Ham and Eternity

“Eternity is two people and a ham," wrote Irma S. Rombauer in the original Joy of Cooking. Perhaps you can relate to this statement. I certainly know I can. It's the week after Easter and in my house that means we are diligently trying to use up the leftover Honey Baked Ham.

Every year I order more than we need. Perhaps I forget how hard it was to use up all the ham the year before or perhaps, because I only order Honey Baked Ham once a year, I get excited and order much more than could ever be consumed by two people in a reasonable amount of time. Whatever the reason, here I am, left with my piles of ham.



The ham bone was frozen for use in split pea or navy bean soup somewhere down the road, a half pound of ham was neatly diced and stowed in the freezer to have at the ready as a flavor base or to add to soups, and a ham and cheese quiche is on the menu for this weekend; still, I was in need of some new inspiration.

It came in the form of slices of ham and cheese sandwiched between two pieces of sourdough and smothered in a cheesy béchamel. In other words it came in the form of a croque monsieur. This happens to be my boyfriend's favorite sandwich and I am baffled at how it managed to escape me as a way to use up leftover ham.

The thick-cut Honey Baked Ham works perfectly in this sandwich. Gruyere is a traditional accompaniment, but I found that a blend of gruyere and swiss was particularly delicious. There is something about ham and swiss that just works.

This isn't the lightest or healthiest way to follow up Easter dinner, but let's be honest. Who hasn't already had a few too many pieces of Easter candy this week? Can one croque monsieur really do that much damage?



Croque Monsieur
Adapted from Ina Garten

2 T unsalted butter
3 T flour
2 cups hot milk
1 t kosher salt
½ t pepper
Pinch nutmeg
6 oz grated gruyere or gruyere / swiss blend
½ cup grated parmesan
8 slices sourdough bread
Dijon mustard
4 – 6 slices of Honey Baked Ham, or any thick-cut, cooked ham

Preheat oven to 400*
Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Sprinkle the flour over the butter and use a rubber spatula to combine. Cook the butter and flour for about two minutes, stirring constantly with the spatula. Add the milk, a half cup at a time, making sure the milk is fully incorporated before adding more. Let the béchamel simmer until thickened, stirring constantly for about five minutes. Turn off the heat and add the salt, pepper, nutmeg, ½ cup of gruyere and the parmesan cheese. Set aside.

Place the bread slices on a baking sheet and toast in the oven for five minutes. Turn the slices over and toast for an additional two minutes. Brush half the bread slices with mustard on one side and place one to one and a half slices of ham on top. Sprinkle the ham slices with half the remaining gruyere. Spread about a ¼ cup of béchamel over each of the remaining other slices and use them to top the sandwiches (béchamel side down). Spread the remaining béchamel evenly over the top of the four sandwiches and sprinkle with the remaining gruyere. Bake for five minutes. Turn the broiler on and place the sandwiches under the broiler until bubbly and browned, about five minutes.

At Last - Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day

I consider myself a modern woman. I live alone and work hard to pay my rent and all of my own bills. I have found that where my true passions lie are in the kitchen and the modern work schedule certainly doesn't allow for days spent there, slow simmering and prepping everything from scratch. While I get to fill my weekends with long, drawn-out preparations and cooking the way I would cook every day if I had time, I wish I could do that more often during the week.

I've found one way to bring the feeling of cooking all day to the weeknights, in one of my most treasured Christmas gifts, the book Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day. It gives readers a chance to have the pleasure of homemade, prepared-from-scratch bread, while taking into account the limited time most of us have to spend in the kitchen. I know this book is not news to most of those in the food blogging community, but it has been such a delight in my kitchen, that I had to share it here, just in case you have not heard of it or have yet to pick it up.

I have barely scratched the surface of this marvelous book and already I am in love. Before getting this book, I had made a number of bread recipes at home and none turned out as well as even the first loaf I made from the master recipe. I have already blown through the first batch of dough and the second one is sitting in my fridge at this very moment. I'm trying to wait as long as I can to let the flavors develop, but the desire to use it all immediately is strong.

If you want more information on the book go to Artisan Bread in Five Minutes Day. The authors share great recipes and tips on how to get the most out of the book. I'm not comfortable sharing their master recipe (as it is one of the main points of getting the book), but trust me, you will not be disappointed if you make this purchase. In lieu of the master recipe, I'm posting the pressed sandwiches I made with my first batch of baguettes. If you're not interested in baking, by all means, pick up a baguette at the grocery store and be done with it, but you'll be missing out on the satisfaction that baking your own bread from scratch can give.

If you're not a fan of anchovies, substitute 3/4 cup good quality, Italian tuna packed in olive oil. If you want to use the anchovies, make sure you splurge on the good quality white anchovies found in gourmet food shops or from your deli counter. Do not settle for the over-salted, low-quality product found in tins in your grocery aisle. They are completely different in flavor and you would be better off using tuna instead.

