Published in The Columbus Dispatch on July 30, 2008
Published in the Pittsburgh Tribune Review on August 3, 2008
Published in the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner on August 6, 2008
Published in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch on February 18, 2009

After a season of barbecues and ball games and of perpetually eating hot dogs on ketchup-drenched buns, I start craving a little diversity between the soft folds of a bread roll. I am not alone in this desire. Across the country, hot dog-satiated souls have conjured up a variety of roll-oriented recipes.

Where I grew up on the outskirts of Pittsburgh, links of beef sausage and kielbasa act as plump stand-ins for the skinny hot dog. Paired with green peppers and onions or spicy mustard, these are a regional, food-on-a-roll delicacy.

On the other side of the state, Philadelphians dine on the cheese steak. Invented in South Philadelphia around 1930, this iconic dish can be found throughout the East.

Local legend claims that, tired of dining on hot dogs, brothers and hot dog stand owners Pat and Harry Olivieri asked a local butcher for beef scraps. The two fried this beef alongside some onions from their condiment tray and stuffed the mixture into rolls. When a passing cab driver asked to buy their hot, juicy dinners, a culinary classic was born.

By the 1960s, cheese topped the beef. Hence the name “cheese steak.”

More than 70 years after its inception, a debate rages over what makes a great cheese steak. Some swear by cheese, while others demand Cheez Whiz, the topping used at Pat’s King of Steaks, home of the first cheese steak. Others debate the merits of soft vs. crusty Italian rolls. Then there is the issue of whether to douse the meat with tomato sauce or leave it unadorned.

Carol Ritter, nurse manager at Overbrook Friedlander Programs in Philadelphia, votes in favor of Cheez Whiz. “Although most people say the bread is what makes it, my opinion is that Cheez Whiz is what makes an excellent cheese steak. That and having enough cheese and fried onions,” she says.

Competitive mountain bike racer and veterinarian Dr. Michael Yarnall of Boyertown, Penn., sides with the sauce, hard roll and Cheez Whiz fans. For him, a good cheese steak also features high-quality, thinly sliced steak. “The meat should be juicy, not chewy, with the juices running down your arm,” he says.

While the cheese steak controversy continues, no one disputes the ingredients of a lobster roll. With cooked chunks of lobster meat mixed with mayonnaise and spooned into a toasted hot dog bun, it is quintessential New England cuisine.

The origins of the lobster roll remain a mystery. Some conjecture that it evolved from the lobster salad and the desire to eat this dish by hand. Others attribute it to the 20th-century creation of the hot dog bun and attempts to try different fare on this new type of bread.

Closely associated with the state of Maine, lobster rolls pop up everywhere from upscale restaurants to roadside shacks. I first sampled one of these succulent sandwiches at the humble but bustling Red’s Eats in the sleepy, Mid Coast Maine town of Wiscasset.

The lobster roll season at Red’s Eats, which has been in business for 71 years, runs from mid-April to mid-October. During those six months, the stand sells 7 1/2 tons of fresh lobster meat, says Debbie Cronk, restaurant manager and daughter of Red’s Eats owner Alan Gagnon.

“We don’t measure the meat,” she says. “We just pile it on.”

As for the immense popularity of her family’s specialty, she explains: “My father always says that there’s no secret. You just make sure that the food is fresh and that there’s plenty of it.”

She likewise points out that with lobster rolls, diners don’t have to fuss with shells. The best part of the lobster is conveniently placed on a bun.

Unlike the filling-specific creations of the East, the Louisiana po’ boy slips items such as fried shrimp dressed with iceberg lettuce, sliced tomatoes and mayonnaise, or French fries drenched in gravy, into the opening of a French baguette or submarine roll. The official oversized sandwich of New Orleans, the po’ boy also was created there.

As with the lobster roll, the exact beginnings of the po’ boy vary from source to source. Two tales prevail, though.

In the first, a 19th-century French Market coffee stand owner, Madame Begue, gave away sandwiches made from French baguettes to penniless, New Orleans children. Her food was “for a poor boy.” Thus, how the name po’ boy came to be.

The second story involves the New Orleans streetcar strike of 1929. In those hard times, two former streetcar workers, Bennie and Clovis Martin, handed out free food to any striking laborer or “poor boy” who stumbled upon their French Market restaurant.

While the first po’ boy featured potatoes and brown gravy, today’s popular offerings include the aforementioned shrimp, fried oysters or hot roast beef with gravy.

The mark of a good po’ boy? “The more napkins required, the better the po’ boy,” says Mike Malloy, a New Orleans resident, real estate agent and bartender at the Kerry Irish Pub.

Malloy adds, “An authentic po’ boy should have a crunchy but thin crust and be soft in the middle … which means real po’ boys should leave crumbs.”

In the West, the aptly named Western — or Denver — sandwich needs neither napkin nor crumb tray. This simple meal consists of an omelet served on a tender roll. No juices oozing or crumbs cascading onto my plate, but a good Western still makes my night.

Folklore indicates that Chinese immigrants whipped up this repast for laborers on the transcontinental railroad. They cooked traditional Oriental omelets from the eggs, meat and vegetables on hand — diced ham, green peppers and onions — and then slapped them on rolls for a filling snack.

