[2] An electric panini press, no stove required (photo courtesy Breville). If you have a George Foreman grill, you can grill panini, and vice versa: you can grill fish, meat and vegetables on a panini press.

[3] If you don’t want to store a bulkier panini press, a stovetop panini pan stores more easily (photo courtesy Calphalon).

[4] Before modern kitchens, sandwich were toasted using a device like this, held over the fire. In your modern kitchen, you can hold it over the flame on your stove (photo courtesy i.Pinimg).

Panini are grilled Italian sandwiches (panini is Italian for sandwiches_. August is National Panini Month. August 11th is National Panini Day. It’s also National Sandwich Month. So what gives?

Well, you can have celebrate National Sandwich Month with your favorite fillings on bread or toast; or you can grill them on an electric or stovetop panini press. Pretty much any conventional sandwich filling can be grilled.

The difference between panini and toasted bread sandwiches is the crispness. Before grilling, panini are brushed with oil or butter, and the heat and pressure of the panini press creates much crisper, crunchier bread.

Check out the panini recipes and tips below. But first:
 
 
THE HISTORY OF PANINI

According to Wikipedia, the first U.S. reference to panini dates to 1956. In Italy, the first appeared in a 16th-century Italian cookbook.

But it took a few centuries—all the way to the 1970s, to be precise—for the sandwiches became trendy in Italy.

The flash point was in Milan, in sandwich bars called paninoteche. Basic flat grills soon gave way to ribbed plates that created the desirable characteristics: melted cheese, crisp bread and grill marks. (A panini press can also used for regular grilling of meat, fish and vegetables.)

In the 1980s, the term “paninaro” arose to describe the stylish young people who patronized panini bars. They were categorized as fashion-fixated and obsessed with consumer goods as status symbols. (And they liked crispy sandwiches.)

In the 1980s, panini crossed the pond, appearing on the menus of fashionable casual restaurants in the U.S. Classic Italian ingredients were offered—prosciutto, mozzarella and arugula, for example. But soon, popular American fillings appeared—ham and swiss, for example.

By the way, panini is the plural form of the word, but it’s a compound noun. So whether you’re ordering one or ten, it’s still panini. Panino, the singular, is a roll or a small bread.

FOOD TRIVIA: Italians had no word for sandwich. During World War II, when G.I.s in Italy sought sandwiches and asked for meat and cheese on a roll, “panini” became the term.
 
 
PANINI RECIPES

 
 
PANINI TIPS

How about a new lemonade recipe for National Lemonade Day, August 20th?

The lemon tree first grew wild in the Assam region of India and was ultimately brought to the Middle East.

While archaeological evidence shows that people drank lemon drinks centuries earlier, the first known written reference to the lemon tree dates from a 10th-century Arabic book on farming (source).

The history of lemonade continues below. But first, the recipe, from Chef Kris Koch of The SIX15 Room at The Grand Hotel, Minneapolis [photo #1]. His preparation tips:

 
 
RECIPE: LEMON-CUCUMBER LEMONADE

National Lemon Day is August 29th. National Cucumber Day is June 14th.

Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. BLEND the ingredients thoroughly. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

2. GARNISH as desired and serve. with sliced lemon, lime, cucumber, and a sprig of mint.
 
 
THE HISTORY OF LEMONADE

The history of prepared foods depends on the written record; and the further you go back in time, the fewer the written records.

Lemons and sugarcane are both native to India, where an early form of lemonade called nimbu pani was consumed.

It is believed that lemons were introduced to the Middle East around 700 C.E.

The earliest written evidence of lemon juice drink, from Egypt, dates to around 1000 C.E., made with lemons, dates, and honey.

Subsequent written records show that trade in lemon juice was active by 1104. Records of the Jewish community in Cairo, that span the 10th through 13th centuries, note the consumption of qatarmizat—lemon juice with lots of sugar—which was made for local consumption as well as export (source).

In 1676, Compagnie de Limonadiers was founded in Paris, with monopoly rights to sell lemonade. Street vendors served the drink from tanks on their backs.

