Review: Some hits, some misses, but a good value.
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 10 7, 2013
Full disclosure: I received a review copy of this book in exchange for my honest and unbiased review. The opinions expressed below are entirely my own.Well, I think this must be the longest time it's taken me to write a review - well over a month since I received the book. The fact of the matter is, 75 sandwich recipes are a lot to sample from for my busy schedule, and while they were mostly quick and easy to fit in, I can only eat so many sandwiches in a day! I didn't get to all of them, but I think I've got a good enough sample size by now.So, as stated, none of these sandwiches are terrifically difficult to make, but they do come with a prep time listed. It's good that Mr. Ionescu has made a note of it, but the idea of a mere sandwich necessitating any kind of real prep time was initially foreign to me. These, however, are not your average sandwich - at least for the most part. By and large, these are adventurous culinary creations between bread, with good ideas for any taste. For example, the pineapple and chicken breast sandwich was a strange thought at first, but proved to be quite tasty! There are vegetarian options, hot and cold options, even some that seem to me more like dessert sandwiches!Not all of them are winners, mind you - I'm not a peanut butter and banana fan, so including two kinds (one toasted, one with bacon) didn't really impress, nor did the very standard ham and cheese melt. Some of these recipes definitely felt like filler in a stretch to a nice, round sort of number like 75.However, Dan's book earns a few extra points for me with some quick tips on components and presentation, into which he's put quite a bit of thought. He also demonstrates his skills with a photo for every recipe, though like the recipes themselves, not every single one seems appetizing.Overall, Mr. Ionescue seems to corner yet another niche cookbook market with great taste and imagination. Well worth the 99 cents.Questions or comments? Please feel free to leave them below, or send me an email at SeanOnAmazon@gmail.com.