"panini," news and stories

The cover illustration from Grilled Cheese: 50 Recipes to Make You Melt is more than enough to stop any grilled-cheese lover in their tracks. And fortunately, when it comes to cookbooks, making your selection based on the cover illustration isn't an entirely bad idea.

The single-subject cookbook contains 50 recipes that are the very embodiment of comfort food. Some are simple combinations and others are a bit more involved, but all result in a warm, satisfying and delicious meal. The book opens with a detailed discussion of various types of cheeses and the pros and cons of using each for this particular type of sandwich. Some of the ingredients, in addition to various types of cheeses, that are added to the sandwiches are prosciutto, creme fraiche, fig jam, pesto, fresh herbs and sausages. And in addition to simply listing the various ways in which the ingredients can be combined, the book is filled with tips for toasting them to perfection (very helpful if you don't own a panini press) and on how to select the right sorts of bread for grilling. Highlights include Bacon and Cheddar with Chipotle Relish, Halloumi Sandwiches with Lime, Goat Cheese and Cilantro Mint Ginger Quesadillas and Grilled Ham, Cheese and Pineapple.

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Sandwich Day has been over and long past, but I couldn't resist this gorgeous panini from food blog Cream Puffs in Venice. Usually, I like the idea of paninis, but find that because they are squashed down in a panini press, don't look quite as fabulously photogenic as thick sandwiches that are piled high with ingredients. Perhaps it's the fact that the photo is an extreme close-up, perhaps it's the angle and lighting, but this panini made with pesto, artichokes, prosciutto and Asiago cheese definitely looks voluptuous enough!

The fact that you can buy artisan panini breads - good for making any number of sandwiches - seems a bit odd. After all, the image that one usually associated with the hand-crafted and carefully baked artisan breads is of a small, local baker dedicated to high quality and not some online store. In this case, the store in question is Williams-Sonoma and they're offering sandwich panini rolls from New York's Balthazar Bakery. The breads include (3)ciabatta, (3) potato and caramelized onion rolls, (3)multigrain baps and (4)olive rolls, for a total of 13.

Actually, the idea doesn't seem so odd when you consider that cakes, cookies and other baked goods are shipped across the country all the time, but breads do tend to go stale faster than other baked goods (these stay fresh for only 3 days), so you'll have to get overnight shipping and eat them quickly once they've arrived. The rolls are $29+shipping.

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Simple and sandwich are two words that were made to go together. The whole idea of a sandwich is that it is a meal all in one portable, easy to prepare and easier to eat package. But "simple" doesn't mean that sandwiches all have to use processed meats and pre-packaged bread. Simple Italian Sandwiches is a book that draws inspiration from the Italian panini grill to create a wide array of surprisingly elegant, yet easy, sandwiches. The pictures are gorgeous and will certainly put you in the mood to try out at least a few of the recipes.

In essence, this is Italian fast food. The recipes use Italian breads and ingredients that will be well-known to lovers of Mediterranean food, such as tomatoes, artichokes, goat cheese, prosciutto and pancetta. There are many Italian cheeses used, as well, and mozzarella is not the only one with a starring role. That said, you should still be able to find all the necessary ingredients at a well-stocked supermarket, but a good-quality deli can supply you with the same.

In addition to using the panini grill to make pressed and toasted sandwiches, the book includes a number of open-faced sandwiches, snacks, antipasti and salads, so there is plenty of variety.

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We're still getting prepped for Sandwich Day on September 21st and it's never too early to pick up some inspiring tips from fellow food bloggers. Ivonne, from Creampuffs in Venice, put together this gorgeous panini that reminds us that sandwiches don't have to be savory - they can be sweet, too. Her Nutella Supreme Panini have nutella, peanut butter, strawberries and sliced almonds on buttered and toasted baguettes. The bread is grilled in the panini maker before the filling is added (so you could simply toast bread to make this sandwich at home), so the soft fillings don't run out of the sandwich before you have a chance to get it into your mouth.

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