Good morning. Last week, while 30,000 feet above the outskirts of Wilmington, North Carolina, I witnessed my brother unfurl a Blackstone-optimized, miniature Italian sub within the confines of seat 31C. Upon display, the sandwich—which he'd acquired hours earlier from LaGuardia's brand-spanking-new food court—perfumed the plane's rear with red wine vinegar and rosemary. For me, this was a delight. A rare encounter with airborne olfactory decency. And likely, the first time I'd smelled another flyer's food and not wanted to investigate the integrity of the emergency exit.
Now, as someone well-versed in Food52 lore, it's impossible to ponder this moment of Jersey Mike's-scented joy without considering our infamous "How to Pack The Ultimate Carry-On Bag of Airplane Snacks" article. Written by Food52 co-founder Merrill Stubbs in 2019, the blog recommends numerous recipes—like wasabi pea snack mix, togarashi granola, and Merrill's own blueberry, oatmeal, & flaxseed muffins—that will fit into your bag and withstand hours of room-temperature storage without sacrificing quality. In short, a useful and decidedly uncontroversial piece of food writing. Right?
Not quite. Among the article's recommendations are Pan Bagnat—a French tuna sandwich studded with Kalamata olives and raw onion—and an anchovy-topped Italian Snacking Bread, two recipes packed with flavor, absolutely, but also with fragrance. Understandably, many commenters found the latter irreconcilable, prompting one community member to deadpan, "My favorite guy on the plane is always the person that brings tuna, anchovies, and onions."
Which brings me to the unfortunate conclusion that someone, probably most people, vehemently disapproved of my brother's sandwich—as well as my many revering sniffs—during the ten minutes it wafted throughout the status-less section of the cabin. For that I'm sorry. And as penance I've sentenced our family to ten flights of nothing but odorless (yet flavorful) recipes—like Hana Asbrink's Furikake Chex mix, Ali Slagle's hot honey sesame-snacky mix, and this Scottish toffee.
