I have done a considerable amount of searching today about the Monte Cristo
sandwich. I, for some reason, thought that this was cooked by deep-frying.
Most of the recipes I have seen are pan or griddle fried in butter with only
a few that call for deep-frying. I have not been successful in discovering
the origin of this sandwich let alone what the original method was. The
variations are astounding! Can anyone help with the history of this
sandwich? Thanks!

Charlie

Charles Gifford wrote:
>
> I have done a considerable amount of searching today about the Monte Cristo
> sandwich. I, for some reason, thought that this was cooked by deep-frying.
> Most of the recipes I have seen are pan or griddle fried in butter with only
> a few that call for deep-frying. I have not been successful in discovering
> the origin of this sandwich let alone what the original method was. The
> variations are astounding! Can anyone help with the history of this
> sandwich? Thanks!

Charlie,
I googled it and this is what I came up with.
It seems to be a variation on the Croque Monsieur.
It appears in the 1940's and 50's in So. Calif.
It is not deep fried, but fried in butter according
to the earliest known recipes. See these sites:

http://www.hungrymonster.com/FoodFac...iches&fid=7541

http://www.gti.net/mocolib1/kid/food...ml#montecristo

http://whatscookingamerica.net/Histo...ichHistory.htm

Kate
--
Kate Connally
“If I were as old as I feel, I’d be dead already.”
Goldfish: “The wholesome snack that smiles back,
Until you bite their heads off.”
What if the hokey pokey really *is* what it's all about?

"Kate Connally" > wrote in message
...
> Charles Gifford wrote:
> >
> > I have done a considerable amount of searching today about the Monte
Cristo
> > sandwich. I, for some reason, thought that this was cooked by
deep-frying.
> > Most of the recipes I have seen are pan or griddle fried in butter with
only
> > a few that call for deep-frying. I have not been successful in
discovering
> > the origin of this sandwich let alone what the original method was. The
> > variations are astounding! Can anyone help with the history of this
> > sandwich? Thanks!
>
> Charlie,
> I googled it and this is what I came up with.
> It seems to be a variation on the Croque Monsieur.
> It appears in the 1940's and 50's in So. Calif.
> It is not deep fried, but fried in butter according
> to the earliest known recipes. See these sites:
>
>
http://www.hungrymonster.com/FoodFac...iches&fid=7541
>
> http://www.gti.net/mocolib1/kid/food...ml#montecristo
>
> http://whatscookingamerica.net/Histo...ichHistory.htm
>
> Kate
> --

Thank you Kate, these seem to back-up what I had found earlier. I do wonder
though where all the deep-fried variations come from. Other than that it
seems that there is no specific answer. I do find the "Brown Derby" tie-in
interesting.

Charlie

Charles Gifford extrapolated from data available...

>
> "Kate Connally" > wrote in message
> ...
>> Charles Gifford wrote:
>> >
>> > I have done a considerable amount of searching today about the
>> > Monte
> Cristo
>> > sandwich. I, for some reason, thought that this was cooked by
> deep-frying.
>> > Most of the recipes I have seen are pan or griddle fried in butter
>> > with
> only
>> > a few that call for deep-frying. I have not been successful in
> discovering
>> > the origin of this sandwich let alone what the original method was.
>> > The variations are astounding! Can anyone help with the history of
>> > this sandwich? Thanks!
>>
>> Charlie,
>> I googled it and this is what I came up with.
>> It seems to be a variation on the Croque Monsieur.
>> It appears in the 1940's and 50's in So. Calif.
>> It is not deep fried, but fried in butter according
>> to the earliest known recipes. See these sites:
>>
>>
> http://www.hungrymonster.com/FoodFac...ase_vch=Sandwi
> ches&fid=7541
>>
>> http://www.gti.net/mocolib1/kid/food...ml#montecristo
>>
>> http://whatscookingamerica.net/Histo...ichHistory.htm
>>
>> Kate
>> --
>
> Thank you Kate, these seem to back-up what I had found earlier. I do
> wonder though where all the deep-fried variations come from. Other
> than that it seems that there is no specific answer. I do find the
> "Brown Derby" tie-in interesting.
>
The same fork in the road where sauteed and deep fried French toast parted
ways.

TMO

<snip>

I am having to do this from memory.

George L. Herter wrote a 3 volume set of books on food and cooking.

It will have the "origins" of the Monte Cristo sandwich, I am fairly
sure.

You may have to ask your local public library to borrow it; if they
themselves don't have it.

Good luck.

"Olivers" > wrote in message
...
> Charles Gifford extrapolated from data available...
>
> >
> > Thank you Kate, these seem to back-up what I had found earlier. I do
> > wonder though where all the deep-fried variations come from. Other
> > than that it seems that there is no specific answer. I do find the
> > "Brown Derby" tie-in interesting.
> >
> The same fork in the road where sauteed and deep fried French toast parted
> ways.
>
> TMO

I fear so. It will be worse when these forks become 3 or 5 tined.

