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Lunch: Peanut Butter and Cabbage Sandwich

Published: Feb 5, 2009 ยท Modified: Feb 5, 2009 by Michael Ruhlman ยท 163 Comments

Cabbage-PB w:creditsand._2
I don't remember exactly when I began eating this oddity, but it was more than a decade ago and I've been lunching happily on peanut butter and cabbage sandwiches during the week ever since. I'm a raw cabbage fanatic and attribute my virile good health to consuming several pounds of it each week when I'm at home working.  It's filling, has a satisfying crunch, is almost entirely fiber.  A spread of peanut butter seasons it and provides just enough fat to make the meal satisfying.  I add some carrots for salty sweetness.

We all love dinner.  Many argue that breakfast is their favorite meal and of course it's "the most important meal of the day" (who came up with this slogan?โ€”I do fine on coffee and Crest), but no one ever talks about lunch.  It's the afterthought, the stepchild meal.  In America, at least.  When I spent three weeks with a family in France, the family all returned home for a feast at midday--truly civilized. Europe, bless them, still believes in naps.

My cabbage sandwich made me curious.  I posted a while back on staple meals.  What are your staple lunches?  Lunch specific dishes, that is, that are not obvious (ham and cheese sandwich) or based on leftovers microwaved at the office. The more eccentric the better.  It seems to me that eccentricity should flourish at lunch.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Ciaochowlinda

    February 05, 2009 at 8:10 am

    I have to admit it looked a little strange, but maybe it does taste ok. How did you ever conceive the idea?

    Reply
    • Heather

      June 05, 2020 at 1:33 am

      Omg....seriously,i ve been eating peanut butter and cabbage since i left home...awesome, people think i m off my rocker, but its nice to finally hear, i m not alone in my taste for adventure. While you re fumbling for flavor, you might try peanut butter, banana and bacon...An Elvis favorite

      Reply
      • Michael Ruhlman

        June 05, 2020 at 2:24 pm

        yes, people look at me like I'm crazy when i describe the sandwich

        Reply
  2. eric

    February 05, 2009 at 8:11 am

    Whenever there's leftover pasta (usually spaghetti with red sauce), I butter two giant slices of bread, heat the pasta up, and make a sandwich of it. My grandmother got me doing this when I was 8 or so and have kept it up ever since.

    Reply
  3. boonie

    February 05, 2009 at 8:19 am

    Hard to beat your PB and cabbage, Michael...I don't see that becoming a "haute" trend. Staple lunches in this economy go the way of cheese for me, grilled to be specific. At LEAST four slices on wheat including cheddar, provolone, swiss, american, pepperjack, mozzarella...Basically, anything deli-sliced makes it between my buttered bread. Got some sliced ham? Hell yeah it's going in. Low and slow heat in the skillet allows all of the slices to melt. Add some potato chips and sour cream and you got something there, son!

    Reply
  4. rockandroller

    February 05, 2009 at 8:29 am

    Working downtown, I don't really have a staple lunch. I either bring leftovers or go out to one of the few decent places to get lunch downtown. However, this winter in particular, I would say the Pig Mac at Crop has been a big staple lunch for me. It's unusual so I thought I'd mention it. A take off on the Big Mac of course, this sandwich features a big, buttery bun topped with black sesame seeds and layers in between of thin-pounded pork tenderloin, pulled pork and bacon, with some layers of small chopped onion, special sauce and cheese. It is huge, filling and perfect on a Cleveland winter weekday. I think that and a beef hot pot from Seoul Hot Pot have been my staple lunches all winter. With the hot pot, they break a fresh egg into the top and you stir it into the blazing hot mix of meat, veg and rice (don't forget the crispy bits of burned rice at the bottom, very tasty), and it's served with a dazzling array of small, pretty and tasty sides, mostly vegetables so all very healthy. Very filling, hot and tasty.

    Reply
  5. Jeff

    February 05, 2009 at 8:37 am

    At my last job the company provided 'free snacks' that was restocked once or twice a week. Every day there was a group of us that took it upon ourselves to take these 'secret ingredients' as a culinary lunch challenge.

    One of our favorites was to take a cup 'o noodle packet, rinse the noodles (to remove all the salty flavorings), add v8 juice and then microwave with dried herbs we found hiding in the back of a cupboard. We topped this 'tomato noodle soup' with chunks of string cheese. Sometimes we even managed to scavenge olive oil or past their prime salad greens that we added for more flavor.

    Reply
  6. RyanJ

    February 05, 2009 at 8:48 am

    My father and I have eaten many peanut butter and mayonnaise sandwiches over the years. As far as I am concerned peanut butter is perfect with anything, lettuce, deli meats, and tomatoes are also excellent choices...

    Reply
  7. kristin

    February 05, 2009 at 8:54 am

    Anything leftover. Gumbo, or some sort of ethnic type dish I make for dinner. The spices have time to meld and often while it was good for dinner, it is even better for lunch. Indian, Lebanese are two of the best. Also a good meatloaf is hard to beat too.

    Reply
  8. Charlotte

    February 05, 2009 at 9:17 am

    Soup! I work at home -- and once every couple of weeks I'll make a batch of soup -- ham and bean, black bean, minestrone, or in the spring when the garden gets going I eat a lot of puree'd greens soup. A bowl of soup, a piece of toast and a glass of the good milk I buy from a local rancher.

    Reply
  9. JoeW

    February 05, 2009 at 9:23 am

    Since I am attending a University full-time, my lunches are usually leftovers. On test days, however, nothing gets me revved up more than a monster bowl of Pho from Bona, with plenty of fish sauce, bean sprouts, and jalapenos.

    Reply
  10. Neal L.

    February 05, 2009 at 9:28 am

    My favorite is some good cured meat with pickled veggies, baguette(or saltines), a variety of cheeses, good mustard or hummus, a glass of milk and a cold beer. It's the best!

    Reply
  11. Patrick Radoszewski

    February 05, 2009 at 9:42 am

    mine is similar. but rather i enjoy the benefits of cabbage after it's been fermented. so. . . right now my fav is homemade sauerkraut, horseradish mustard and peppered turkey on rye.

    just finished a batch. it was half white and half red. still has a great crunch, slightly salty, and superb tang!
    http://therads.com/DSC_0009-2.JPG

    Reply
  12. Adam

    February 05, 2009 at 9:46 am

    I'm going to have to try this. At first I thought it was weird, until I remembered that one of my favourite snacks as a kid was a spear of celery filled with peanut butter. Sounds like this would be similar.

    Reply
  13. Amy

    February 05, 2009 at 9:46 am

    I gotta say...soup or leftovers that I made the night before...

    I'm not much of a lunch person...

    I'm somewhat intrigued by your sandwich : p

    Reply
  14. Matt

    February 05, 2009 at 9:52 am

    I totally agree with the coffee and Crest mentality. On hundred percent. Most people are so hurried with breakfast it is almost always something borne of convenience, which usually reads as something pretty boring, unless of course you are slapping cabbage on a peanut butter sandwich.

    Reply
  15. Carol Blymire

    February 05, 2009 at 10:02 am

    Lunch? Oh, Iโ€™m all about the Hot Pocket.

    Reply
  16. Tags

    February 05, 2009 at 10:10 am

    -
    Don't tell Jeffrey Steingarten you eat a lot of raw cabbage.

    In "The Man Who Ate Everything," his essay "Salad the Silent Killer" says this...

    Some studies blame high cabbage consumption in the Midwest among German and Eastern European immigrants and their families for the high incidence of goiter there... Goitrogens are largely broken down by cooking.

    At least you're not eating raw beans or chick peas.

