The club sandwich wasn't the first double decker sandwich, and that honor might go to the Mosaic Sandwich, although most people probably have never heard of it. Some recipes for the Mosaic sandwich even called for more than three slices of bread. It's also important to note that nearly all of the Mosaic recipes do not call for toast, just sliced bread, a major difference from the club sandwich.
The first reference I found to the Mosaic sandwich was in Ladies Home Journal, vol. 16, June, 1899, which stated, “The Mosaic sandwich is both new and wholesome. It is made by cutting white and whole meal bread into thin slices, spreading with butter, covering a white slice with chopped beef, placing over it a slice of the brown bread, then beef, then white bread, pressing all together and cutting into strips the length of the slice and an inch wide."
The key to the Mosaic sandwich is the use of different colored breads, like white and wheat, and using at least three slices. Although chopped beef is the filling for this recipe, the nature of the fillings would vary over the years, and never seemed to evolve into a standard, which might be one of the reasons why it never became an iconic sandwich.
The New York Tribune (NY), June 22, 1903, mentioned, “Mosaic sandwiches are those in which slices of entire, white, wheat and brown bread are used. Spread with butter and press together so that the colors contrast.” This brief note doesn't state which fillings were used.
A little more information was presented by the Philadelphia Inquirer (PA), July 19, 1903, which printed, “The Mosaic sandwich is a novelty to many, made of white and brown or whole wheat bread. The first piece is of white, covered with filling, then a slice of brown, and last a white slice is added. Any kind of filling is used." We see then that the nature of the fillings wasn't important, just the alternating color of the breads.
A sandwich menu was offered in an advertisement in The Appeal (MN), September 2, 1905, and it noted that a Mosaic sandwich cost 25 cents, the same as a club sandwich.
Was the Mosaic sandwich of Russian origin? The Buffalo Morning Express (NY), August 17, 1906, wrote that it was, noting, “…the Mosaic sandwich which never fails to make its appearance at all social functions in the real of the Czar,…” However, I have been unable to find any supporting evidence to support this assertion. No other source I found claimed that the Mosaic originated in Russia.
The New York Tribune (NY), June 22, 1903, mentioned, “Mosaic sandwiches are those in which slices of entire, white, wheat and brown bread are used. Spread with butter and press together so that the colors contrast.” This brief note doesn't state which fillings were used.
A little more information was presented by the Philadelphia Inquirer (PA), July 19, 1903, which printed, “The Mosaic sandwich is a novelty to many, made of white and brown or whole wheat bread. The first piece is of white, covered with filling, then a slice of brown, and last a white slice is added. Any kind of filling is used." We see then that the nature of the fillings wasn't important, just the alternating color of the breads.
A sandwich menu was offered in an advertisement in The Appeal (MN), September 2, 1905, and it noted that a Mosaic sandwich cost 25 cents, the same as a club sandwich.
Was the Mosaic sandwich of Russian origin? The Buffalo Morning Express (NY), August 17, 1906, wrote that it was, noting, “…the Mosaic sandwich which never fails to make its appearance at all social functions in the real of the Czar,…” However, I have been unable to find any supporting evidence to support this assertion. No other source I found claimed that the Mosaic originated in Russia.
This article also provided a recipe for the Mosaic: “Take an almost paper-thin slice of pumpernickel, and butter it sparingly; upon it place an almost equally thin slice of ham, and, over that, a slice of white bread, buttered on both sides. Upon the white bread spread a layer of caviar, and over this put another slice of pumpernickel, both sides of which must also be buttered; then, in the following rotation, a slice of chicken, a slice of white bread, buttered, a layer of cream cheese, and another slice of pumpernickel.” The sandwich is then “.., put into a press, where it is allowed to remain, under a heavy weight, for more than half an hour. When brought to the table it is cut in perpendicular slices with a sharp knife.”
It's interesting that this sandwich requires five slices of bread, three pumpernickel and two white. The fillings include ham, butter, caviar, chicken, and cream cheese, and the recipe does have a Russian flair, but this recipe wouldn't be repeated in future newspapers or cook books. This is also the first recipe to mention how the sandwich is placed under a weight to make it thinner, and thus better able to be eaten as a sandwich. This advice would be common in future recipes.
