Music to my ears. One Big Panino

If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen. – Harry S. Truman 

No that’s not a typo. It’s panino, not “piano” that is music to the summer cook’s ears. Why? Because you can feed a whole family without turning on the oven – after the bread is baked of course.

Panino is the Italian word for any sandwich that is made from bread that is not sliced. If the bread is sliced, it’s called a tramezzino. We have adopted the word panini on this side of the big pond to refer to grilled pressed sandwiches. (It’s the plural form of panino.)

So what do you need for a family sized sandwich? A big loaf of bread.

That’s where this post comes in. The recipe I am posting makes a loaf about 14” x 12” which is enough to easily feed 8 with a side dish or two.

I hate to admit it but I did knead this loaf for all of 5 minutes. My usual bread recipes don’t call for any kneading. It’s done by autolysis, overnight. I don’t proof the yeast either. Of course make sure you are using fresh yeast – not from a jar that’s been in your cupboard for a year. I keep mine in the freezer.

The reason I did knead is because to maintain a shape without a baking dish you need to have a little less water content than usual. It makes a stiffer dough. My ratio for most bread is twice as much flour as water. I went a little scant on this one.

The dough at bedtime.

If you use a 2:1 ratio the bread may “blob” out while rising and not retain a rectangular shape. That shape is important for making even sized sandwiches.

This type of sandwich is great for those hot summer days when you dare not turn the oven on in the kitchen. We’ve had a few in the past week and more will be coming.

To make the actual sandwich I layered spicy mortadella, salami with prosciutto, and calabrese. For the cheese I used sharp provolone.

There’s one ‘secret ingredient” to finish these sandwiches. It’s actually not a spread but more of a pickled condiment. 

There is an Italian classic, but I opted to venture out on my own after reading up on a few. It’s pretty good.

The dough in the morning.

This is a great make-ahead recipe for a weekend fête or for any time you are having a group. I do have to admit this isn’t a cheap sandwich. Each of the meats, pre-packaged, range between $4-$5. So that’s $20 right off the top.

But it does feed 8, so the per sandwich cost is bearable. It just hurts a little bit when you go through the checkout.

I did do one semi-unusual thing with this loaf. For a little extra nutrition I substituted one cup of the flour for a whole wheat. I had red fife on hand – a heritage Canadian grain. You can use all white flour if you wish.

Next time you’re having a gathering and don’t want to spend your time in the kicthen, or if it’s just too darned hot to turn on the oven, think panino. It can bring a song to your cooking-weary heart.

You have to pull the corners out to keep a rectangle shape.

Italian Panino Loaf

Prep: overnight  |  Bake: 25-30 min  |  Yield: 1 large loaf

3 cups unbleached flour

1 cup whole wheat or red fife

1-3/4 cups water

3 tbsp yeast

2 tsp sugar

1 tsp salt

Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl. There is no need to proof the yeast. Transfer to the counter and knead for 5 minutes. It will be “wet” but not sticky.

Place a little oil in the mixing bowl. Plop the dough back in and swirl to cover all sides. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and then a towel. Let rise overnight (about 8 hours).

In the morning, punch the dough down and knead for about 1 minute. Roll like a log and then shape into a flat rectangle about 10” x 8”. Pull the corners out to points with your fingers to maintain the shape while proofing again.

Let rise again until doubled, about 1 hour. While it is rising, preheat the oven to 400°F with a pan of water on the bottom rack.

Just before baking, make 4 slits in the top in the shape of a rectangle. This helps prevent the bread from rising into a mound. Dust the top with flour.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, removing the water pan at the 10 minute mark. The loaf is done when the loaf sounds hollow when tapped on the top.

Proofed, slit and ready for the oven.

To make a big panino you will need:

sliced Italian meats, be creative

sliced provolone cheese

an Italian style “spread”

My panino spread:

3 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp cider vinegar

1 tbsp capers

1/4 cup diced carrot

1 tsp dried marjoram

a pinch of cracked black pepper

1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley

Place all in a food processor or small blender and pulse until chopped small, but not a paste.

Slice the loaf horizontally. Hollow out the top and bottom pieces. If not there will be too much bread in the sandwich. The excess bread can be saved for a stuffing, bread pudding, etc.

Layer the meats, then the cheese, and finally the spread. Press the sandwich together, put a weight like a cast iron frying pan on top, and let sit for about 30 minutes.

It can be heated in the oven to melt the cheese and crust the bread if you wish. Cut and serve.

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Recipe: Roasted Tomato Salami Sandwiches

Life is like a ten speed bicycle. Most of us have gears we never use. – Charles M. Schulz 

Fast and filling. Perfect for those days when there's just not enough time.

This may not sound like much of a post, but there’s method to my madness. We’re coming up on the busiest week of the year for many people. Most of us are pedaling as fast as we can. Time is of the essence.

This recipe is fast, fast, fast. Don’t blink or you’ll miss yourself making it.

And it does have an intriguing name, doesn’t it. How in the world do you roast a sandwich?

Well you can, and it’s one of the best ways to toast bread and melt cheese at the same time.

I’m in a bit of a kitchen panic this week. I’m on the push to finish making gourmet goodies for Christmas, but I work all day. So I need to free up my nights. This was perfect.

Actually I can imagine all kinds of times this would be perfect. It’s a pretty simple sandwich, really. It’s just the technique that’s a bit off the wall.

