I have had many brilliant ideas, most of which ended up in the dreams ‘discard’ pile. Don’t you think this would be a success???? I wager that you eat sandwiches ALMOST EVERY DAY? Do you know how the sandwich got its name??? It was in 1740-ish at a gambling table in England, where the Earl of Sandwich was feverishly betting, but got a bit ‘peckish’, and ordered his manservant to fetch him some food, because he was not about to stop his betting, and sit down at a table to partake a meal as a civilized person would do. His servant probably pleaded with him, “Sire, please stop for a moment, rest, partake a meal, then resume your wagers!” Nope... no time for that. Over his left shoulder, he directed his servant, “Just cut two slices of bread, slap a juicy slab of roast in between the bread slices, and hand it to me as FAST (was that the origin of fast food?) as you can… so that I can eat with my left hand and gamble with my right hand!” The dutiful servant did as directed and handed off the FIRST sandwich to his boss, who successfully ate his ‘concoction’ while continuing to excitedly gamble, since his tummy was no longer rumbling and distracting him. (N.B in those days, meat and bread were separate items on a plate, and most likely on separate plates.) The fellow gamblers were no doubt appalled by this rude behavior and teased him endlessly… “What have we here? My good fellow? Don’t you DARE spill food and despoil our gaming table…how rude! What is this thing you are devouring nonstop???”... “LOOK what the Earl of Sandwich (all pointing fingers) is eating... Oh, let’s give it a name... Hah... I’ve GOT it... a SANDWICH! Ha ha ha ha ha”…peals of laughter followed. Then maybe the fellow gamblers soon called to their manservants… “Prepare one of those so-called ‘Sandwiches’ for me, posthaste!” So, lo and behold, the sandwich was born, and became very popular, and soon people all over England…later the world, were eating various versions of ‘sandwiches.’ I can SO visualize this as a terrific, costumed scene in a period movie! Filmed in a manor house, with seasoned English actors, by candlelight, of course. Would you like something named after you? A food item, a wine brand, a building, a ship (christened with a bottle of champagne), an airplane, a car, a street, a town?

The Earl of Sandwich was a real person who commanded the mighty British Navy, was a noted explorer, and a DEDICATED gambler, often involved in card games which lasted ALL DAY...no wonder he was hungry. The family lineage goes back generations, and the fourth Earl, John Montagu (1718-92), is the sandwich innovator. The title is a British peerage and is inherited in a family’s estate. The first Earl of Sandwich was Edward Montagu (1625-72), and today, the 12th Earl is keeping the family name alive, as he inherited the title in February 2025, after his father, the 11th Earl, died.

Now... the so-called Sandwich Islands were actually named for our guy in 1778, yet he never went there. (Probably too busy gambling?) But because he supported and funded Captain Cook’s voyage there, Cook named them in honor of John Montagu. Guess what the Sandwich Islands are called today?? It’s Hawaii !!! An indigenous title, renamed in 1840 when an indigenous islander became king.

My brilliant idea was a chain of sandwich shops, named The Earl of Sandwiches; I was just looking for a billionaire backer, and hoping that a reader of my story would magically discover me??... and we would create an empire of sandwich shops. OOOPS …>>>>>OH NO<<<<< I can’t believe it! ….I just googled it, and there IS such a chain, called the Earl of Sandwich (MY idea!) with 39 locations in the U.S, France, Canada, the Philippines, South Korea and the Middle East; all founded by the actual descendant! I did NOT know….bubble burst, dang, well... I have never SEEN one! And I have BEEN to the U.S, Canada and France! I had ingenious ideas for the decor, the menu, waitstaff costumes, marketing, franchising, TV ads, a movie, etc. Also working in the Hawaiian angle...all kinds of pineapple and coconut drinks and desserts...(sigh...) I guess I’ll just go make a sandwich….and thank John??? There is, however, a lovely fruit (and vodka) martini cocktail named for me…The Veliotini, and it’s delicious.

Recipe for a Veliotini: In a blender or food processor, add in chunks of the main fruit: watermelon, peaches, pineapple, blueberries, strawberries, honeydew; your favorite fruit (not apples). Add two ice cubes, crush into the fruit puree. Add in 1.5 ounces (per person) of vodka, re-blend until pourable. Maybe a splash of lime if you like it? Carefully pour into stemmed martini glasses, top with a sprig of mint or lime peel. Makes a colorful, textured, healthy cocktail; slowly sip and savor. Ten years ago, the night of the creation, the friends in my kitchen dubbed it ‘the Veliotis martini.’ I proclaimed... “It’s the Veliotini!” Perfect for summer weather. Soon after, my brother was visiting, and I made one for him. He held it up, “pretty!” then took a sip, “Oh, Carol, this is fantastic!” Another sip, “Gosh that’s good”…another sip, “This drink would sell for $25 a pop in Aspen!”

Carol Veliotis is a local columnist for The Covington News. She can be reached at carol.veliotis@gmail.com.