"Panini," news and stories

KitchenDaily expert Curtis Stone cooks up an out-of-this-world triple-decker sandwich on the grill, pressing buffalo mozzarella, tomato and avocado between three layers of ciabatta bread slathered in his homemade pesto.

Get Curtis' recipe for Triple-Decker Tomato and Avocado Panini with Mozzarella and Pesto.

Each Thursday, we round up a selection of scrumptious links from our friends over at YumSugar. Here's what they've got cooking this week:

• Yes, you can! -- ditch the supermarket and make these 10 food items, that is.
• In these lean times try easy on the pocketbook and easily jazzed up red beans and rice.
• This plastic will fit nicely next to your ATM card.
• Say hello to the banana's big brother.
• With only two pans and some cans of soup, you too can make a panini.
• Do you know what this squashing machine is?
• Chili purists, turn away -- delicious meatless chili in a slow cooker.

Those electric panini presses are nice, but why lug out a whole machine for sandwich time when a little cast iron magic can do the trick?

Photo: Amazon.

'Simple Italian Snacks'
Recipes by Jason Denton and Kathryn Kellinger
Photos by Michael Piazza
William Morrow -- 2008
Buy it on Amazon

Italian food: Unless you grew up noshing on Italian-American fare -- pastas, sauces, meatballs -- this particular Old World cuisine can seem fairly intimidating to newbies, especially in the era of sea urchin and lardo and beef cheek ravioli with squab liver and truffles. (Not that we'd complain if either dish arrived on our doorstep).

So we're grateful to see another book keeping things simple in the home kitchen from Jason Denton, partner in the very popular New York City restaurant Lupa and the man behind panini pioneer 'ino.

Most of his recipes are mercifully simple, relying on a few super-fresh ingredients to comprise menus that still look darn decadent when they hit the table. Look for a seasonal pizza of peach, mascarpone and honey or a gorgeous veal involtini wrapped around arugula and sweet roasted garlic.

See what we tested and whether the book's worth buying after the jump.

• Click here for an invaluable run-down on cleaning your wine glasses, from washing sober to getting out stubborn stains.
• Recipes: Grilled Fifth Town Goat Cheese Panini with 3-Minute Heirloom Tomato Consomme plus Patric Leduc's Brined Pork Chops with Chipotle Sauce and Dana's Peach Galettes.
• Forget Anne of Avonlea and try cheese from Avonlea, namely -- Avonlea Clothbound Cheddar.
• Be still my heart -- a meat club I wish I had an invite to.
• If you thought faux corks were bad, or cartons, now there are wines you can drunk straight from the plastic bottle.
• Jean-Georges Vongerichten is heading for Canada, Vancouver to be exact.