Sandwich

This menu is good for B, L, or D: Breakfast, Lunch, or Dinner.

Serve with chopped raw vegetable salad and fancy store-bought chips of choice.

Serve with oil-and-vinegar-dressed slaw and specialty chips such as Terra brand’s Yukon Gold onion and garlic chips.

This recipe is for Gloria, Emilio, and Emily Estefan (or, as I call them, the Este-FUN Family). So, how Cuban did I get in 30 Minutes? XXOO, RR

A “stoup” is what I call a soup that is almost as thick as a stew. This one can be prepared as a vegetarian entrée as well by omitting the ham.

I love cheese toast the way it is done in India—with some chopped fresh green chilies and cilantro thrown in. We like to serve it with tea, as we seem to love the combination of spicy snacks and very hot tea! You can use any white bread (or brown, if you prefer), any cheese you like (I happen to like sharp cheddar), and the chilies could be fresh green ones (about 1/4 teaspoon, well chopped) but the pickled Greek ones are fine too, and, as I always have them on hand in my refrigerator and I like the tartness they provide, I use them instead. Some Anglo-Indian recipes have the yolks of hard-boiled eggs mixed with mustard spread inside the sandwich as well. I make my sandwich in a frying pan, but a panini press, if you have one of those, would work too.

Lebanese restaurants serve these cut in wedges as appetizers. A whole bread accompanied by a salad makes a good snack meal. Use a thin type of Arab or pita bread with a pouch.

Here’s an enjoyable way to serve a modified version of eggplant Parmigiana that’s lighter than the more customary eggplant hero sandwich.

This hors d’oeuvre is straight from the tapas bars of southern Spain. A few of these with a glass of sangría and I’m in heaven. It’s important to have your local fish guy fillet the sardines for you and save yourself the hassle. Spanish paprika is truly an underrated spice—it has a very satisfying smoky flavor that intensifies the taste of the roasted peppers. I have been experimenting with it in everything lately because I love its depth.

This is a fat, stuffed vegetable sandwich that’s great for a picnic. The olive tapenade is also good spooned on bread toasts and served as an hors d’oeuvre.