Last week, Deb Perelman of Smitten Kitchen fame, posted an Instagram story featuring a lovely tomato soup served with a perfectly grilled toasted cheese sandwich. And then the fireworks began! (You can see this now-saved story in her IG account . . . where it is titled “Sandwich Gate.”)
Yes.
Sandwich Gate.
Because when Deb cut her perfectly grilled toasted cheese sandwich, she cut it . . . horizontally.
And THE WORLD GASPED.
Yes! People Have Opinions!
(And, yeah. I was following along as this highly entertaining situation unfolded last week. Because . . . what else are you going to do on like Day 25 of Covid quarantine???)
Anyway. Washington Post food reporter Emily Heil was even inspired to interview Deb Perelman and write an article about . . . Sandwich Gate. (You can click in to the link to read the article for the next 10 days – even if you aren’t a WaPo subscriber.)
As for me, I fall into the Don’t Understand the Uproar camp. Sometimes I cut sandwiches vertically. Sometimes I cut sandwiches diagonally. For me, it kinda depends on what TYPE of sandwich I’ve got. (PBJ, usually vertical. Grilled cheese, usually diagonal. Avocado toast? It depends how the bread is loaded.) But I can say that I’ve honestly never cut a sandwich horizontally. But . . . I don’t really have strong feelings. Deb’s IG story was not a “needle scratch” moment for me, as it was for hundreds (thousands?) of others.
But now . . . I’m curious.
What do YOU think?
Let’s say you’ve just made a tasty sandwich.
How do you slice it?
Do you slice it . . .
- A – With a vertical slice
- B – With a diagonal slice
- C – With a horizontal slice
- Or maybe . . . None of the Above?
I’d also love to know if your preference is a strong one. Is it like . . . a deal-breaker for you? If you watched Deb Perelman slice her sandwich horizontally, was it a needle-scratch moment for you?
I can’t wait to hear what you think!
The whole thing is a riot and, while I was initially surprised, I didn’t give it a second thought . . . until now! I generally cut on the diagonal, occasionally vertically, never have I ever horizontally, and often I don’t even cut it at all!
I’m with you in the Don’t Understand the Uproar Camp. I love homemade tomato soup and a good grilled chees is one of my favorite things to eat. I got the bivalent booster yesterday and feel like crap today with fever, chills, headache, sore throat, etc. I’d love a good grilled cheese cut any which way!
This is so funny! I’ve never thought of it before. Like you, PB&J I usually slice vertically (unless the plate is turned and I end up slicing horizontally). Grilled cheese almost always diagonally; BLTs usually diagonally, but vertically is ok. Avocado toast? Don’t slice and never put a top piece of bread on it (usually half a bagel). Now I wonder why my penchant is to slice grilled cheese diagonally but PB&J vertically. The mind is a strange thing – LOL.
I just realized I’ve never cut a sandwich vertically – though I have no moral opposition to that 😉 I usually cut diagonally or horizontally, depending on mood or filling. I used to prefer diagonally, only because it’s easier to leave the crust! I love Smitten Kitchen, but missed the furor – off to read!
I’ve *probably* done all three. Surely, I’ve done A and B. LOL
It’s funny what will get some peoples’ knickers in a twist.
Good lord. Talk about First World “Problems.”
All of the above, plus often uncut.
I always cut grilled cheese on a diagonal because I like to dip it into tomato soup and cutting it that way gives you the longest edges for dipping. Other sandwiches? Probably an even split between A and B. It really depends on the bread and the filling. I don’t think I’ve ever cut it according to C — that way seems wrong to me, though I cannot explain why!
I’m with Carole. If the way someone cuts their sandwich offends you… life is probably extraordinarily rough.
Interestingly, I read this while having lunch. I had soft tacos so no cutting involved. Hah! Was a fun read. Her Sandwich Gate was thoroughly entertaining!
With a sandwich, it would be diagonal, but also into triangles, as I’ve worked in daycare for 30+ years easier for little mouths. Though I occasionally do four vertical cuts for ‘logs’.
However, I’m of the why the uproar camp. You do you, Boo!
lol OMG You are right about first world problems. Put the energy to world peace and climate change, lol.
Personally I do a diagonal, but for the life of me I probably could not tell you why. It is probably like this story.
A woman cut her roast in half and put it into two pans to cook in her oven. Her husband asked her why and she said, “That is how my mother does it.” When they finally got to asking the mother, it turns out that early in her married life they had a small oven (width-wise) and it would not accommodate a large pan so she had to cut the meat into two pieces. But all that had been forgotten and cutting it into two and putting it in two pans had become a ‘We’ve always done it that way,’ answer.
Diagonal 99% of the time. Horizontal…not here! (But to each their own…NBD!)
Visually a diagonal cut is best. It is the longest cut and shows the most of the interior of the sandwich. I cut vertically though and don’t understand why anyone would be upset over how anyone else cuts their sandwich!
I’ve never given much thought to how my sandwiches are cut, as long as they taste good!
Wow am I glad I am not on instagram! I don’t eat bread or sandwiches so I have no need to cut them 😉
Usually diagonal. Often in quarters (diagonally), especially grilled cheese. When I cut it vertically, I cut at a slight angle rather than straight up and down. Horizontally never occurred to me. But mostly, I just don’t think about it. I’ll take a grilled cheese sandwich in any way it’s served!
I follow her instagram account and was surprised so many people had such strong opinions. I cut it as A. Never ever cut it it for myself any other way, I don’t think about it I just like the edges that way.
I’ve never thought of it before but now that you mention it, cutting it horizontally goes against the grain, so to speak. For some reason, it strikes me that giving it that punch down the middle in that direction would be the most likely to have the filling in the sandwich squish its insides out. And we don’t want that. Of course, I suppose it all depends on the bread, the filling (your avocado toast picture is a likely example), the knife being used and one’s dexterity with the interplay between the sandwich, the knife, and one’s fingers. All these thoughts could occur within a split second when confronted with an actual sandwhich but is taking me oh, say, 110 words and about 4 minutes to lay it out right here (with no editing at all, which is a first). Hmmm let me go see about the length of that Washington Post article….And I hope you are continuing to improve from those medication reactions, Kym. Bummer. Chloe
Washington Post: way longer but also way more entertaining. Thanks for the fun read. Beats Covid talk and inflation discussions any day of the week.
Well, apparently I missed out on all the “cutting” news last week! Haha!
And don’t have a preference on the bread/sandwich slicing. I usually cut them diagonally. But have been known to cut horizontal *and* vertical in.the.same.sandwich! (That is Vivi’s preference!!) I have even cut a double diagonal… which is perfect for dunking in soup. It gets the best soup to sandwich ratio!
I truly don’t understand. I have never cut a sandwich vertically and can’t quite understand the reasoning, BUT what you do isn’t a big deal for me. I cut most sandwiches diagonally but a simple grab and go I’ll cut horizontally (C). What’s the problem?!?!?
I am a vertical slicer. Occasionally I’ll cut diagonally but rarely, if ever, horizontally. It just doesn’t look right!