American Food Stories: Classic BLT Sandwich and American Lemonade
There’s no denying the fact that Americans love their bacon. The yummy cured pork has been added to almost all dishes. We add bacon to our salads (i.e. Cobb salad); wrap bacon around our scallops and shrimp; pair it with our breakfast eggs or pancakes; and even eat it as part of a dessert recipe! This summer I stumbled upon a “Bacon Food Truck” on the streets of Cambridge, Massachusetts, which opened my eyes to the endless possibilities of where else to integrate bacon. The menu included typical desserts with a “bacon twist” such as chocolate bacon truffle, candied bacon, and Nutella flavored bacon.
For this week’s edition of American Food Stories, I decided to introduce the Ukrainian public to the Classic BLT sandwich and pair it with a refreshing glass of lemonade. The BLT sandwich is a combination of bacon, lettuce, tomatoes, and mayo placed between two pieces of toasted bread. It has become one of the quickest and tastiest sandwiches to prepare across the United States and the World! The exact origin of the BLT is unknown, but many believe that it was originally first served in the early 1900’s, and its popularity came to be after World War II when the ingredients needed for the sandwich became easily available.
Attached below are the ingredients and instructions needed for a Classic BLT sandwich and an American lemonade.
Classic BLT sandwich:
Ingredients (serves 4 people):
Approximately 12 slices of long bacon
8 slices of white bread
8 leaves of iceberg lettuce leaves
8 slices of ripened tomatoes
8 tablespoons of mayonnaise
Instructions:
1. Cook bacon until crispy, then drain on paper towels.
2. Toast the 8 slices of bread.
3. Spread 1 tablespoon of mayo on each slice of toasted bread.
4. Add 2 leaves of iceberg lettuce on each of 4 pieces of the toast
5. Add 2 slices of tomato on top of the lettuce.
6. Arrange 3 slices of bacon evenly on top of tomato.
7. Put the remaining 4 pieces of toast on top to finish the sandwiches.
American Lemonade
Ingredients (20 people):
1 ¾ cups white sugar
8 cups water
1 ½ cups lemon juice
Instructions:
In a small saucepan, combine sugar and 1 cup of water.
Bring to boil and stir to dissolve sugar. Allow to cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate until chilled.
Remove seeds from lemon juice.
In pitcher, stir together chilled syrup, lemon juice and remaining 7 cups water.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Maryna Markowicz is a junior at Boston University and has had the opportunity to travel to 27 countries. Maryna was born in Austria to Ukrainian-American parents. She has lived in Slovakia, Ukraine, Georgia, and the United States of America. As a global nomad, she shares a sense of rootlessness which means that “home” is everywhere, but nowhere at the same time.