Sandwiches

pita toasted lightly in a pan with olive oil topped with cream cheese,

                                                                                          slices of fresh tomato, a handful of cilantro and salt and pepper 

I spend most of my day thinking about sandwiches.  I love sandwiches and would argue that the sandwich is the most diverse of all food categories.  There isn't a day that goes by where I'm not slathering something in between two pieces of something (although, since living in Israel its more often slathering something into a pocket of some sort) but that's not the point. The point is that I love them and wish that sandwich places here in Tel Aviv understood the artform with more of a delicate touch and a bit of finesse. 

Most people remember the history of the sandwich from the story of John Mantagu, the 4th Earl of Sandwich, ordering that his dinner be served between two pieces of bread so that he could eat his meat while continuing to play cards without covering his hands in grease (people ate food with their hands then). It popularized itself almost immediately as people began saying "I'll have what he's having", or rather they would order, "The same as Sandwich, please" and TaDa! the name was coined.  

BUT did you know that in ancient time (whatever that means) it was known that Hillel the Elder (110 bce - 10ce; a famous jewish religious leader and the founder of the House of Hillel), ate lamb and bitter herbs between two pieces of matzah! Jews and sandwiches, who knew?  

On that note, I'm off to make what I hope is a very delicious sandwich.