You Are My Hero Sandwich

My mother is my hero. There are some people meant to do well in business. Others have a knack for sports. My mother was born to be a wife, mother, and especially a grandmother. As stated in previous posts she is the quintessential mother bear. The following is a recent example that illustrates my point.

Right before we sat down to eat, the 7.2 earthquake occurred in Mexico . My parent’s home is located about an hour and a half from Mexico’s border so we felt the quake quite significantly. My sister, my mother and I were exchanging Easter gifts when the first quake occurred. My sister and I were standing there trying to process what was happening when my mother jumped into action. She yelled, “The baby!” and shoved my sister and I out of the way. She sprinted down the hall faster than an Olympic athlete as windows on both sides of her were shaking vigorously. My sister followed her and I waddled after them. My son had been taking a nap in my parent’s room. When my mother reached him she picked him up and shielded every part of him with her body. I knew that at this point she possessed super human strength and if a wall came crashing down, she had the adrenaline to push it aside.

The shaking stopped, then started again…this time for a longer period. It was enough time for us to argue where we should go. My mother went old school under the arch of the doorway, while my sister and I were telling her to lay on the side of a piece of furniture as the experts now say that when the furniture collapses it’s compression leaves a triangular crawl space around it that can keep a person alive. By this time my husband reached us and told us all to go outside. By the time we finished discussing what we should do, the earthquake stopped. My mother stood there in tears holding Demetri who was still half asleep and was wondering what was going on. I was in tears because I was thinking I was a failure as a mother.

My sister, knowing what I was thinking rubbed my back and told me another story about my mother’s amazing feats. When my eldest nephew was about Demetri’s age, my mother and sister were in a dead sleep when an earthquake occurred. My sister woke up to my mother leaping over her and shielding my nephew with her body. The painting on the wall was moving, so with superhuman strength, she used one arm to rip it off the wall so that it didn’t fall on her grandson. By the end of the earthquake my sister had finally woken up to understand what was happening and my mother had rearranged the furniture to make sure nothing could fall on my nephew. She felt like a failure as a mother that evening too.

My mother is my hero for many reasons, but especially for her fierce protection of our family. For this reason I am dedicating this recipe to her. It is titled, “You Are My Hero Sandwich.” I am asked to make this sandwich all the time for picnics, outdoor gatherings, and the like. This is not a sandwich for someone who is on a diet. This is what you will need:

One large loaf of bread that is crusty on the outside but soft on the inside (I like sheepherder’s bread or a fresh sourdough loaf, but choose anything you might like)
* 1 pound deli turkey
* ½ pound deli ham
* ½ pound hard salami
* ½ pound sharp cheddar cheese
* ½ pound cheese
* 1 jar olive tapenade (you can usually find this in your local grocery store)
* ½ head iceberg lettuce sliced thinly
* 2 large tomatoes sliced thinly
* Pepperoncini (optional)
* Avocado (Optional)
* Greek seasoning or salt and pepper
* Olive oil
* Balsamic vinegar

Cut the bread lengthwise and remove the soft bread from the middle. This will create two large bread bowls. On the bottom bowl, spread the olive tapenade. Layer the meats and cheeses on top of one another. Layer the vegetables on top of the meats and cheeses. Combine the oil, vinegar, and seasoning together and pour it onto the top piece of bread, letting it soak in before placing it on the top of the sandwich. If you want to make this up to a day in advance, put the sandwich together leaving out the vegetables and dressing. Put on the veggies and dressing before you plan to serve it. Cut into wedges. This is my family’s all time favorite sandwich. I hope you enjoy it.