Briefly, the Pacific Commercial Advertiser (HI), July 18, 1909, stated, “For mosaic sandwiches use a slice each of entire wheat, white and brown bread. Spread with butter and press together so the colors will contrast.”
The first cook book with a recipe for the Mosaic sandwich was likely The Up-To-Date Sandwich Book: 400 Ways To Make a Sandwich (1909) by Eva Green Fuller, which actually had two recipes for this sandwich. First, there was, “Mosaic Sandwich. White, brown and graham bread are used for this sandwich. Cut the slices thin and spread with green butter. The butter is made by putting cold boiled spinach through a sieve, season with finely chopped parsley and capers, and mix smooth with creamed butter. Put slices together.”
Briefly, the Pacific Commercial Advertiser (HI), July 18, 1909, stated, “For mosaic sandwiches use a slice each of entire wheat, white and brown bread. Spread with butter and press together so the colors will contrast.”
The first cook book with a recipe for the Mosaic sandwich was likely The Up-To-Date Sandwich Book: 400 Ways To Make a Sandwich (1909) by Eva Green Fuller, which actually had two recipes for this sandwich. First, there was, “Mosaic Sandwich. White, brown and graham bread are used for this sandwich. Cut the slices thin and spread with green butter. The butter is made by putting cold boiled spinach through a sieve, season with finely chopped parsley and capers, and mix smooth with creamed butter. Put slices together.”
The second recipe stated, “Mosaic Sandwich. Cut two slices each of white and dark graham bread; cream one-quarter cup of batter until white. Spread a slice of white bread with the creamed butter, then place a slice of graham bread on it; then spread graham bread with cream butter; repeat. Place a light weight on all four slices. When butter hardens remove the weight, then cut in thin slices downward.”
Both of these recipes basically use only butter as a filling, very simple items, which might have appealed to people without the money to purchase more substantial ingredients, such as meat or poultry.
Another cookbook, Tried and True: Five Hundred Recipes With Practical Culinary Suggestions (1909) by Carolyn Putnam Webber, presented a different recipe, “Mosaic Sandwich. Cut four slices of white and five of graham bread, one-half inch in thickness, spread with creamed cheese, a slice of white, place on it a slice of graham, spread with cheese and nuts or olives, place on it a slice of white and repeat process, twice using graham, white or graham three times. Place under weight. After a while combine the three and press again before cutting.”
Another cookbook, Tried and True: Five Hundred Recipes With Practical Culinary Suggestions (1909) by Carolyn Putnam Webber, presented a different recipe, “Mosaic Sandwich. Cut four slices of white and five of graham bread, one-half inch in thickness, spread with creamed cheese, a slice of white, place on it a slice of graham, spread with cheese and nuts or olives, place on it a slice of white and repeat process, twice using graham, white or graham three times. Place under weight. After a while combine the three and press again before cutting.”
This recipe used 9 slices of bread!! Does any sandwich really need that many slices of bread? The possible fillings included creamed cheese, nuts and olives.
The Twentieth Century Cook Book (1914) published by the Twentieth Century Club of Berkeley had another recipe, “Mosaic Sandwich. Cut 3 slice each of white and dark graham bread. Spread a slice of white bread with creamed butter and place a slice of graham bread on it. Now spread graham with creamed butter and place on a slice of white. Repeat this process, beginning with graham. Put both piles in a cool place with a light weight on them. When the butter has become hardened, trim each pile even, cut each pile in 3 1/2 -inch slices. Spread with creamed butter and put together so that a white block will alternate with a graham one. Put under weight in a cool place and when butter is hardened cut in this slices.”
The Twentieth Century Cook Book (1914) published by the Twentieth Century Club of Berkeley had another recipe, “Mosaic Sandwich. Cut 3 slice each of white and dark graham bread. Spread a slice of white bread with creamed butter and place a slice of graham bread on it. Now spread graham with creamed butter and place on a slice of white. Repeat this process, beginning with graham. Put both piles in a cool place with a light weight on them. When the butter has become hardened, trim each pile even, cut each pile in 3 1/2 -inch slices. Spread with creamed butter and put together so that a white block will alternate with a graham one. Put under weight in a cool place and when butter is hardened cut in this slices.”
