No, this is not your grandmother’s sandwich. We’re talking about stick-to-your-ribs sandwiches; sandwiches made with dumplings and tortillas; sandwiches that are wrapped, packed and fit for any lunch box or desk top.

With school back in session next week and people seeking hearty and healthy alternatives for their midday meal, Thursday Food turned to Jackie Tyson, whose innovative approach to food results in divine creations. The Culinary Ambassador of Liguanea Club, New Kingston; Culinary Developer for Jamaica Broilers and SuperPlus supermarket; and caterer, Tyson places no limit on her sandwich-making material. She makes sandwiches using fried dumplings. Her repertoire includes the Fish Fillet on Hamburger Bun Sandwich; Chicken in a Hot Dog Roll Sandwich; Tortilla Hot Dog Wrap; and more.

The possibilities for the sandwich are endless, she says. One only has to “think outside the box and get creative”.

THINK OUTSIDE THE BREADBOX

So, how do you get creative with a meal that has so long been typically thought of as two slices of bread with a slab of meat in the middle? Tyson suggests that we think beyond (ordinary) bread. Pita bread, hamburger buns, tortilla wraps, fried dumplings, hot dog rolls and coco bread are alternatives. Even sandwich fillings can be revamped. Think fish fillet, rotisserie chicken, chicken strips, chicken or tuna salad and just about any meat-kind you and your child find yummy.

Sounds like a lot of work? Tyson says it isn’t. She suggests using meat left over from dinner the night before, or buying time-saving items that are quick and easy such as pre-cooked battered fish, chicken fillet, hot dogs, ready-made hamburger patties, rotisserie barbecue or jerk chicken. These can be popped into the oven to heat while you get ready for work. Sandwiches can also be semi-prepared from the night before, so in the morning there’s less work when it comes to assembling this compact meal.

GOOD FOOD FAST

The reward, says Tyson, will be a happy and healthy lunch experience, especially for children.

“Kids get bored easily, so we need to get out of the box and make an experience of it. Kids nowadays love fast food, you can make them feel like they’re having a fast food experience.”

To achieve this fast food experience, Tyson says presentation is key. She encourages parents to garnish their child’s sandwich and to build the sandwich in layers so that when it is cut it will be colourful. Colour, she says, adds to the attractiveness, which is an important aspect of the dining experience as the visual encounter complements flavour. A variety of colours also indicate sound nutritional value.

In short, Tyson is encouraging consumers to look at the humble sandwich in a whole new light – one that is nutritious, economical, filling and, of course, tasty.

HOW TO BUILD A SANDWICH WITH A DIFFERENCE

Tyson gives these sandwich-constructing tips:

. Unless using pre-sliced cheese, grate cheese onto the sandwich. Grated cheese sticks better to bread than sliced cheese.

. When making a sandwich, think of adding crispy and crunchy elements. This adds texture and enhances the taste. Toasted bread, buns with sesame seeds and including crispy fresh vegetables all add to the crispy, crunchy taste.

. Use a toothpick to keep the contents of the sandwich intact. This will also make it easier to eat as the bits and pieces are less likely to fall out of the sandwich.

. Always include vegetables. This ensures a sandwich lunch is a balanced, nutritious meal.

. When assembling a sandwich, put the tomato in the middle. The meat, lettuce and other types of vegetables should surround the tomato. This lessens the chances of a soggy sandwich.

. Buy small plastic containers for condiments. Any extra sauces should be placed in containers and packed in the lunch kit along with the sandwich. The ketchup, mustard or mayonnaise can be easily added at lunch time. Packing condiments in a separate container also lessens the likelihood of the sandwich being soggy.

. Instead of plastic containers for condiments, packets like those given in fast food restaurants may be utilised.

. If necessary, buy special sandwich bags that will keep sandwiches warm. There are many types of these bags.

HISTORY OF THE SANDWICH

1st Century BC – First recorded sandwich was made by rabbi Hillel who pressed chopped nuts, apples, spices and other ingredients between two matzohs to eat with bitter herbs during Passover.

1762 – The modern sandwich was invented in London by John Montague, fourth Earl of Sandwich, when he asked for bread, cheese and meat to be brought so he could continue gambling. He held the food – bread outside and other ingredients inside – in one hand and kept playing cards. Other players reportedly requested “the same as Sandwich,” giving the sandwich its name and Montague a place in history.

1827 – The sandwich made its way to America in a cookbook by Englishwoman Elizabeth Leslie, who provided a recipe for ham sandwiches as a main dish.

1900 – Commercial bakeries began producing loaves of soft white bread for retail sale, fuelling interest in sandwiches. By the 1920s, children were carrying sandwiches to school in metal buckets – the forerunners of lunch boxes. Popular fillings were eggs and ham.

1921 – White Castle, America’s first hamburger chain, opened its first store in Wichita, Kansas.

1930 – Wonder Bread began selling its soft, white loaves of bread sliced, a product that was so popular it not only revolutionised sandwich-making, it spawned the iconic American phrase, “the best thing since sliced bread”.

Dagwood Bumstead, in the comic strip Blondie, made it a habit to raid the fridge and construct tall stacks of incompatible fillings between slices of bread. The concoctions came to be called Dagwood sandwiches, a term so well-known it made Webster’s New World Dictionary.

1940s – World War II American soldiers combined bread, peanut butter and jelly from their meal-kit rations to make a sandwich that came to be known as PB&J. Soldiers continued making the sandwiches even after they returned from the war.