Through various social media platforms, Enderwick (@sandwichesofhistory) has been exploring “all things sandwich” for years and sharing them with followers around the world.
“Since my early 20s, I’ve been curious about food, cooking techniques, different texture, flavors...all of it. With Sandwiches of History, I wanted to taste what people thought was ‘it’ when it came to sandwiches, fifty years ago, one hundred years ago, and more. ‘The plus up’ came about because most of the older sandwiches were okay, but with a few modern ingredients, we could transform them into something we’d want to eat today. The ‘plus up’ gives me a chance to flex and test my culinary muscle. They don’t always work out though,” he said.
Enderwick has been featured on “CBS Sunday Morning,” “Today.com,” and “NPR,” among others.
“Since launching ‘Sandwiches of History,’ first on Instagram, then TikTok, YouTube, Facebook and Reddit, I’ve learned that the entire world loves sandwiches. I get a lot of direct messages and comments from folks all over the world weighing on what they like/dislike, and recommending sandwiches I may not have heard of. With my ‘Sandwiches of History: LIVE!’ tour I finally get to meet people in real life, which is fantastic,” Enderwick said.
“Sandwiches of History: LIVE!” will also celebrate the release of his new book, “Sandwiches of History: The Cookbook.”
“At ‘Sandwiches of History: LIVE!’ I do a TEDtalk-style event about Sandwiches of History, where I share how I started, through publishing a cookbook last year, and going on tour. I also play an animation that gives a little more background on me as I don’t really do that online. Then, a brief history of sandwiches followed by a trivia battle where audience members can win prizes. I then bring out my guest star and we make a sandwich from the book, then plus it up with three ingredients blindly chosen by the audience in advance. Then we wrap things up with a Q&A session,” Enderwick said.
Enderwick will be at Jungle Jim’s at 3 p.m., March 9. Tickets range from $25-$75 and are available for purchase at www.sandwichesofhistory.com/live.
“If folks are familiar with ‘Sandwiches of History’ online, this gives them a chance to better understand how it got started, and who I am. But it is also about having the audience participate both via the trivia battle, and the choosing of the plus up ingredients. If folks aren’t familiar with Sandwiches of History, it is an excellent way to get a sample of what the overall vibe of Sandwiches of HIstory is but in a live setting,” Enderwick said.
In “Sandwiches of History: The Cookbook,” Enderwick has taken the source material for dozens of sandwiches and painstakingly recreated them—staying as faithful as possible to every original sandwich, while providing much more guidance on successfully making each one. From the classics to more out-of-the-box sandwiches, he provides not only recipes, but interesting information and fun facts about each one.
“Sandwiches of History: The Cookbook” was named as one of the 350 Books We Love by NPR in 2024.
“I wanted to make a cookbook that took the old recipes and made them accessible to folks today. A lot of the recipes don’t say how much of some ingredients to use or the techniques to make them were antiquated. My goal was to strip away those hurdles so everyone else could try these sandwiches of history,” Enderwick said.
He shared several examples of how he has taken historic sandwiches and made them his own.
“I do what I call Recipe Remixes on Sandwiches of History wherein I re-do a sandwich recipe using modern ingredients but keep the original intent of the sandwich. Some examples of this are Turkey Fantastic Sandwich (1974) , Salmonburger Tropicale Sandwich (1957), and The Moistmaker (from the TV show FRIENDS),” he said.
As far as tips and advice to fans, when it comes to sandwich-making, Enderwick said, “Bread is just as critical when it comes to building sandwiches. Also, don’t just grab a condiment. There are so many mayonnaises, ketchups, and mustards available that all bring something different to the sandwich. Lastly, and this is personal preference, mustard should almost always touch the meat, and the meat should be on the bottom.”
Curious about a few of his favorite sandwiches right now? Enderwick shared a few of them.
“I always love a Banh Mi for its myriad of textures, flavors, and heat. I’m also a huge fan of ‘‘The Tomato’ by New Orleans restaurant, Turkey and The Wolf. When made with summer tomatoes there’s nothing like it,” he said.
HOW TO GO
What: Sandwiches of History: LIVE!
When: 3-4:30 p.m., March 9
Where: The Oscar Event Center at Jungle Jim’s International Market, 5440 Dixie Hwy, Fairfield
Cost: $25 (show only), $45 (show + post show meet and greet) $55 (show + pre-signed book), $75 (VIP with priority seating and post-show meet and greet and signed book). To purchase tickets, go to www.sandwichesofhistory.com/live
More info.: Barry Enderwick on social media @sandwichesofhistory. Other food related social media channels:
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