Obviously, in the strict meaning of the word, of course you can. But you know what I mean when I ask this: is thinking up different things to put between slices of bread, or in buns, enough to elevate a particular sandwich to a recipe? Barring specific unusual steps or techniques, like starting with French toast for a Monte Cristo, or making a cream sauce to pour over a Turkey Devonshire, or even an open faced roast beef sandwich; is coming up with interesting or unusual combinations of ingredients enough to elevate that from a “variation” to a “recipe”?
For example, I made that brisket grilled cheese sandwich last week. But at no time did I think I was making anything more than a grilled cheese sandwich with a neat twist, as a way to use up some leftover brisket and cheese slices. The recipe would be “grilled cheese sandwich”, which, while simple, has some pretty specific instructions: a list of ingredients and a grilling technique that many beginners need a couple-three tries to nail down. Once you got that, adding stuff like tomatoes, fried bologna, brisket, pickles… those are new twists, but they aren’t new recipes.
You could get into the semantics of it: “Well yeah, of course. It’s a recipe that starts with a known recipe, like chicken noodle soup can be made into Italian wedding soup….” But I’m asking specifically about sandwiches, and their simple construction of bread and fillings. (We will leave the discussion of “Is a hot dog a sandwich?” for another time.) (Of course it is. Look at it.)
My take: No. But that notwithstanding, the language can allow for something like a list of variations to be called a list of sandwich “recipes”… because, after all, the world isn’t only black and white, and what’s important is the communication.
Clear as mud, I guess.
For example, I made that brisket grilled cheese sandwich last week. But at no time did I think I was making anything more than a grilled cheese sandwich with a neat twist, as a way to use up some leftover brisket and cheese slices. The recipe would be “grilled cheese sandwich”, which, while simple, has some pretty specific instructions: a list of ingredients and a grilling technique that many beginners need a couple-three tries to nail down. Once you got that, adding stuff like tomatoes, fried bologna, brisket, pickles… those are new twists, but they aren’t new recipes.
You could get into the semantics of it: “Well yeah, of course. It’s a recipe that starts with a known recipe, like chicken noodle soup can be made into Italian wedding soup….” But I’m asking specifically about sandwiches, and their simple construction of bread and fillings. (We will leave the discussion of “Is a hot dog a sandwich?” for another time.) (Of course it is. Look at it.)
My take: No. But that notwithstanding, the language can allow for something like a list of variations to be called a list of sandwich “recipes”… because, after all, the world isn’t only black and white, and what’s important is the communication.
Clear as mud, I guess.
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