The first known reference to carbonated lemonade comes from 1833; it was sold at refreshment stands in Britain. The R. White’s Lemonade brand, still sold in the U.K., has been produced since 1845 (photo #4).

[2] Here’s how to keep lemons fresh for an entire month, from The Kitchn.

[3] English cucumbers. As they mature on the vine, they grow quite long (photo © Mastronardi Produce).

[4] R. Whites Lemonade was first sold in the U.K. in 1845. The original bottles were brown crockery, then dark green glass (photo © Designweek | UK).

Much of the early lemonade was served without ice. Refrigeration and ice in warm weather are more modern benefits.

While drinking lemonade-type drinks may date back thousands of years, ice to keep foods cold was available only to the wealthy few, who could afford ice houses. In ancient times, ice cut from the mountains of Italy was shipped by barge (on a minuscule scale) to the Middle East and Egypt.

The earliest remains of ice pits found are from the seventh century B.C.E., with references suggesting that the techniques were used before the 11th century B.C.E.

By the Renaissance, people of means built ice houses on their properties, in shaded areas or below ground. During the winter, the ice house would be loaded up with ice and snow and packed with insulation such as straw or sawdust.

The original purpose was to store perishable foods in the warm months, but the ice could also be chipped to cool drinks or make ice cream and sorbet.

By the 19th century, commercial ice houses would store tons of ice for purchase. Still, ice houses could only exist where there was a source of natural ice.

In 1806, Frederic Tudor, a New England entrepreneur, came up with the idea to export ice on a commercial basis. Tudor’s first shipment was to the Caribbean, and the “Ice King” ultimately shipped ice all over the world. Tudor invented an entire industry, the ice trade.

Domestically, “ice men” carried blocks of ice to homes and businesses, where they were stored in “ice boxes” which kept perishable foods cool.

The first home refrigerator with a small freezing compartment—it held two ice cube trays±was launched in 1923. Large “deep freezers” for retail use only became common during the 1940s. That’s why people in period novels and films went to the neighborhood drugstore to get ice cream!

Big freezers did not go into mass production for home use until after World War II, and the new refrigerator-freezer units allowed people to keep lots of ice in the freezer.

Automatic icemakers for home refrigerator-freezers were first sold around 1953 (source). And then: iced lemonade for everyone!
 
 

[2] An event for journalists, in the art of blending (photo by Eitan Schapsis | © THE NIBBLE).

[3] Three different blends offer different flavor profiles (photo © Oleificio Zucchi).

Occasionally, we have called out a few as Top Pick Of The Week, but it’s hard to do so: There are so many EVOOs* that deserve your attention.

Zucchi 1810 olive oil is a brand available at better supermarkets and specialty food stores. At less than $10 a bottle, it tastes as good as olive oils which are twice the price.

> The history of olive oil is below.

> The history of olives.

> The different types of olives and olive oil: a photo glossary.
 
 
ABOUT ZUCCHI

Oleificio Zucchi was founded in 1810 near Lodi in northern Italy. It’s now in the hands of the seventh generation.

By the 1990s, constant growth made it necessary to move the business to its current 86,000-square-foot facility in Cremona. The production capacity is now almost 400,000 gallons/day of packaged oil!

While that’s a lot of olive oil, the company produces oils that taste as good as some oils that are produced in small, artisan facilities.

Using state-of-the-art technology, Zucchi has created an “olive oil cellar,” Italy’s largest temperature-controlled storage facility, maintained at a constant 60°F and capable of storing some 5,300 tons of extra virgin olive oil.

The goal is to deliver an excellent oil whose organoleptic properties—taste, aroma, appearance—remain constant over time.

The company is proud of its sustainability and traceability: a sustainable supply chain founded on environmental sustainability, transparency at every step of production (traceability—you can trace your bottle with the QR code on the label), and fair wages for workers.
 
 
THE ART OF BLENDING

You may notice single-cultivar olive oils: arbequina, cerignola, frantoia, and scores more. (There are more than 500 different cultivars in Italy alone, although some are better for eating than for pressing into oil.)

