Variation on a Classic

My dad makes the best subs. It's just a fact. His subs were always an event growing up--he'd start the dressing 24 hours in advance, then he'd dig out the insides of the bread, dress the sandwich, add all the wonderful deli meats and cheeses, place the long loaf back into its bakery bag, seal it loosely, then place a heavy cutting board and several large cans of tomatoes on top to smoosh it and let all those flavors marinate for a few hours. Then came the glorious moment when he'd ask us what size sandwich we wanted, we'd show him with our hands spaced far apart, "This much!", and he'd cut it and heat it and it would become perfectly melty ... it was sandwich perfection. When I left for college I craved his subs, so much so that I asked for the "recipe" and made them for a friend's Superbowl party my senior year. I have never had so many guys ask me for a recipe--I must have copied it six times by the end of the game. I don't even remember who was playing, but I remember the boos when the last sandwich ran out.

Naturally, when Dan asked for "football food" this past Sunday, Dad's subs immediately came to mind. But it was 3 o'clock already--no time for eventful marinating and anticipation. So, as daughters tend to do, I came up with a variation on Daddy's Sub, which we would always eat with Ballreich's Potato Chips and French Onion Dip. Call it Sarah's Sub, the Walden Wonder, whatever you like--it was good. So here, play by play, is that Sunday Night Football Food.

Sarah's Sub and Sweet Potato Fries

(adapted from "The Best Sandwich in the World")

Place a couple teaspoons each of dried basil, oregano, and thyme in a jar. Add some crushed red pepper flakes. Mince a few coves of garlic or crush them in a garlic press--add them. Then add about 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil. Shake; set aside. (This can marinate overnight if you like.)

Split a loaf of French bread lengthwise so you end up with two long halves. Cut some score marks down the center of each, maybe 1/2-in. deep, and dig out the centers. (Save them for later--they'll be fun to snack on or you can make croutons or breadcrumbs.) Brush both sides with the dressing (above) and start layering on the goods. Medium layers--not too heavy or light--will be perfect. 

On the bottom half, place the lettuce. Any kind works--we used organic greens because they were left over from a salad. Then add sliced tomatoes. Follow with thinly sliced onion rings--red onion is best since it's sweeter, but yellow onions are fine. Now add some sliced jarred sweet cherry peppers (you can find them near the olives in the grocery store. This was my special addition, mostly because Dan loves them, and they were perfect on the sandwich). Next, add a layer of provolone cheese. Cut each large round slice in half and layer diagonally--just one single layer, since you'll add more later. Then add a layer of hard salami, sliced thin. Then a thicker layer of ham (not honey roasted) and then another layer of cheese. Top with the top half of bread, press down, and replace the long sandwich carefully back into the bakery bag. Before you seal it with a twist tie, place a heavy cutting board (some things never change) and some heavy cans or books on top of that. Then seal the bag. Leave it sitting there for at least an hour, then slice, heat in the microwave or oven, and enjoy.

For the fries, preheat the oven to 450 F. Cut 4 small (or 2 large) sweet potatoes into fry-size sticks. Toss with 1 T of olive oil. Line a large baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray. Dump the potatoes onto the sheet, try to get them into a single layer, and sprinkle generously with salt, pepper, and (though it sounds weird) a tsp. of pumpkin pie spice. Roast for 20 mins., toss, roast for another 20 mins., toss, etc.--they should take 45 mins. to an hour, depending on how thin you've cut them and how crispy you want them. We have these all the time in the fall and winter--the pumpkin pie spice says "fall" to me, but in small amounts is not at all sweet or overpowering on the fries. If you want to be less healthy, mix some softened butter with cinnamon and sugar for dipping the fries, but that's gong a bit far here, I think.

This sandwich serves 4 (big portions) or 6 (smaller portions). It will also save in the fridge for several days, so make the whole thing and eat it for lunch for the week! It is great left over.