Happy Meal

My gold standard for breakfast sandwiches, when I worked in San Francisco, was always the wonderfully gooey, hot-off-the-grill sandwich that is served at Em's Place on McAllister, right next to my former place of employ, Hastings College of the Law.

It was a wonderful start to the work day, a pleasure I reserved for those few mornings (I loved my job) when I didn't really want to be at work, a little treat to make getting to work something to look forward to.

When I retired a couple of years ago, I did manage to get in to the city from time to time and, whenever it was around breakfast time, I'd stop at Em's to say hello to the lovely Chinese couple who run the place and to treat myself again to their breakfast sandwich.

As the years have gone on, however, I have gone less and less to the city and I missed having a good breakfast sandwich now and then. .

But, guess what! Eureka! I have discovered a really good substitute right here in town. At Little Louie's, they make a really solid sandwich of any combination you want - my favorite is whole wheat toast, scrambled egg, Swiss cheese and, of course, bacon. Breakfast Sandwich Heaven.

It's so hearty that I only buy one when My Beloved accompanies Cora and me on our morning walk - it's really too big for one person. We greet which ever family member is working there that day, help ourselves to a cup of coffee, then order the sandwich. While it's being freshly made, we chat with each other, or greet neighbors who happen in, or just sit in comfortable silence, anticipating the feast to come.

We always save a bite containing bacon for Cora - she waits patiently outside, tied within sight to a convenient tree. Then we stroll home, sipping our coffee and stopping frequently to let Cora sniff, comfortably full of well cooked breakfast and all of us content.

Happy Birthday, Earl

We owe Basil Montagu, Fourth Earl of Sandwich, a huge debt; it was he who invented, or at least popularized, the sandwich.

The legend goes that he was at a gaming table and didn't want to interrupt his winning streak to eat, so he ordered some meat to be clapped between two slices of bread and ate it while he played.

He went on to do some other notable things, such as supporting Captain James Cook's explorations (and having the Sandwich Islands named after him as a reward), serving as First Lord of the Admiralty a couple of times, not to mention Postmaster General, but all that pales in comparison to his enduring legacy, the sandwich.

Today is his 291st birthday; eat a sandwich today in his honor.

Breakfast Bomb

My Beloved has a busy week of work coming up and his breakfast time is limited. He usually makes his own breakfast but I'm pitching in this week. I decided to try making the homemade equivalent of a certain sinful breakfast sandwich,* switching a few ingredients.

I toasted an English muffin while I warmed in a small frying pan a few thin slices of the herbed salami that came in our CARE package (yes, it's still yielding delicious meals!), adding an egg once the salami was ready. My Beloved likes his eggs "over easy" but I didn't want him to goober his shirt, so I pierced the yolk and cooked it almost through before topping it with raclette cheese for a few minutes of melting.

Assembled into a quickly-edible sandwich, My Beloved pronounced it fit for breakfast but, because of the strong-tasting sausage and cheese, perhaps a little better suited to lunch. Nevertheless, he headed out the door fueled for his busy day of work by this serious breakfast bomb.