big sandwiches.

hey neighbors,
i really enjoy a good sandwich.
i do.
and i have specifics i need it meet.
requirements, if you will-
there should be at least three separate items on it,
not including the bread,
and if there has to be a sauce on there,
i'd prefer it be a site-specific seasoning,
rather than just the go-to all-purpose lubricants of impoverished palates.
y'know?
right.
that pretty much means no ketchup.
ha.
so, i love a good 'guini.
huh?
no. not linguini.
what's wrong with you?
c'mon.
i'm talking about a sanguini.
hmm?
oh?
oh reaaaaallly??
well look at you, mr. smarty pants.
i know sanguine is already a word,
but i don't really mean sanguine, either-
at least, they're not always red, so it doesn't accurately apply,
unless we use the preferred definition......
and after all,
i s'pose optimism IS essential in any worth-a-sh!t sandwich.
in fact,
get ready.
because i'm calling an audible on the field right now,
and suggest that maybe,
where others say sammitch, or sang-wich,
and we worthy woodsly warrior poets refer only to sanguinis,
from the archaic, (circa 2004) sangw'ini, meaning, naturally, 'little sandwich',
we're really referring, from here on out,
to the uplifting feeling of between-bread burliness.
it has been decreed, and now it is so.
kabooom.
you just witnessed a rule being made, guys.
now,
witness this next-level 'guini!!
teleport:

wooooooooooooooooooo!!!
my wheatball game is pretty decent.
i mean, they don't get worse with each iteration.
this version, with a smoother crushed tomato and broth liquid level,
and a little exxxtra-heavy spice activation, does not disappoint...
at all.
now,
as a connected aside,
for those of you who aren't already all about veganmagictime,
get on it right now.
for those who're reading it already,
and are wondering about the oral tradition of speed-recited recipes,
spat like slam-poetry sans urban pain,
i'll tell you a bit more about how wheat-a-ballz are made,
provided you read it as fast as you can:
tempeh, a whole onion, four cloves of garlic, a squirt of soy sauce,
a splash of red wine vinegar,
a ton of g.p.o.p. and nootch,
and a cup of both tomato sauciness and broth,
plus oregano, and basil, and parsley, and a little rosemary,
plus some sage and thyme,
and a bunch of cracked black and crushed red peppers.
once all the liquid is gone baby gone,
y'gotta two-fer the bulk on these balls, bro.
i used coarse ground oatmeal,
and a whole mess of wheat gluten (like a cup and a half, almost)
....and then i added MORE parsley, because the green bits look so good in there!!
they get baked for a while, covered and then uncovered, to steam up and firm up
and activate all the goodness.
i never time it anymore,
i just wait until i can smell what the (albie)rock is cookin',
then i take the foil off of the pan and let 'em get browned.
i usually olive oil and tomato sauce the bottom, too,
and nestle them in there,
to reduce sticking and encourage steaming.
i did that this time too.
i also had a moment,
and in that moment i had an idea, and the idea turned out to be a thing,
and from now on, it's what i'm gonna do when i do things like this.
guys,
baked outer-underchee'!
teleport:

yeah!!
pressed on parchment and baked until it's lookin' all toasty.
i flipped it over with a spatula, and pressed it into that buttered and browned baguette,
which i hollowed out to make more room for more food.
i did.
and i'm glad of it, too.
underchee' mortar, and a parsley scallion salad,
plus those burly 'balls?
expert.
with slow-simmered 'mato sauce,
AND grilled caramelized onions??
wu-TANG!
it could've stood alone without the supporting cast of sauteed radicchio and collards.
i just added that in for all the added nutrients.
i'm not some little baby who doesn't get down on his veggies, man.
*
that sanguini had it poppin' last night.
i miss sandwich week,
and it's been a little minute since there's been one.
in fact,
there will only be one this year.
rules is rules,
and that's the way the calendar pans out.
so, in the meantime,
i'm gonna have to get fresh every once in a while on some upgrades,
just to make sure i stay in practice for the big action.
this is where my fun is.
this is where i'm at my best.
this is What Is,
and it's sure got a lot of carbohydrates;
never quiet, never soft.....