Sandwich Party!

I really like options. Buffets, toppings and self-assembly parties are all the rage in my book. I didn't have a lot of birthday parties when I was younger (wah wah) but if I could go back and do it, I would do a blow out Sweet 16 with a make your own Sundae bar. Take that Heiress from Paris! Last night I was inspired by my roommate's recent trip to NY and was painfully jealous of all his yummy sandwich pictures. Tortas! Banh Mi! Pastrama on Rye oh my! It was painful. To remedy, I decided to buy a butt-load (that's a lot, btw) of sandwich ingredients and had sandwich party of my own.

I'm no sandwich rookie mind you. I became with subs while living in Seattle. (I love you Firecracker!) When I briefly lived in San Francisco, my sister and I got really serious about panini's thanks to my suggestion that my mom get a fancy panini press for her/us. I learned a lot in that brief year in SF Paniniland.

1. If you make a panini on a crunchy baguette, turn it upside down when you eat to avoid shredding up the inside of your mouth.

2. Spinach or arugula dressed in olive oil, salt and pepper make the best greens option.

3. You gotta have thinly sliced red onions.

4. Pesto spread makes everything better.

5. MAYO

Sandwich party was a success even though bread in Japan is depressing. It is so humid here that if you pick up a baguette, even if it is from a nice bakery, it looks like a flacid penis. Once you heat it up, it dried up and somewhat resembles real bread, but it's still a far cry from anything you could get in your regular grocery store in America.

Oh yeah, I also made smashed potatoes as a side from my new cookbook from COOK COOP. They were also tastey - a nice alternative to most potato chips. (But not these kind of potato chips...)