Classic Southern Sandwiches… A whole new category of Southern food began with the advent of the pre-sliced Pullman loaf of bread. If you were driving through Birmingham late at night years ago, you could see the fires of Sloss Furnace and smell the delightful aroma of fresh baked bread! Dainty Sandwiches were served in the nursery all the way to the grave as funeral food. Whole generations of children learned their shapes from dainty crustless sandwiches- rectangles, squares, triangles and circles. Dainty sandwiches, easy to pick up and digest- well, they became a perfect funeral food- with fillings to die for… Generations of school children had crustless Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches packed in brown bags- I know this because my best friend in second grade- lorded over me with hers by slowly mashing the filling up to the edge of her triangle and batting her pale blue eyes at me, then she would run out her little pink tongue and lick it off, while I was at the mercy of the lunch ladies to fix my plate with arguably the finest food in the region at Minnie Holman Grammar School. I do admit to trading a big warm yeast roll for a half of her dainty crustless sandwich! Crustless Sandwiches became known and revered as Tea Sandwiches. The finest cooks took almost as much time decorating Tea Sandwiches as they did icing Petit Fours for Afternoon Teas, Coffees, Bridal Tables and Ladies Luncheons. In fact our Southern mothers insisted on removing the bread crusts for dainty sandwiches and for toast points- leaving the crust on- just wasn’t done. However, two Classic Sandwiches did allow for crusts and were often eaten- privately (I’m sure) or by common folk who had the nerve to leave the crusts on…these two classic sandwiches are revered by Southerners- the Tomato Sandwich and the Classic Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato Sandwich. I do not know of a Southerner who doesn’t love a summer Tomato Sandwich above all others, but will turn their nose up if tomatoes are not in season. Second on the favorite sandwich list has to be the Classic BLT.
Now, I know there are Designer Versions out there and yes, some are very good- the problem is- once you veer away from Bacon Lettuce and Tomato- you don’t have a BLT anymore! Now, before summer tomatoes get ripe and for the few short weeks they are available to us, still warm from the vine- Southerners console ourselves with a hothouse tomato or maybe an early tomato shipped from Florida- but we know it won’t taste right in a Tomato Sandwich. Here’s the solution- what seems like an interminable period of time, when the tomato plants are in the ground and the flowers are set…on a warm sunny day- we dream of a Tomato Sandwich but we whet our appetites with a Bacon Lettuce and Tomato Sandwich. We actually leave the crusts on! Let me describe a real one…
- There cannot be enough Bacon- some like it thin and crisp- others like it on the thick side but the main criteria is that it must be fully cooked and drained on paper towels.
- While I have developed a taste for a healthier light wheat bread- Purists insist on Merita® or Bunny® Bread- the much maligned white bread is just right for a Summer Tomato Sandwich, however we never eat a BLT without Toasted Bread!
- Smear the toasted bread with Mayonnaise lemon-y and smooth- preferably homemade.. I know, I know- I’m just going for perfection here (find a commercial mayonnaise with lemon juice in it and add a squeeze or two and maybe the Grand Southern Ladies won’t notice!
- Cool, Crisp Crunch Lettuce on each side of the mayonnaise-d toasted bread.
- Take the best firm Tomato you can find. I prefer to slice the Tomato into a medium slice, some prefer thinly sliced- but the main requirement is to make sure there is enough Tomato to cover the surface so there is tomato in every bite.
- Fresh Cracked Black Pepper is a really nice touch, but regular pepper is a must, then just enough Salt to offset the less than perfect not-quite-summer Tomato.
- Now, you cannot eat a BLT whole, but please carefully cut this Classic Southern Sandwich on the diagonal before you eat it.
- Golden Flake Potato Chips are the perfect side and made right here in Alabama.
- And I am not opposed to a garnish of a perfect boiled egg dusted with paprika or a spicy pepper, but please not in or on the Classic BLT.
Our weekly household helper, Bea, occasionally made BLT sandwiches for me starting when I was four when my sister was in ‘big school’ and Momma was on her weekly shopping trip downtown- Bea wrapped the whole BLT in an amazing fashion with wax paper, then with a serrated knife cut right through the paper and sandwich- into those perfect triangles. Somehow she turned back the wax paper to catch the drips- telling me-
‘Now, missy if you gone eat this sam-ich, you gotta have it wrapped or the juices gonna run down yo’ ah-rm, and yo momma gonna whup me and you bof-h!’
