Montauk Sandwich

Ada Lockhart is another cousin on the Boulton side, daughter of Louise Lockhart. In the 1940 census, Isabella Boulton, spinster, was head of a household including Averil Adams, divorcée and Louise Lockhart, widow. (Both Louise or Louisa Lockhart and Louise or Louisa Boulton are cousins. It's unclear whether they two people or Miss Boulton married Mr. Lockhart.)

Mix:

• 1/2 pound cheese, grated
• 1 tablespoon Colman's mustard [a prepared yellow mustard]
• Yolk of egg, beaten
• Add a little milk to moisten
• Pepper and salt

Spread over slices of bread, add a thin slice of bacon and toast in oven a few minutes.

This sounds like a quick version of Welsh Rabbit. I asked Great-Grammy whether Colman's was a prepared mustard. It was. She said, "Colman's was very similar to Gulders—a tablespoon of the powdered mustard would be too much for my taste." Then I was shopping for peppermint oil and found a can of Colman's powdered mustard. But Great-Grammy is right about too much mustard powder. Just use your favorite prepared mustard.

Montauk is a village on the east end of Long Island. When I was growing up, some of my mother's family lived on Long Island, including Aunt Edna, cousin Billy and Gramma Jeffs. How is connected to the sandwich?

I found a few versions of Montauk sandwiches in different collections of family recipes on line. The only thing anyone knew about its origin is that their mom or granddad made it. Everybody had their particular toppings—sliced tomatoes, eggs, bacon, etc.—and seasonings—Worchestershire sauce, paprika, tabasco or mayonaise. Here is one version that we use:

Hal's Toasted Cheese

Start with a slice of good, sturdy bread. Add one or more layers (lately we've gone with onions and mushrooms):

• sliced ham or turkey
• thinly sliced onion
• sliced mushrooms
• sliced bread and butter pickles (or dill)

Top it off with sliced cheese (Cheddar for Jill, Swiss for Hal), enough to completely cover the bread

Toast under the broiler (we use a toaster oven), until the cheese is nicely melted and starting to brown.