique and pristine ingredients.  We insatiably follow food trends and at times even create the trends that the rest of the world follows.  In one way or another we define our lives in the food that we eat, the places we congregate and the meals we prepare, but in the process we disconnect ourselves from the world at large.

The quest for perfection that we engage ourselves in has an unfortunate side effect for almost every one of us at one point. It causes our focus to shift from what good food is at its core to a strange belief that the ingredients make the dish.  Nothing is farther from the truth.  The primary ingredient in great food is the love that goes into it, not whether or not the cheese used on the side was organically cultured three miles underground and cased in fine port for seven years. (Though that does sound lovely!)

Art Smith attributes his success as as a chef to preparing the food he loves with all the love he can.  The world seems to agree.  Art is acclaimed for his dishes.  They aren’t fancy.  They aren’t pompous.  They aren’t even gourmet in the fashion that most would consider a meal called gourmet food. They’re just good modern interpretations of good old fashioned Southern American meals.

Take the humble sandwich above.  Today I think nothing of it.  It’s something I might make on any given day.  A simple assemblage of ingredients that are invariably on hand in my refrigerator and pantry. On any other occasion I would have enjoyed it without ever really appreciating it, but the thought of what makes up a truly great dish placed it firmly under scrutiny.

To a foodie it’s a simple sandwich.  To my younger self it would have been a gourmet extravaganza. As a child I had never experienced such things as spicy brown mustard or shaved Parmesan cheese.  Romain lettuce was something you found as a garnish on plates at some of the better restaurants, not something used on a sandwich. Parmesan cheese came in a green shaker can that went in the fridge next to the Miracle Whip and grape jelly.

The sandwich above was as far from my experience as escargot. I wouldn’t have gotten it.  It would have been gourmet in the extreme.

That is not to say w didn’t eat a lot of salami sandwiches.  Growing up in the primarily Italian California wine country gave me the opportunity to eat a great deal of salami.  It was generally enjoyed with sourdough bread from the Sonoma French Bakery and some wonderful aged cheddar from our local delicatessen, with a hint of mustard and all the love my mother could put into it.

I never noticed that it wasn’t up to par.

So to all food bloggers out there, and to any aspiring foodie who may find themselves looking at the ingredients list before they look at the faces around their table. Please don’t forget what the real meaning of great food is.  It’s not the ingredients.  It’s not the cost, nor the complicated French method necessary to create the sauce. It’s the love that went into the making of a dish that gives it value.

So to my good friend Judy I say again; There is absolutely nothing wrong with serving ham and salami sandwiches for dinner.  They may be more appreciated by the younger members of your clan that would a perfect Coq au Vin, they’re a lot less complicated to make and I have no doubt in my mind that when prepared in your household they are infused with all the love in the world.

Food is love.  Let us not forget that in the details.

… [visit site to read more]

© Jerry D. Russell and Cooking... by the seat of my Pants!.com, 2009. | Permalink | 11 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: attitudes, bread, food blogging, greens, impressions, Parmesan, Personal Ramblings, Recipes, salami, Sandwich

Vegetarians avert your eyes.  Have your children leave the room, you don’t want them to see this.  For you it won’t be pretty.  However, for those of us who are dedicated omnivores (or in Dr. Biggles case, card carrying carnivores), it’s a dream on a bun, and I had to share it with the world at large.

Please excuse the fact that this really isn’t a recipe.  It’s more of a field assembly guide for the ultimate in meat based sandwiches. There will be no fluff, no cheese, no greens or sprouts.  Only bell peppers (or jalapeños, if you’re so inclined) are worthy of this carnivorous delight.

This sandwich was three days in the making. Was it worth it?  I think so.  Hopefully you will as well, but the only way you’ll ever know is if you try it for yourself.

… [visit site to read more]

© Jerry D. Russell and Cooking... by the seat of my Pants!.com, 2008. | Permalink | 15 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Bacon, Barbecue, game food, Game Food super bowl food, Grilling, Onions, Peppers, Sandwich, Smoking

If you’re going to take the time to make homemade hamburger buns, there’s no point in stuffing them with some ridiculous store bought patty. You’ve got to throw some big flavors in to make it worth the effort.For this round chicken marinated in Greek vinaigrette sounded like a plan, but what would I top that with?  Just throwing some lettuce at it would never do.

A quick look around gave me an idea.  In the crisper was some baby spinach that was definitely looking neglected and droopy and there were mushrooms on the counter from last nights dinner.  Perfect, chicken topped with sautéed spinach and mushrooms should make for a huge smile when she walked in for lunch. (One of the advantages of living on base.  I see my wife at least once through her workday!)

I grilled the chicken in this instance, but this could just as easily be made in a pan or grill pan.  I’m not a fan of clamshell grills, but if you are, go with the Foreman, I suppose.  It’ll be ready in a snap.  As for the potatoes on the side…  Well, I’m saving those for tomorrow, just because I love them so much that I think they deserve their own post…

Don’t you?

Now back to the sammich!

… [visit site to read more]

© Jerry D. Russell and Cooking... by the seat of my Pants!.com, 2008. | Permalink | 5 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: chicken, Mediterranean, Recipes, Sandwich

Beefy, cheesy goodness on a bun. With a little left over roast beef, some onions, garlic and cheese you can whip up this hearty and satisfying sandwich that’s guaranteed to crush those hunger pangs in just a few minutes.

… [visit site to read more]

© Jerry D. Russell and Cooking... by the seat of my Pants!.com, 2007. | Permalink | One comment | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Beef, Cheese, recipe, restaurant remakes, Sandwich, Texas