Becky Mercuri's book American Sandwich

[Cohen, Gerald Leonard]

Yesterday I received an email from sandwich-researcher Becky Mercuri, and below my signoff are some relevant excerpts:

Gerald Cohen

> ----------
> From:         Beckymercuri at aol.com
> Sent:         Wednesday, February 2, 2005 4:30 PM
> To:   Cohen, Gerald Leonard
> Subject:      American Sandwich in Houston Chronicle
>
> Gerald:
>
> Below is an article in today's Houston Chronicle with a nice mention of my book, American Sandwich. Too bad they didn't, once again, mention Barry. I always state how much I rely upon his research. And he did name me "The Sandwich Lady."
>
> Best,
> Becky
>
> HoustonChronicle.com -- http://www.houstonchronicle.com/ | Section: Food
>
> Feb. 1, 2005, 8:02PM
>
>  ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL?
> The Game Plan
> Sandwiches with spirit -- no menu malfunctions here
> By SYD KEARNEY
> Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle
>
[...] The Sandwich Lady is Becky Mercuri, author of American Sandwich: Great Eats From All 50 States (Gibbs Smith, $12.95). And, yes, you can find baked bean sandwiches in Beantown, she says.
>
> But a more appropriate sandwich to honor the reigning Super Bowl champs would be the lobster roll.
>
> "The lobster roll is my absolute favorite sandwich," Mercuri says by phone from her home in New York state.
>
> Mercuri gives my lobster roll and cheese steak menu a thumbs up.
>
> There's nothing more appropriate for Super Bowl feasting than the sandwich, she says.
>
> "Sandwiches are completely all-American. The sandwich is a uniquely American institution as far as popularity and variety. (And it) isn't just for lunch anymore," Mercuri says.
>
> Sunday, Mercuri will serve her party guests two sammies featured in American Sandwich: Pepperoni Rolls, which were popularized in West Virginia, and the Garlic Parmesan Deli Hoagie, which hails from North Carolina. For Pepperoni Rolls, sausage and cheese are baked with the bread dough. Mercuri describes the hoagie as an Atlantic Coast version of New Orleans' muffuletta that spotlights the state's $475-million-a-year turkey industry.
>
> The two sandwiches are perfect for entertaining. "Everything can be prepared in advance, so I'm not stuck in the kitchen while everyone else is enjoying the game," Mercuri says.
>
> In her book, Mercuri traces the history of the sandwich, popularly regarded as the invention of John Montagu (1718-1792), the Fourth Earl of Sandwich. Americans, however, put the sandwich on the culinary map. Two of those Americans have ties to the Super Bowl opponents' hometowns. Philadelphian Eliza Leslie, Mercuri writes, is "apparently the first person to formally introduce the sandwich to America." She did so through Miss Leslie's Directions for Cookery, published in 1837.
>
> The sandwich's versatility wasn't thoroughly examined, however, until Mrs. D.A. Lincoln penned the Boston Cooking School Cook Book in 1884. The cookbook featured a variety of sandwich fillings, including tongue, lobster and "raw beef."
>
> In the spirit of Mrs. Lincoln and with the blessing of the Sandwich Lady, here are some combinations to consider for your Super Bowl-viewing guests.
>   [...]
>
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