Charlie

Mark Preston wrote:

> <snip>
>
> I am having to do this from memory.
>
> George L. Herter wrote a 3 volume set of books on food and cooking.
>
> It will have the "origins" of the Monte Cristo sandwich, I am fairly
> sure.
>
> You may have to ask your local public library to borrow it; if they
> themselves don't have it.
>
> Good luck.

Aw, jeez, Mark. We've been through the lightweight phoniness and plain
nonsense of Herter's "facts" before. I wouldn't trust his books to
hold up a short table leg.

It's not in Herter's "Bull Cook" (about which it becomes obvious after
a moment's reading, is missing one word in the title).

Pastorio

Bob (this one) extrapolated from data available...

> Mark Preston wrote:
>
>> <snip>
>>
>> I am having to do this from memory.
>>
>> George L. Herter wrote a 3 volume set of books on food and cooking.
>>
>> It will have the "origins" of the Monte Cristo sandwich, I am fairly
>> sure.
>>
>> You may have to ask your local public library to borrow it; if they
>> themselves don't have it.
>>
>> Good luck.
>
> Aw, jeez, Mark. We've been through the lightweight phoniness and plain
> nonsense of Herter's "facts" before. I wouldn't trust his books to
> hold up a short table leg.
>
> It's not in Herter's "Bull Cook" (about which it becomes obvious after
> a moment's reading, is missing one word in the title).
>
Oh, Bob, he's not that bad....certainly a "hoot" to read, and his grossest,
most glaring errors literally leap from the pages (as if he might not have
been composing with the "deadly serious" mode turned on).

I suspect that as with many other dishes, it may be hard to place an
accurate "person + moment" to the Monte Christo, but it certainly seems
Edwardian and I'd be inclined to bet on Paris (or Deauville/Nice/etc.),
1875-1910 or so.

Now, as to the relationship with "Croque Monsieur" ?

TMO

TMO

Olivers wrote:

> I suspect that as with many other dishes, it may be hard to place an
> accurate "person + moment" to the Monte Christo, but it certainly seems
> Edwardian and I'd be inclined to bet on Paris (or Deauville/Nice/etc.),
> 1875-1910 or so.
>
> Now, as to the relationship with "Croque Monsieur" ?

The croque monsieurs I've had were essentially grilled ham and cheese
sandwiches, usually cooked in a heated sandwich press and imprinted
with some fanciful pressed-in lines of varying sorts.

The Monte Christo is two slices of French toast (pain perdue) with
stuff between, cooked on a griddle. I've seen deep-fried ones, but
they were held together by various picks and skewers and might be
imagined to be merely grease-delivery vehicles with the caloric
content of, perhaps, napalm. I've even seen them *breaded* and deep
fried, but passed on the potential delights they might bring.

I suspect that the pressed grilled cheese approach is considerably older.

I believe that the Monte Christo was invented at a small bistro
called Chez Edmund Dantes in the tiny village or Monte. Named after a
secretive relative (recently found to be the brother-in-law of the
owner, one Cristo, who was an accountant and spelled badly) who had a
passion for eggs and bread, it was invented my Mere Dantes one
Wednesday afternoon to just get her brother off her aching back.
The place was busy, what with the revolution going on and people
calling each other "Citizen" and all, and she didn't need her whiny
brother distracting her. She made him sit in one of the unused banquet
rooms so he wouldn't disturb the women at their knitting. "Restez la,"
she commanded and he, wisely, did, sword or no sword.
She had a cancellation, some former aristocrat who wanted breakfast
at noon and lost his head over the order, and had these two slices of
Pain Merveille sitting in milk and egg. "Sacre bleu," she said,
because all French people say that.
She dropped them onto the griddle, browned one side, flipped them
over and topped them with slices of the new rage, dindon, plus fromage
Suisse, jambon and some miscellany. Pressed it down with a spatula,
cut it into quarters and had it served it to her brother with a
plebian white wine, young and brash but with small signs of a future
greatness, not to mention overtones of strawberries, guavas (which
they had never seen), lumber, Xanax, February and Alpha Centauri.
She called to the serving wench, "Bring this to the Accountant of
Monte, Cristo." Over the years, there have been small changes to the
name and formulation, and even Cristo's name, but the spirit remains.

The rest, as we all know, is history.

Pastorio

Bob:

As usual, I really appreciate your comments re naming if the Monte Cristo
sandwich. Previously, I believed that the sandwich had been created by Procter
& Gamle, makers of Crisco. I just thought they changed the "c" to a "t" to give
the sandwich, fried in crisco, a classie name. Now, I know better.