This hearkens back to the previous recipes which called for only butter as a filling, although it also calls for six slices of bread. The sandwich is supposed to be pressed again, with a weight, to make it thinner.
A different recipe was published in Salads, Sandwiches and Chafing Dish Recipes (1916) by Marion Harris Neil, M.C.A. “Mosaic Sandwich. 1 cream cheese. 2 ½ tablespoonfuls peanut butter. 1 chopped pimiento (canned red pepper). Salt and paprika to taste. White and Graham bread. Mash the cheese and mix it with the peanut butter, pimiento, salt and paprika to taste. Cut three slices each of white and Graham bread, one-half inch thick. Spread a slice of the white bread with mixture and place a slice of Graham bread upon it. Spread this mixture and place on it a slice of white bread. Repeat this process, beginning with the slice of Graham bread. Put both piles in a cold place under a light weight for one hour. Remove the weight, and cut each pile in three and one-half inch slices. Spread two of them with the prepared mixture, and put together in such a way that a white block is alternately with a Graham one, making a checker appearance. Wrap in damp cheesecloth and again place under a light weight in a cool place. Remove the weight at serving time and cut in dice.”
This recipe also calls for six slices of bread, although there fillings different, as this recipe calls for cream cheese, peanut butter, and pimineto. Again, there was no meat or poultry in this sandwich, which might make it a less expensive sandwich. We can see there is little consistency in the Mosaic sandwich, beyond the alternating colors of the bread.
Six slices again! There was a recipe in the Boston Herald (MA), January 17, 1926, noting, "Mosaic Sandwich. Cut slices of white bread and graham, whole wheat or Boston brown bread one-half inch thick. Make two butter sandwiches of three layers each, with cream cheese between, using a slice of dark bread between two slices of white. Make a similar sandwich using two slices dark bread to one slice white. Cut each sandwich in strips one-half inch wide. Place together with butter and cream cheese, alternating three of the strips, one from each of the three sandwiches so a square of the graham bread is opposite a square of the white bread. Press together lightly. Beginning at the end, cut the strips into slices. Raisin bread may be used instead of white.”
Six slices again! There was a recipe in the Boston Herald (MA), January 17, 1926, noting, "Mosaic Sandwich. Cut slices of white bread and graham, whole wheat or Boston brown bread one-half inch thick. Make two butter sandwiches of three layers each, with cream cheese between, using a slice of dark bread between two slices of white. Make a similar sandwich using two slices dark bread to one slice white. Cut each sandwich in strips one-half inch wide. Place together with butter and cream cheese, alternating three of the strips, one from each of the three sandwiches so a square of the graham bread is opposite a square of the white bread. Press together lightly. Beginning at the end, cut the strips into slices. Raisin bread may be used instead of white.”
Butter and cream cheese is the filling, and its interesting that the recipe also offers a variation of using raisin bread instead of white bread.
A simple butter filling makes its appearance again. The Bellingham Herald (WA), January 4, 1927, presented a recipe,“Mosaic sandwiches are very simple sandwiches, but they look pretty and taste delicious. Cut three slices of white and graham bread one-half inch in thickness. Spread a slice of white bread with creamed butter and put a slice of graham bread on it. Spread this with butter and place on it a slice of white bread. Repeat this process beginning with a slice of graham. Put both piles in a cool place under a light weight. When butter has become firm, trim each pile evenly and cut in three one-half inch slices. Spread these with butter and put together in such a way that a white block will alternate with a graham one. Place again in a cool place under a weight and when butter has become perfectly hard cut in thin slices for serving.”
The spinach butter also made a return in the Boston Globe (MA), September 11, 1931. “Mosaic Sandwiches—Use white and dark bread, putting the slices together with green butter. The butter is made as follows: Boil spinach, put through sieve, drain as dry as you possibly can, and season with finely chopped parsley and capers, making perfectly smooth by beating in creamed butter.”
