COOKING TIP: Panini

Panini (plulal; singular, panino) are Italian sandwiches made on bread, other than sliced bread (eg; ciabatta, focaccio, baguette, etc) that are filled with meats, cheeses and /or grilled vegetables.While the sandwich does not need to be grilled, Americans, generally, are not aware of this. This is because American cafes usually do coat both sides of the bread with butter or oil and  grill them using a  heated grill device that grills the sandwich on both sides on, simultaneously. The device is called a grill press and produces a grilled sandwich with crisp outsides and distinctive grill marks on both sides.. If you want to make Panini but do not have a grill press, wrap a building brick in heavy duty aluminium foil. Butter or oil the bread on both sides of your sandwich(es), place on a grill pan on medium heat, and place the brick on top to weigh the sandwich down. Cook until there are distinct grill marks on the outside of the bread and then turn over and repeat the process on the other side until done. This will give you a perfect Panini every time. This procedure works just as well for making a Cuban sandwich, another great sandwich in which the bread is grilled.