Sandwiches are named after John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich, an inveterate gambler who acquired the habit of sending for cold meat between two slices of bread so he would not have to leave the gambling tables to eat. Although the name is relatively recent, dating from the beginning of the 19th century, the concept itself is ancient. It has long been the custom in rural France to give the farm labourers working in the fields meat for their meal enclosed in two slices of brown bread. In south-western France, it was customary to provide those setting out on a journey with slices of cooked meat (especially pork or veal), sprinkled with their juices, sandwiched between two slices of bread.
The greatest variety of sandwiches is found in England and the United States, where they range from very large, composed of several layers of different fillings, to small and delicate, with elaborate or exotic fillings, for serving at luncheons and cocktail parties.
Unlike sandwiches, which consist of two slices of bread with a filling in the middle, canapés are made with a single slice of bread. They may be rectangular, round, or triangular in shape and the bread can also be lightly toasted. Cold canapés are usually made from white bread (slightly stale, so that it does not crumble and with the crust removed) or rye bread. Hot canapés are made from white or wholemeal bread. Cold canapés should be served as soon as possible after preparation so they do not dry out. They may be stored in a cool place covered with a cloth (a damp cloth if stored in a hot or dry place). A number of garnishes are used, such as flavoured butters, spinach mixed with béchamel sauce and Parmesan, ham, scrambled eggs with cheese, sardines, boiled eggs, etc.
These flavoured luncheon items are also sometimes served at dinner. In this latter role, they satisfy, as often as not, a functional rather than a nutritional need. Chowders are usually thick and made from such ingredients as fish, meat, or vegetables, to which salt pork, milk, diced vegetables, or even bread and crackers may be added.
As with soups, chowders should be allowed to ripen in the refrigerator, they are always better the next day. For the richest of cream based chowders, first sauté the vegetables in butter and add almost as much flour to form a roux. For example use 2 tablespoons of butter to 1 1/2 tablespoons of flour, for 1 cup of vegetables and 2 cups of cream and or stock. Should you want a little more of a thin product just use a little amount of more liquid.
All cream based soups and chowders, weather bound with egg or not, are ruined by boiling, so be sure to heat just to the boiling point after the cream has been added, or cook them in the top of a double boiler, over, not in boiling water.
Although it is certain that chowder comes into existence at some point between 1700 and 1750 AD, everything else is speculation. The French word for cauldron, chaudiére or chaudron, is often referred to as a point of origin for the name, but the word jowter, meaning fishmonger, and its dialect variations, chowter and chowder, were being used in Cornwall and Devonshire, England, in the sixteenth century. Two seafood stews, faire la chaudiére, from the fishing villages of Brittany, and chaudrée de Fouras, from the Fouras region of France, are frequently mentioned by food writers as a possible predecessor to chowder, while others point to the English crusted pye, layered with salt pork and fish. French settlers in Canada, French fishermen, Channel Islander (English) settlers in Massachusetts, English fishermen, and Native Americans from the Micmac tribe are all among the list of suspects who may have cooked the original chowders. Others speculate that it was the mixture of French and English fishermen, possibly in the fishing camps along the Newfoundland coast, that gave rise to the creation of chowder. The basic staples carried aboard most fishing vessels in the early 1700's was salt pork, hardtack (ship's biscuit), and fresh fish, makeing it easy to believe that chowder originated at sea. Whether of French or English origin, or a combination of the two, chowder is not claimed by either culture. And although the English seem well aware of chowder during the eighteenth century, it all but disappears from their repertoire soon afterward. It is in Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and New England that chowder making flourishes and where chowder becomes an integral part of the diet and culture.
Pancakes are traditionally served on Candlemas and Shrove Tuesday, to celebrate renewal, family life and hopes for good fortune and happiness in the future. It is customary in France to touch the handle of the frying pan and make a wish while the pancake is turned, holding a coin in the handle. In French rural society, crêpes were also considered to be a symbol of allegiance: farmers offered them to their landowners. Pancakes are popular not only in France but also in many other countries, including Germany, the United States, Canada and Austria. In north America they are soaked in butter, coated with maple syrup, or filled with fruit and other food ingredients.
Crêpés, a specialty of Agen (particularly on the occasion of the Fête des Félibres), were extolled by Anatole France in Le Temps. He wrote, "sprinkled with sugar and eaten hot, they form an exquisite dish. They have a golden hue and are tempting to eat. Thin and transparent like muslin, their edges are trimmed to resemble fine faces. They are so light that after a good dinner, a man from Agen is still willing to sample three or four dozen of them! Crêpées form an integral part of every family celebration. Served with white wine, they take pride of place on all joyful occasions."
In traditional cookery, crêpes are served as a hot hors d'oeuvre, filled with a fairly thick mixture based on a béchamel or velouté sauce with mushroom, ham, Gruyère cheese, sea food, etc. They may also be cut into thin strips and used to garnish soups. Most often, however crêpés are prepared as a sweet dish. They may be served plain and dusted with sugar, or filled with jam, cream, honey, melted chocolate, etc. They may be served warm, or flamed, or even layered on top of one another to form a cake. However, in this section they will be used in the preparation of luncheon items.
Remember to keep it simple and stick to dishes that might be able to be prepare ahead of time. There is plenty of secrets and short cuts, to save you time and allow for some half descent meals. The recipes below can really be eaten during any meal, however they tend to be found on lunch menus (or at least should be). There could be other meals through out this cook book that might just be good ideas for your luncheon needs.