Monday, October 17, 2005

Homemade Panini


Melting the cheese is key


I got a sandwich maker recently. It's one of those appliances on the verge of impractical, especially if you don't have much storage space in your kitchen. Do people really use them, or do they just sit waiting on the shelf, between the juicer and the waffle maker? Valid questions.

For the record, my waffle maker sees frequent action, and so has the sandwich grill.

The joy of grilled sandwiches is in the bread, bun or whatever your outer layer. Lately, I've been buying beautiful baked ciabatta loafs. They're dense, heavy and the perfect size. And when you grill em right, they form a crisp outer crust that warms the contents of your panini.

The other reason to have a sandwich grill is, of course, to melt cheese. It really doesn't matter what type, as long as it's flowing.

The sandwiches pictured above had ham and turkey, old white cheddar, honey mustard, sweet pickles and tomatoes. I spray the grill with oil, squeeze it down, and a few minutes later we're ready.

They are close to perfect.