Maybe it`s hunger for revenge or the logistics of eating on the floor in front of the television set, but Super Bowl Sunday promises to be a day for super-easy meals to appease super appetites. A day (drum roll, please) for the super sub.
Party subs, as the 3-foot long or even 6-foot sandwiches are called, are traditional half-time fare for Chicago sports fans. So as the Cincinnati Bengals and the (sigh) San Francisco 49ers line up in Miami for Super Bowl XXIII, Chicagoans will face the colors of the groaning table.
The city is ready.
Gonnella Baking Company holds the lion`s share of the Chicago market in the sale of 6-foot bread loaves. On a typical weekend in Chicago, the bakery trucks 200 to 250 of these party loaves to area restaurants, delicatessans, and other carryout spots, says Tom Marcucci, sales manager.
”During Super Bowl weekend, we expect to sell well over 1,000 party loaves,” Marcucci says. ”For certain locations, we expect to actually need extra trucks to make the deliveries.”
Which brings up an important point. Even before you plan what you`re going to pile on these party loaves, plan how you`re going to get it home.
”Don`t show up in a Volkswagen,” Marcucci says. ”We have actually seen people pick up a loaf and drive away with it sticking out of the window.”
Which brings up how these party loaves got started. Marcucci directly credits a 1975 television advertisement for the American Motors Pacer. In the ad, a portly gentleman in a toque was sitting in the back seat of the new Pacer, assembling a super-sized submarine sandwich.
” `The first wide small car.` That was the slogan at the time,”
confirms Lloyd Northard, spokesman for Chrysler Corporation, which acquired American Motors. ”We had a big drive away in Elmhurst that spring for dealers in the Midwest-400 Pacers in the parking lot. We served them all giant submarine sandwiches for lunch.”
Despite its fans, the wide-bodied Pacer had a less-than-impressive career. But the giant sandwich endured:
”After that ad, the party sandwiches became an instant hit. Instead of 10 to 20 loaves a week, we were selling 200,” Marcucci says. ”The party loaves have become an institution.”
Lou Ragusi, owner of Captain Nemo`s Submarine, 7367 N. Clark St., recalls his introduction to the super-sub shortly after he opened his sandwich shop 17 years ago:
”Some guy from New York walked in and asked us for one. We didn`t know anything about them before that.”
Captain Nemo`s now sells about 20 to 30 feet of party subs on a Sunday.
”But if the Bears are in, it`s 250 feet,” Ragusi says.
Like most stores that sell the super subs, advance notice is required so that the special bread can be ordered. ”For the big ones, we want 24-hour notice. But again, on some weekends when the Bears are in, we`ve had to turn down orders the Friday before.”
At Captain Nemo`s, the most popular party sandwich is the American version, loaded with ham, turkey, balogna, American cheese, mayonnaise, lettuce, tomatoes, onions and an oil and vinegar dressing. ”This is the regular, American, apple pie submarine,” Ragusi says.
Another Chicago favorite is the Northern Italian: Genoa salami, provolone cheese, mortadella, mueunster cheese, an oil and vinegar dressing with sweet red peppers, and olives.
”And what`s the stuff that vegetarians eat?” Ragusi says ”Sprouts?
Yeah, we`ve had to put that on the subs too, with mushrooms and cucumbers.”
When party submarines are set out near the giant television screens at Ditka`s, 223 W. Ontario St., customers can order up a chunk of sandwich featuring shredded lettuce, tomatoes, ham, turkey, roast beef, salami, Cheddar cheese, Swiss cheese, provolone and corned beef, with an oil and vinegar dressing, touched with oregano.
”It`s a big sandwich, but people love it,” says James Mitchell, executive chef.
Huge subs are ideal for Sunday football viewing parties because they can be made ahead and they hold well on the table, says Linda Knuckey, sales manager for Peppercorns, a Lake Zurich catering company. ”You never know exactly when half time is going to be, so it`s hard to plan a fussy meal,”
she says.
