Sandwiches have been around since, well, since the Earl of Sandwich, if you believe that story about some fancy gambler with too much attitude to sit down for a proper meal.

Apparently a lot of people do believe it, since the present and current Earl of Sandwich has recently signed with a restaurant group to open a chain of sandwich shops with his name on it. It's true!

A pressed sandwich is a unique offering for hikes, fishing trips and other day excursions. Modern pressed sandwiches include Cuban sandwiches, panini and even grilled cheese. Auguste Escoffier (1846-1935), one of the greatest chefs in history, mentioned a pressed sandwich in his cookbook. He layered roast beef and cheese inside a loaf of fresh bread, then subjected the whole thing to a printing press.

Okay, here's how to make a fantastic pressed sandwich: Start with a loaf of French bread, preferably an unsliced, whole loaf; this will serve several people. If the crust is at all stale or hard, run the whole loaf briefly under running water. Slice it in half, and tear a bit of bread out of the top.

For the best results, use two different sauces. Mix Dijon mustard and mayonnaise together, and spread a little on both halves of bread. For the second sauce, make a muffaletta-type sauce with minced parsley and fresh herbs, fresh garlic, minced olives, olive oil and vinegar.

Use several different fillings, and make layers. Sliced meats, such as pepperoni, ham, prosciutto are good, as are sliced cheeses such as swiss, mozzarella, pepper-jack. Other possibilities include roasted peppers, grilled onions, sautéed mushrooms and zucchini, tomatoes, barbecued chicken, roast meats and Italian sausage.

Layer in sliced meats, sautéed vegetables, and/or cheeses. Make more than four layers, but less than 10. Drizzle a bit of sauce over everything to keep it moist.

Top the sandwich and wrap the whole thing in foil. Spray the foil lightly with non-stick spray. Transfer the sandwich to a cookie sheet, and bake in a pre-heated 400A oven for 15-20 minutes, or at 375A for about 25 minutes if you used a lot of fillings.

Place the sandwich and cookie sheet on a towel on the counter. Leave the sandwich in the foil -don't mess with it! Place a second cookie sheet on top of the sandwich to weigh it down. Start with a brick or two, enough to compress the sandwich a bit. Later, flip the sandwich and double the weight. Keep an eye on the weights, whatever you use, so that they don't slide off as the sandwich cools. Let the sandwich cool this way for an hour. Take the weights off, and transfer just the foil-wrapped sandwich to the refrigerator, and let it chill entirely.

The great advantage of this type of sandwich is that once it is chilled solid, you can just toss it in a pack and off you go. To serve, unwrap the foil and slice into 1-inch thick slices. Enjoy with friends!