    Reply
  17. Connor

    February 05, 2009 at 10:15 am

    One of my favorite lunches during peak tomato season is sliced tomatoes with cottage cheese. I like lots of salt and pepper on the tomatoes, and I always use whole milk cottage cheese. My parents have been eating this lunch for years and only until recently did I start to appreciate it.

    Reply
  18. Vivian

    February 05, 2009 at 10:24 am

    When I was in Hawaii I fell in love with Spam Musubi. Prepared sushi rice sandwiched in 2 slices of fried spam and wrapped in Nori. I have it about once a week for lunch and although they thought it was weird at first I have gotten several people that I work with hooked on that as well as other types of sushi.

    Reply
  19. cory

    February 05, 2009 at 10:34 am

    Fried egg sandwich, with cheese and mustard... and and ice cold beer.

    Reply
  20. Nancy Heller

    February 05, 2009 at 10:50 am

    Noodles with Cottage Cheese (Friendship Dairies 2% Pot Cheese, if I can get it, otherwise Friendship 1% Cottage Cheese - no other brand will do!), butter and lots of fresh cracked black pepper. I recently learned that adding caramelized onions to this dish makes it into the Polish dish called Halusky (little did I know this was an official dish!) and the onions add a great touch, though I usually don't have them in the office.

    Reply
  21. Laura

    February 05, 2009 at 10:57 am

    Lately it's been goat cheese and cucumber sandwiches...I have to admit I'm curious about the cabbage and peanut butter though. A bit worried about the after effects of the cabbage thought I must admit...not all of us have the privilege of working in a solitary situation!

    Reply
  22. Allison

    February 05, 2009 at 11:01 am

    I completely agree about breakfast (though Colgate tastes better). Lunch is time to use up the odds and ends in the fridge. They usually turn into a soup or a salad. On a good day I supplement with a can of sardines or a leg of duck confit.

    I'm glad to see a photo of the sandwich. I never would have guessed the enormous quantity of cabbage otherwise. I'm going to try this today; I have all four components.

    Reply
  23. Sara

    February 05, 2009 at 11:01 am

    I'm another one of those "takeout or leftovers" lunch people, though sometimes I'll make really elaborate salads to bring to work. But I have to say this: HOLY MOLY, that's like half a head of cbabage on that thing! I don't think my mouth opens that wide...

    Reply
  24. karenology

    February 05, 2009 at 11:08 am

    No wonder eating that keeps you fit - between the peanut butter and the raw cabbage, you probably have to chew each bite a hundred times!

    I agree with the peanut butter commenter, it goes with everything in my opinion. Even shrimp! That would be my unusual staple lunch if I had my druthers.

    Reply
  25. Vivian

    February 05, 2009 at 11:09 am

    Rockandroller, that dish you get from Seoul Hot Pot sounds so delicious! My go to lunch this winter (if I actually get out that is) has been Pho' (pronounced Fa). We have a huge Vietnamese community here in Oklahoma City and that has provided us with some incredible asian markets and restaurants. Hot steaming pho' with some thin slices of raw beef to poach in the broth is so delicious.

    Reply
  26. Aimee

    February 05, 2009 at 11:10 am

    I like to make a hoagie early in the morning, heavily slathered with Italian dressing. Then I wrap it up and pop it in the fridge and by lunch time the dressing has moistened the whole thing into a sopping good mess.

    Reply
  27. Sara McGuyer

    February 05, 2009 at 11:10 am

    The public school system here in Evansville, Indiana always served a half peanut butter sandwich with chili for lunch. I grew up dipping the sandwich in the chili. I thought it was 'normal' until college when my friends from elsewhere were so grossed out by it. I still love it though!

    Reply
  28. Kansas City rube

    February 05, 2009 at 11:10 am

    Nothing too bizarre here. I usually eat my leftovers from the night before (bacon explosion on sourdough this week).

    I did work for a company for a while that had a really nice cafeteria. They grew produce on site, used Niman Ranch meat, and had actual chefs making real food for a reasonable price. During that time, I would eat a dinner-sized lunch and then just have a small meal or snack at night. Definitely a change of pace, but I'm convinced that's the way to eat during the week.

    If only all companies had a cafeteria like that... (It helped me to forget how little they were paying me.)

    Reply
  29. Victoria

    February 05, 2009 at 11:12 am

    Wow. This is interesting - your sandwich AND all the comments. I'm not a huge breakfast eater, just a huge cup of tea - except for Sunday mornings when I eat one egg, two pieces of bacon, and one piece of whole wheat toast buttered with raspberry preserves. I do like to eat some yogurt and fresh fruit around 10:30 a.m., but I don't think it counts as breakfast since I get up at 5:00 a.m.

    In a perfect world if I did feel like breakfast, I would choose to eat half a small baguette, some cheese, and a little cured meat - so that would be right up your alley. I hate anything sweet in the morning, so Danish or pancakes with syrup are out.

    But lunch. I hate dealing with lunch because I don't pack leftovers, and there's nothing really great near my office in West Chelsea, except for one place that makes ridiculously huge sandwiches. I usually stop at Pret a Manger on the way to the subway and get half a vegetable or tuna sandwich and a cup of fresh fruit salad. But it's not like a huge hamburger and french fries at Barney's would be, which I splurge on once a year.

    Reply
  30. Beanie

    February 05, 2009 at 11:12 am

    Cabbage? With Peanut Butter? Are you mad? Peanut butter should be eaten only with kosher dill pickle slices. Everyone knows that!

    My three favorite lunches on Earth are (in no particular order): Grilled swiss cheese and tart apples on rye; Brown rice with a spicy Thai coconut broth, veggies and baked marinated tofu (which I used to buy at the noodle shop down the street until I figured out how to make it myself); and fried (over-medium) eggs and sun-dried tomatoes on baguette.

    Boring, I know. But tasty.

    Reply
  31. Badger

    February 05, 2009 at 11:29 am

    I love lunch. Breakfast is usually eaten in a rush on my way out the door; supper has to account for the tastes of my husband and kids (to a certain degree -- I'm no short-order cook over here); lunch is just FOR ME. Lunch is where I experiment with stuff I like, with no regard for whether anyone else will touch it with a 10-foot pole.

    That being said, I don't actually have any staples. It kind of depends on the season. Right now I'm all about soup. I'm convinced the black bean soup I've been eating for lunch all week -- heavy on the garlic and hot peppers, completely devoid of dairy -- cured my rotten head cold. AND it was fun to make.

    Reply
  32. Barry

    February 05, 2009 at 11:37 am

    This is frickin' awesome Michael. I cannot wait to try a peanut butter/cabbage sandwich.

    For lunch, one of my very favorites is the humble tuna fish sandwich. It is one of the most versatile and nutritious (?) quick lunch foods around. There are hundreds of ways to make a good tuna sandwch and I have been seriously considering writing my own recipe book of recipes for some time now.

    Reply
  33. rockandroller

    February 05, 2009 at 11:37 am

    @Vivian, it is definitely a big bowl of very hot goodness. The pot itself is cast iron and served on a wooden board, with a big spoon for scooping up crunchy goodness at the bottom and chopsticks for the little table bites. I was a bit squeamish about the egg at first, I really like my eggs cooked through and these are just barely even sunny side up, plus I am expecting and you're supposed to stay away from runny eggs, but everything in the pot is so hot that it completely cooks through in stirring it around. They have big sqeeze bottles of unidentified hot sauce that you can squirt in to make it spicy to your desired level. Plus it's just a huge amount of food, with the pot and the sides. I'd much rather have a huge lunch than a huge dinner (another thing Europe is great about).

