Day 3 - #WorldWatercolorGroup National Sandwich Day Submarine Sandwich Hoagie
By Charlie

Sandwich Day

Written by Charlie O'Shields

Today is the day to celebrate the ever-popular sandwich (It’s also World Cliché Day, but I won’t be able to top last year’s post on that, so I’m sticking with sandwiches). This culinary delight has been around in some form for centuries, but got its modern name in the 18th century. The credit is given to English aristocrat John Mantagu, who happened to also be the 4th Earl of Sandwich, a city in the shire of Kent in England. Legend says that he ordered his meat to be delivered between two slices of bread to avoid greasy fingers while playing cards. This became all the rage and people starting ordering food “the same as Sandwich” until it was, thankfully, shortened to just being called a sandwich. I learned this little tidbit years ago when I was performing in a strange little stage show at the local fair. In the show, we actually sang about various odd facts, which by the way, is just as ridiculous as it sounds, and this is the only one I can even remember.

But beyond singing about sandwiches, I mostly remember just how much I enjoyed eating various versions while growing up. It seems a sandwich gets far more complex as we age. When I was a little kid, I would receive a little piece of ham on a roll. Later, this would include a bit of mustard, and eventually, a slice of lettuce. By the time I was a teenager, the toppings had increased to the point it was like having all of the ingredients of a multi-course dinner shoved between two poor slices of bread. These culinary treats also increased in size. Here in America, where big is considered better, the “submarine” sandwich was born, so named for both the shape of the sandwich and the size you would become if you ate too many of them. In Philadelphia these were called Hoagies, a morphing of the original and more apt name of “Hoggies.”

Despite the attempts at sandwich innovation and gross enlargement during modern times, my favorite is still a simple grilled cheese sandwich. The day to celebrate grilled cheese always comes the day before my birthday which is perfect timing! Of course, a little bowl of tomato soup is the perfect complement to this one, which also has a delicious simplicity. So, rather than burden my bread and my palette with an unnecessary number of ingredients, I prefer to keep things simple. When in France, this shifts to tomato and mozzarella on a baguette. Just three key ingredients (with a little basil, of course) to make me happy. Apologies to subs and hoagies everywhere. But no matter how you prefer them, the sandwich is definitely the best invention ever, until of course, they finally got around to inventing sliced bread.

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About the Doodlewash

Sennelier L’Aquarelle:  Quinacridone Gold, Carmine, Red Orange, Phthalo. Green Light, Olive Green, Burnt Sienna, and Ultramarine Deep. Lamy Safari Al Star pen with Platinum Carbon with black ink in a little red cloth hardbound l’aquarelle journal I found in a Paris shop.
 Day 3 - #WorldWatercolorGroup National Sandwich Day Submarine Sandwich Hoagie

Charlie O'Shields

Creator of Doodlewash, founder of World Watercolor Month (July), World Watercolor Group, and host of the Sketching Stuff Podcast. Sharing watercolor illustrations and stories while proudly featuring talented artists from all over the world!

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23 thoughts on “Sandwich Day”

  1. Now I have to make a sandwich, thanks alot Charlie. Lol.😊 The drawing is awesome and I didn’t know the origin of such a familiar food. Well, I’m off to making a sandwich, the French way.

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  2. I love sandwiches. They are quick and easy but also involve lots of fresh and raw ingredients which can make it extra tasty. When I was a poor student, if I had a little money left over at the end of the week I would sometimes treat myself to a sandwich from the local French deli. I almost always had Brie but would change up the other fillings. I could actually usually only ever afford half the sandwich but the owners were shears very good at cutting the crusty bread in half. So in my mind a really tasty sandwich with good ingredients still feels a bit like luxury. Oh the simple things.

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  4. Your sandwich Doodlewash is very inviting, a perfection of thick roll and tasty insides. I also love a grilled cheese sandwich, especially on sourdough with fresh tomatoes. Another of my favorites is a plain toasted bagel with lox, tomato, and capers. And my third fav is one my mom made up, probably for a dearth of other ingredients: cream cheese slathered on one slice of bread and dotted with slices of pimento stuffed olives. All of these are the enchantment of my childhood and I’ll take them over fancier fare every day.

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  5. Great post Charlie! 💕 Your Doodlewash sandwich makes me hungry! 😄 When I was a little kid, we had sandwiches at picnics on the beach. It gave new meaning to the name, SANDwiches! Lol! 😳🐚🐠

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  9. Your sandwitch is wonderful ! I like your story too and of course the “growing” sandwich along ages. Fortunately for us, “gourmets” and “gourmands”, no trace of dessert added with the meat or fish and vegetables in sandwiches. Hope the progress will stop before melting one all meal between 2 slices of bred !

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  11. Wonderful painting! But now all I want is that nice crusty/soft roll with tomatoes. Or grilled cheese. Ah, for a grilled cheese sandwich. Alas, I cannot tolerate gluten any more, so my bread options are greatly diminished. But your painting and your words are making me feel better. (I also looked up your Cliche Day post – genius. Pure genius.)

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