That little something

Basic cheese sandwich--white bread and butter and a slice of cheddar--is a "force it down for the nutrition" food for me. Separately they're fine, together blech. But... at de Gaulle airport when my flight was late and my connection long gone, I got a coupon for lunch and the only thing it would buy (without francs to supplement) was a cheese sandwich. Tiny baguette, butter, slice of cheese. It was the first time I realized that airport food could be good.

I've tried without success to duplicate sub sandwiches at home, and my attempts to duplicate the CERN cafeteria's brie and tomato sandwich were miserable failures. Something little thing was not quite right.

Not that I'm a bad cook--my (and my mother's and my wife's) red beans and rice are better than any restaurant's I've had--maybe we cook them longer and the flavors mingle better. Our lentil curry is different from but as good as the restaurant's. It's not a "sour thumb."

Several daughters can taste the mix and instantly spot the missing ingredient. I don't know the gustative language. I know the difference (usually), but not how to get there.