    Reply
  34. carri

    February 05, 2009 at 11:50 am

    One year after my family butchered and processed a pig for winter meat, there was this bucket of lumpy lard left. My Grandmother mentioned that, as a kid on her parents farm, they often ate Lard Sandwiches...which doesn't sound all that bad if it's spread on homemade bread...especially if times are tough. My parents decided that we could use that for a sandwich spread for school lunches...only they put it on wonder bread (wonder why they call it 'bread') After we wouldn't eat it that way they mixed it with applesauce...on the third day, the babysitter, who was so grossed out, took pity on us and purposefully dropped the whole bowl on the floor!

    Reply
  35. stacey

    February 05, 2009 at 11:55 am

    I'm imagining that the cabbage and PB sandwich might taste similar to cabbage rolls with a peanut sauce? I can see how that would be tasty!

    My lunch favorites are:
    slices of avacado and tomato with olive oil and minced red onions
    or
    co-jack cheese on a cinnamon raisin bagel with mayo and tomato

    Reply
  36. Dick Black

    February 05, 2009 at 11:56 am

    Dude, that is one weird food predilection.

    Tell me, how does the wife feel about this. Does eating all that raw cabbage bring out the gas masks from time to time ?

    This can put a strain on a marriage.

    Reply
  37. dawn

    February 05, 2009 at 12:05 pm

    When I worked from home it was sardines on saltines with a whole grain mustard dollop. High in protein, calcium and omega vitamins. Yum. Now that I work downtown, I bring dinner leftovers or buy soup.

    Reply
  38. Tricia

    February 05, 2009 at 12:24 pm

    My favorite lunches are a hodgepodge of unassembled individual bites. In college I used to bring pistacios, cubes of cheese, grapes, crackers/roll, and a square of good chocolate.

    Currently I'm obsessed with cold fresh mozzarella, which goes with everything. Accompanied with cold ratatoile and a chewy end of a loaf, is my kind of heaven!

    Growing up, we ate avocado smeared on bread and sprinkled with pepper.

    Reply
  39. Skydancer

    February 05, 2009 at 12:30 pm

    One of my favorites is canned tunafish and cream cheese on whatever bread is at hand. I know it sounds like an odd combination, but it does taste great to me. It came about out of necessity one day when I was in first grade. My mother would make my lunch to take to school and one of my favorites was regular tuna salad (w/mayo). I would have this at least twice a week. One day, however, it seemed to taste a bit different, more richer/thicker. I couldn't quite put my finger on the difference but I did like it...A LOT. That night, my mother asked me if lunch was OK and I told her I had liked it better than ever before. I asked her to please make the tunafish salad the same way as that from now on, so she admitted to me that she had not realized we were running low on mayo until that very morning when she was preparing my sandwich and so, to augment it, she decided to add softened cream cheese. So, for a while, the sandwich was made with mayo, cream cheese and tuna. However, over time, I gradually eliminated the mayo altogether and found I PREFERRED it with just cream cheese. Thus it has remained since then. When I tell my friends about it, they give me funny looks and usually refuse to even try it. Their loss...

    Oh, and by the way, another guilty pleasure when I was growing up was another odd combination that my mother put together. Are you familiar with Malta? This is a sort of Spanish root beer type of drink. Tastes great all by itself, but my mother would sometimes also combine it with a couple of tablespoons of sweetened condensed milk and stir it very hard so that it would froth at the top (much like a milk shake). It was sweet and cold and hit the spot! Even as an adult, I will occasionally indulge in this on a hot summer night (only nowadays I make it with Coke).

    Reply
  40. Jesse

    February 05, 2009 at 12:50 pm

    Lunch is my favorite meal period of the day!

    I will try your sandwich-- I like everything that goes into it, so why not..?

    Reply
  41. Tags

    February 05, 2009 at 12:54 pm

    -
    We take sushi rolls and dump them in boiling water to make congee and serve it with chinese pickle and gluten chunks.

    When my Mom was pregnant, she used to eat pickle and mayonnaise sandwiches. I eat them myself once in a while.

    Reply
  42. Christine in the 'Nati

    February 05, 2009 at 1:02 pm

    I'm a fan of muenster cheese and grape jelly sandwiches for lunch. My husband thinks it's vile, but I love it love it love it.

    Reply
  43. EY

    February 05, 2009 at 1:34 pm

    I'm a big fan of leftovers, but there are some dinners I make specifically so I can have the leftovers for lunch the next day. Flank steak is my favorite of these. Marinate it in whatever, broil it medium rare, then cut leftovers into bite-sized pieces.

    Next day, put choice of lettuce, veggies, cheese that would work with a salad (feta, blue, etc) together. Keep meat separate. I heat up the meat until just warm and throw on the rest of the salad, which I bring in a larger than needed container. Then I give it a good shake so that the juice from the meat is the salad dressing. Yummmmm.

    Reply
  44. LuLu

    February 05, 2009 at 1:45 pm

    Sliced tomatoes and buffalo cheese marinated in olive oil and fresh basil or oregano on top of sliced filone bread in olive oil. I keep the ingredients at work and at home so I can have it anytime.

    Reply
  45. Justin

    February 05, 2009 at 1:47 pm

    My staple weekend lunch is fried eggs on toast: farmhouse bread, eggs with runny yolks that soak into the buttered toast, all topped off with a squirt of Heinz Organic Ketchup. Yum.
    Lunch

    Reply
  46. Paul

    February 05, 2009 at 2:08 pm

    At least a couple times a week I have a peanut butter, horseradish, cheese, and dill pickle sandwich. It sounds weird, but it has all the sweet, hot, salty and savory going for it.

    Reply
  47. Seth Gordon

    February 05, 2009 at 2:15 pm

    Fried yam slices, peanut butter, and dijon mustard on rye. Alfalfa sprouts optional.

    Reply
  48. Charlotte

    February 05, 2009 at 2:36 pm

    Cold apples with nut butter and bucheron. I don't think that cabbage and peanut butter is weird, I just can't fathom how you fit it in your mouth.

    Reply
  49. Aubrey

    February 05, 2009 at 2:50 pm

    A version of the "peanut butter is good on anything" story -

    Basically a BLT, subbing crunchy peanut butter for the mayo. Iceberg is good; arugula is divine! However, since I work at home, leftovers and large pots of soup made expressly for me rule the roost. (Yesterday I combined leftover spicy french onion soup with leftover minestrone - absolutely AWESOME!)

    Reply
  50. Elise

    February 05, 2009 at 3:01 pm

    I grew up with a master pancake/crepe maker dad, so leftover were plentiful. Still to this day, I love sandwiches made from both, specifically anything with peanut butter and lately whole cranberry sauce from a can. Or take a crepe, fill with favorite cheese and a good layer of spinach. Oh and don't forget to warm up a bit on a cast-iron griddle.

    Reply
  51. Donnie

    February 05, 2009 at 3:19 pm

    For my staple meals I usually wind up snacking on a nice Swingline.

    Reply
  52. TC

    February 05, 2009 at 3:27 pm

    Anything hot...I cannot stand cold lunches. Actually, except for the middle of summer, I prefer hot food for every meal over things that are cold. Hence, oatmeal for breakfast, grilled cheese for lunch, etc. (I'm OK with adding a cold salad to a warm meal...or maybe soup with a sandwich.) Cold things on their own make my stomach hurt.

    Reply
  53. Michael Franco

    February 05, 2009 at 4:03 pm

    Orange and hard boiled egg with olive oil, salt and pepper on focaccia - I'm hooked!

    Reply
  54. Corey

    February 05, 2009 at 4:35 pm

    This sandwhich trumps anything I've cobbled together for lunch. My only question how do you manage to keep the cabbage together while your eating it?

    I would love to try this, I'm just so afraid that one bite into that bad boy would create a cabbage avalanche that would land in my lap.

    btw (everyone knows that extra sharp cheddar and peanut butter makes the best sandwich)

    Reply
  55. Erik

    February 05, 2009 at 4:45 pm

    Peanue Butter and Cabbage? This is the first I have ever heard of that. I think I will stick with the classic PB AND J.

