When we were brainstorming the November issue of Everyday Food, we wanted to highlight all the possibilities for Thanksgiving leftovers. And of course, that meant plenty of sandwiches! We were inspired by scanwiches.com, a blog created by Jon Chonko, to showcase them in a fresh, new way. Check out the post by Alberto, our art director, for a behind-the-scenes look at what scanwiches are, and how he photographed them. Here, we served up questions to Jon about the wide world of sandwiches — and scanwiches!

EDF: How did you come up with this unique way to photograph sandwiches?
Jon: I’m not exactly sure how and when the idea struck. It had been something I discussed at lunch with my work buddies for a few months and decided to go ahead and do it. I’d always thought scanning was a interesting way of taking pictures. In college I spent alot of time scanning maps and feathers and so I got a really good understanding of what a scanner can do.

EDF: Do you think sandwiches are becoming more popular?
Jon: I do. I think sandwiches are so easy and accessible, anyone can make one and you can make them out of whatever suits you. almost every culture has developed some variation on a  sandwich. I think as people become more interested in food in general, that interest translate to sandwiches, one of the most customizable foods out there.

EDF: What do you think makes a great sandwich?
Jon: This isn’t a question I can answer, because sandwiches are so personal. For me I like super fresh, raw ingredients, lots of crunch.

EDF: Do you eat all the sandwiches you photograph?
Jon: Yeah I do mostly. Sometimes I also scan my friends sandwiches, they, of course will eat their own.

EDF: Which is your favorite sandwich?  Was it also your favorite scanwich?
Jon: Steak sandwich from Mooncake Foods in Tribeca. One of the best scans and best tasting so far.

EDF: What inspired you to create the 7-decker “Dagwood” sandwich?
Jon: Haha, This was at an event thrown by a cool group called URDB (the Universal Record Database) they try to log and award bizarre feats of human achievement. This was for “most toppings on a scanned sandwich”.

EDF: What are your favorite sandwich places in NYC?
Jon: Oh, there are so many good ones. If I say which ones are “the best” I’ll make some enemies. I will say that Parisi in Soho is probably the best deal, giant sandwiches, fresh ingredients, always a great price. I also found out they’re using my scans on their website which was pretty flattering. There’s also some great Banh Mi places in Chinatown, the styles vary a bit between them, so everyone has a different preference.

EDF: What was your favorite sandwich growing up?
Jon: It wasn’t my favorite but it was the most influential, my mother would make tomato and cheese sandwiches for me everyday. I hated them then, but I make them all the time now.

EDF: What is your favorite thanksgiving leftover sandwich combination?
Jon: Hahaha great question, and oh so timely. My favorite is dark meat turkey and skin on rye bread with mashed potatoes and gravy.

EDF: Any plans to scan other food items?
Jon: No plans now, there’s actually, believe it or not, already other scanned food art out there including an artist that scans fast food an another that scans Green Market produce. They’re already doing a great job.