My Cloudy Day and its Silver Lining

A darned tasty sandwich makes everything okay

Most of the time, at work, the only way I’m able to get all of my prep work ready in time to cook everything that I need by the time customers start arriving is that I’ve got some prep left over to start with: basic ingredients that keep for a few days that carry over from one shift to the next. It’s a big help, because otherwise, there’s just too much to be done for one person to handle. I showed up at work this morning and there was practically nothing for me to start with: few enough roasted tomatoes and olives that I could count them individually; no spinach cooked, and none picked from the stem; no meats or cheeses for sandwiches; barely any onions; hardly any salmon portioned, ditto on the steaks; … and to top it all off, the inserts that fit into our refrigerated drawers were left so filthy, I had to pull them all out and wash them by hand before I could put any food in them. I have never entered a day so utterly underprepped. I’m the main guy on a two-man lunch line, and I didn’t expect anyone who could help me to get there before 10:45 — at the earliest (45 minutes before we open). It was so terrible that I very briefly considered throwing my hands up in the air and walking out the door.

Instead, I called the chef and the sous chef on their cell phones and told both that I was left in such piss poor shape that the only way the restaurant would be ready to open was if they got in there and helped me because I had so much to do it wasn’t even within the realm of possibility that I’d be able to get it all done by myself. Fortunately, both tend to be reasonable fellows and both came in a fair bit earlier than they otherwise would have and got me to where I needed to be. When people started lining up at 11:00 waiting for a table and the first four tables all ordered exclusively from me, I was glad I hit the panic button when I did.

Once we got that initial rush taken care of, I found the silver lining to my day in the form of a sandwich the likes of which I have not had in quite some time: chicken and bacon on toasted bread with applesauce. For some reason, it had never previously occurred to me that applesauce could be used as a spread for a sandwich. I don’t know why, because it was so darn good. The only thing that would have made it better would have been some cheddar cheese to finish the flavor sensation. I strongly encourage you to try this sandwich today. Or tomorrow. Or the day after that. But don’t wait any longer than that because by that time, the idea will have faded into the back of your mind and gotten lost among other concerns and you’ll never know the wonder of this amazing sandwich.

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