Admittedly, since I have become gluten free, I don’t get very excited about sandwiches. I am sure that you will agree that there are many mediocre gluten free breads out there. In fact, there are many yucky gluten free breads out there. Unfortunately, many of us work and have hectic schedules that don’t leave time for the tasty home baked versions. You just have to painstakingly and courageously trial them all, until finally one just sits right on your very own palate. There are many, many varieties available to buy in stores and on the web, and there are many recommendations by others, as well, but the bread thing, for me anyway, is very personal. Truly, I have not found many gluten free sandwich breads that wow me. Most of the time, it is the combination of your favorite sandwich bread with what’s inside the sandwich that makes it worth telling about for sure!
Today, I ate one of those amazing gluten free sandwiches worth a tale or two. My Mom’s favorite sandwich (and being very much her prodigy) was a BLT! What a very wise woman. She just savored every bite. It had to have a lot of mayonnaise. She just loved mayonnaise. Her eyes would roll as she ate it, and she would make yummy noises. Consequently, whenever I eat one, she floods my thoughts.
Today, I built a BLT to die for, that is, to live for! I tried a new bacon I had never had before called Niman Ranch brand maple, uncured and gluten free. Delicious with a capital “D”! It smelled heavenly sizzling in the pan. My three cats were lined up at the stove with their nostrils wiggling and meowing and dreaming for some to come their way. I used a lovely Ugly Ripe tomato and some crisp Red Leaf lettuce leaves. Now for the bread, I happen to have a freshly purchased loaf of Glutino Flax Seed Bread. I do believe that they have made some improvements with this bread, as I had not bought it in awhile, and it seemed more flavorful this time around. The slices are light and just perfect when toasted. I proceeded to build my scrumptious and memorable gluten free BLT! The Niman Ranch bacon just made the sandwich. It was not too smoky or sweet and just thick enough. I enjoyed every morsel and every mouthful. Small pieces of bacon and tomato covered with mayo fell out on my plate as I devoured it. I ate each remaining escaped piece with gusto. I am writing this and I can still taste it.
That’s what makes a gluten free sandwich so wonderful. It’s the total picture. It is the total experience. It is the total sandwich, a sum of its parts. This was undoubtedly one of those “islands of happiness” that my Mom always talked about. I thank you, Niman Ranch.I thank you, Glutino, especially, if you improved your product. I thank my cats for their adoring company.
But, most of all, I thank you, Mom.