Pressed Baguette Sandwiches

Inspired by and loosely based on Amy Scattergood's article in the LA Times

1 baguette, approximately 1 1/2 feet in length

10 - 12 white anchovies

1/2 cup arugula walnut pesto (recipe follows)

2 soft boiled eggs

4 slices of bacon, fried until crispy

1 medium boiling potato

1 T lemon juice

1 T red wine vinegar

1/4 t salt

1/4 t pepper

2 T olive oil

Handful of arugula leaves

Cut the baguette in half lengthwise and scoop out some of the crumb (interior) to make room for all of your fillings. Spread the pesto on the bottom half of the baguette and lay the anchovies on top. Slice the potato thinly and layer across the anchovies. Depending how softly your eggs were boiled, slice or crumble the eggs and yolk and lay them over the sandwich. Cut the bacon slices in half and place them over the eggs.

Whisk the lemon juice, red wine vinegar, salt and pepper together in a bowl, then slowly drizzle in the olive oil while whisking to emulsify the dressing. Drizzle the vinaigrette over the sandwich and finish with the arugula leaves. Top your sandwich with the other baguette half and wrap with plastic wrap. Put the baguette on a half sheet pan and place a baking dish over the sandwich. Weight the baking dish with canned food and place the whole thing in the fridge to sit over night.

A few hours before eating, remove the baguette from the fridge and let come to room temperature. Cut the baguette in half and serve wrapped in parchment paper.

Arugula Walnut Pesto

Makes 1 1/2 cups

2 + cups of packed arugula

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/2 cup walnuts, toasted

1 t salt

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 cup + 2 T parmesan romano blend, grated

Place first five ingredients in a food processor and puree until creamy. Stir parmesan romano in by hand and serve.

Philly Cheese Steak Number Two

I love the foodie blogroll. It's a great community of food bloggers started by The Leftover Queen. Every month she hosts the Royal Foodie Joust where bloggers come together to create dishes based around three ingredients. This month, the ingredients were fennel, dairy and parsley. I decided to take another go at the boyfriend's favorite sandwich and do a twist on the philly cheese steak. I've sauteed fennel instead of the traditional onion and made a parsley cheese sauce to top everything off. He seemed to think it was a keeper. I think he would still prefer the traditional version, but this is one for the rest of us.

Philly Cheese Steak with Sautéed Fennel and Parsley Cream Sauce

1/4 cup + 2 T Butter

1/4 cup flour

1 pint milk + more for thinning cheese sauce as necessary

1/2 bunch of parsley, chopped

3/4 cup shredded provolone or italian cheese blend

1 t fennel salt

1 fennel bulb

6 oz sliced mushrooms

1 T olive oil

1 lb thinly sliced beef sirloin tips

4 french sandwich rolls

Melt butter in a medium pan and sprinkle flour over. Stir until a roux is formed and cook for 1 - 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Heat milk in the microwave and began adding to the roux in half-cup increments. Make sure each addition is fully incorporated and allow mixture to cook down slightly before adding the next. Once the entire pint of milk is incorporated, remove from heat and stir in 1/2 t of fennel salt, parsley and cheese.

Quarter fennel bulb, core and slice thinly. Melt remaining 2 T of butter in a pan and add fennel. Sauté for 5 minutes and add sliced mushrooms. Cook until fennel is soft and starting to caramelize. While fennel is cooking heat 1 T olive oil in a pan on high and cook sirloin quickly, cooking in 2 rounds if necessary to avoid crowding the pan. Season with remaining 1/2 t of fennel salt.

Toast french rolls and spread cheese sauce over each roll (thinning cheese sauce with more warm milk before serving if necessary). Layer fennel mixture, followed by steak and finally more cheese sauce. Enjoy!

English Pickle Spread

One of my must-make stops on our recent trip to London was my favorite sandwich shop when I lived there, Pret A Manger. It's a simple place that's committed to using the freshest ingredients and it really shows in the taste of their food. When we stopped in I found, to my delight, that they had created a cookbook. There is a spread that they use on their sandwiches called pickle and it's absolutely delicious. I made it to go on the sandwiches for our beach picnic. If you need some tart sweetness to complete a sandwich, this should be your go-to spread. My favorite application for it is Pret's mature cheddar sandwich. Absolutely delicious. I love finding new spreads for sandwiches to replace my usual mayonnaise. This picture is taken right after adding the water. After 45 minutes of simmering, it will be a dark mix of intensified flavors. Yum.

Pret Pickle

Adapted from Pret DIY

Makes 2 cups

1 T olive oil

1 onion, diced

1 t crushed ginger

2 cloves garlic, chopped

2 t tomato paste

1/4 cup sugar

1 lb braeburn or fuji apples

1/4 cup raisins

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

3/4 cup water

salt to taste

Heat the oil in a medium pan and add the onion. Cook the onion until translucent. Add each ingredient, in order, allowing the mixture to warm through after each addition before adding the next. Once the water is added, but before adding the salt, bring the mixture to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Simmer for about 45 minutes until reduced and thickened but before the mixture is sticking to the bottom of the pan. For a smoother pickle (which I prefer) puree half the mixture in a food processor and then mix back in with the remaining half. Cool and then store in the fridge to use on sandwiches. Enjoy!

