'wichcraft by Tom Colicchio

This book - 'wichcraft by Tom Colicchio - is one of our favorite cookbooks. I suppose one reason is because we have always liked watching Tom on the show, "Top Chef". We were pleasantly surprised to find that one of his restaurants was a sandwich restaurant. How cool is that!

Wichcraft - the Restaurant

The original restaurant, was located in New York, on West 19th St, and opened in 2003. You can now find them at 1407 BROADWAY, NEW YORK, NY 10018. And if you were in Denver, Colorado, you may have seen then at their recent pop-up there. You can follow them to find up when (and where) the next pop-up will be.

Click here to read more about them (opens a new window), and you can also check out their menu. The offerings even include vegetarian, vegan, and gluten free options.

Here are a few items we may try if we're ever in New York (wink, wink)::

On the Breakfast Menu:

• AVOCADO TOAST - Avocado mash, lemon vinaigrette, toasted multigrain (minus the bacon or pork shoulder)
• ULTIMATE AVOCADO TOAST - Avocado mash, cage-free egg, pickled red onion, lemon vinaigrette, toasted multigrain (minus the bacon or pork shoulder)

On the Sandwich Menu:

• CHOPPED CHICKPEA & ROASTED PEPPERS - Chopped chickpea, olive tapenade, roasted red peppers, cucumber, arugula, lemon vinaigrette, toasted ciabatta

On the Small Plate Menu:

• THREE BEAN CHILI - Red kidney, pinto, black, and navy beans with diced tomatoes, peppers, onions and corn with traditional chili spices and a dash of hot sauce. (Vegan)

Below is an excerpt from the restaurant website about their food.

OUR INGREDIENTS

The cookbook is a compilation of the recipes he uses at the restaurant. Each one makes a simple meal out of a sandwich. The subtitle - Craft a Sandwich into a Meal--And a Meal into a Sandwich - is the perfect motto for us.

I for one could eat a sandwich at every meal if it were left up to me. Eggs wrapped in soft buttered toast for breakfast. A peanut butter and strawberry preserve sandwich for lunch. And one of my old-time standbys - a spaghetti sandwich for dinner. I love putting a fork full of spaghetti and sauce on a piece of bread, folding it over and..., well you get the idea.

I know the above recipes are not very sophisticated, but in a pinch they work for me. When I want something more exotic and special, I turn to cookbooks like 'wichcraft. It has recipes quite a few steps up from my quick thrown together sandwiches.

Here are a few of the recipes you'll find in this great sandwich cookbook to let you know what I mean:

• Roasted Turkey with Avocado, Bacon, Onion Marmalade, and Mayonnaise
• Sicilian Tuna with Fennel, Black Olives, and Lemon
• Smoked Ham with Avocado and Butter
• Salami with Marinated Cauliflower and Bitter Greens
• Slow-Roasted Pork with Red Cabbage, Jalapeños, and Mustard

This is just a small sampling of the sandwich recipes you'll find in Tom's book. I'm sure you'll be the envy of the lunchroom when you take out one of these delectable sandwiches to work. And even if you just want to make something special for your family or just yourself, I'm positive Tom's recipes will make the meal!

Two Free Recipes (Yay!!)

On Amazon in the description section of the cookbook, you'll find two free recipes from the book. One, the Roasted Turkey with Avocado, Bacon, Onion Marmalade, and Mayonnaise, and this sweet dessert sandwich:

From 'wichcraft: Chocolate Cream’wich

Two surprises set this cookie apart: The first is that the filling is made with a chocolate ganache as opposed to just a frosting. The cream and the chocolate melt together perfectly, yielding a satisfyingly smooth texture to the filling itself. In contrast to the creaminess is the second surprise: the cocoa nibs, little pieces of roasted cacao beans. These bits add a crunchy texture that is wholly and delightfully unexpected.

Ingredients

For the cookie:

• For the cookie

• 1/3 cup cocoa nibs

• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

• 2/3 cup dark brown sugar

• 2/3 cup granulated sugar

• 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate (64% cocoa), melted in a double boiler

• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

For the filling:

• 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate (64% cocoa), finely chopped

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1/4 cup heavy cream

To get the directions, click on the link below and go down to the Editorial Review section. Enjoy!! And of course you don't have to settle for these two recipes. Get the book to so that you can try all of Tom's other recipes!

One review was posted by a couple who made some of the recipes for their blog. Below is part of the review by Victoria and Johnny and here is the link to their blog, We Cook Books. (Opens in a new window)

Review (partial) for 'wichcraft by Tom Colicchio

Would you like your own copy of 'wichcraft by Tom Colicchio? Check out the image link above to get your own. It's one of those cookbooks you'll keep referring to over and over, especially if you like Tom Colicchio. Who knows, you may even be able to get it signed at a book signing near you!!

And here are the details in case you want to look it up at the library.

Details:

• 'wichcraft by Tom Colicchio
• 208 pages
• Publisher - Clarkson Potter (March 31, 2009)
• ISBN-10: 0609610511
• ISBN-13: 978-0609610510

Looking for more cookbooks? Go from 'wichcraft by Tom Colicchio back to Sandwich Cookbooks to see what you can find.

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