I read an ace account of my friend's life revolving around 10 significant sandwiches. Food is a great peg on which to hang a story of our life, so I thought I'd give it a go myself. Fresh bread is probably my favourite foodstuff, so rather than go for the butty per se, I might cheat a bit (I only got 5 when I restricted myself to sarnies).
1. I had relegated this memory to a dusty corner of my brain so was very pleased to recall this. As a young child when visiting my grandma, we'd beg her to make us jam butties. She used to work at the Mother's Pride factory (I went there on a brownie trip once and got a free loaf of bread) so the bread was always white and thin and had a layer of butter as thick as the jam. I am soooo pleased to resurrect this memory.
2. Still on the white bread, and before becoming veggie, my fave sandwich as a child was probably wafer thin ham. Tho as a Stokie, bread wasn't always my choice of accompanying carb - with a cooked breakfast for example, it would be a Staffordshire Oatcake (dipped in runny egg) or for lunch or a snack filled with melted cheese.
3. Dad's picnics. My Dad caters for a small army whenever he packs up a picnic. His rolls always taste way nicer than any I make myself. I think it's cos he adds pepper and salt to the sliced tomatoes. These have to be freshly made tho cos soggy tomatoes on a butty is disgusting. And they lose something when wrapped in clingfilm (he wraps every one individually. Thorough, my Dad. I don't take after him in this respect.
4. At Uni, every wednesday we'd have a "hunger lunch" and on a rota, some of us would buy fresh bread, and cheese to share at the chaplaincy. It was the lunch I ate most of all week so "hunger lunch" belies its end result, but we raised money for Christian Aid and caught up with one another. I wanted us to have just bread and cheese at our wedding reception, but it was pointed out that some people would have travelled a long way and been disappointed. Weddings, compromise city :)
5. The best bread I have ever tasted was some stunning homemade stuff I couldn't get enough of, during a week's retreat on the island of Iona with my chaplaincy friends. With homemade soup that had cheese grated into it, a meal doesn't get more heavenly than that.
6. (Warning for the theologically faint-hearted, best skip this one.) Bread is massively symbolic in Christianity and I have been part of some ace communions. My most memorable are those taken in the round - at St Mary's Southampton, when someone saying my name at the same time as offering the bread was just brilliant. The called to serve leaving communion was great. Before my church offered communion direct to kids as standard, I'd share my piece with my children. Every greenbelt communion has been awesome. And there have been times when I've celebrated unofficial communion with unblessed-by-priests bread. fab.
7. My first proper job meant I felt I had a disposable income for the first time in my life, and so I would often treat myself to a bought rather than homemade packed lunch. A bonus to this was it supported the community cafe where I worked too. They'd make up my butty there and then and my favourite filling was egg mayo with shredded lettuce.
8. French baguette. Eaten in France. I don't know how they do it, but it always tastes so much nicer in France. I was last there two and a half years ago and a woman came round in a bread van and peeped her horn outside the cottage and we had to dash outside and order our daily bread in our best French (not hard really, une bagette).
9. My parents use their toastie maker so much they took it with them on their week's holiday rather than go without. I also own a toastie maker. I barely use it. But when we go to my parents we often have several. Is it cos someone else is making it (and more importantly cleaning it after)?? Or is it that it's a superior model. I like toasties. Cheese and mushroom or cheese and tomato. With a bit of side salad and coleslaw and I'm a very happy bunny indeed.
10. Nowadays I take sandwiches for lunch at work most days but they don't inspire me at all. Will think what to do about that. The days I work from home I often have toast, I put a couple of pieces in the toaster with the intention of having marmite or something on them then gobble them up with just melted butter before getting anything on them. So then I have another proper couple of pieces :) Today I'm taking soup to share with a friend on the way home. Writing this made me hungry!!!!!!
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