    Reply
  56. mary lynn

    February 05, 2009 at 5:21 pm

    @beanie, Your are right! PB and dill pickles are the only way to go. Have you tried PB and bananas? That's good too.

    Reply
  57. MessyONE

    February 05, 2009 at 5:33 pm

    The best sandwiches involve bacon.... Peanut butter and crispy bacon on some kind of seedy bread... Turkey and Granny Smith apple with cranberry sauce and crispy bacon... Open-faced sandwiches with bacon, wild mushrooms and either blue cheese or old Cheddar, maybe a little mustard...

    We were able to go home for lunch from our elementary school, so Mom got creative with sandwiches.

    Reply
  58. Josh

    February 05, 2009 at 7:23 pm

    What used to be called a "European Breakfast" at Miracles Cafe, in San Diego (since shut down) I now eat for lunch:

    Buttered baguette with any kind of fruit preserves topped with Swiss Cheese. As is, not melted in any way.

    It's the perfect lunch. Perfect.

    Reply
  59. Allison

    February 05, 2009 at 7:57 pm

    I tried the sandwich. Um ... am I on one of those prank tv shows? Am I being punk'd?!

    On the positive side, I feel like I don't need to eat again for a loooong time. ๐Ÿ˜‰

    Reply
  60. Eugenia

    February 05, 2009 at 8:03 pm

    This sounds like a cry for help. Have you been checked for pica?

    Reply
  61. claudia (cook eat FRET)

    February 05, 2009 at 8:04 pm

    ok michael - that is totally new to me...
    peanut butter with bacon is pretty awesome. they were common in nyc luncheonettes in the 70's. i used to get them on occasion.

    my go to lunch is good pita bread - slightly warmed in the microwave and then topped with soft goat cheese, harissa, sliced green olives and a healthy drizzle of honey.

    it's my thing.

    Reply
  62. claudia (cook eat FRET)

    February 05, 2009 at 8:09 pm

    man, i'm reading these comments and so many of the combinations are AWESOME. ideas for many future lunches...

    Reply
  63. MissV

    February 05, 2009 at 9:04 pm

    Favorite is a nice cup of french onion soup with a grilled swiss cheese sandwich, or some Laughing Cow cheese spread on some whole grain crackers if I'm out of real swiss.

    This winter especially, I've become a big fan of making a big pot of soup on Sunday and taking it for lunches during the week. In the summer, I'm all about tuna loaded up with pickles, radishes, tomato confit, tarragon and capers - either on a sandwich or mixed with leftover pasta. When I'm at home and it's lunch time, it's time for grilled cheese (American and bleu cheese) and tomato soup.

    Hopefully as more people start to brown bag their lunches at the workplace, horizons will also expand beyond frozen meals and sandwiches on fluffy white bread. I've actually worked with people who commented it was "weird" when I was doing something like waiting to put my tuna on to my crusty bread until right before eating, or cooking things at different times/temps before combining them.

    Reply
  64. Matt

    February 05, 2009 at 9:11 pm

    Breakfast is always french press something (and Colegate is the truely superior morning condament). Baked bean sandwiches on wheat bread with strong mustard and cold fried chicken have been a clasic in my family forever.

    Reply
  65. Benjamin Wolfe

    February 05, 2009 at 9:16 pm

    I mostly go in for bringing leftovers to work; one of my favorite lunches otherwise is good bread, gruyere and a tomato.

    Reply
  66. Kate in the NW

    February 05, 2009 at 9:44 pm

    You must be a joy on long car rides. No wonder Bourdain got a convertible for the Vegas show (was it Vegas? I can't remember...). Anyway...

    Definitely cheese toast. Crusty bread and any cheese that is very salty and a little bit grainy (Swiss - not French - Gruyere, etc) or dense and smelly (Raclette). Side of pickles, preferably Japanese (the bright green cucumber ones or the purple eggplanty things), and occasionally some tomato/red pepper soup. Then a small chunk of dark chocolate. Solitude, and a good book.

    Mmmmmmm....

    Reply
  67. Brady Vickers

    February 05, 2009 at 9:51 pm

    my grandmother got me hooked on toasted mayo & peanut butter sandwiches....not exactly healthy...but with homemade mayo....it's hard to beat.

    Reply
  68. Beanie

    February 05, 2009 at 10:24 pm

    Mary Lynn,

    Peanut butter and bananas is tasty (or is that are tasty?), but

    1) It tends to feel dry in my mouth, and

    2) I can't eat it without imagining that I'm Elvis.

    Reply
  69. Jennifer

    February 05, 2009 at 11:02 pm

    Someone above stole one of my favorites already: pickle and mayo sandwiches. If you want to jazz it up, though, add a slice of sharp cheddar and some good lettuce. Yum.

    My newest favorite is black beans/black eyed peas/green pepper/onion/a little Italian dressing, eaten on corn chips. Very filling and tasty. I suspect this could be really good on a baguette, too. I have yet to try it.

    Also, I love to saute peppers, onions, pine nuts and mushrooms, then dump the whole mess onto butterleaf lettuce with some balsamic vinagrette. Awesome. Even better with feta cheese.

    Thanks, Michael! So many great new ideas....

    Reply
  70. martha blom

    February 05, 2009 at 11:43 pm

    Well... our favorite pantry lunch with peanut butter is this: a heaping tablespoon of pb, preferably crunchy, another heaping TB of miso, a tsp. red curry paste, boling water and ramen noodles... sometimes I eat this for days... and cabbage added makes it more complete, or spinach, bok choy.. whatever is left in the fridge.

    Reply
  71. Rhonda

    February 06, 2009 at 1:44 am

    Oh, Michael...

    Fuck me. This exercise is a bit juvenille yet I do love it!!!

    The give away is that you are still married and that Donna has not yet punched you in the throat.

    She still may and I support her in that.

    The answer to your question is yes, you now have enough influence to lead us in any direction you want.

    I attribute your virile health to Donna's patience and our gullibility -- not cabbage.

    Sans the cabbage, I will buy any book you write.

    Reply
  72. Pavlov

    February 06, 2009 at 5:49 am

    I'm pretty boring and prefer to stick with the classic Peanut butter, banana and bacon on toasted 12 grain bread.

    Reply
  73. Jay Dubbs

    February 06, 2009 at 9:53 am

    I am convince this is a joke. Ruhlman's bored, and he's trying to see what sort of ridiculous stuff he can get folks to eat. Peanut butter and cabbage sandwich? Pure shenanigans. I'm not buying it.

    Peanut butter and cabbage are two of my favorite things, but this, sir, is too hard to swallow.

    Reply
  74. Jim Gorski

    February 06, 2009 at 9:57 am

    Hard boiled eggs and raw green beans (chilled). I skip the yolks unless I'm famished. I'll try the C&B though - sounds interesting!

    Reply
  75. Teri

    February 06, 2009 at 10:31 am

    Ribbon sandwich, a 1940's Ladies magazine recipe. 4 slices of bread, ham salad, egg salad, peanut butter and Cheeze Whiz! Cut into four long strips. We were raised on these Ladies bridge food and still crave them today.

    Reply
  76. Richard

    February 06, 2009 at 10:39 am

    One I picked up from my late grandfather was slices of cold venison sausage with homemade wild grape jelly between two slices of bread. Sounds weird, but it's actually pretty good.

    Reply
  77. ruhlman

    February 06, 2009 at 11:03 am

    it's not a joke. peanut butter and celery is a time-honored combo. it began in summer camp--i didn't like pb&j--too sweet. so I threw some head lettuce on there for moisture. when i began to eat cabbage regularly, it was a natural progression. keller has his oysters and pearls, i have my peanut butter and cabbage sandwich.

    thanks for all those who noted their own eccentricities...

