Italian Subs

Neal's Deli serves tender, oversize pork-and-beef meatballs stuffed into a warm hero roll with melted provolone cheese. Although Matt Neal makes his own chunky tomato sauce for the sub, it's fine to substitute six cups of jarred sauce.

Hero sandwiches at the sub shop are usually served on untoasted rolls, but we prefer to brush the bread with olive oil and run it under the broiler for a minute or two. If you like, put a slice of mozzarella on the top half of each before broiling.

This summery sandwich benefits from a generous topping of olivada made with tangy green olives, lemon and oil. It's great with the creamy mozzarella and the lightly smoky grilled-zucchini slices here; it's also wonderful with grilled fish and shellfish and roasted meat and chicken.

The big and messy sausage-and-pepper hero is a staple of every Italian American street fair. This neater version--made with smaller rolls and sausage halves--is perfect for a quick weeknight dinner at home and requires little cleanup.

Marcia Kiesel's hero layers prosciutto and mozzarella with tomato, pickled peppers and arugula. An olive relish with crunchy slices of celery gives the sandwich an invigorating bite. For Rob Howard, who developed a taste for strong, salty flavors as a child visiting the countries of the Mediterranean, the olives and capers are a wonderful addition.

Instead of using peppers in her sausage heroes, F&W's Kay Chun opts for sweet sauteed fennel.