A club sandwich has always been high on the list of my favorites. Bread stuffed with layers of cheese , meats, lettuce and vegetables; what’s not to love? When I am at a hotel and want room service, I always get a club sandwich and fries. I have come to judge hotels and restaurants by their club sandwiches. A club is easy to make, allows for creativity and really reflects the thought given to those being served.

My favorite club sandwich ever was served to me at a hotel in Rome while waiting for our room to be ready. It had seventeen layers, including a luscious fresh pea salad which is on of my favorite vegetable salads. They served catsup and mayonnaise with the fries. You can bet that there is only one hotel in which I will stay in Rome.

When I do the Today show in New York, NBC puts me up at a Central Park hotel that serves a club on a toasted brioche that is loaded with fresh roasted turkey, applewood smoked thick sliced crisp bacon, organic greens and sliced tomato plus the options of avocado and roasted peppers. Please book me soon, Today Show!

Recently, I had donated myself to a charity in my old stomping grounds, Tulsa, Oklahoma and my girls and I went there for the weekend. We have many wonderful friends in Tulsa and going there is a blast. On the other hand, my father, who is gravely ill, lives in Tulsa and he is going down hill rapidly. It is sad to go there, too.

During the , middle of the trip, our wonderful big dog got sick and while we were in Tulsa, he had to be put to sleep. Between the flights, going on television at 6:30 in the morning on a local channel, cooking at a fund-raiser, meeting with friends, seeing my dad for the first time in a few months and loosing the dog, all in 48 hours, it was a roller coaster of a weekend.

Right before we left Tulsa, we took my dad out for breakfast which not an easy ordeal. I decided to splurge and have a club sandwich. Beyond the fact that we lived in Tulsa and were very active in the community, my show is a hit there and they run a syndicated column of mine in their paper. I am almost a celebrity there. In this restaurant for breakfast, many people came up to me and were very kind and several said, “If you eat here it must be O.K.!”

Unfortunately, when my club sandwich came, it was an enormous disappointment.

Under toasted bread, meager, boring layers in between and the pickle was placed too close to the sandwich and 2 of the triangular sections were soggy. I would have liked to go back in the kitchen and show them a thing or two. It was a fitting end to the trip. I wanted to put a banner out front that said, “DON’T EAT HERE! LOUSY CLUB SANDWICH!” (I must admit, the fries were outstanding but then, we weren’t judging the fries.)

So, with the holidays coming up and all that turkey around, let’s keep the club sandwich in mind. It will please any food snob and allow you to be creative in your own kitchen.

Here are a few ideas to get you started.

Cheddar Pea Salad

(Use as a layer for a club)

1 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup minced scallions

1 teaspoon sweet paprika

1/4 cup sweet pickle relish

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

2 grated hard boiled eggs

3 or 4 cups frozen organic peas or blanched fresh sprouted peas

Mix together the mayonnaise with the scallions, paprika, relish, cheddar and egg. Fold in the peas. Refrigerate a few hours before serving. Serves 4 to 6.

Mediterranean Club

3 slices rosemary bread

1 generous tablespoon mayonnaise

4 ounces sliced fresh turkey

6 slices cooked until crisp bacon

3 thin slices fresh mozzarella cheese

3 slices firm tomato

1 roasted red pepper, sliced

2 ounces fresh arugula

Toast the bread and spread one side of each slice with the mayonnaise. Top one slice with turkey, bacon, cheese, 1 more slice of bread, tomato, pepper and arugula. Top with last slice of toast, mayonnaise down. Makes 1 sandwich.

Guacamole Club

1 large croissant

1 tablespoon mayonnaise

1 teaspoon minced fresh cilantro leaf

1 minced seeded jalapeno (optional)

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1 half fresh ripe avocado, sliced

4 ounces sliced fresh turkey

4 slices crisp bacon

2 slices tomato

1/2 cup shredded iceberg lettuce

2 thin slices pepper jack cheese

Slit the croissant in two. Mix together the mayonnaise with the cilantro, jalapeno and cumin. Spread both of the cut sides of the croissant with the mixture. Place the avocado on the bottom slice and top with turkey, bacon, tomato, lettuce and cheese. Top with top of croissant. Makes 1 sandwich.

Bagel Club

1 Bagel

2 to 3 ounces chive cream cheese

1/4 cup deli style potato salad

4 ounces sliced fresh turkey

4 slices crisp bacon

2 slices tomato

2 pieces Romaine lettuce

Split bagel into thirds and toast. Cool slightly and divide cream cheese between top and bottom slice of bagel. Top bagel bottom with potato salad, turkey, middle slice of bagel, bacon, tomato and lettuce. Top with bagel top. Makes 1 sandwich.

South Beach Club

2 slices egg bread or Challah

2 or 3 ounces Borsin cheese

1 or 2 ounces caviar

4 ounces fresh sliced turkey

2 slices tomato

1 slice red onion

1 hard boiled egg, slices

2 butter lettuce leaves

Toast the bread and divide Borsin between slices. Sprinkle caviar over cheese. On one slice, arrange turkey, tomato, onion, egg and lettuce. Top with other slice of bread. makes 1 sandwich.