sandwiches: round 11: Mediterranean Trio Theme

After much humming and hawing about a theme, we met at the grocery store to be inspired and decided on a Mediterranean theme...sundried tomatoes, Kalamata olives and feta cheese.

Appetizer: goat cheese topped with mixed fruit chutney or dill on sesame rice crackers

Drinks: red wine, alas not of Mediterranean origin





Angelica's Mediterranean Tortilla: sundried tomatoes, Kalamata olives, feta cheese mixed together with red pepper, cornflakes, rice flour, egg, salt and pepper to form a Spanish tortilla (which has nothing to do with a Mexican tortilla, instead it's really a type of omelet with much more filling than egg), served on rice bread with garlic mayo, slivered red onion and Romaine lettuce.

















Dave's "Lady Who Lunched" - Equatorial Lady Fingers: stripped bread, crumbled sheep feta, maliciously diced Kalamata olives, and sundried tomatoes drawn and quartered. Aaand and little bit of sundried tomato oil from the plastic container they sat in for some unknown number of days. mmm-MMM! Oh, and the SD's T's were briefly sauteed in brown sugar. *mwah*

















AS on AS: I was looking for some sort of different delivery mechanism for the three feature ingredients that would blend them together, yet allow for each taste to still have a presence...and so the idea for a Spanish tortilla. I think the final product delivered what I had intended. It had flavour and warmth and a little crunch from the fresh red onions. The lettuce may have suffered a little from sitting under the heat of the tortilla while we munched away at Dave's sandwich, but I think it, along with the red onions, offered a nice offset to the saltiness of the other ingredients. It felt like a hearty late night meal and was perfect for the crisp fall weather that has edged its way into town.

AS on DM: Who knew three little ingredients, with only a touch of outside enhancement, could taste so outstanding! I felt like I should be eating this in a little bar, down a narrow cobblestone street with the smell of the Mediterranean hanging heavy in the air. It looked pretty and tasted amazing. The addition of the sugar to the sundried tomatoes was simply brilliant.

DM on DM: i would admit that i got lucky if i didn't agree with Obi-Wan... "...in my experience, there's no such thing as 'luck." i was big on the idea of going with x ingredients and sticking with them, and the stripped sandwich is not a new method of presentation for me... all in all, i credit the Force in part. finally, the flavours i expect to present themselves do so. not one sat back this time around. i was impressed with myself, did the pat on the back, and bowed to the 5 corners of the ring for the crown, looking forward to neither victory nor defeat. 3 ingredients (arguably 4), and each of them was identifiable, vying equally for time on the pallet. if pride is a vice, call be Sonny Crockett. it was a good day for lady fingers.

DM on AS: Intimidation was high when, as i stood in the kitchen imbibing a glass of wine, Angelica, with unknown years of experience and inspiration, turning ingredients into sculpture in the frying pan, half cooked and half watched the previous episode of The Prisoner on the telly, my own simple thoughts turning like a sundial next to her digital timepiece, everything seemed pedestrian on my side of the preparation area, where, upon a cutting board, life was supposed to - but might not (if by 'life' i mean 'fair product') - take place! and angelica delivered, bringing ingredients together like the Brady Bunch (and Alice underneath it all, keeping it all together like you know she did every episode). i got to write this review, second to my esteemed sometimes-collaborator, sometimes-competitor, and i am honoured that she chose my fingers over her body of work, because she made a masterpiece. seriously, where did the patty idea come from? so hearty, so distinctly in-theme, yet so novel. i could have another right now.

The Verdict:

AS: my vote goes for Dave's creation this week. I liked mine a lot too, but it felt rather everyday next to the elegance of Dave's. While simple on the surface, the proportions and presentation were well thought out and didn't need for anything more.

DM: this was a battle of the titans. i shall take the belt and carry it on high, above my head, for all to see, but in the interview will give much praise to my ring partner: i agree that this night was taken by the lady fingers, but only by a small margin, and the victory could only have been this sweet with a competitor so worthy.