While the Earl of Sandwich is credited with “inventing” the sandwich in 1762, he actually only introduced the concept to western Europe.

The principle of bread and a filling likely dates back to around 9000 B.C.E., when man first harvested grain and created unleavened flatbreads. Flatbread rolled with a filling became common to early cultures worldwide.

The first recorded sandwich in history was made by Rabbi Hillel (Hillel the Elder), who lived in Jerusalem in the first century B.C.E., at the time of King Herod.

At a seder, Hillel observed the Passover ritual of eating bitter herbs or maror (grated horseradish) on matzoh. Inspired, he placed another Passover food, charoset—a sweet paste of fruits and nuts seasoned with cinnamon—on a slice of matzoh alongside the maror, and topped it with a second slice of matzoh. The practice, continued today, is known as the Hillel sandwich.

Take a bite of the history of the sandwich.

A shrimp po’ boy sandwich. Photo by Jason Perlow | Wikimedia.

August is National Sandwich Month, so honor the sandwich by trying something new. Beyond the BLT, grilled cheese and tuna on whole wheat is a world of super sandwiches.

 
STILL LOOKING FOR THE RIGHT CELEBRATORY SANDWICH?

Check out the different sandwich types in our Sandwich Glossary. Or invent your own sandwich. What better way to celebrate?
 

SEE ALL THE FOOD HOLIDAYS!

We get lots of pitches for gadgets that are also-rans. But every so often, we find something that’s simply superb. That’s how we feel about CapaBunga.

And most of us can use a few of these inexpensive wine bottle resealers, so consider your stocking stuffers and small house gifts taken care of.

CapaBunga is a reusable silicone cap that reseals a bottle of wine—no need to jam the cork back in, grab the Vacu-Vin, or other technique. It fits any wine bottle. And it just slips on, like a silicone sock.

Once you remove the cork and re-seal the bottle with a CapaBunga, it creates a vacuum in the bottle and is liquid-tight. The bottle can be stored upside down without leaking (or more realistically, on its side in the fridge).

At $7.95 for two, it’s a no-brainer gift for anyone who drinks wine.

Read the full review.

Lindt’s new HELLO Assortment actually reaches out to you: “HELLO, here I am! Nice to sweet you!…Let me sweeten your day with yummy chocolates.”

“Take me. taste me. Love me!” it beckons.

It’s hard to say no to an offer like that. Lindt is the world’s largest producer of premium chocolates, and this collection of chocolate bars, sticks (thin rods of chocolate) and boxed bonbons is a delight.

The Lindt HELLO collection is hitting shelves exclusively at Target, with select products available in Lindt Chocolate Shops and on LindtUSA.com.

We spent all Sunday—July 28th, National Milk Chocolate Day—eating everything Lindt sent us. Yes, this is a tough job.

Inspired by classic desserts and confections, the HELLO collection includes:

HELLO bonbons and chocolate sticks. Photo by Elvira Kalviste | THE NIBBLE.

While European cucumber salads tend to use cider vinegar and lots of fresh dill, the Thai twist uses rice vinegar and some heat: Thai chiles if you like things really hot, jalapeños or less fiery chiles if you don’t.

If you can find Thai basil, by all means use it; it’s a lovely purple color and a bit stronger in flavor than conventional sweet basil. Add as much or as little onion as you like.

Olive oil is not a conventional ingredient in Thai salads, but it cuts the heat of the chiles.

THAI CUCUMBER SALAD RECIPE

Ingredients For 4-6 Servings

1. COMBINE the sugar, salt, vinegar, optional olive oil and water together in a medium bowl; whisk until dissolved.

2. THINLY CHOP the green onions on an angle, using as much of the green stem as you like. Add to the dressing mixture.

3. SLICE the jalapeño or other chile lengthwise; remove the seeds and ribs if you want less heat. Thinly slice and add to the dressing mixture.

4. PEEL the cucumbers; slice lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Cut into 1/8″ slices. Add to the vinegar mixture along with the basil and optional cilantro. Combine all ingredients well,

5. REFRIGERATE and marinate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 3 hours. Serve chilled, topped with optional peanuts.

 
*While sugar offsets the heat of the chile, this is a lot of sugar. You can cut it in half, or use a lower glycemic alternative such as 2 tablespoons of agave nectar. We’ve also used a noncaloric sugar substitute.
  

When life gives you cucumbers, you can make cucumber soup, cucumber salad, add cukes to green salads and grain salads and make pickled cucumbers (that’s “pickles” to most of us, although any fruit or vegetable can be pickled).

You can make cucumber sandwiches or tea sandwiches (with butter and watercress, please!), add slices to wraps and summer rolls, mix diced cucumbers with yogurt and cottage cheese (and some fresh-cracked pepper). TIP: Instead of adding lettuce to a sandwich—or in addition to it—add thin cucumber slices.

You can get fancy with cucumber-wrapped sushi maki (called a naruto roll) or use cucumber slices as the base for goat cheese, tartare or other canapés.

And you can drink your cucumber: puréed into a juice or cocktail base, as a garnish in a Bloody Mary or Martini or other drink.

In fact, the easiest thing to do with a cucumber is to make cucumber water. If you’re a cucumber fan, you’ll love it: refreshing, flavorful and virtually calorie free.

CUCUMBER WATER RECIPE

Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. WASH cucumbers. You can leave the peel or remove it, especially if the cucumber is waxed.

2. SLICE cucumbers to desired thickness.

3. ADD optional lemon slices to make cucumber lemon water.

5. ADD to water. It infuses almost instantly.
 
CUCUMBER WATER IN A PITCHER

A pitcher gives you the opportunity to infuse fresh herbs into the water as well. We particularly like basil or rosemary, but experiment with your own favorites.

You can keep a pitcher of cucumber water in the fridge for a day or two. After that, the cucumber will start to go bad, so drink up!