cover image The Happy Sandwich: Scrumptious Sandwiches to Make You Smile

The Happy Sandwich: Scrumptious Sandwiches to Make You Smile

Jason Goldstein. Familius, $19.99 (128p) ISBN 978-1-641-70460-1

The humble sandwich gets an elevated twist in this creative debut from Chop Happy blogger Goldstein. Organized by cooking method—with chapters offering slow cooker sandwiches, as well as grilled and no-cook options—the recipes take on global flavors, including a noteworthy Thai curry meatball sub (which serves as the perfect “leftovers on a busy day”); a flavorful Mexican chicken, sausage, and peppers sandwich; and a sheet pan Greek pita stuffed with shrimp, feta, and cucumber salad. Goldstein even ventures further outside the conventional sandwich with a chapter of “No-Bread” creations, making use of avocados, latkes, and pickles to corral a host of ingredients. Directions are straightforward, and headnotes include solid planning tips, such as prepping the filling for the spinach artichoke grilled cheese sandwich on Sunday for a quick and easy Monday night dinner. Nostalgic comfort food such as at a hot dog grilled cheese may not suit some readers, but Goldstein’s lobster gruyere grilled cheese will sate those craving more extravagant fare. An ideal gift for students headed to college, as well as cooks looking to bring some variety to their day-to-day meals, this down-to-earth collection delivers. Agent: Lisa Hall, Coombs Moylett Maclean. (June)