The name of this sandwich comes from the bleak WWII novel Fires on the Plain by Shohei Ooka, which tells the tale of Private Tamura, an AWOL soldier from the Japanese Imperial Army. Faced with imminent starvation, he is saved by a diet of potatoes & salt. It is a haunting story and many parts have stayed with me, including, obviously, the part about the potatoes.
That sounds like an odd source of inspiration for a sandwich, but stay with me. I have occasionally had the pleasure of enjoying crispy fried potatoes on a sandwich, most notably the vegetable panini at the now-defunct Pasto. When my dude from Queens Farm was selling Japanese sweet potatoes (which have a roasted chestnut-like flavor profile) at Headhouse Market on Sunday, I decided to attempt my own version of a potato sandwich. Hillacres Farm cream cheese–the best stuff–added creaminess & tang. I topped it off with sambal, a type of hot pepper relish, which I copped at Green Aisle; it’s their collabo with Doe Run Farm & La Copine and you should go buy a jar right now, for real. All of this went on top of hearty Wild Flour Bakery Yards ESA multi-grain bread.
This is a dope sandwich.
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