    Reply
  78. Frances

    February 06, 2009 at 11:45 am

    I don't have anything to contribute lunch-wise, but you've got me thinking that a cabbage/carrot slaw with some sort of spicy peanut dressing would be good.

    Reply
  79. Charles Platter

    February 06, 2009 at 12:15 pm

    Peanut butter is a great vehicle for spices.

    Here is my quick and dirty version--which is in accord with my conviction that the time limit for making a peanut butter sandwich is 30 seconds:

    Spread one slice with pb and the other with chili garlic sauce.

    Reply
  80. Mateus Martins

    February 06, 2009 at 1:08 pm

    Half Cabbage with Peanut Butter between two pieces of bread?! Iยดd never think about it without your blog, crunchy and buttered is classic! Iยดll try!

    Thanks a lot Ruhlman!

    Reply
  81. IHOP

    February 06, 2009 at 1:14 pm

    Jeff,

    I, too, have dabbled in the "instant ramen noodles cooked with tomato soup or V-8" category of fine dining. However, what you and your coworkers dubbed "tomato noodle soup," I came to call "ghetto spaghetti."

    Your name would probably do better on a menu, but mine has some nice consonance...

    Reply
  82. Rhonda

    February 06, 2009 at 1:24 pm

    Michael, I apologize. I looked at this, thought for a moment and was SURE you were taking a piss and conducting some kind of social anthropological study.

    Good on ya. Very weird, yet very nutritious.

    Reply
  83. Tom

    February 06, 2009 at 2:10 pm

    I love making grilled sharp cheddar cheese sandwiches with sliced dill pickles placed between the slices of cheese. Once they are golden, brown and delicious I dip each bite in ketchup. Awesome!

    Reply
  84. Greg Turner

    February 06, 2009 at 2:11 pm

    On the weekends my staple lunch is usually sauteed kale with a fried egg on top and some capers. During the week it's leftovers.

    Edward L. Bernays helped start the American idea of a huge breakfast being crucial for health and well being. Before he got his hands on us, we breakfasted as many Europeans do. It was bacon people who hired him.

    Reply
  85. Michelle

    February 06, 2009 at 2:19 pm

    I don't know that this is particularly eccentric, but practical, yes.

    I measure and pre-package my cooked chicken tenders; rice; already frozen stir fry veggies. Each morning, I grab one of each and some sort of sauce (peanut, stir fry, etc). Itโ€™s usually thawed by lunch so Iโ€™ve got a complete meal in 2 microwave minutes.

    I have a vacuum sealer - it works great!

    Reply
  86. Russ H

    February 06, 2009 at 3:59 pm

    Where were you when Elvis needed you???

    Reply
  87. Shelley

    February 06, 2009 at 4:10 pm

    If I didn't know you better, Ruhlman, I would have thought this was an April Fool's post. Do you really put THAT MUCH cabbage between two slices of bread?

    Reply
  88. NYCook

    February 06, 2009 at 7:06 pm

    As a profesional this is an embaressing admission this and the origins are hazy, but take left over white rice, cover with munster cheese, salt and microwave. When done mix the melted cheese into the rice, add a little of each sriracha, ketchup, and mayo and mix till its paste like. You can reheat it and "spread" it on white bread or add a raw egg and mix that in or wheat or whatever-pork confit!- but i promise you its delicous.

    Reply
  89. Mac

    February 06, 2009 at 7:32 pm

    Ha. Lunch is my favorite meal.

    My Dad used to say, "The only reason I go to work is to go to lunch. Otherwise, I'd never make it."

    Reply
  90. michelle

    February 06, 2009 at 7:44 pm

    In Japan, they do this with miso instead of peanut butter, ohhh so good!

    Reply
  91. bonnibella

    February 06, 2009 at 8:29 pm

    Ruhlman, you're scaring me. Do we really need to know about your love/need for fiber? Please tell me that this past Cleveburg winter has not turned you into the proverbial grumpy old man.

    Reply
  92. Tammi

    February 06, 2009 at 10:12 pm

    Top ramen with leftover meat thrown in and a beaten egg added to it to make "egg drop soup".

    Toasted cheese and pickle sandwiches

    Zataran's jambalaya with a good smoky sausage thrown in

    Scrambled eggs with leftover's thrown in.

    toasted tunafish (made with pickles and onions added) and cheese sandwich

    Quesadillas with cheese and leftover meat

    Reply
  93. Jeannie

    February 06, 2009 at 11:23 pm

    i recently just starting having a great relationship with sweet potatoes and butternut squash and all winter squashes. I love cooking them, I love eating them, I love trying different combinations of ingredients with them, once I got over how big and ugly and cumbersome they are. I don't have a great relationship with cabbage. When I lived in Japan and ate country food I ate a lot of cabbage. I think how great sweet and sour cabbage is but somehow cabbage intimidates me, it is the slicing and cleaning. Your sandwich has piqued my curiosity, time to get to know cabbage better!!!!!

    Reply
  94. pbk

    February 07, 2009 at 2:21 am

    Try this....slice of pizza with the red sauce and any kind of toppings. It's got to be warm. Fry an egg over easy and put it on top of the pizza, poke it and let the gooey yellowness drip all over the pizza. Once you try this you will crave it. Here's one more excellent combo...Cottage cheese drizzled with maple syrup.
    Both of these make fine lunches when no one else is watching.

    Reply
  95. Walstib

    February 07, 2009 at 2:29 am

    Cottage cheese and salsa burrito.

    Sounds gross, but delicious and nutritious.

    Reply
  96. Erin

    February 07, 2009 at 9:12 am

    I've whisked natural PB (or almond butter) into an oil & vinegar dressing (with garlic!) for coleslaw before- its super-tasty! There's something about the sweet crunch of the cabbage that goes quite well with the nut butter.

    Similar to another commenter, I have also spread natural PB on a freshly baked sweet potato, sprinkled it lightly with salt, freshly ground pepper, a dash of cayenne and served it with cilantro and just a touch of fresh squeezed lime juice. The PB melts and becomes sort of like a dressing.

    Reply
  97. cybercita

    February 07, 2009 at 9:28 am

    i was seriously disappointed when i realized that the thick white filling in that sandwich was cabbage! at first glance, it looked like cream cheese.

    inspired by this post, i crunched my way through half of a red cabbage last night before dinner. i feel lots more virile already! wow! {too bad i'm a girl, though.}

    surprisingly, i didn't have any of the GI issues you'd normally expect after a bouffe des choux, at least not while i was awake. although i did notice that the cat, who usually sleeps glued to my side, was MIA this morning, and didn't come when i called.

    i've been following the vegan and whole grain diet that mark bittman recommends in his new book, so lunch these days is sunflower seed butter or hummus on whole grain bread and a giant container of cut up veggies. usually it's carrots, bell pepper, fennel, jicama, cucumber, stuff like that.

    boring, but effective -- i've dropped six pounds in three weeks.

    Reply
  98. Bob delGrosso

    February 07, 2009 at 1:01 pm

    I don't usually eat lunch and now that I've seen what you eat, I know I'm on the right path. Wow, that's funky brother. The belches that result from the ingestion of peanut butter and raw cabbage must be really interesting.
    ๐Ÿ™‚

    Reply
  99. Matt Heaggans

    February 07, 2009 at 1:35 pm

    dude...

    Reply
  100. kate

    February 07, 2009 at 5:04 pm

    I always eat doctored leftovers for lunch. I also work from home so I can get creative. Rice is the best thing to start with. I heat it up with cheddar cheese. I add whatever veggies I have - corn, zucchini, mushrooms - and top with bbq sauce or salsa. Leftover chicken is also a good addition. If I have corn tortillas I scoop it up with those.