Andy

>
>The Monte Christo is two slices of French toast (pain perdue) with
>stuff between, cooked on a griddle. I've seen deep-fried ones, but
>they were held together by various picks and skewers and might be
>imagined to be merely grease-delivery vehicles with the caloric
>content of, perhaps, napalm. I've even seen them *breaded* and deep
>fried, but passed on the potential delights they might bring.
>
>I suspect that the pressed grilled cheese approach is considerably older.
>
> I believe that the Monte Christo was invented at a small bistro
>called Chez Edmund Dantes in the tiny village or Monte. Named after a
>secretive relative (recently found to be the brother-in-law of the
>owner, one Cristo, who was an accountant and spelled badly) who had a
>passion for eggs and bread, it was invented my Mere Dantes one
>Wednesday afternoon to just get her brother off her aching back.
> The place was busy, what with the revolution going on and people
>calling each other "Citizen" and all, and she didn't need her whiny
>brother distracting her. She made him sit in one of the unused banquet
>rooms so he wouldn't disturb the women at their knitting. "Restez la,"
>she commanded and he, wisely, did, sword or no sword.
> She had a cancellation, some former aristocrat who wanted breakfast
>at noon and lost his head over the order, and had these two slices of
>Pain Merveille sitting in milk and egg. "Sacre bleu," she said,
>because all French people say that.
> She dropped them onto the griddle, browned one side, flipped them
>over and topped them with slices of the new rage, dindon, plus fromage
>Suisse, jambon and some miscellany. Pressed it down with a spatula,
>cut it into quarters and had it served it to her brother with a
>plebian white wine, young and brash but with small signs of a future
>greatness, not to mention overtones of strawberries, guavas (which
>they had never seen), lumber, Xanax, February and Alpha Centauri.
> She called to the serving wench, "Bring this to the Accountant of
>Monte, Cristo." Over the years, there have been small changes to the
>name and formulation, and even Cristo's name, but the spirit remains.
>
>The rest, as we all know, is history.
>
>Pastorio
>
>
>
>
>
>
>

>I believe that the Monte Christo was invented at a small bistro
>called Chez Edmund Dantes in the tiny village or Monte. Named after a
>secretive relative (recently found to be the brother-in-law of the
>owner, one Cristo, who was an accountant and spelled badly) who had a
>passion for eggs and bread, it was invented my Mere Dantes one
>Wednesday afternoon to just get her brother off her aching back.
> The place was busy, what with the revolution going on and people
>calling each other "Citizen" and all, and she didn't need her whiny
>brother distracting her. She made him sit in one of the unused banquet
>rooms so he wouldn't disturb the women at their knitting. "Restez la,"
>she commanded and he, wisely, did, sword or no sword.
> She had a cancellation, some former aristocrat who wanted breakfast
>at noon and lost his head over the order, and had these two slices of
>Pain Merveille sitting in milk and egg. "Sacre bleu," she said,
>because all French people say that.
> She dropped them onto the griddle, browned one side, flipped them
>over and topped them with slices of the new rage, dindon, plus fromage
>Suisse, jambon and some miscellany. Pressed it down with a spatula,
>cut it into quarters and had it served it to her brother with a
>plebian white wine, young and brash but with small signs of a future
>greatness, not to mention overtones of strawberries, guavas (which
>they had never seen), lumber, Xanax, February and Alpha Centauri.
> She called to the serving wench, "Bring this to the Accountant of
>Monte, Cristo." Over the years, there have been small changes to the
>name and formulation, and even Cristo's name, but the spirit remains.
>
>The rest, as we all know, is history.
>
>Pastorio
>
>
>
>
>
>
>

>I believe that the Monte Christo was invented at a small bistro
>called Chez Edmund Dantes in the tiny village or Monte. Named after a
>secretive relative (recently found to be the brother-in-law of the
>owner, one Cristo, who was an accountant and spelled badly) who had a
>passion for eggs and bread, it was invented my Mere Dantes one
>Wednesday afternoon to just get her brother off her aching back.
> The place was busy, what with the revolution going on and people
>calling each other "Citizen" and all, and she didn't need her whiny
>brother distracting her. She made him sit in one of the unused banquet
>rooms so he wouldn't disturb the women at their knitting. "Restez la,"
>she commanded and he, wisely, did, sword or no sword.
> She had a cancellation, some former aristocrat who wanted breakfast
>at noon and lost his head over the order, and had these two slices of
>Pain Merveille sitting in milk and egg. "Sacre bleu," she said,
>because all French people say that.
> She dropped them onto the griddle, browned one side, flipped them
>over and topped them with slices of the new rage, dindon, plus fromage
>Suisse, jambon and some miscellany. Pressed it down with a spatula,
>cut it into quarters and had it served it to her brother with a
>plebian white wine, young and brash but with small signs of a future
>greatness, not to mention overtones of strawberries, guavas (which
>they had never seen), lumber, Xanax, February and Alpha Centauri.
> She called to the serving wench, "Bring this to the Accountant of
>Monte, Cristo." Over the years, there have been small changes to the
>name and formulation, and even Cristo's name, but the spirit remains.
>
>The rest, as we all know, is history.
>
>Pastorio

