My mom is the queen of open-faced sandwiches.
She prefers more toppings than bread, like I do. She slathers on condiments generously, seasons aggressively, and makes open-faced sandwiches that are so luscious that they can be eaten as a meal with a fork and knife, and yet somehow tastes better without utensils, with fingers meant to be licked afterwards. She likes – no, she loves – cheese, the meltier, the better. She likes crab salad, sardines, anchovies. Pastrami, chorizo, spicy sausage. Like I do, like I do, like I do.
 
My mom is the queen of Italy. She’s traveled to Italy multiple times, and she has favorites in each city. She knows more about the Renaissance artists more than anyone else I know. I can’t see anything by Versace or Dolce Gabbana without thinking of her. I loved roaming the streets of Italy with her, mesmerized by the beauty of Venice, shopping in Milan, and marvelling at the duomo in Florence. And don’t forget that my mom named me Bianca, the Italian word for pure and white. Grazie mamma! 
My mom is the queen of our family. Life with her is an adventure, and something I wouldn’t even think of trading for actual royalty. She takes care of us, inspires us all to be better, and makes sure we all look nice :)
I wanted to make this Cheesy Anchovy Toast as a Mother’s Day tribute for my mom. What is toast if not a fancy open-faced sandwich, right" I made a garlicky cheese spread first – sharp cheddar c...