    I'm going to try your sandwich. I'm also a big fan of raw cabbage.

    Reply
  101. Phillip C

    February 07, 2009 at 5:44 pm

    A quart of whole milk. When I am rushing out of the door in the AM, and have a long day ahead of me of auditions and real estate appointments in NYC, I find a quart of milk to have good protein, carbs and nutrients to keep me going. Needless to say, on a hot summer day - "milk is a poor choice" - to quote Ron Burgundy.

    Reply
  102. mattatouille

    February 07, 2009 at 5:47 pm

    my girlfriend jumped all over this when she saw it on my blogroll. she's a raw cabbage lover too. We do neglect lunch here in America as evidenced by the dozens of people who heat up frozen meals from the freezer aisle EVERY day at my office. It's truly a shame. These days I've been packing lunch - I love simple rice, pickled korean vegetables, and maybe some dumplings.

    Reply
  103. lisadelrio

    February 07, 2009 at 5:52 pm

    After I read this post I double checked my calendar to make sure it's not April 1.

    However, my husband eats a fresh jalapeno with peanut butter every weekday morning.

    Reply
  104. Jenn S.

    February 07, 2009 at 5:53 pm

    Wow, I am loving all the ideas in this thread! Love the cabbage and PB sandwich...I think I'd add siracha sauce to it, to give it that spicy asian twist.

    When I'm at home, my favorite lunch is grilled peanut-butter and cheddar cheese. So good. The cheese and PB melt together in a salty sweet combo that can't be beat.

    Reply
  105. Beau

    February 07, 2009 at 6:15 pm

    Great sourdough bread toasted, buttered with two soft-medium poached eggs, kosher salt and pepper. Or great bread with tomatoes that have been dressed with olive oil, kosher salt, some garlic and pepper and let sit to develop a delicious juice to be sopped up with the bread.

    Reply
  106. Debbie Franco

    February 07, 2009 at 8:45 pm

    Lunch for me is usually leftovers from home, or since I work in the downtown part of my city with lots of restaurants around, whatever I'm in the mood for that day. I love peanut butter and bacon sandwiches, but have never even thought about peanut butter and cabbage. I may have to try that out.

    Breakfast is my eccentric meal. Sometimes I have bacon and eggs, but usually have either ramen noodles or homemade soup. I like the warm comfort of soup and it sure is tastier than oatmeal or cold cereal.

    Reply
  107. Steph

    February 07, 2009 at 9:12 pm

    I agree with whomever said he/she had no idea how this fit in your mouth. That looks like half a head of cabbage in your sandwich there!

    My staple starts with the no. 3 combo pho from my favorite local Vietnamese restaurant (rare brisket, tripe, tendon). I save the broth and top it off with new rice noodles and new bean sprouts for a few days. I know it sounds gross but honestly, I don't care. It's economical, and I'm unemployed.

    Reply
  108. RhodeIslandRed

    February 07, 2009 at 10:47 pm

    Some of these sound fantastic and Justin, that egg sand. is something I want right now at almost 11:00 at night! But, I have to admit to leftovers as well for lunch. My one gulity and disgusting pleasure is leftover salad with good olive oil and red wine vinegar from the night before that wasn't finished. All of the lettuce and vegetables limp with the marinade and a good hunk of tough crusted artisan bread to soak it all up with. Throw in a piece of hardcore dark chocolate for dessert grated on the bread and I'm ready to finish the afternoon.

    Reply
  109. john atkinson

    February 07, 2009 at 11:07 pm

    i'll try this but probably in a corn tortilla. we eat about 15 a day in the restaurant. maybe with some fish sauce in a rice flour pancake!

    Reply
  110. Merry

    February 08, 2009 at 6:43 am

    Its so nice to meet someone else who is a cabbage head like myself :-).
    I must admit that you top me with that combo. We eat a lot of cabbage because it is rich in calcium, and is a great substitute for my kids who don't drink milk.
    My lunch staples, because I work at home are fast and easy, like a microwaved backed potato, with a tuna topping or salad (cabbage maybe), or a pepper with cottage cheese inside, or just good old left overs.

    Reply
  111. Kim in Traverse City MI

    February 08, 2009 at 9:09 am

    PB & mayo sandwich! YUM!

    Reply
  112. Natalie Sztern

    February 08, 2009 at 10:58 am

    I'm BAAaaacccckkkk....mine is not so eccentric except that it began only a year ago: Peanut butter and sliced banana sandwiches or open faced accompanied by a cup of coffee...

    Reply
  113. Tags

    February 08, 2009 at 11:11 am

    -
    Why stop there?

    Be a man and make a smoothie out of it.

    Reply
  114. Amanda

    February 08, 2009 at 3:03 pm

    My staple lunch is brown rice with marinated tofu that I've seared off and a green veggie. This week it's chinese cabbage and organic kale that I braised in homemade chicken broth with some chipotle chile powder added.

    Reply
  115. Metaxa

    February 08, 2009 at 3:41 pm

    Whenever we cook (stir fry or scallop) cabbage I always have to cut up a third more than we need as the snacking from the raw cabbage pile is epidemic in the household. Going to try this sandwich for sure.

    Mine? Toasted wheat bread, skimmed with mayo, lots of onion bedded in the mayo with a pinch of salt and many grinds of pepper and sardines, almost as thick as that cabbage slice up top.

    Reply
  116. Zenpup

    February 08, 2009 at 8:37 pm

    Cream cheese with olives. Preferably very salty, green ones, stuffed with pimientos. On party rye. I was a skinny fussy eater as a kid, and my Mother tried all sorts of things, including leftovers from their "card evenings." Hence the cream cheese and olives. Peanut butter and bacon is also a favorite...but also a food crime, too, now that I'm not a skinny kid anymore.

    Reply
  117. Deb

    February 08, 2009 at 9:41 pm

    I will never again say my PB and tomato sandwiches are strange!

    Reply
  118. michelle

    February 08, 2009 at 9:52 pm

    I'm really glad to hear that I'm not the only one who eats raw cabbage. Hmm, I'll have to try that peanut butter cabbage sandwich thing. Sounds interesting. I recently did a post on my blog about a quick lunch made of canned beans. If you give 'em a good rinse and doctor 'em up with some onion and seasoning, they're not bad. Also, I like to take some good olive oil, heat it up and infuse it with red pepper flakes, some sliced garlic, and pour it over warm pasta and you've got a tasty lunch.

    Reply
  119. Ohiogirl

    February 08, 2009 at 11:11 pm

    Soup Soup Soup and Soup for lunch! With good bread. Second choice - leftovers from dinner.

    And peanut butter and cabbage? Hmmm. My mom has sworn by peanut butter, mayo and lettuce since her childhood. She still eats it today :

    Reply
  120. cherylk

    February 09, 2009 at 5:55 am

    Sarah, I thought I was the only other person in the world who grew up eating grilled peanut butter with chili. I made it for my son and his Frat house the last time I visited and they all loved it. My favorite lunch would be a BLT, a cup of soup and a big glass of un-sweet tea.

    Reply
  121. madgreek

    February 09, 2009 at 9:04 am

    This is good stoner food. Are you sure you didn't come up with this in college? ๐Ÿ™‚

    Something about this really made sense to me. I often snack on cabbage, brussels sprouts, or broccoli while cooking. I had one of these sandwiches for lunch this weekend with fresh homemade oatmeal wheat bread spread with about a tablespoon of organic Maranatha peanut butter on each slice, a 1" thich slice of cabbage, some thin carrot slices, and fresh red cherry chiles. I dipped it in sriracha. The heat from the chiles and sriracha combined with the textures and flavors coming out of that sandwich made for a really satisfying lunch. Thanks for sharing the idea.

