What had sparked my interest in the caviar sandwich, this obsolete charming little tea sandwich, was the 1940's movie "Philadelphia Story." A wonderful old romantic comedy, starring Carey Grant, Katherine Hepburn and James Stewart. From the movie, there is an excerpt mentioning the sandwich.
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Macaulay Connor: This is the Bridal Suite. Would you send up a couple of caviar sandwiches and a bottle of beer?
Margaret Lord: What? Who is this?
Macaulay Connor: This is the Voice of Doom calling. Your days are numbered, to the seventh son of the seventh son.
Margaret Lord: Hello? Hello?
Tracy Lord: What's the matter?
Margaret Lord: One of the servants has been at the sherry again.
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Very funny. I love that movie. I love Carey Grant. What a handsome man. "They don't make them like they used to." My dear Granny would say to me, and then we would laugh with a little sigh.
It seems there are several versions of the caviar sandwiches. Like this one from Huffingtonpost.com, Vicki Tiel's article, 12/31/12, "Elizabeth Taylor's New Year's Eve Tradition."
"Elizabeth Taylor Caviar Sandwich Recipe: Use large Idaho potatoes. Prick the skin of the potatoes, then rub the outsides with cooking oil (not olive oil), and bake at 350 degrees for one hour. After removing from the oven, cut the potatoes in half lengthwise. Scoop out the insides, leaving only a little white potato clinging to the skins (save the insides for whipped Crème fraîche and butter mashed potatoes for the next day). Fill one potato half with Crème fraîche and top with two or three giant tablespoons of Iranian Beluga Caviar "grey babies," sprinkle on finely chopped white onions, and put the other crispy half of baked potato skin and close sandwich. Eat the sandwich with your hands in bed, off a silver platter. Share with your beloved and a glass of champagne."
Here are some other recipes to check out:
Caviar Sandwiches Recipes (oldfashionedcooking.com)
Caviar Egg Salad - Caviar Egg Tea Sandwiches (whatscookingamerica.net)
Yes, I can see myself now sitting with the stars in an elite restaurant, ordering caviar sandwiches and Champaign. Of course in real life . . . . .
~ Oh waiter, I would like some caviar sandwiches with Champaign and a dark beer. Make that a dark beer in a chilled glass, please. What? You don't have caviar sandwiches, it's not on the menu. Oh! Okay. Well, let's see, what about escargot marinated in a wine garlic butter sauce served with those tiny little French bread baguettes? That sounds wonderful. The wine garlic butter sauce is so delicious. Yes, that sounds yummy. I'll have that. Oh! You're out of that, too. Ok-k-k-k. Ummmm . . . baked brie with little baguettes? No. You don't have any left in the kitchen. What about chicken fingers? Yes. Well, great! We'll have chicken fingers. What's that honey? Youuuu want a hamburger? Waiter make that chicken fingers and a hamburger. And forget the dark beer! I'll have a martini with olives. Make that with gin, please. You do have gin? Don't you?
Caviar sandwiches.....how interesting. You may have to make them yourself, though.
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| Artist Olha Pryymak. |
