Tired, as I had been up since 3am, driving to and from Fresno, CA where I was tasting our newest pasta sauce production.
Stressed, as I had just approved 12,000 jars of sauce to be run, and wasn't sure that the tastes were exactly what I wanted.
Hungry, as I had foregone eating anything substantial 1.) to help keep my palate intact, 2.) because I simply ran out of time.
A little bummed, as I was 30 minute away from my reservation at the French Laundry, knowing full-well that I was likely going to devour anything that made its way onto my table. This was not going to be me carefully tasting the delicate and thoughtful expressions that are a cornerstone of the restaurant. Instead, this was going to go down a la the 'I just took a huge bong rip and now I can't cram this shit into my pie hole fast enough' approach.
Enter my wife, to save the day, with a baguette, prosciutto and pepper jack cheese. No condiments. Basic.
The take-away was 2-fold.
1.) My wife is the best, coolest, most rad person that I have ever met, and I feel like the luckiest person alive to have her in my life. Being more tired than I, she - without a moment's hesitation - was gone and back with a simple solution to the problem.
2.) Less can be more.
Without the addition (perhaps distraction?) of flavors typically provided by mustards, dressings, sauces, vegetables, etc. I was able to focus on the 3 ingredients. Bread, ham and cheese. Balance was found. This sandwich was perfection at that time. Often times I find myself so embellishing the hell out of sandwiches, that I lose sight of why they can be great. Simplicity, of course, is the answer.
Although not always right for every situation, I will definitely be more inclined to simplify things if this is the end result. I just need to continue to remind myself to do this. Just use the simplest, freshest and best ingredients. Let the food do the work.
Hmmm...seems like I've heard that somewhere before.
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