    Part of me thinks you're messing with us. Sort of like conducting your own little social experiment to see how many actually make this strange sandwich. I did start salivating when I read your description of it. I am Pavlov's dog. You got me.

    Reply
  122. Beanie

    February 09, 2009 at 1:17 pm

    "Good Stoner Food" Ha!

    Oh, man...somebody said Grilled Cheese and Pickle Sandwich. Where's my frying pan? Oh, snap! I'm at work!

    Reply
  123. p_chefy

    February 09, 2009 at 10:33 pm

    My three-year-old's favorite lunch is plain yogurt with chopped fresh or frozen fruit mixed in, and granola sprinkled on top. Sometimes he doesn't want the granola and prefers goldfish crackers in his yogurt. I stick with the granola.

    I tend to wake up hungry so not eating breakfast is not an option for me.

    Reply
  124. Alison

    February 09, 2009 at 10:44 pm

    One of my favs is my Marinated Steak and Portobello Mushroom Sandwich.

    Made with leftover steak (or freshly grilled), it's delicious in any bread, especially warmed pita pockets or tortilla wraps.

    Ingredients:
    1 pound thinly sliced grilled or broiled steak
    1 or 2 large portobello mushrooms, sliced, sautรฉed or grilled
    1 medium tomato, thinly sliced
    1/2 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
    1/4 cup balsamic vinaigrette
    lettuce leaves
    your choice of bread

    Preparation:
    Place the first 4 ingredients in a bowl or heavy plastic bag. Add balsamic vinaigrette. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
    Place lettuce leaves on bread and top with the steak, mushrooms, tomato and pepper mixture.

    More often than not, I serve it with freshly made cole slaw.

    Reply
  125. liz

    February 10, 2009 at 1:42 pm

    Growing up, my grandfather Ernie used to make us peanut butter and mayo sandwiches. The mayo had to be Helman's. The combination was famtastic. It wasn't until I started to bring the sandwich to school, and the other kids were grossed out by it, did I realize it was a weird combo.

    Reply
  126. Chico

    February 10, 2009 at 2:09 pm

    Peanut butter and marshmallow cream grilled on sourdough bread...yyyuuuummmm!

    Reply
  127. Matt

    February 10, 2009 at 9:38 pm

    I work from home and a few times a week I make homemade ramen using chicken broth, rice noodles, soy sauce, hot sauce, carrots, frozen peas and an egg. It's quick, inexpensive and very satisfying.

    Reply
  128. Michael

    February 11, 2009 at 2:31 am

    Nothing beats a good old fashioned peanut butter and bacon sandwhich on toasted whole wheat bread. I've been doing this since I was a kid and I'm in my mid 40's now.

    Greely

    Reply
  129. Will

    February 12, 2009 at 5:11 pm

    Two thick slices whole wheat bread, warmed but not quite toasted. Spread a half avocado over one like a paste, top with a few slices of crisped bacon, a medium handful of sprouts (alfalfa, mustard, etc.) and a generous couple of splashes of hot sauce (Tabasco or Cholula). Apply second piece of bread, slice in half, voila. The only problem is if I eat too fast there's another half avocado just waiting . . .

    Reply
  130. Jenna

    February 13, 2009 at 11:15 am

    I am intrigued by this. Big raw cabbage fan myself. If my family has cabbage with a meal, I always request mine uncooked.

    Reply
  131. Erin

    February 13, 2009 at 11:35 am

    What's the red stuff in the bottom of the sandwich? Doesn't quite look like carrots to me. . .

    In Russia, cabbage is unbelievably cheap, the perfect thing for a grad student's diet and wallet. At the market, you can get a giant head of cabbage and a kilo each of onions, carrots, potatoes, and five bulbs of garlic for under $4. This is enough for soup for about two weeks--and soup's great three times a day! (of course, those three times are: lunch, dinner, and 2 a.m.--with a time schedule and diet like that, breakfast never sounds appealing anyway)

    Reply
  132. tokyoastrogirl

    February 13, 2009 at 6:54 pm

    I bring my lunch every single day, mostly because I don't want to plunk down $10 for a mediocre meal that I have to go fetch and also for health reasons (reason #1 being is I don't want to gain 50 pounds eating out every meal!). Most days it's just a combo of leftovers from the night before, but sometimes it's a raw onion sandwiches. I Love Raw Onion Sandwiches!

    The best version is made with 2 slices of thick, white, Japanese toast, a liberal spreading of Kewpie mayonnaise (ONLY Kewpie will do) and a few slices of thick cut, rinsed sweet onions & a dash of black pepper. Of course if I'm lucky enough to have any carmelized onions left over to make a sandwich, I'd make one with those and a slice of gruyere on nine-grain toast, but I love onions in any form.

    Reply
  133. tokyoastrogirl

    February 13, 2009 at 6:55 pm

    PS. I'm a cabbage lover myself, but my body makes, er, quite a bit of noise everytime I eat it. It certainly isn't due to any lack of fiber in my daily diet (I never met a veggie I didn't like) but cabbage really sets me off. Sorry to be so frank, but how to do avoid that? That's a big hunk of cabbage there!

    Reply
  134. kayenne

    February 14, 2009 at 12:59 pm

    @Vivian
    @Rockandroller
    I think what rockandroller is describing would be bibimbap. A korean staple. and i'm craving for it for days now! YUMM!!!

    This is more of a kiddie clubhouse i created when i was little for afternoon snacks, but would occasionally have for lunch nowadays when it's just me.

    toasted bread
    peanut butter
    sliced banana
    strawberry jam(i prefer raspberry now.)
    toasted bread
    mayonnaise(i use yellow mustard now , whenever we have it)
    scrambled egg
    sweet ham/spam or whatever other deli meat we have)
    ketchup
    toasted bread

    If I'm not too hungry, I omit the center toast and pile the scrambled egg, and ham when available, in after the banana.

    i used to get EWWs from my elders. but it's great! And then, on some hot summer days and we kids didn't like to eat much, they allow us to eat mangoes or chips with rice. or stir ketchup into rice and eat it with fried fish.

    --> trying to post this again... crossing my fingers. thanks, michael!

    Reply
  135. Carolyn Jung

    February 14, 2009 at 6:48 pm

    Well, peanut sauce makes a mighty fine topping for shredded cabbage, so why the heck not? If Elvis could do peanut butter, fried eggs, and Fluffernutter, you should be able to eat that cabbage-crazy sandwich above. ๐Ÿ˜‰

    Reply
  136. Carolyn in PDX

    February 14, 2009 at 7:39 pm

    Your sandwich made me think of my dad, who introduced me to peanut butter with liverwurst and mayo (we're southern--every sandwich gets the mayo treatment) when I was too young to think it was odd. I still love it today, though I've never been able to get my own kids to try it.

    Reply
  137. Clyde

    February 15, 2009 at 2:04 pm

    Wow...I certainly would never have thought of this combination. I certainly would have no clue as to why these two would taste good together; but, hey, I'm game. I'll give it a try. Do the two blend well in the stomach?

    Reply
  138. Clare

    February 16, 2009 at 12:23 pm

    A can of sardines in olive oil, a stack of saltines and a wedge of lemon. Perfection.

    Reply
  139. FoodPuta

    February 18, 2009 at 9:02 pm

    I'm usually pretty open to new ideas. You lost me on this one Ruhlman...

    I'll just have to take you word on it ๐Ÿ™‚

    Reply
  140. Tim Ross

    February 19, 2009 at 9:46 am

    Ruhlman,
    That sandwich is terrifying you are totally insane.

    Sincerely,

    Tim

    P.S. Peanut butter banana and honey is where its at, it was the King's sandwich of choice.

