Vive la baguette!

The baguette sandwich, which consists of cheese and sometimes ham between two pieces of baguette slathered with butter (yes, butter), is anything but lowly. There are few pieces to the puzzle, but they are fabulous. First, start with fresh, crusty baguette (here, I have one under my arm...)-- not the soft, squishy type you usually see at the supermarket. Ideally, you eat it the day it's made, but since true bakeries are few and far between here in the US, get a good one, slice it, and freeze it until you're ready to use it. Next comes the cheese, typically Edam. Usually there's only one or two slices, especially if you're also using ham. The piece de resistance is the butter. I used to scoff at those putting butter on sandwiches, until I tried it and decided that it might be the cause of my demise, but what a way to go! And I'm not talking the soft tub spreads you find. No, no-- BUTTER. European butter, if you can find it, has the most unbelievably smooth texture and rich taste. I think it's because the farmers feed their cows Brie and red wine for dinner, but I'll have to get back to you on that :)

Just for a bit of food history, although the sandwich was named after the British Earl of Sandwich, the concept was not actually born in Britain. *and the French crowd goes wild* Its modern-day form was first documented in the Netherlands, but the concept of eating meat between two pieces of bread dates back to the Middle Ages. The French, however, have perfected it. You can't go anywhere in France without being able to get a baguette sandwich. Even the gas stations have decent ones. Once, the Booze Hound and I were at a bar in Saumur, honoring our daily ritual of a glass of vin chaud (hot wine) and a sandwich. Or maybe that was two glasses of vin? :) Anyway, the bar was out of baguette, but sent someone across the street to the local bakery to buy one and complete our order. WOW. Now that's what I call bar food.

So needless to say, when I packed up the Booze Hound's surprise birthday picnic lunch yesterday, the baguette sandwich was an obvious choice. I did make it with ham, and I used a cheese that worked GREAT-- Sweetwater Valley (TN) Buttermilk Cheese. Tangy, smooth, perfect. I used a baguette from Earth Fare, and I'm pretty sure The Fresh Market would have something equally as delicious and authentic.

Baguette sandwich aside, it couldn't be a birthday picnic without some sort of cake! I had made Sweet Zucchini Cupcakes with Orange Mascarpone Frosting from "Diana's Cocina" blog earlier in the week for a work lunch, and saved two cupcakes (with about 4 cupcakes-worth of frosting :) for our picnic. They were outstanding... sweet, but not too sweet that they competed with the frosting. And of course, they provide a fabulous outlet for the never-ending stream of zucchini that comes in this time of year. We all know I can't grow anything, so I rely on generous friends and the farmer's market for my stash :) And using mascarpone cheese in frosting is my new favorite idea... not only is it delicious, but it gives me an opportunity to buy mascarpone cheese, which is good on pretty much anything (especially a spoon :). Bon appetit! Vive la baguette!