<giggling wildly. Good stuff>

Baranduyn
*************


"When Tony gets hungry, things die." Anthony Bourdain, "A Cook's Tour"

"Charles Gifford" > wrote in message link.net>...
> "Kate Connally" > wrote in message
> ...
> > Charles Gifford wrote:
> > >
> > > I have done a considerable amount of searching today about the Monte
> Cristo
> > > sandwich. I, for some reason, thought that this was cooked by
> deep-frying.
> > > Most of the recipes I have seen are pan or griddle fried in butter with
> only
> > > a few that call for deep-frying. I have not been successful in
> discovering
> > > the origin of this sandwich let alone what the original method was. The
> > > variations are astounding! Can anyone help with the history of this
> > > sandwich? Thanks!
> >
> > Charlie,
> > I googled it and this is what I came up with.
> > It seems to be a variation on the Croque Monsieur.
> > It appears in the 1940's and 50's in So. Calif.
> > It is not deep fried, but fried in butter according
> > to the earliest known recipes. See these sites:
> >
> >
> http://www.hungrymonster.com/FoodFac...iches&fid=7541
> >
> > http://www.gti.net/mocolib1/kid/food...ml#montecristo
> >
> > http://whatscookingamerica.net/Histo...ichHistory.htm
> >
> > Kate
> > --
>
> Thank you Kate, these seem to back-up what I had found earlier. I do wonder
> though where all the deep-fried variations come from. Other than that it
> seems that there is no specific answer. I do find the "Brown Derby" tie-in
> interesting.
>
> Charlie


Yeah, these sites are correct. The "Monte Cristo" sandwich is from
the 1940s and 1950s.
As I posted (somewhere else) in November 2000:


From RESTAURANT MANAGEMENT, June 1936, pages 412-413:

_Hy's Three-Ring Circus MENU MAKING_
E. A. Bachman, proprietor of the Annex, Portland, Oregon, features Hy
Frager,
the famous American chef who peps up menu listings with verbal
acrobatics.
(Pg. 413, col. 1--ed.)
_Combination Sandwiches_
"CLUBHOUSE" (Breast of Chicken, Crisp Premium Bacon, TOmato, Lettuce,
Pickles
and Olives)... .40
"RUEBEN" (Not "Reuben"--ed.) (Baked Premium Ham, WHite Meat Chicken,
Coquille
Swiss Cheese and Tomato on Russian Rye)... .45
"MONTE CRISTO" (Baked Ham and Coquille Swiss Cheese, French Toasted in
Butter)... .35
"ANNEX" (Oregon's Choice Yaquina Oysters, Ham, Green Peppers in
Butter, Cream
and Eggs)... .45
(Col. 2--ed.)
"POP" (Chicken Salad, Lettuce, Tomato and Bacon, Olives)... .30
"HOLC" (Baked Ham, Peanut Butter and India Relish)... .25
"PWA" (Tuna Fish, Tomato, Lettuce and 1000 Isle)... .25
"FOREST SERVICE" (Baked Beans, Chili Sauce and Bacon)... .25
"FRENCH DIP SANDWICH" (A crispy, crunchy Hard Roll w/ an amazing
filling of
Barbecued Meat, Swiss Cheese and a spicy, tangy Wine Sauce that
combines into
a superb bouquet of flavor)... .20

Also, RESTAURANT MANAGEMENT, January 1937, "ideas from a thousand
menus,"
pg. 55, col. 2:

SANDWICHES (...)
$.35 Monte Cristo (Ham and American Cheese, Dipped in Egg, Fried in
Butter)--Ballard-Ludlow Ferry.


And as I posted (somewhere else) in December 2000:


From THE CATERER AND HOTEL PROPRIETORS' GAZETTE, January 1923, pg.
32, col. 1:

Sandwiches
(...)
Monte Cristo... 50


Barry Popik
famous(?) traveling wordsmith, back from Namibia

"Barry Popik" > wrote in message
om...
>
> Yeah, these sites are correct. The "Monte Cristo" sandwich is from
> the 1940s and 1950s.
> As I posted (somewhere else) in November 2000:
>
>
> From RESTAURANT MANAGEMENT, June 1936, pages 412-413:
>
> _Hy's Three-Ring Circus MENU MAKING_
> E. A. Bachman, proprietor of the Annex, Portland, Oregon, features Hy
> Frager,
> the famous American chef who peps up menu listings with verbal
> acrobatics.
<snip>

Thank you for the additional information. Obliged.

Charlie