sprinklefingers

well, the whole salad for dinner thing was going really well until two things happened: my in-laws came to town and we took them out for dinner. and then i had a owning-your-own-business-is-too-much day at work. and so, i turned to food.

first up, the dinner out. we went to grüner. i’ve been several times, and i’m happy to report that it gets better with each visit. our server was probably the best i’ve ever had in portland, and the food was perfection. my favorite bite of the night: their house-made sauerkraut with a bit of house-made bratwurst and a gilding of mustard. followed by a sip of champagne. seriously good. and not very girly.

and then i had this grumpy day at work and a salad just wasn’t going to cut it for dinner. so i made a sandwich:

smoked mozzarella, salami and farm egg sandwiches

you need:

• unsalted butter (the better the butter the better the flavor)
• 2 slices of bread per person (you can use fancy bread. you can use sandwich bread. whatever you like.)
• a good amount of smoked mozzarella per person
• 6-8 thin slices of salami per person
• 1 farm egg per person

make the sandwiches:

1. heat a large skillet over medium heat and add a hunk of butter. when the butter is bubbly but isn’t brown, slide one side of each slice of bread through it so the bread is nice and buttery. need more butter to finish the job? simply add more to the pan and let it melt.
2. reduce the heat to medium-low and place as many slices of bread into the skillet as possible, buttered side down. add the cheese to your first slice of bread, then add the salami. place the second slice of bread on top (buttered side up) and cook until golden, flipping as necessary.
3. while the sandwiches are cooking, fry your eggs: using a small skillet set over medium heat, melt a bit of butter. crack your eggs into the skillet and fry until they reach your desired stage - I like mine soft-fried where the whites are just set and the yolk is plenty gooey.
4. once your eggs are fried and your sandwich is golden, carefully lift one slice of bread off your sandwich and slide the egg on top of the mozz and salami. replace the top slice of bread and enjoy. which you seriously will.

i swear it’s back to salads for us. i swear!