Good morning! Today we have for you:
The delicious is in the detailsAll BLTs contain the same basic ingredients, but that doesn’t mean they are all alike. The thickness and crustiness of the bread, the crispness of the bacon, the type of lettuce, the ripeness of the tomato, the brand and amount of mayonnaise — all these details, plus about a million others, hugely impact the sandwich on your plate. I thought about all this recently when I read J.J. Goode’s piece about his BLT ideal. J.J. is a brilliant writer and cookbook author and knows his way around a sandwich. But our BLT approaches are wildly distinct. For his recipe, J.J. fries mayonnaise-coated bread until golden, uses iceberg lettuce for an airy crunch and prefers floppy, slightly fatty bacon. I dip toasted bread in the drippings from the bacon pan before smearing on the mayo, opt for Little Gem or bibb lettuce and cook the bacon until it’s thoroughly rendered and unbendable, so it shatters like a potato chip when you take a bite. All of this is to say that BLT-making is a personal journey. And let it be a timely reminder that no matter how you make yours, you should make one soon, before tomato season disappears down the pumpkin-spice-laden path. Featured Recipe BLTsMore (bacon, lettuce and tomato-filled) food for thoughtJuicy BLT: The secret to Clare de Boer’s BLT is marinating the tomatoes in red wine vinegar and salt before building the sandwich, and adding olive oil to the mayonnaise. It makes a complexly flavored sandwich that’s best eaten over the sink. BLT tacos: I borrowed this concept from my friend Neil, who thinks most BLTs suffer from too much bread and not enough bacon. Made with warm corn or flour tortillas, these are lighter than the usual sandwich, and have a spicy, vinegary bite from a drizzle of hot sauce coating the tomatoes. BLT pasta: From the pasta maven Colu Henry, this speedy, summery dish is made from crisp bacon, juicy cherry tomatoes sautéed in the bacon fat and a ruffle of arugula for color and tang. Tomato, bacon and corn salad: Christian Reynoso’s hearty salad is a bit like a BLT in a bowl, with the added attractions of creamy avocado, lime juice and fresh summer corn. Chocolate egg creams: Egg creams are pure childhood nostalgia for me and seem fitting alongside or after a BLT lunch. Phil Rosenthal’s recipe (adapted by Julia Moskin) is as classic as they come, a mix of Fox’s U-Bet chocolate syrup, bubbly seltzer and just enough milk (never cream) to soften the edges. That’s all for now. If you need technical assistance, you can email the team at cookingcare@nytimes.com. And I’m at hellomelissa@nytimes.com if you want to say hi — or tell me how you make your BLTs! I’ll see you on Sunday. For a limited time, you can enjoy free access to the recipes in this newsletter in our app. Download it on your iOS or Android device and create a free account to get started.
|
