Meanwhile, Back in the Kitchen

My parents made a version of this sandwich from the Time Life Foods of the World cookbook series. We loved it. Loaded with different ingredients, bathed in a vinaigrette (the title means "bathed bread"), weighted down and left for all the flavors to meld — it was the perfect summer meal. So I was intrigued when Cooks Illustrated had their own version and tried it out last weekend. Theirs is more like a Salade Niçoise than the one I grew up with, but I love Salade Niçoise so that was no bad thing! It was truly delicious, simple to assemble (though requiring about an hour), and perfect for hot weather. Note: We had extra pieces of this in the fridge for up to a week as we slowly consumed them for lunch (or breakfast!). It held perfectly well and could be made well ahead of time for a party or picnic if you let it come up to room temperature. PAN BAGNAT STEP 1 1 vine-ripened tomato, cored and sliced thin 1 small red onion, sliced thin 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Couronne means "crown" and this is obviously named for the shape. However, it is also fit for royalty. An enriched brioche dough is filled with ham, mozzarella and basil to make a wonderful meal. This is from Paul Hollywood's book Bread and it looks a lot harder than it is. On one hand it does take a fair amount of time for several dough risings. On the other hand, it is really impressive and really delicious and really basic to put together if you are used to making bread. If you aren't, then Paul Hollywood's description will lead you through it without a problem. Mom said it was better than pizza. Tom didn't want to make rash statements but he agreed it was at least equal to a very, very good pizza. Savoury Brioche Couronne Ingredients 500g strong white bread flour, plus extra for dusting 10g salt 10g instant yeast 170ml tepid whole milk 4 medium eggs (we used 3 large eggs) 250g unsalted butter, in small pieces, at room temperature 1 pound bu