112057 Sun Jan 12 12:59:24 -0800 2003 3 7 Chicago Area 0 608038 how fitting, that the party chicago chowhounds had last night to celebrate the simple joys of the sandwich followed by just a few days the PBS special, 'sandwiches you will like'. we had a glorious feast-- wave after wave of imaginative and tasty homemade sandwiches (with the worthy exception of great steak tortas from la oaxacena and sweet sauerkraut and horseradishy beet salad from a polish deli, rene and sues' contributions). the gathering was at my house, and i'd planned that half of the group would eat around my big dining room table and the rest would eat on their laps in the living room. that plan was quickly discarded as VI and spouse arrived bearing 3 enormous, beautiful and artfully arranged platters of smorgesbord sandwiches. as others arrived, the table quickly filled up with platters of food, and we were all forced to eat on our laps. i feel confident all would agree that rob gets 'best of show' for his lovingly assembled works of art. he based them all on hearty scandinavian dark bread, but with many different toppings, including pate, herring, salami and cheese,all decorated with carefully placed dollops of mustard or garnishes. so, smorgebord and the 2 polish salads were the first course. quickly followed by an array of cold sandwiches, including pimiento cheese; will's fabled tender lamb on ciabatta; waydell's sy ginsberg detroit pastrami, fatty and flavorful; the warm tortas; doug's deliciously different turkey, green chile, cranberry grilled on the largest slices of pumpernickel i've ever seen. we also had doug's homemade salsa and chips,and a terrific assortment of cathy's homemade pickles--sweet, dill, mustard/dill, pickled tomatoes. as we sat around groaning about how full we were, we suddenly, remembered we hadnt yet eaten cathy's enormously inventive submarine, a round of italian bread with the top removed filled with layer upon layer of 'stuff'. bacon, sausage, peppers, it went on and on, all good. we washed it all down with will's generous contribution of wine and a cooler full of assorted beer and ale. after a long pause to digest, we moved on to homemade desserts and a gargantuan fruit filled cake from pierre's bakery. the food was highly satisfying, as was the conversation and the good vibes that always fill the room when chowhounds gather. doug's parting words were how happy he was to have discovered his 'tribe', thanks to chowhound.com. no one wanted to disagree. Sun Jan 12 12:59:24 -0800 2003 0 joan 1 608039 Joan, it would be remiss to say that we simply moved on to homemade desserts without lauding a few of your creations indivdually. There was an incredibly rich and intense chocolate cream pie-more a dense ultra-chocolately tort with a light cookie crum crust. Simply fabulous. The panacotta with it's slight orange flavor and red raspberries was smooth and wonderful. The homemade bread pudding with rich caramel sauce simply stole the show on the dessert table, Joan All in all with was a great night of food with interesting and convivial people...as all Chowhound outtings are. Sun Jan 12 13:11:08 -0800 2003 608038 0 YourpalWill 2 608111 My wife LOVED the bread pudding, I, the chocolate freak, LOVED the cream pie! Tue Jan 14 18:01:56 -0800 2003 608039 0 dougk 1 608053 Joan, It was a sparkling post-holiday get together. Thank you for your gracious hospitality. Will did a very nice job describing Joan's desserts, though her spice-laced chocolates were omitted but certainly not forgotten. Quite deceptive these were: chocolate with a spicy aftertaste, which lingers long after the chocolate has melted away. My Father appreciated her chocolate pie (is that an accurate description?) for breakfast the next morning. He felt it was quite exceptional! I definitely agree. I had read about but never had before panacotta. What a sublime dessert! Perhaps someday we should do a dessert get-together. It was quite a feat to try all the sandwiches brought by everyone. It was like being confronted with a room full of brides. Each alone is quite unique and stunning beauty. Collectively, quite overwhelming and delectable! My contribution was a stuffed Italian sandwich which I have linked the recipe below. Again, thank you for a wonderful occasion on a very chilly evening. Best regards, Cathy2 Link: http://www.cooksrecipes.com/sandwich/stuffed_italian_sandwich_recipe.html Sun Jan 12 23:34:29 -0800 2003 608038 0 Cathy2