    Reply
  141. Gina

    February 19, 2009 at 3:43 pm

    Ever have one of those days where you rush to morning meetings all day and come lunch, you're starving and just need to get the heck out of the office?

    That's when my go-to lunch comes in - it's a dish from our local Vietnamese restaurant - steamed rice, Romaine lettuce, pickled and julienned carrots with daikon radish, sliced cucumbers, your choice of soft pork skin or sauted shrimp, two thinly sliced pork chops, fish sauce infused with red pepper flakes - and the best, glorius part . . . this super crispy, egg-over-easy on top.

    A few weeks ago, I got up the nerve to ask them to forget the pork chop and just give me an extra egg. The yolk just melts into the sticky rice and is wonderful with the fish sauce.

    I'm sure you would't want to get your cholesterol checked after this. But it's hot, creamy, cool, crunchy, sweet, sour and salty all at the same time.

    I'm so addicted, I even make it for myself at home on the weekends.

    Reply
  142. Aaron

    February 24, 2009 at 11:12 pm

    The last couple days have been leftover sticky rice. Nuke the rice in a freezer bag, roll it into balls and dip it into a sauce of Lea & Perrins, sembal olek, soy sauce, fish sauce, and a modest squirt of honey.

    After the rice is gone and a bit of the sauce is left, mix the remaining with a heaping spoonful of peanut butter for a salty/sweet dessert!

    There is something satisfying about rolling sticky rice into bite sized balls and dipping them into an Asian inspired sauce with ones fingers--popping them in to your mouth and licking your salty/sweet fingers. The feeling is akin to rolling a huge snowball through fresh snow to make a snowman... especially when your nose is running from the heat of the sembal olek. Its just like the runny nose that accompanied a cold snowy afternoon outside.

    Reply
  143. gbig

    February 25, 2009 at 3:11 pm

    Salmon, white rice and dill pickles. Add a touch of soy. There is something about pickles and rice that I love.

    Reply
  144. Tania

    February 27, 2009 at 7:56 am

    I make lamb broth soup with tomato paste, celery and carrot and onion... then I add some kind of small pasta (little stars - the finer the better)... not so crazy I guess but I always precede the meal with fresh garlic sliced on buttered toast.

    One of my quick night time meals is a pizza made with a souvlaki wrap for the base (which I always have on hand in the freezer), a whole can of crushed peeled tomatoes, big dollops of yoghurt (and of course basil). Variations include pancetta, mushrooms and zucchini and a bit of any strong cheese I might have on hand. (Goats, blue, parmezan, fetta). I would never make this for anyone else but I loooove it.

    Reply
  145. Tania

    February 27, 2009 at 7:58 am

    PS: I think your c and p sandwich looks spunky.

    Reply
  146. Felicia D'Ambrosio

    March 01, 2009 at 2:00 pm

    My boyfriend makes a sandwich from odds and ends we always have around... this is a real Philadelphia concoction!

    One Termini Brothers raisin tea biscuit, split and toasted in butter;

    Two slices bacon fried crisp and crumbled;

    Ricotta cheese smeared on one side of the biscuit;

    And very spicy hummous spread on the other.

    Mash together and eat lunch.

    Reply
  147. misty

    March 04, 2009 at 9:38 pm

    banana, milk, cocoa powder,and peanut butter swirled in a blender. honey or agave optional. I always drink it while cooking our main (3pm) meal. But I eat eggs and oatmeal everyday for breakfast so it doesn't need to be a lot.

    Reply
  148. HenrysMom

    March 08, 2009 at 5:10 pm

    My mom regularly ate peanut butter, Miracle Whip and iceburg on toast as a lunch sandwich. >ack< My visit to this side of the tracks: triscuits, sharp cheddar and my homemade bread and butter pickles. mmmm, trashy.

    Reply
  149. ashleigh

    March 10, 2009 at 2:53 pm

    imitation crab meat, banana peppers, lettuce and tomato on whatever bread i have lying around. i LOVE it.

    Reply
  150. Emily

    March 11, 2009 at 10:43 am

    Growing up on my grandma's farm, in the summer we had summer sausage with grape jelly sandwiches on white bread. Still to this day, when I buy cured meats, I still have a craving for something sweet to spread on it!

    Reply
  151. Joli-oh

    March 20, 2009 at 7:29 pm

    Deli turkey and avocado on cinnamon raisin bread!
    Or avocado, apple, goat cheese, and alfalfo sprouts on walnut bread...
    yum!

    Reply
  152. Edd T

    April 04, 2009 at 12:22 pm

    one of my favs is what I call Oeuf Cocotte.
    In a ramekin spay or coat with oil/fat then a slice of bread to shape if possible soak with a little 1/2 & 1/2 and if I feel fancy, vanilla. Then some pork product, par-cooked bacon, thin ham well season, of my fav procuitto. Put an egg on top throw in the toaster oven 350 F for 8 to 10 minutes.

    Eggs pouched in diced onions tomatoes and basil.

    Don't know about your cabbage with PB I think that would be too bitter. Maybe I will experiment with other greens on my sandwiches, baby spinach maybe.

    Reply
  153. Madelyn

    April 07, 2009 at 11:00 pm

    Our family recipe for BLT's include peanut butter (no tomato...BLPB?). Kind of goes along with RyanJ's peanut butter mayonnaise sandwiches. They are reaalllyyy good

    Reply
  154. Alan Goodrich

    April 30, 2009 at 11:08 pm

    Have you ever tried peanut butter and sweet pickles sliced thinkly? Great lunch!

    Reply
  155. tutashen

    June 01, 2009 at 1:22 pm

    um you might laugh but I go for walks now the weather is nice an almost always find a few beer bottles two gives me twenty cents enough to buy a package of chinese instant noodles an I pick dandilion leafs on the way i chop the leafs up an toss in the cold water then add noodles when its boiling if i have a piece of fish or some meat left over add that basicly eating for free an I just love those noodles so quik to make

    Reply
  156. mandy

    June 04, 2009 at 11:27 am

    I tried your sandwich--it was awesome. The cabbage made the peanut butter taste even sweeter. I remember seeing a peanut butter and lettuce tea sandwich in a cookbook from around 1900 (Google Books), so this is not that far fetched.

    Reply
  157. sXe

    June 28, 2009 at 5:17 pm

    Ha. Lunch is my favorite meal. Thank

    Reply
  158. Knight Online

    June 28, 2009 at 5:18 pm

    I don't usually eat lunch and now that I've seen what you eat, I know I'm on the right path. Wow, that's funky brother. Thank

    Reply
  159. Heather

    September 15, 2009 at 3:23 pm

    I just dropped by to tell you that I am snacking on cabbage with peanut butter today. Thanks....never would've put the two together had I not recalled this post when hungry and finding a small amount of leftover cabbage in the fridge!

    Reply
  160. hungrywoolf

    September 20, 2009 at 11:31 pm

    Krema nut company in Columbus have a spicy peanut butter that might add an interesting twist

    Reply
  161. laura

    November 04, 2009 at 10:25 pm

    it's super late to comment on this, but i came upon it after making a discovery. tonight i was making cabbage soup, and i was munching on the cabbage in between boiling and stirring. i'd never tasted raw cabbage before (silly, i know), and the second i put the first bite into my mouth, i instantly thought "this needs peanut butter." i took a little wedge and smeared some on out of curiosity - i'm not one to deny unmistakable food instincts when they strike me - and IT WAS AWESOME. the cabbage is slightly sweet and nutty with a firm crunch, topped with peanut butter...amazing. i realize it's normal to make cabbage stir fries or slaws with asian peanut sauce, but something about the purity of the cabbage + peanut butter combo is really delicious.

    can't wait to try this sandwich!!!

    Reply

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