Sandwich

"Years ago, I was working on a client at my hair salon when we realized that our conversations always led to food," writes Sandy Ercolano of Ridgewood, New Jersey. "She happened to be taking classes at a local cooking school and suggested that I come along. After one class, I was hooked. Now, in addition to running the salon, I'm an instructor at that same school." You don’t have to be a vegetarian to enjoy these delicious toasted sandwiches, which are skillet-grilled on the stovetop. For added visual appeal, finish in a ridged grill pan.

Besides garnishing lobster stew , tomalley croutons can be served as an hors d'oeuvre or if you wish to elaborate, as a topping for crostini or pizza. Lobster tomalley can be purchased separately from most lobster dealers. It is inexpensive and tasty.

The jalapeño-flavored butter is also good with chicken or fish, or even corn on the cob.

The inspiration for this recipe came from a tea sandwich one of our food editors discovered at Alice's Tea Cup, in Manhattan. It's surprisingly substantial — a bit like an overstuffed deli sandwich, but not nearly as heavy.

"I'm a social worker running my own practice," writes Susan Haskell of Boston, Massachusetts. "In addition, I'm getting a doctorate in social work. So most of my time is spent either working with patients or writing my dissertation. Still, no matter what's on my schedule, nothing can stop me from going into the kitchen. During the week, I make the time to pore over food magazines to find recipes I want to try. On Saturdays, I cook for friends — because next to cooking, sharing the results is my favorite thing to do." The spicy mayonnaise adds a nice kick.

Truffle oil lends an earthy flavor; it can be found at specialty foods stores and some supermarkets. If you can't find the oil, these sandwiches will still be delicious without it.

To make things even easier, use a cabbage slaw mix. Serve with: Deli rice salad.

This bread is adapted from Jean Lemlin's recipe, from our March 1994 issue.

Active time: 25 min Start to finish: 45 min

This is a Cuban version of picadillo, a sweet-and-sour meat stew that is popular in many Spanish-speaking countries. Serve with: Sweet potato chips, and carrot and celery sticks with blue cheese dipping sauce.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Note: To slice the cucumber in the following recipe into a paper-thin spiral, we used a Japanese rotary device known as the Benriner vegetable slicer.

This tuna sandwich is all about olive oil. Use the French stuff if possible; otherwise, any mild olive oil will do—save that fancy super-Tuscan for something else. The tuna and the bread are crucial, too. Forget about tuna packed in water. It's flavorless. You want the kind packed in olive (not vegetable) oil. We thought ortiz's Bonito del Norte, newly exported from Spain, was the closest thing to Ni‧oise tuna, but it can be tough to find. (We ordered ours from Citarella; 212-874-0384.) Of the brands commonly available in the United States, we preferred Progresso light tuna. Other brands of canned light tuna that we are fond of are Genova and La Giara. This last is very expensive—about $10—and is available at many specialty foods shops and by mail order from Citarella.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.