The Mosaic sandwich never vanished, although it is not commonly found. The Lansing State Journal (MI), July 19, 1956, printed an interesting variation, “Mosaic Turkey Sandwich. Cut circles of breads, both brown and white with doughnut cutter. Also cut solid circles of same size. Spread a slice of white bread with turkey salad paste. Top with dark bread ring. Fill center with cranberry sauce and a sprig of watercress or parsley. Press a small white bread circle on to cranberry center.”
The Aiken Standard (SC), December 28, 1977, presented a simple recipe for a Mosaic sandwich, simply calling for 2 slices of white and 2 slices of whole wheat, with any kind of filling you desired.
On a final note, the Albany Democrat-Herald (OR), July 25, 1989. in an article on Victorian times, noted, “One, a mosaic sandwich was made by cutting white and whole wheat bread into thin slices, spreading each with butter, then using a filling such as chopped beef between alternating slices of white and dark bread until the desired thickness was achieved. The layers were then pressed together and sliced in 1-inch strips.” This seems to replicate the information originally presented by the Ladies Home Journal, June, 1899.
In the end, the Mosaic sandwich is created using alternating colored breads, from three to nine slices, and the fillings can vary, from simple butter, to more elaborate recipes using chopped beef or turkey. A Mosaic sandwich is more about the look than the taste, an aesthetic choice over a culinary one. The lack of a more standard recipe for a Mosaic is also probably why the sandwich hasn't remained popular, and why the double decker club sandwich has taken center stage.
A simple butter filling makes its appearance again. The Bellingham Herald (WA), January 4, 1927, presented a recipe,“Mosaic sandwiches are very simple sandwiches, but they look pretty and taste delicious. Cut three slices of white and graham bread one-half inch in thickness. Spread a slice of white bread with creamed butter and put a slice of graham bread on it. Spread this with butter and place on it a slice of white bread. Repeat this process beginning with a slice of graham. Put both piles in a cool place under a light weight. When butter has become firm, trim each pile evenly and cut in three one-half inch slices. Spread these with butter and put together in such a way that a white block will alternate with a graham one. Place again in a cool place under a weight and when butter has become perfectly hard cut in thin slices for serving.”
The spinach butter also made a return in the Boston Globe (MA), September 11, 1931. “Mosaic Sandwiches—Use white and dark bread, putting the slices together with green butter. The butter is made as follows: Boil spinach, put through sieve, drain as dry as you possibly can, and season with finely chopped parsley and capers, making perfectly smooth by beating in creamed butter.”
The Mosaic sandwich never vanished, although it is not commonly found. The Lansing State Journal (MI), July 19, 1956, printed an interesting variation, “Mosaic Turkey Sandwich. Cut circles of breads, both brown and white with doughnut cutter. Also cut solid circles of same size. Spread a slice of white bread with turkey salad paste. Top with dark bread ring. Fill center with cranberry sauce and a sprig of watercress or parsley. Press a small white bread circle on to cranberry center.”
The Aiken Standard (SC), December 28, 1977, presented a simple recipe for a Mosaic sandwich, simply calling for 2 slices of white and 2 slices of whole wheat, with any kind of filling you desired.
On a final note, the Albany Democrat-Herald (OR), July 25, 1989. in an article on Victorian times, noted, “One, a mosaic sandwich was made by cutting white and whole wheat bread into thin slices, spreading each with butter, then using a filling such as chopped beef between alternating slices of white and dark bread until the desired thickness was achieved. The layers were then pressed together and sliced in 1-inch strips.” This seems to replicate the information originally presented by the Ladies Home Journal, June, 1899.
In the end, the Mosaic sandwich is created using alternating colored breads, from three to nine slices, and the fillings can vary, from simple butter, to more elaborate recipes using chopped beef or turkey. A Mosaic sandwich is more about the look than the taste, an aesthetic choice over a culinary one. The lack of a more standard recipe for a Mosaic is also probably why the sandwich hasn't remained popular, and why the double decker club sandwich has taken center stage.
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