""Honey, you are 300 sandwiches away from an engagement ring." When New York Post writer Stephanie Smith made a turkey and swiss on white bread for her boyfriend, Eric (aka E), he took one bite and uttered those now-famous words. While her beau's declaration initially seemed unusual, even antiquated, Stephanie accepted the challenge and got to work. Little did she know she was about to cook up the sexiest and most controversial love story of her generation. 300 Sandwiches is the story of Stephanie and E's epic journey of bread and betrothal, with a whole loaf of recipes to boot. For Stephanie, a novice in the kitchen, making a sandwich--or even 300--for E wasn't just about getting a ring; it was her way of saying "I love you" while gaining confidence as a chef. It was about how many breakfast sandwiches they could eat together on future Sunday mornings, how many s'mores might follow family snowboarding trips, how many silly fights would end in makeup sandwiches. Suddenly, she saw a lifetime of happiness between those two slices of bread. Not everyone agreed. The media dubbed E "the Internet's Worst Boyfriend"; bloggers attacked the loving couple for setting back the cause of women's rights; opinions about their romance echoed from as far away as Japan. Soon, Stephanie found her cooking and her relationship under the harsh glare of the spotlight. From culinary twists on peanut butter and jelly to "Not Your Mother's Roast Beef" spicy French Dip to Chicken and Waffle BLTs, Stephanie shares the creations--including wraps, burritos, paninis, and burgers--that ultimately sated E's palate and won his heart. Part recipe book, part girl-meets-boy memoir, 300 Sandwiches teaches us that true love always wins out--one delicious bite at a time"--
This is the story - the WHOLE story - about the internet sensation from a couple of years ago. The woman who was making 300 sandwiches for her boyfriend that would, eventually, culminate in an engagement ring. I remember conversations online, some of which were supportive and many of which were not. I was curious what the real story was, and so I wanted to read this book.
There are a few things I took away from this, other than several interesting recipes for sandwiches. First was a reminder to be very careful about trusting anything on the internet. Far from being the crazy, feminism-wrecking woman that she was often made out to be, Stephanie Smith is independent, capable, intelligent, and talented. And her boyfriend, E, who was similarly vilified in the media, was as far away from the stereotypes he was painted with as one could be. Second - there are reasons old maxims hold true for so long (In this case, "The way to a man's stomach...") - because they quite often have at least a nugget of reality to them. And third, that the book is interesting in its own right.
Each short chapter (most only a few pages) covers a little bit more about the relationship and her fear in the kitchen. They discuss her family, their life together, and her growth as a cook, as a girlfriend, and as a person in general. Each chapter is ended with at least one (though usually more) recipes for sandwiches, condiments, or other delicious food that was a part in that chapter. The writing is good - sort of like chatting with a friend over coffee - and the short chapters keep the reader from feeling overwhelmed.
I really enjoyed reading this, and kudos to Smith and her boyfriend for realizing that this was their own personal journey and continuing on in the face of what was probably overwhelming criticism from so many. As for the recipes? With summer coming, I'm thrilled to have an arsenal of recipes to try!