The trick is to brown the bread in a frying pan and then let the oven melt the cheese and heat the meat. Usually when you make a sandwich (like a grilled cheese) the bread is a bit over-browned by the time the cheese melts.

Not so in the oven.

From there you simply add the fillings you don’t want heated (tomatoes, mayo and basil), close it up, cut in two and enjoy. 

You don’t even have to wait for the oven to come to full heat either. The recipe uses the heating oven to do its magic on the cheese.

This technique also has another secret benefit. The bread doesn’t even have to be fresh. Mine was because I just made it on Saturday,but you can use older bread too.

There’s an Italian “recipe” (if you can call it that) that is extremely addictive. It’s fried bread with olive oil and salt. Once you try it you’ll be converted. From that point onward you’ll look forward to your bread going stale.

This is one sandwich. My pan wasn't big enough!

This sandwich uses the same delicious technique.

If you’re in a rush, or are looking for something filling for lunch try these sandwiches. Fillings can be modified to suit your own tastes.

The result is a meaty, cheesy warm sandwich with plenty of basil bite and crunchy, tasty bread. What's not to love?

Roasted Tomato Salami Sandwiches

Prep: 2 min  |  Cook 10 min  |  Serves 2

1 tbsp olive oil

4 slices country-style bread

150 g Genoa salami (or ham of your choice)

150 - 200 g mozzarella, or other cheese

2 plum tomatoes, sliced

basil leaves

equal parts Dijon mustard and mayonnaise

pepper

salt

The cheese is melted, the meat is warmed
and the bread is toasted. Mmmm.....

Turn the oven to 450°F. Heat the olive oil in an oven-proof large frying pan.

Place the bread in the pan and swirl it around to coat with the oil. Use a little more oil if you wish.

Slice the mozzarella into 1/4” thick pieces. As the bread toasts in the pan, arrange half the salami on two of the slices and the sliced cheese on the other two.

Once the bread has started to brown place the pan in the heating oven. Let cook in the oven for about 8 minutes, until the cheese has melted and the salami has started to curl slightly.

Meanwhile, to make the dressing mix together equal parts of Dijon mustard and mayonnaise. Season generously with pepper.

Slice the tomatoes and tear the basil leaves.

Remove the pan from the oven. Arrange tomato slices on each of the salami topped bread. Sprinkle with salt. Place some dressing on top of the tomato slices and then top with basil.

Flip the cheese topped bread on top of the other halves and remove to a board. Cut each sandwich on two and serve while the cheese is still warm and stringy.

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Lunchtime: Croque-monsieur with Quince Jam

What contemptible scoundrel has stolen the cork to my lunch? – W. Clement Stone 

Ohh, la la. Hammy, cheesy, melty, tasty.

Last Sunday I posted a recipe for making jam out of the fruit of flowering quince. At some point I had to do something that would force me to use some.

This was it. And a fine choice it was. I love these sandwiches. I guess it’s partly because I love French toast. Some people are more comme ci, comme ça about it.

Regardless, French toast is really more of a breakfast food. For a light lunch you have to add a little something to it. Those little somethings are ham and cheese.

My homemade flowering quine jam.

Croque-monsieur originated in French cafés and bars around 1910 as a quick lunch. “Croque” refers to the crunchy sound, and "monsiuer" is mister. So for as fancy as it sounds, this is a “Mr. Crunch.”

Croque-monsieur always have either Emmental or Guyère cheese, but there’s a lot of different options you can try to spruce it up.

 Serve with an egg on top (for a "madame"), or a slice of tomato ("provençal") or with a slice of pinenapple (Hawaiian).

If you find yourself in France you can go to McDonald’s and order – are you ready – a Croque McDo. Hmmm.

I think I’ll make mine at home. They’re not rocket science.

This recipe uses Emmental cheese. It’s sometimes confused with Swiss Cheese in North America. Emmental comes from a specific region of Switzerland. North American Swiss cheese – usually not quite as flavourful – can be made anywhere. Our attempts are usually made from inferior ingredients so the taste isn't as "full."

Emmental melts very well so it’s one of the two cheeses often used in fondue and in grilled cheese sandwiches. We’re making glorified grilled cheese sandwiches today. So if you can, get Emmental.

There's always a dollop of jam on the plate when I serve these. The quince jam was perfect for lunch. The jam itself is not too sweet so it paired extremely well with the ham and cheese.

No wonder I like these so much.

Croque Monsier, pour deux

(to serve four double all the ingredients)

Prep: 5 min  |  Fry: 5 min  |  Bake 15 min

1/4 cup butter

1 lg egg

1/4 cup cream (or milk)

salt and pepper

4 thick slices of homemade bread

200g sliced black forest (or your favourite) ham

200 g sliced Emmental cheese

jam

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Melt the butter in an oven-proof skillet.

Mix the egg and cream together on a plate. Add salt and pepper.

Pair up the slices of bread. Place 1/4 of the cheese slices on two pieces. Follow that with 1/2 of the ham and then the remaining cheese.

Close each sandwich with the remaining slices of bread. Take each sandwich and dip into the egg mixture. Let it soak for a few second and then flip and repeat.

Place each sandwich in the hot butter and let cook on each side until golden.

After each side has browned place the pan in the oven and let cook until the cheese has melted, about 15 minutes.

Serve with the jam of your choice.

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