Random ingredients in our refrigerator inspired this sandwich.

Sweet peach slices acted as a foil to sharp cheddar and smoky black forest ham. Wild arugula, tossed in dijon mustard with a touch of honey and brightened by a squeeze of lemon, completed the sandwich.

Almost all of these ingredients (the exception being the peach) were purchased at Trader Joe’s, which is quite possibly my favorite grocery store in reality. (Reality = within my budget. If I was shopping for groceries outside of reality, things would get pretty ugly.) After all, who can refuse high quality products at such low prices – especially in New York?

A week or two later, I stumbled upon this post from PaniniKathy over at paninihappy.com. It was fun to see that she also had the idea of using peaches in a sandwich!

What better way to make my blogging debut than by posting about what some consider the Perfect Sandwich?

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Crisp bacon, fresh tomatoes, and buttery lettuce, smothered by mellow jack cheese and a runny egg fried over-easy, all contained between two slices of a rustic loaf… (that is, if it’s possible to consider a bread baked in Long Island City “rustic”): taking a bite is something like stepping into Food Paradise. (The only other dish that produces a similar effect is featured in the 1996 Stephen Chow movie, “God of Cookery”. Interestingly, that one also involves pork products and a fried egg.)

Obviously, Señor Habanero (my fond co-conspirator in all adventures culinary and otherwise) and I did not concoct this lovely meal on our own. It’s the creation of Thomas Keller, the highly praised chef and owner of French Laundry and Per Se, who’s also rumored to be a perfectionist when it comes to food. Perhaps that’s why this sandwich is so freakin’ good, even when a couple of novice cooks take a shot at recreating it.

Here’s the recipe for the sandwich… (and thanks to Avy for showing us that it’s on foodandwine.com).

What’s your idea of the perfect sandwich? What ingredients would you use?