Barry Enderwick eats his way through history, sandwich by sandwich. Every day from his home in San Jose, California, Enderwick posts a cooking video with a recipe that time forgot. Enderwick prepared the New York Sandwich from the 1905 British book ‘Salads, Sandwiches and Savouries’.
The recipe consisted of 24 oysters, chopped and mixed with mayonnaise, seasoned with lemon juice and pepper, and spread on day-old buttered baguette.
Saving recipes from the dustbin of history doesn’t always lead to culinary success. Enderwick tasted his New York Sandwich and called it “a textural wasteland.” No, thank you.’ It went into the trash!
But Enderwick’s efforts have produced his own cookbook, a collection of some of the strangest – and sometimes unexpectedly delicious – historical recipes you’ve never heard of.
Harvard Common Press
He even has a traveling show: “Sandwiches of History Live.”
From the condiments to the sliced bread, this former Netflix executive has become something of a sandwich celebrity. “You can put just about anything between two slices of bread,” he said. “And it’s portable! In general, a sandwich is pretty simple. And so they just have a universal appeal.”
Although the sandwich takes its name from the Fourth Earl of Sandwich, the earliest sandwich Enderwick ate dates back to 200 BC. China, a seared beef sandwich called Rou Jia Mo.
He declared it wonderfully. “Between the onions, and all those spices, and the soy sauce… oh my God! Oh man, this is so good!”
While Elvis was famous for his peanut butter and banana concoction, Enderwick says there’s another celebrity who should be more famous for his sandwich: Gene Kelly, who he says had “the world’s largest man sandwich, which was basically mashed potatoes on bread.” . And it was wonderful.”
Whether it’s the peanut and sardine sandwich (from 1947’s “Blondie’s Cook Book”), or the parmesan radish sandwich (from 1909’s “The Up-To-Date Sandwich Book”), Enderwick tries to get a taste of who we were – good or gross – one recipe at a time.
RECIPE: A refined club sandwich
Blogger Barry Enderwick of Sandwiches of History offers “Sunday Morning” viewers a 1958 recipe for a club sandwich that, he says, shouldn’t work, but actually does very well!
MORE: Recipe Index “Sunday Morning” 2024 “Food Edition”.
Delicious menu suggestions from top chefs, cookbook authors, food writers, restaurateurs and the editors of Food & Wine magazine.
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Story produced by Anthony Laudato. Editor: Chad Cardin.
