September Sandwich Invitational 2024

The challenge

Create a signature sandwich that exemplifies what you, in your heart, truly believe is the best of what a sandwich can offer. Share it with friends in good natured competition. Partake in each other’s sandwiches, and taste the unique visions of your friends.

The Rules

  • The sandwich must be unique to you. This could be your own version of an existing sandwich, or something completely original.
  • Keep your sandwich secret until the event.
  • Make three identical versions of the same sandwich.
    • One for reference
    • One for the judges
    • One to share with your fellow sandwich artists.
  • Present your sandwich with a small side and beverage.
  • What defines and constitutes a sandwich is up to you, as long as you can justify it.
  • You are not required to make every component of the sandwich. Much of the art of sandwiches is curation, so what you choose to put in is as important as what you make yourself.
  • However, you must be the only sandwich artist. No teams.

The Contest

A panel of three judges will sample and score your sandwich according to three categoreis. All judgement is relative to each sandwich’s vision, not based on an ideal of what a sandwich should be:

  1. Taste
  2. Presentation – This includes structure, plating, and preparation.
  3. Concept – This doesn’t imply high concept. Simply – what have you tried to do, and how well did you do it? It could be simply “this is what a sloppy joe means to me” or as complex as “this sandwich expresses the life and accomplishments of Klaus Nomi”

Logistics

When: Last week of September

Where: TBD – please report your prep needs to Ním, and he will figure out the best venue to suit everyone. Possibly it will be his house, but who knows.

Why: Do you even need to ask.

Influences

To be clear, I don’t think you should make a sandwich that tastes like your personality, but, after seeing Caitlyn’s potato tattoo, I think this might be subconsciously influenced by Sideways Stories From Wayside School. Specifically the chapter Maurecia, in which ice cream flavors are made that so perfectly reflect the personalities of each student that no one can taste their own flavor. According to shmoop.com’s study guide for this chapter:

The strangeness of person-flavored ice cream aside, this means that the ice cream is a symbol for getting to know people. You never know who you’ll end up liking if you just give them a chance… or a lick, as the case may be. Plus each flavor is different, which also reminds us that the kids at Wayside—just like the rest of us—are each unique and wonderful in their own way.

I do 100% endorse the idea that your sandwiches should remind us that we are each unique and wonderful in our own way.
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