// sandwich

Years ago, a French chief of  introduced  to Croque-Monsieur, the French version of a toasted ham and Swiss sandwich. It being loaded with butter and cheese, and absolutely the most delicious sandwich in the world. According to About.com  the word croque comes from the verb croquer or "to crunch". So a Croque-Monsieur roughly translates to "Mister Crunchy". The feminine version, a "Croque Madam", includes a fried egg on top. This classic French bistro sandwich is a great way to use up leftover ham.

I made this last week for dinner. My husband and I enjoyed the sandwiches so much, we had it again the following night for dinner.

Zucchini and fresh tomato slices make this a perfect summer sandwich. The recipe calls for chicken, but it would probably also work perfectly well with ham. Either focaccia or ciabatta bread can be used; this time we used ciabatta.

My friends would call these sandwiches for "ladies who lunch", and in fact, I first encountered them at a luncheon gathering of women friends. But one can't really go wrong with lightly toasted flatbread and an insalata Caprese  filling of tomatoes, fresh mozarella, and basil. The original recipe comes from a friend's Pampered Chef recipe; the following, my adaptation.

How do you like your burger?
People are no longer satisfied with just 2 all-beef patties, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles and onions! Don't get me wrong, there's nothing like a classic burger, but these days we tend to search for the extra-something that puts the "BAM" in the bite.
Ted has created bold flavor combinations that will rock your taste buds. His recipes showcase the flexibility of the burger, while ensuring that every cook and eater alike will be able to enjoy his exciting recipes.