Did you know that Canadians eat 3.6 billion (BILLION!!!) sandwiches every year? 

I didn’t before reading Jason Skrobar’s debut cookbook, The Book of Sandwiches, but now, I can really understand the versatility of their appeal. 

It's fair to think that if you’ve read one sandwich book, you’ve read them all. But The Book of Sandwiches takes sandwich basics and turns up the flavour dial exponentially. Yes, of course, it includes a chapter on the expected classics. Just consider them revamped.  We all know and love a good grilled cheese (page 27)—but why not change up this everyday go-to by dipping the whole thing in egg, then in panko, then frying it? Or what about changing up the bread to a crunchy walnut and adding gorgonzola and pear jam (page 28)? The combo hits those funky, earthy and sweet notes. There’s also old faithful egg salad sandwich (page 31), only this version reimagines the humble potluck spread by adding a za’atar dressing and fresh herb salad right onto the sammie! But, I think my fav of the ‘classics’ section the Ruben (page 34), where Skrobar amps up the Canadian factor by adding maple syrup to the pastrami for a slightly sweet spin. I urge every one of you to make his Russian Dressing and put it on anything. I mean it.

I’ll walk you through some of the other chapters, broken into sandwich types. If you’re one of the Canadians contributing to the 3.6 billion ‘wiches eaten annually, you’re going to want to sink your teeth into these.

Breakfast

This chapter takes us from breakfast burgers to frittata sandwiches to “Le Seb” (page 68), which is a sourdough, peanut butter, banana and chocolate confection of a sandwich. The showstopper in this chapter, in my opinion, is the Pastrami Monte Cristo (page 71). Why? Because it perfectly melds the sweet and savoury notes I love. Dijon, egg, pastrami and gruyere are all served on fluffy egg bread with black cherry jam. So delicious. 

Burger

What would a sandwich book be without a burger chapter? The exciting difference in this chapter for me is all of the wonderful condiments he creates to take the ordinary to the extraordinary.

The recipe for A Burger for Dad (page 167), includes a Pear & Rum Jam recipe I would never have put together, let alone as a burger topping. But it adds the perfect blend of sweet fruit and punchy rum to take this pork burger to another level. And as far as I’m concerned, the recipe I’ll be making on repeat is the Red Onion & Bacon Jam included in the Very Loud Burger (page 160). I’ve put this condiment in a grilled cheese, in an omelet and on some chicken thighs that I baked in the oven. Very more-ish!

Vegetarian

Skrobar grew up in a primarily vegetarian household, so it’s no wonder that this book has some outstanding veg sandwich options. Stop Hating Eggplant (page 89) is a bit of a doozie with 28 ingredients, but it’s well worth the work. This isn’t a speedy execution, but  if you have the time one slow Sunday, I highly encourage you to make this. The acidic crunch from the coleslaw combined with the fiery peanut sauce on top of crispy fried eggplant is an absolute sandwich revelation. 

Morgains Sauce Box (page 110) is another sammie with so many ingredients but one of the main components is a mix of roasted veggies that are all cooked while you assemble. It’s easier to summit than it looks and the Turmeric Tahini Mayo is the key to this chickpea-based delight.

The Big Dipper (page 192) is like a French Dip’s vegetarian cousin. Crispy fried mushrooms stand in for roast beef. And the Mushroom jus and shallot chilli butter all come together to make a guest-worthy meal. Just ask my mushroom-hating husband. He’ll tell you this is now one of his most memorable dinners.

Dessert

Room for dessert? I bet you didn’t think about sandwich cookies, did you? I tried a few of these delicious confections, but my favourite was the Crème Brûlée Cookie Sandwich (page 213). Unlike a standard cookie sandwich, this marries a rich sugar cookie with a custard filling and torched cream-cheesy topping. It’s a sophisticated cookie that will be on my holiday table. I’ve never had anything quite like it. Sonia Saves the Day: 1 Cookie, 3 Fillings (page 224) is also super fun. It’s a great cookie with no less than three different fillings. One to please every palate in your family.