Peppercorns likes to go a bit upscale with its sandwiches, offering combinations such as roast beef with sour cream and red onions, or chicken in raspberry vinaigrette.
To get your party started, here are recipes for basic Italian, grilled Italian sausage with peppers, and chicken or turkey in raspberry vinaigrette party submarines. The recipes are for 3-foot submarines, but they can be doubled to fit 6-footers.
RASPBERRY CHICKEN SALAD SUBMARINE
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Yield: 6 to 10 servings
Rob Lambel, chef at Peppercorns catering of Lake Zurich offers this upscale version of the party submarine, with a hollowed out upper crust that makes the sandwiches easier to eat. The sandwich tastes even better when made several hours ahead and chilled in the refrigerator for two hours. For a 6-foot sandwich, double the ingredients.
4 1/2-5 1/2 pounds whole, poached chicken breasts (or cooked turkey
breast, or whole, poached chicken)
2 sweet red peppers, cored, julienned
1 each, cut in strips: green pepper, yellow pepper
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons chopped green onions
Dressing:
1/2 cup raspberry vinegar
4 cups mayonnaise
2 tablespoons herbes de Provence, see note
Salt, white pepper to taste
Pinch of chicken base (soft chicken boullion cube), optional
1 loaf (3-foot) French bread
1 head red leaf lettuce
1 small package alfalfa sprouts
6-10 frill-topped toothpicks, for garnish
1. Shred or slice chicken meat. Toss with peppers and 1 cup green onions in large bowl. Whisk together dressing ingredients in small bowl. Pour dressing over chicken mixture. Toss lightly to blend. This can be done a day ahead.
2. Cut a V-groove down the length of the top of the whole loaf. Remove the triangular groove in one piece and reserve for a lid. Use fingers to pull out some more of the bread on the bottom portion to make more room for the filling; save to make breadcrumbs or other use.
3. Line bottom portion of loaf with red leaf lettuce, so that the curly edge is visible over edge of loaf. Lightly spoon chicken salad down the length of the bread. Sprinkle with sprouts and the 2 tablespoons green onions. Replace lid. Insert frill-topped toothpicks every 3 or 4 inches, in the center of each serving. Chill for 1 to 2 hours to set.
Note: Herbes de Provence is a bottled mixture of spices containing rosemary, thyme and parsley, such as Spice Islands brand.
GRILLED ITALIAN SAUSAGE WITH PEPPERS SUBMARINE
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Select a spicy sausage if you want to rev up this hearty sandwich.
2 pounds Italian sausage
1/2 cup olive oil
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1 each, cored, cut in strips: green and red bell pepper
Salt
Pepper
1 loaf (3-foot) French bread, split lenghtwise
1/2-1 cup Dijon mustard
1. Heat oven to 375 degrees. Put sausage on baking sheet and bake until almost cooked through, about 15 minutes. Remove to broiler or grill, and cook thoroughly, about 5 minutes.
2. Heat olive oil in skillet over medium heat. Cook onion, peppers, salt and pepper until vegetables are tender; drain.
3. Meanwhile, spread cut sides of bread with mustard. Put sausage down on bottom half of bread. Spoon vegetables over sausage and cover with top half of bread. Cut into 4 to 6 portions.
BASIC ITALIAN SUBMARINE SANDWICH
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Yield: 4-6 servings
If you haven`t dined on this half-time special, you haven`t partied.
1 loaf (3-foot) bread, split lengthwise
3 tablespoons olive oil
9 slices Provolone cheese
12 slices cotto salami
9 slices Genoa salami
3/4 cup shredded lettuce
9 slices tomato
12 thin slices red onion
3 tablespoons chopped hot peppers, such as jalapeno
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1. Drizzle olive oil along cut sides of bread. Layer in the cheese, salami, and Genoa salami on top. Cover with lettuce, tomato, onion and peppers. Sprinkle with oregano. Close bread, and slice. –
