Ciabatta sandwich (Brandi Stafford photo) | ZOOM |

Ever make a sandwich out of a slipper? If you've piled turkey and cheese on a ciabatta roll you have, at least according to the Italians. Ciabatta (ch'yah-BAH-tah) means "slipper,'' presumably because the small, rectangular roll is about the same size and shape of a slipper. (Maybe the baker who came up with the name knew someone with tiny feet.)

The ciabatta sandwich rolls made by La Brea Bakery in Van Nuys, Calif., taste far better than any shoe - only slightly tangy from the sour dough, with a thin crust, plenty of airy holes inside and delightfully chewy over all. This ciabatta will handle the most formidable of sandwich fillings without tearing, yet it's distinctive and delicious enough to stand alone as a dinner roll.

La Brea partially bakes the rolls and ships them frozen to Costco, where the store bakeries finish baking them. Available at Costco Warehouse in Springdale and Deerfield Township for $3.99 per 8 rolls.

Chuck Martin