We all know Tony Danza for his acting roles on television favorites (for me, it’s “Who’s The Boss?”), but Danza’s also one of those celebrities with a passion for food, which is just another reason to like the guy. One of his favorite sandwiches involves a combination of easy-to-assemble and savory ingredients, but what’s also interesting about it is that it’s vegetarian. This is a tomato and gorgonzola aioli sandwich, which would be perfect for juicy heirloom tomato season.
Danza originally shared this recipe in a cookbook called “Star Palate: Celebrity Cookbook For a Cure,” which was a 2004 collection of recipes by various celebrities, with proceeds going to ovarian and breast cancer research. The sandwich itself is about as simple to make as it sounds: You start with soft, toasted, and oily focaccia bread, slather it with mayonnaise that’s been mixed with gorgonzola and finely minced garlic, and then layer on thick slices of tomato. You then add arugula that’s been dressed with a simple basil and balsamic vinaigrette (argula is also a common Italian pizza topping that the US has slept on). With good bread, tomatoes, and cheese, you’ve got a sandwich that’s packed full of flavor without being too fussy or overwrought.
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Why Danza’s sandwich combo makes sense
I’m going to put my food nerd hat on for a second and go over why this sandwich makes sense from a culinary standpoint: It rests on one flavor foundation, which is umami, a meaty savoriness. Tomatoes and cheese, which are the main components of the sandwich, both have a secret ingredient: A natural and relatively high amount of glutamic acid, or glutamate — the amino acid responsible for the flavor of umami.
The vinaigrette in the arugula salad adds an acidic note, which I think is essential for balance, and the mayonnaise and cheese add some much-needed fat to each bite as well. It doesn’t hurt that focaccia is usually made with a generous amount of olive oil, so there’s that as well. I’d also say that you’ll enjoy this sandwich as long as you’re into the intense flavor of blue cheese, of which gorgonzola is a particularly strong variant. You can try it yourself if your garden gives you a bounty of tomatoes and you want something other than a classic tomato sandwich for once. Tony Danza, you can cook for us anytime.
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Dining and Cooking