Bread for sandwiches should be of fine even grain and twenty-four hours
old, except for rolled sandwiches, then it must be moist enough to be
pliable.
Sometimes it is well to wrap the loaves to be used for sandwiches in
damp cloths for three or four hours before preparing.
Dip the knife into hot water for slicing moist bread.
Thin, fresh crisped crackers or wafers are nice for sandwiches
when they are to be served right away, so they will not lose their
crispness. Wafers of pastry are suitable for some sandwiches.
Small round tins, like baking powder cans, are nice to bake bread in
for sandwiches. Be careful not to bake it too hard.
Do not cut the crust from the bread as a rule; it is the sweetest and
most wholesome part of the bread and the slices look so “naked” without
it.
Unless the loaf is of the regular sandwich style, cut it in two in the
middle, spread each cut surface, if butter is to be used, and cut off
a thin slice from each half loaf. Cover one slice with the sandwich
filling and lay the other on top of that, pressing well together. Cut
into triangles, squares or strips. Continue cutting slices from each
half loaf, then they will fit.
Cream (not melt) the butter before spreading; it may have chopped
parsley, onion or lemon juice or other flavorings worked into it.
For rolled sandwiches, the crust will have to be cut off unless it is
very pliable. Cut slices thin, spread with the desired filling and roll
as close as possible. If they should not stay together well, fasten
with sharp pointed Japanese toothpicks. They may be tied with baby
ribbon.
Steam figs, seeded raisins and dates and grind in food cutter for sweet
sandwiches.
Scrambled eggs are better in sandwiches than hard boiled. Hard boiled
eggs may be rubbed to a paste in a mortar, with butter and salt.
When mayonnaise dressing is used, put sandwiches together just before
serving.
Onion sandwiches, when carried, must be packed in a close covered box
by themselves.
To keep moist, cover plate with lettuce leaves, lay sandwiches on and
cover with dampened lettuce leaves. Or, cover plate of sandwiches
with a towel wrung out of cold water and set in cool place. Or, wrap
sandwiches in a damp napkin or waxed paper and place in close covered
tin box or stone jar and set in cool place. It is better to have
everything ready and put the sandwiches together just before serving.
_Garnishing_--Sandwiches are much more attractive if a few sprays of
parsley are placed around the edges before the second slice of bread
is laid on. Sprigs of celery or small spinach leaves may be used, or a
narrow strip of lettuce may be laid around the edges, so that it will
look like a dainty ruffle of green.
Sweet sandwiches may be served with cereal coffee, tea-hygiene, egg
drinks or egg creams.
Plates of sandwiches may be garnished with chervil, parsley, lettuce,
celery or carrot tops, ferns, leaves or flowers.