Toasting a culinary comeback

Story from the Herald on Sunday Jun 21, 2009

By Nicola Shepheard

Annabel Langbein enjoys a pesto, feta, corn, mozarella and black pepper toasty. Photo / Janna Dixon

Wherein lies the charm of the toasted sandwich? Is it the buttery-toasty-cheesy smell of Sunday night childhood (The Wonderful World of Disney on TV and the cat by the fire)?
The way the toast momentarily resists the bite before caving in, releasing a treacherously molten tide of filling? (Kids, do try this at home.)
Memories evoked of the crusty, heady liberty of student flatdom? The modest coupling of convenience, economy and indulgence?
Or is it simply their unreconstructed, greasy goodness?
Newly gilded with recession chic and retro-Kiwiana cool, toasties are enjoying somewhat of a revival. Trendy bars in Wellington (Mighty Mighty) and Auckland (DOC) serve them until late. A music website has been named after the most prominent variety, cheeseontoast.co.nz.
The Prime Minister, John Key, tells us his favourite cheese and sweetcorn toastie is "a critical part of my life" because it's very often his lunch.
Indeed, he admits it can be toastie sandwiches that fuel his answers to any tricky questions in Parliament. "It gets me through Question Time," he says. "So I say - hats off to the toastie."

Now, to be a genuine phenomenon, the toastie needs an expert. And Auckland writer Astral Sligo (though lacking a PhD in her specialty subject) has stepped up.
I went to Sligo's Auckland flat to talk toasties, and she served me a three-course toastie feast. First was fusion Kiwiana: baked beans and blue cheese (not a first date toastie, she pointed out as the red juice dripped down our chins).
The second course came over all classy: havarti cheese, manuka honey, fresh basil and tomato.
The third course introduced me to the slightly disturbing world of dessert toasties: chocolate melts, cream cheese and banana. Wickedly sickly, but I ate every crumb.

Sligo always fancied the occasional toastie, but even she was surprised by the depths of reverence she tapped in her research.
It began with a blog thread she came across while scouring the web for ideas in her job as editor at publisher David Bateman.
The blogger was rhapsodising about rediscovering toasties for lunch. He got 80 responses.
Now, of course, to confirm the toastie's iconic status, there is a book. Kiwi Toasties, out this week, oozing with recipes, practical hints and etiquette tips.
Sligo, 34, the author, is no toastie snob. She includes the classics - cheese and onion, cheese and pineapple (her childhood favourites), gourmet toasties, vegan toasties, hangover toasties, brunch toasties, even gluten-free toasties.

Footnote:

There is lots more in the Herald on Sunday and on their excellent website, (the Herald website is easily the best newspaper website in NZ), including top cookery author Annabel Langbein on the "mousetraps" she made in her student days and that her kids now make to stave off after-school hunger.