I’m sorry to gloat, but I’m like a proud Mama Bear who just had her cub: I just harvested a second handful of mizuna greens from my terrace garden! I’ll be heart-broken when the plant is no more, but I’m going to milk it as much as I can. I’m also getting ready to plant a second round of salad greens for autumn which is fast approaching; hopefully, they’ll survive as the weather gets colder.

This sandwich needed bitter greens because of the speck’s fatty composure and it needed to stand up against the spiciness of the mustard. Almost any salad green will do like arugula or mache, of course, but mizuna complemented the stinkiness of the taleggio cheese. If you can’t find speck, good-quality prosciutto will also work.

Ingredients:
a couple slices of taleggio, rind removed
8 pieces of speck
6 mizuna leaves
whole-grain mustard
1 whole wheat panini bread, halved
a small knob of butter

1. Assemble your sandwich. On one half of the panini, layer the taleggio evenly. Top with the speck and then the greens. On the other half of the panini, spread a dollop of mustard and then place on top of the first half.
2. Melt half of the butter in a large skillet and heat the panini. Press with an iron grill press. After about two minutes, turn the sandwich gently with a spatula. Add the rest of the butter and distribute it around the sandwich while it melts. Press again for another minute and remove to a chopping block. Let it rest before slicing in two and serving.

Related post/s:
Taleggio is great for sandwiches

I wish I came up with this sandwich recipe because it’s truly the most complicated-tasting sandwich I’ve had in a very long time. I think a sandwich is never enough for a meal during the day, but this Salume-inspired panini put together all my favorite tastes and textures in my mouth in one seating. I remember eating this for the first time and wondering why I paid $10 for it, but also rolling my eyes back after the first bite. There’s that soft brie that’s even better when melted; the hot and spicy salami for that depth and chewiness and then the sourness and crunchiness of the cornichons all held up by sturdy whole wheat bread. It’s not exactly the $10 Tropea sandwich that I love ordering from Salume here in New York City, but I think it’s a pretty close adaptation considering I spent $20 to make four of them in one week for both the beach and for lunch.

I bought the hot salami from Di Palo’s–just ask for one of the hanging saawsages from their ceiling and have them slice it so you don’t have to worry about the thinness of each piece. The Vermont brie was from my Holton Farms CSA and the whole wheat panini bread was from Whole Foods. I highly recommend good quality cornichons here because you definitely don’t want to miss out on the crunch. Add a jig of Tabasco sauce for extra spice and you’re good to go to spend the last few weekends of the summer on the beach.

I used my trustworthy iron grill press here, but if you don’t have one, pressing on it using a heavy lid that’s smaller than the skillet will do. Otherwise, find a small, clean brick and wrap it with foil for a do-it-yourself sandwich press.

Ingredients:
a couple slices of Brie, rind removed
8 pieces of hot salami, thinly sliced
6 pieces of cornichons, halved
Tabasco sauce
1 whole wheat panini bread, halved
a small knob of butter

1. Assemble your sandwich. On one half of the panini, lay out the Brie evenly. Top with the salami and then the cornichons. If you want it extra spicy, add a few jigs of Tabasco sauce. Cover with the other half of the panini.
2. Melt half of the butter in a large skillet and heat the panini. Press with an iron grill press. After about two minutes, turn the sandwich gently with a spatula, making sure the cornichons do not spill out. Add the rest of the butter and distribute it around the sandwich while it melts. Press again for another minute and remove to a chopping block. Let it rest before slicing in two and serving.

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Speaking of complicated sandwiches, this let me express myself after getting laid off a second time

Ah, Internet, you kill me. It sucks to be laid off for the second time in eight years especially if it’s from a job you actually like. But shit happens, yeah? The good thing is that I can wake up without scurrying out the door and I can devote some time to the art of making sandwiches for lunch. Take for example this afternoon: leftover pernil that I carved from the bone, Gorgonzola from Di Palo Selects, a lone pear from the fruit basket on the coffee table and a handful of walnuts from a can of assorted holiday nuts; I threw in three slices of bacon in there for good measure.

This sandwich is not for the faint of heart. Substitute the pork with sweet ham and add some spicy arugula to make a sweet-salty version.

