Ingredients
-Sandwich-sized pepperoni
-Dill pickles slices
-Green bell pepper
-Orange bell pepper
-Shredded mozzarella cheese
-Ciabatta
-Balsamic oil
-Apple cider vinegar
Christian: Before we even made this one, things started to go awry. We originally drew the number of another sandwich entirely, but because I didn’t check the refrigerator before heading to the store, we were short one crucial ingredient for Sandwich #43.
So, instead of that one, we looked to see if we could make another of the 77 sandwiches with what we did have in the house. This one was the only one on ciabatta that we could do.
Speaking of the ciabatta, this one wasn’t great, especially compared to the brand we used for #13. The crust was too hard and difficult to get a good bite. And like sandwich#30), the pepperoni in this one was surprisingly lost among the other flavors.
And yet, this one was still pretty good. I eventually just ate it open-faced to get a bite with everything and not fight through the bread, and it worked.
We’re only a few sandwiches in and if anything, this project has shown me that they do not need the standard condiments that I usually bust out when making one. I don’t think I’ll use balsamic and vinegar on every sandwich going forward, but now I know that I can and still like it. And if GI Joe taught me anything, it’s that knowing is half the battle. Or something.
★★★
Susannah: Let me begin by saying I think we made a mistake with our bread choice. Not a ciabattas are created equal and some are not destined to make good sandwich breads. We try and buy fresh ingredients each time and this time we were stuck with not the kindest of bread. It did not have great mouth feel, but enough about the bread.
This was an interesting sandwich with some bold flavors. Some so bold they felt like they were competing against each other. This is the second sandwich where pepperoni was almost lost; overshadowed by the balsamic, the vinegar, and the pickles. That being said, I still liked the flavor. It reminded me of a muffuletta. It had some zing to it. I wouldn’t eat it all the time, but when I feel like switching it up, I’ll keep this one in mind.
★★★
Next Up: #43 – Chicken, Melted Swiss, Ham, and Dijon on Ciabatta
Christian Yost 