My first paying job was working in a large restaurant/hotel. I started as a dishwasher as most people do and proceeded to learn how to cook there. I hated every minute of that job but in the end it's turned out that what I learned there has been more valuable than anything I learned on any other job. The reason I mention this is because one thing we used to cook there were Monte Cristo sandwiches. I've tried eating Monte Cristos at other resaurants but they seem to be a bit confused as to what one is. The most common mishap that I've seen is two slices of french toast with ham and cheese between them. NOT what we used to make. Our Monte Cristo's were bread, turkey, ham and cheese cut in four pieces, battered and deep fried. I made them tonight and they didn't turn out half bad. I served them with homemade blackberry jam. In the summer the Seattle area is just festooned with blackberrys so this summer we picked about 2 gallons of them and made jam and syrup out of them. The flavor of real jam is so much better than the store bought stuff that it really made the Monte Cristos taste good. I'd like to see the sandwiches a bit darker though...