I’ve had a love affair going with the ham sandwich since I was a kid. Whereas club sandwiches were a bit too ambitious and unattainable for the everyday -- more the kind of thing you needed to order at a country club, if you were lucky enough to be at one — a ham sandwich was something any kid with sense could manage. All you needed was some French’s mustard, bread, maybe a slice of Kraft Singles, and some Carl Buddig. My absolute favorite ham was the homemade Easter and New Year’s Day ham that my mom would make, scoring the top and pouring a sugary Coca-cola sauce on it to bake. Those made the best sandwiches, and it was pretty impossible to get the same flavor from processed lunch meat. But really it was less about the food than the basic, all-American promise of satisfaction implied to me by the phrase “ham and cheese sandwich.” That’s what appealed to me, and maybe that had something to do with why I also fell in love with words at an early age.

I went through different sandwich phases. The grade-school concoction eventually gave way to something more refined: smokehouse ham with Hellman’s mayonnaise, which I discovered at age 12 on a trip to New Braunfels with my childhood best friend Kay. Before then the only mayonnaise I knew about was Miracle Whip, so the salty-lemony sophistication of Hellman’s really hit me between the eyes. I was hooked. After that came the Honey-Baked Ham invasion, when mayonnaise gave way to honey mustard and Grey Poupon. This winner was later upset by what quite possibly was the most outrageous ham sandwich known to mankind, the Croque Monsieur. This I discovered at La Madeleine in college. But it didn’t stop there. In Rome I discovered ham and cheese glory yet again, in the form of a pressed panino made with prosciutto cotto and fresh, milky mozzarella.

Years later, while on tour in the UK, I was seduced yet again by flavor combinations and creativity that never would have occurred to me. One was a brilliant sort of ham salad, little slivers of white cheese, tart apple and boiled ham all swimming happily in swaths of fluffy mayonnaise. Like English tea bags, English sandwiches are slightly super-sized, due to the generous rectangular shape of the bakery breads. Just when I thought I’d seen and tasted it all, I found myself backstage one night in a local pub somewhere out in the middle of nowhere in the English countryside. Dinner had been served earlier, but the thoughtful pub owners had laid out a sandwich board in case we got hungry after the show. There was sliced country ham, probably cured right around the corner at a farm, plus a freshly baked loaf of grainy bread, some good English cheese, mustard and mayo...and something called Branston pickle. In the half-dark of the green room I made myself a sandwich and felt my eyes roll back in my skull when I tasted it. I’ve replicated this recipe since then, but it could never taste as sublime as it did then, mingled with the smell of antique rafters, whiskey, smoke and the brisk English summer night.

See how sentimental I get about a silly ham sandwich? Try one of these for yourself and see what I mean. They’re great in the fall, when the richness of ham is more craveable. Pair a good ham sandwich with sweet-potato fries, or a bowl of butterbean or tomato-cream soup. Drink a 6-ounce Coke or a good beer. Go directly to heaven.

The best deli ham I’ve ever tasted, by the way, is worth tracking down online or at a good grocery store like Central Market. It’s an artisan ham made by Vande Rose Farms in Oskaloosa, IA (http://www.vanderosefoods.com).

CROQUE MONSIEUR

Heat 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet or cast-iron griddle over medium heat. Whisk the egg, milk, salt and nutmeg together in a shallow dish. Assemble each sandwich using 2 slices of ham and 1 slice of cheese. Dip each sandwich into the egg mixture on both sides, then slide it carefully into the skillet. Grill the sandwiches until golden brown on one side, then turn them over, adding the additional butter to the skillet as you turn them. Top the browned side of each sandwich with another slice of the cheese and contine to cook until the underside is thoroughly browned and the cheese on top is melted. Serve piping hot.

PROSCIUTTO COTTO PANINI

Prosciutto cotto is a delicate Italian ham cooked with rosemary. Imported Italian prosciutto cotto can be hard to get your hands on, but most good grocery stores will offer a Canadian import that’s very good. You can also try Boar’s Head Rosemary Ham. These are spectacular on a snappy fall day; cut them into triangles and offer them at a cocktail party instead of blah bruschetta.

Head a cast-iron skillet over medium heat, or use an electric panini press if you have one. Assemble each sandwich with 2 slices of mozzarella and 1 slice of the prosciutto (or more to taste). Drizzle the sandwiches generously with the olive oil, about a tablespoon per side. Place them in the skillet. Using a plate or saucepan lid slightly smaller than your skillet, press down firmly on the sandwiches to flatten them as they cook. When one side is golden brown, turn them and repeat on the other side. The panini are ready when both sides are well-browned and the sandwiches have flattened to about half their original height. They should be both crunchy and tender, like a slice of pizza.

HAM SANDWICHES WITH BRANSTON PICKLE

Season each sandwich with a tablespoon of mustard, mayo and Branston pickle. Assemble with the ham and cheese, slice into halves and serve with potato chips.

HAM AND APPLE SPREAD

Cut the ham and cheese slices into short, thin slivers about an inch long. Slice the apple away from the core and discard the core, then cut the apple into slivers about the same size. Combine all in a mixing bowl and stir in the mayonnaise. Season with the pepper and let stand for 30 minutes or longer for the flavors to mingle. Spread generously onto multi-grain bread and serve, or cut away the crusts and quarter each sandwich to serve as tea sandwiches.

BREAKFAST HAM SANDWICHES

Toast the bread and butter it if desired. Spread each slice generously with the cheese, top with the ham and serve open-faced with the tomatoes on the side. Great with hot coffee.