In five easy steps! Just as long as you focus.
Whether you’re looking for comfort food, or want an easy meal after a long day, this dish is right for you. In my family, it’s been passed down for at least five generations. This classic American recipe is one that every mom, single parent, or gyal trying to take a few pounds off will absolutely adore.
Onto this delicious, hand-me-down family recipe ❤️☀️✌🏿
Step 1: Toast bread until golden brown
Step 2: Lightly spread mayo or mustard
Step 3: Dash with salt and pepper to taste
At over 8,000 years old, sourdough is one of the oldest known foods on Earth. To bake it from scratch, you need a starter mixture from a previous loaf of bread, affectionately referred to as The Mother. Lately I’ve been tumbling through tik toks of sourdough starters, watching the seemingly inanimate mixture come to life by devouring itself entirely. It has a certain appeal, this ouroboros. These videos remind me that in order to create something from scratch, you must begin with remnants of The Mother.
The Mother. My mother. My mother always told me that— focus on the sandwich.
Step 4: Add sliced carrots and pickles
Don’t focus on your Mother
Step 5: Add spinach and banana peppers (if you have it)
Don’t focus on how much your body looks like hers did
Step 6: Add cheese (if you allow it)
Especially don’t focus on how she told you that she was anorexic too
Like humans, sourdough retains genetic information from its Mother. I imagine the secrets they hold onto. Genetic material passed down through generations wov`en into every loaf. Even if the starter is thousands of years old, remnants of The Mother always remain. I retain secrets from my Mother too: her gaunt collarbones drowning in clothes that have become too big for me, those sharp cheekbones protruding from my face at all angles, that empty smile preserved in the family photo album for decades. A near carbon copy of the original that’s been mixed, fermented, shaped, and baked over time. This process is largely unobserved. Even if Black women are both hyper-visible and invisible at the same time.
Focus on the sandwich. You’re almost there.
Step 7: Slice through the middle
Step 8: Separate into two parts
Step 9: Enjoy your freshly made lunch & dinner
This timeless, hearty classic will keep your family going through those tough times. It’s been in my family for generations. With effort, this recipe can be passed down in your family for generations to come too.
Kenyatta Muzzanni Robles (she/they) is a Brooklyn-born writer, organizer, and filmmaker. Their writing has appeared in the Hartford Courant, the Northend Agent’s, Aislin magazine, and elsewhere. A multihyphenate, Kenyatta’s mediums include writing, audio, film, and live performance. You can find Kenyatta online at muzzanni.substack.com and @k_muzzanni.