Bea was right about those juices- I’m doubtful my sweet momma would’ve laid a hand on either one of us! You might want to diaper your BLT with a nice paper napkin…or shoot…just go ahead and let the juices run down your arm! On warm Spring days- I hope you will enjoy a Classic Southern Sandwich- the wonderful Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato! Love y’all, Camellia
*photographs are obviously mine
I’ve put this off for 7 years. I don’t believe in jumping in headfirst. I stuck my toe in the water yesterday- it’s almost Open Toe Season in Alabama- I went and got a pedicure, with red polish- of course. The classic summer toenail color in the South is red, I chose ‘Big Apple’ because truth be told I’d rather be headed to New York City than on a Beach trip where I’ll actually be expected to go in the water. Oh lord, those are scary words. Shopping for a Bathing Suit is painful, especially for a woman of a certain age and stature. My whole demeanor, posture and bearing change in a dressing room full of bathing suits. Let me make this clear- I live in Alabama, her coastline is one of the most beautiful in all the world- I’ve been going to the beach since I was a child and love it.
Now look at the writing on the back of one of those pictures of my Aunt Iva- she married out of the faith…and apparently started wearing bathing suits! Our Southern Mothers could be harsh when it came to Bathing Suits! 
A decent Two Piece Bathing Suit became acceptable when Annette Funicello was transformed from a cute Mouseketeer to a wholesome Beach Beauty . So, at age 13, barely out of my Mouseketeer Ears-I had a brand new Two Piece Bathing Suit that looked remarkably like Wonder Woman’s outfit- I was emboldened by it. I was going to take it out for a swim- a Dive was more like it. I went to the club early, hardly anyone was swimming… thank goodness. Mothers of toddlers were sitting sedately by the Baby Pool, a few golfers were practicing on the Putting Green nearby- this place was no Dive, it was a nice place where nice decent people went. The pool was Olympic sized for the Swim Team (which I wasn’t on). There was a Diving Well with a Low Board and a High Dive. I put everything in it’s place with my Two Piece and climbed up the steps, then walked all the way out to the end; now, don’t think I was brave enough to actually dive, I’m afraid of heights…Let me stop right here- all of this ‘face your fears mess’ is nonsense.
Big Momma is a Southern Icon. She’s the matriarch. Big Momma is a force of nature without blinking a charming eyelash- she’s cool, calm and always and forever collected. She’s the hand that rocked the cradle while the menfolks ventured forth to trailblaze, fight, lead or evangelize. Big Momma may be beautiful but she is no simpering Southern Belle. She sails through troubled waters with the dignity of the QE2. When everyone else is jumping ship, Big Momma is bailing water. Big is a misnomer, my unofficial polling suggests Big Momma isn’t necessarily a ‘big’ woman at all- she may be small of stature but all Big Mommas are statuesque in character, generally having considerable but quiet influence.
She is connected to her family, her children, her husband and often beyond the core family. She firmly believes that people need to be seen about, taken care of- tended to- therefore her arms embrace the many instead of the few. Big Momma is defined by her character and her expectations. She expects her brood to do better than their ancestors, she expects good grades, good behavior and expects her own to have some gumption. Big Momma doesn’t put up with cheap or low morals which has always led to a bad reputation. She stresses that- a bad reputation doesn’t stop at the offender, it reflects poorly on the entire family. Her standards for herself are high; starched and clean- smelling of an intoxicating blend of talcum and lemon verbena, not a hair out of place- Big Momma has at least one high quality dress, one good winter coat and sensible walking shoes. She sees no use in a man looking seedy- it’s a bad reflection on his wife. Her husband may own the sawmill, but Big Momma runs the family business. That sawmill owner may have originated the phrase ‘Go ask your momma’… Never skittish, healthy as a horse, never thought about flying the coop-Big Momma is the hen who rules the roost. She runs the laundry, the garden, the store room, the land and the hen house. Big Momma is always in charge of the sick room- she relies on her own blend of home remedies, blames the full moon or the barometric pressure. 
Well, here we are in the middle of February! And while the major holidays are over, February has several celebration days besides the big one- Valentine’s Day! The Chinese New Year is rarely celebrated in the South but that doesn’t mean we don’t take notice-this is the year of the Fire Rooster, which began on January 28. My sister usually informs me of what year it is after she picks up her dry cleaning or if I get a hankering for Chinese food, I let her know. We can rest a bit easier if we’ve been told- it’s a good year. You can bet we know about Ol’ Red Roosters in the South.
It seems like we’re always watching the moon, shooting for the moon, eating or throwing Moon Pies® in Alabama! I’ve been asking my local grocer when they were going to get Moon Pies in- no one knew; but they all wanted one! As I was headed out of the store this week I spied them, turned around, grabbed two boxes and went through the line again to buy them! 
Camellia's Cottage 