Beach Picnic

As summer is winding down (noooooooooo!), we decided it was time for a picnic at the beach. Simple sandwiches wrapped in parchment paper to help keep the sand out and a few sodas was all we needed. As always, when keeping it simple, I believe that the highest quality ingredients make all the difference. Fresh sliced cheese and meat from the deli counter tasted delicious and a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store made quick work of the chicken salad sandwich.

Roast Beef Baguette

Serves 3

1/3 pound sliced roast beef

1/4 pound horseradish cheese

1 cup wild arugula (or baby arugula)

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1 large french baguette (large enough to cut into three sandwiches)

Slice baguette open without splitting the two halves completely apart. Spread mayonnaise on both halves. Stuff sandwich with cheese first, followed by arugula and finally roast beef. Close baguette and cut into three equal halves. Wrap in parchment paper if desired and enjoy!

Chicken Salad Baguette

Serves 3

2 cooked chicken breasts

handful of grapes, cut into quarters

1 celery stalk, diced

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup pickle (recipe in a coming post)

1 large french baguette (large enough to cut into three sandwiches)

Shred chicken breasts and mix together with grapes, celery and mayonnaise. Slice baguette open without splitting the two halves completely apart. Spread pickle on the bottom of the baguette and stuff chicken salad into the baguette. Close baguette and cut into three equal halves. Wrap in parchment paper if desired and enjoy!

My Favorite BLT

This really should be called a BLCT as one of its main ingredients is cheese, not to mention that the lettuce in this is really basil leaves. So it may not be the most traditional BLT, but it's my favorite. What makes it special are the thick slices of homegrown tomatoes and the creamy burrata cheese. I think everybody has their own way of making a BLT and this is mine. What's yours?

Favorite BLT

Serves 2

4 slices sourdough bread

4 slices bacon

1 large tomato

handful of basil leaves

6 oz burrata

Toast sourdough and set aside. Cook the bacon according to the suggestion below. Slice tomato into 1 or 1 1/2 inch thick slices and cut each slice in half. Place half of the basil on one piece of sourdough and top with two tomato slice halves, followed by two slices of bacon and half the burrata. Top with a second slice of sourdough, cut in half and enjoy! (I love a good dose of mayonnaise on a BLT, but with the creaminess of the burrata, you don't really need it here)

This is how I get bacon to come out crispy and golden every time. Preheat oven to 375*. Place a cooling rack over a sheet pan or cookie sheet with an edge and lay bacon strips on the rack. Place in the oven for 20 - 35 minutes until golden and crispy.

Philly Cheese Steak Number One

The boyfriend's favorite sandwich is a Philly Cheese Steak. I've been thinking about how I would make a version for him at home, one that doesn't have peppers as he is not a fan. I finally got around to it and while I will definitely be making a second version soon with slight improvements, he seemed pretty happy with this one. The recipe makes enough for three sandwiches, but it only served two as he went back for a second helping.

Philly Cheese Steak Number One

3 french rolls

1 1/2 vidalia onions

8 oz sliced mushrooms

1 lb beef round tip

6 slices provolone

3 T canola oil

1 T butter

salt and pepper

mayonnaise and ketchup to serve

Heat a small pan over medium heat and add vegetable oil. Slice onions and add to the pan. Saute over medium heat and when the onions begin to get translucent (after about 10 minutes) add the mushrooms and continue to saute until onions turn brown. While the onions and mushrooms are sauteing, slice the beef into 1 inch wide strips and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat a large pan over high heat and melt butter in pan. Add beef strips to pan and brown on both sides. Toast rolls and add desired amount of ketchup and/or mayonnaise (I don't use ketchup, but the boyfriend slathers it on). Layer 1/3 of the beef on each roll, followed by 1/3 of the onion mixture and two slices of provolone. Allow the cheese to melt slightly before serving. Enjoy!

Fried Green Tomato Sandwich

Mmmm. The fried green tomatoes were so good the other day that I couldn't resist making more. I often fantasize about the lobster rolls so common on the east coast. Those sandwiches were my inspiration when I decided to pick up some fresh crab meat and make a crab salad to top the fried green tomatoes. When I went out in my backyard to pick my green tomato, I was delighted to find one small yellow globe of delicious ripeness hanging on the vine. I grabbed it to slice and add to the sandwich as well.

Crab and Fried Green Tomato Sandwich

Serves 2

1/2 recipe of Fried Green Tomatoes

2 french rolls

1 ripe tomato sliced

1/2 pound crab meat

1 stalk celery diced

3 T mayonnaise

1 T dijon mustard

1 t lemon juice

1 t chopped dill

Combine crab, celery, mayonnaise, mustard, lemon juice and dill. Split open and toast the french rolls. If you've just finished making the fried green tomatoes, drain off most of the oil and toast the rolls directly in the same pan. Lay two slices of fried green tomatoes on the bottom of each roll, followed by the fresh tomato slices and finally the crab salad. Enjoy!

*Note: if you're using crab claws like I did, you'll want to first get a little more than a 1/2 pound to account for the shells. Secondly, a good technique for getting every little bit of meat is to pull the two pieces of claw apart as shown until they come fully apart. The connective tissue will pull out the back attached to one piece of claw while leaving all of the meat in the remaining claw shell.