Sandwiches have come a long way as the choice of ingredients in making sandwiches has improved and increased radically over the past 20 years. A variety of breads, seafood, meats, exotic lettuces (they come nowadays in different colors), relishes and chutneys combine to make the "modern" sandwich a wonderfully memorable meal that's easy on the host and just plain fun.

Here are a few tips on how to make sandwiches served to guest during the holidays more appealing:

Think bread.
Choose from a variety of breads when making a sandwich. Try roasted raisin bread, croissants, bagels, pita breads, onion rolls, flatbread, or even toasted English muffins! The choices are endless, as combination grain breads are also available, not to mention our pan de sal which is now having a resurgence of sorts as the Department of Trade and Industry is now stepping in to make our "national bread" not only popular anew, but job-generating as well!

Think filling.
With regards to the filling, one need not rely on the usual mayonnaise and hot dog combo anymore, as even as cursory trip to the supermarket will reveal a cornucopia of choices to revel in. These include meats (various hams, beef (even jerky!), lamb, veal etc.); cheeses (too numerous to mention, including the so-called flavored cheeses); and relishes.

The only thing missing from our local supermarket shelves are the so-called naturally "pickled" vegetables that are hot, hot, hot, among the vegetarians in the US West Coast; and probably "vegemite" (a savory yeast extract that is eaten as a spread), which is an Australian delicacy. Then again, however, we may not be looking that hard among the market shelves.

Feel free to experiment.
Use substitute fillings if you ran out of the usual. Use fresh fruit if you ran out of jam. Use margarine if you ran out of butter. You're only limited by your imagination. In fact, there are some people who actually even include crushed chicharon in their sandwiches for the texture and the slight crunchy feeling that they desire.

Create sandwich bar.
This is a good idea especially when there are quite a number of guests around in your home and you're too frazzled to make a hundred sandwiches in just 10 minutes. Indeed, why not ask them to make their own sandwiches. Just place a spread of various breads, fillings, condiments and even relishes on a table and ask them to be creative as to the kind of sandwiches they want. Who knows? You might even be able to learn a thing or two from their "creations".