Thanks to the plethora of regional foods-on-a-roll, my dread of another hot dog dinner is gone. From cheese steaks to po’ boys, I have countless creative fillings for those hot dog buns.

PHILADELPHIA CHEESE STEAK
Makes 4 servings

4 tablespoons olive oil
1 large white onion, sliced
Pinch of salt
8 ounces of Cheez Whiz or
1/2 pound sliced provolone cheese
1 pound rib-eye steak, thinly sliced
4 crusty hoagie or Italian rolls
Ketchup (optional)
Mayonnaise (optional)
Tomato sauce (optional)

In a large frying pan, heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium heat. Add the onion and salt. Saute until soft but not browned or translucent. Transfer the onions to a plate.

If using Cheez Whiz, pour the spread into a microwave-safe bowl and heat until melted.

Pour remaining oil into the pan and heat on medium-high. Add the steak. Cook until browned on both sides. Reduce heat to low. If using Provolone, lay the cheese slices over the meat, cover the pan with a lid, and cook until cheese melts, 1 to 2 minutes.

Using a spatula, transfer meat and cheese to rolls. Add the onions. (If using Cheez Whiz, pour over the top of the meat and onions). Top with optional condiments, if desired, and serve immediately.

PER SERVING (with Cheez Whiz): 804 calories; 34 g protein; 41 g carbohydrates; 3 g fiber; 56 g fat

(21 g saturated); 120 mg cholesterol; 1,386 mg sodium

MAINE LOBSTER ROLL
Makes 4 servings

2 cups cooked lobster meat, cut into small chunks (see Note)
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 to 3/4 cup mayonnaise
2 green onions, minced
1/4 cup minced celery
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
4 hot-dog rolls
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

Toss the lobster with the lemon juice in a bowl. Add 1/2 cup of mayonnaise, green onions and celery. Stir to combine. Add remaining mayonnaise if necessary. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Heat a large frying pan over medium heat. Spread the softened butter on the rolls and place the rolls, butter-side down, in the pan. Cook, turning once, until the rolls are golden brown. Remove from the pan, open the rolls and spoon in the lobster salad. Serve immediately.

Note: Buy cooked lobster meat or steam two 1 1/2 -pound lobsters and remove the meat.

PER SERVING: 789 calories; 58 g protein; 29 g carbohydrates; 1 g fiber; 48 g fat (13 g saturated); 219 mg cholesterol; 1,269 mg sodium

CLASSIC DEEP-FRIED SHRIMP PO’ BOY
Makes 6 servings

This recipe is adapted from chef John D. Folse’s The Encyclopedia of Cajun and Creole Cuisine.

Vegetable oil for deep-frying
6 half-baguettes or submarine rolls
1 egg, beaten
1 cup milk
1 cup water
2 tablespoons Creole mustard
1 tablespoon yellow mustard
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground pepper
3 cups yellow corn meal
2 tablespoons garlic powder
3 dozen shrimp, peeled, deveined
6 tablespoons ketchup
6 tablespoons cocktail sauce
Dash of Tabasco sauce (optional)
18 thin slices of tomato
2 cups shredded lettuce

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Using a home-style deep fryer, heat the recommended amount of oil according to the manufacture’s instructions. Alternately, pour 3 to 4 inches of oil into a heavy large pot. Heat to 350 to 375 degrees.

Slice the rolls lengthwise and place them on a cookie sheet, crust down. Place the rolls in the oven, turn off the heat, and allow them to become crispy and warm.

Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl combine the egg, milk, water, mustards, salt and pepper. In a separate mixing bowl combine the corn meal and garlic powder.

Working in batches, dip the shrimp, in the egg batter and then in the corn meal mixture.

Fry the shrimp 3 minutes or until they float. Skim them off, place them on paper towels to drain. Cover to keep them warm. Repeat this process until all the shrimp are fried.

Remove the rolls from the oven. For each roll, spread cocktail sauce on one interior half and ketchup on the other. Place 3 slices of tomato on the bottom half of each and sprinkle with shredded lettuce. Place the shrimp on top of the lettuce. Splash on a dash of optional Tabasco sauce, cover with the top half of the roll and secure with a toothpick.

Slice the sandwich in half and serve immediately.

PER SERVING: 598 calories; 23 g protein; 98 g carbohydrates; 6 g fiber; 13 g fat (3 g saturated); 92 mg cholesterol; 1,211 mg sodium

WESTERN SANDWICH
Makes 2 servings

1 teaspoon unsalted butter
2 extra-large eggs, beaten
3 tablespoons chopped cooked ham
2 tablespoons minced yellow onion
3 tablespoons minced green bell pepper
2 wheat rolls or bagels
Ketchup (optional)

Melt the butter in a small, nonstick frying or omelet pan.

Beat the eggs. Add the ham, onion and peppers to the eggs, and pour the mixture into the pan. Cook until eggs start to bubble and look glossy but not dry. Flip onto the other side and cook for

1 to 2 minutes or until that side begins to brown slightly.

Turn off the heat. Using a plastic spatula, cut the omelet in half. Fold each half in half and place inside the rolls. Serve with ketchup, if desired.

PER SERVING: 379 calories; 17 g protein; 51 g carbohydrates; 7 g fiber; 13 g fat (4 g saturated); 253 mg cholesterol; 693 mg sodium

© 2008, Kathy Hunt. Distributed by Tribune Media Services Inc.