Ingredients:
leftover pork roast, chopped
3 slices of bacon
half a pear, sliced thinly
a small chunk of Gorgonzola, sliced
a handful of walnuts, crushed
4 slices of whole wheat bread
a small knob of butter, melted in microwave

1. Cook bacon. Using a skillet, cook about 4 slices of bacon until crisp. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate. Set aside.
2. Using the rendered bacon fat in the same skillet, heat up pear slices. Remove to same paper towel-lined plate.
3. Assemble sandwich. On a chopping board, spread one side of each bread slice evenly with some melted butter using a pastry brush. With buttered sides down, spoon some pork roast on two slices of bread and top with Gorgonzola slices. Add bacon and pears and sprinkle with walnuts. Feel free to moisten with leftover bacon fat. Layer with remaining bread, buttered side up.
4. Place large skillet over high heat and brush remaining butter. Reduce heat to medium-low and add sandwich. Using an iron grill press, put on top of the sandwich and press. Cook until browned and crisp on both sides, about 4 minutes a side. Transfer to a platter lined with parchment paper. Cut in half and serve.

Related post/s:
Di Palo Selects has some good Gorgonzola
The cast iron grill press is one of the most used items in my kitchen
A year ago, I made my first pressed sandwich
Pork Shoulder Roast recipe

Today is the official first day of spring and I’m in a good mood. The change of seasons make me look forward to what’s ahead and allow me to start afresh. Forget the last three months of gloominess and cold weather; it’s spring! It’s the same warm and fuzzy feeling I get when I know I’ve made something awesome with my own hands. When I tried the first sandwich from this recipe, I couldn’t help but go, Mmmmm. Making several more didn’t take a lot of extra time; all I had to do was pick up the ingredients from Trader Joe’s in one trip. The pesto gave this sandwich a nice kick while the scant sweet taste of the slow-cooked ham anchored down the two strong cheeses. Served pressed and warm and then cut in half to make the melted cheeses stringy, this sandwich made me proud.

Ingredients:
pesto
Gruyere cheese, sliced
Parmesan cheese, sliced
slow-cooked ham
sourdough bread
a knob of unsalted butter, softened in microwave for 15 seconds

1. Spread one side of each bread slice evenly with some butter. Spread the unbuttered slice with a spoonful of the pesto and top with a slice of Gruyere. Add ham and then top with the Parmesan. Cover with the remaining slice, buttered side up.
2. Place large skillet over high heat and melt a small knob of butter. Reduce heat to low and add sandwiches. Using an iron grill press, put on top of the sandwiches and press. Cook until browned and crisp on both sides, about 2 minutes a side. Transfer to a platter lined with paper towels. Cut in half and serve.

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Pressed Taleggio Cheese Sandwich
Pressed Reuben Sandwiches
I got the Lodge Logic cast iron grill press

I walked in Sur La Table to pick up some kind of exotic dark chocolate to satiate my craving last week and I ended up leaving with something heavier: a cast iron grill press. I don’t know what came over me, but as soon as I saw it in the store, I had to have it. I imagined using my Le Creuset grill pan more and pressing the beef steaks and the lamb chops I expect to cook this autumn and winter, but then The Times published an article devoted to grilled cheese with a recipe from Los Angeles.

I first discovered taleggio at Otto on their mushroom pizza. I remember that after tasting it, I went to Di Palo the next day to buy some. I baked it with mushrooms, too, but using a tart shell. Taleggio has a very strong and tangy smell that I find appetizing, so my mouth watered as soon as thought of it melted in between pressed bread. And who doesn’t like paninis, right? You can use a heavy pot lid–cast iron if possible–if you don’t have a press.

I used cinnamon raisin bread instead of just raisin, and I picked up the apricots from the dry goods aisle. I love the arugula here, so if you can get the spicy kind, the better. As a last touch, I sprinkled some of Terra de Sal’s flor de sal from Portugal. The sandwiches made a very sophisticated brunch on Sunday morning.

Ingredients:
half a pound taleggio cheese, rind removed, at room temperature
8 slices cinnamon raisin bread
15 dried apricots
1 tbsp capers
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
half a stick unsalted butter, softened in microwave for 15 seconds
arugula, throughly washed and dried with a paper towel
olive oil, salt

1. Place apricots in small saucepan and add enough water just to cover. Bring to full boil and immediately remove from heat. Mix in capers, mustard and teaspoon of olive oil. Pulse in blender to chunky consistency. Set aside.
2. Spread one side of each bread slice evenly with some butter. With buttered sides down, top four slices with a spoonful of the apricot mixture, a handful of arugula and equal portions of cheese. Top with remaining slices, buttered side up.
3. Place large skillet over high heat and melt a small knob of butter. Reduce heat to low and add sandwiches. Using an iron grill press, put on top of the sandwiches and press. Cook until browned and crisp on both sides, about 2 minutes a side. Transfer to a platter lined with paper towels, and sprinkle each with a pinch of salt. Cut in half and serve.

Related post/s:
Taleggio and mushrooms make a good combination
Even Otto thinks so
Buy your salt from Terras de Sal
I got the Lodge Logic cast iron grill press