While single-cultivar oils are usually the province of artisan growers, the majority of olive oils are a blend of several cultivars (varieties) each of which brings a unique flavor profile to the blend.

In the blending room, finding the right balance between fruity and peppery, bold and delicate requires knowledge and skill. The objective is to find the best blend of cultivars (and origins, since olives planted in different regions can have different personalities), and the best percentages of each.

The art of blending is the ability to create oils with specific personalities that appeal to different consumer tastes.

It is a fascinating procedure, and we have been fortunate to try it at a Zucchi blending event (photo #2).

Just think of how both Americans’ use of olive oil, and our culinary trends, have changed over the last 30 years, and you’ll see why producers continually seek optimal blends.

There are an infinite number of blends, but here are the different flavor styles of olive oil with which to begin.

Which blend is right for you? It’s only by tasting that you know if you’d rather dress your salad with an oil that’s buttery, fruity, or peppery; mild, robust, or intense.

*EVOO is an acronym for extra virgin olive oil.
________________
 
 
TRY ZUCCHI EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OILS

Head down the olive oil aisle and you’re likely to find different blends of Zucchi EVOO: Heritage, Italiano, Organic, and Sweet & Fruity (“sweet” refers to the fruit flavors).

There are also three flavored EVOOs: Chili Pepper, Garlic, and Pesto.

All are delicious; we use all of them. You can find a 500ml/16.9-ounce bottle for $9.99.

DISCOVER MORE AT ZUCCHI.COM.
 
 
TIPS FOR STORING YOUR OILS

It’s easy for olive oil to go rancid if it isn’t stored properly, or if it’s too old. Here are the three things to remember.

1. To conserve any oil’s sensory and nutritional properties, seal the container tightly after each use.

2. Keep it away from light. In fact, like wine, the bottle should be green or other dark glass to filter out the light.

3. Store it below 68°F/20°. The ideal range is between 53°F/12°C and 46°F/18°C). This means: Find a cool spot in the kitchen, never next to the stove or oven.

Even so, use up the olive oil as quickly as you can. While some olive cultivars age better than others, and we’ve successfully used oils that are two years old, ideally don’t buy more than you’ll use in 6 months or so.

Also, look for a bottling date before you buy the bottle. Fresh is best.
 
—Contributed by Eitan Schapsis

The olive tree is native to the Mediterranean basin; wild olives were collected by Neolithic peoples as early as the 8th millennium B.C.E. The wild trees are believed to have originated in Greece and were first domesticated in one of three places: Asia Minor, the Levant†, or in Mesopotamia (source).

Olive tree cultivation reached Iberia (Spain) and Etruscan Etruria (western Italy) well before the 8th century B.C.E. It spread to southern Gaul (France) in the 7th century B.C.E.

The First Olive Oil

Archaeological evidence shows that olives were pressed into olive oil by 6000 B.C.E.

It was used every day, multiple times a day. Besides as food, olive oil was used for religious rituals and medicines, as lamp fuel, in soap, and in hair and skin care applications. It was a necessity in the ancient world.

Olive oil was common in ancient Greek and Roman cuisine. As the Roman Empire expanded, olive trees were planted throughout the Mediterranean basin during the reign of the Roman Empire.

While the first trees were brought to the Iberian peninsula by the Phoenicians and the Greeks, olive cultivation in Hispania, as the Romans called it, was expanded considerably by them, as they also improved the techniques of oil production.

Palates were picky even in ancient times. Olive oil from Hispania was highly regarded by the Romans. But the historian Pliny the Elder, writing in the 1st century C.E., expressed his preference for Italian olive oil: Italy had “excellent olive oil at reasonable prices…the best in the Mediterranean.”

[5] Olive trees (photo © O Olive Oil).

 
 
MORE ABOUT OLIVE OIL

Extra Virgin Olive Oil: An Overview

Glossary Of Olive Oil Types & Terminology

How To Taste Olive Oil (And Have A Tasting Party!)

The Different Flavors Of Olive Oil

Why You Should Replace Butter With Olive Oil

Food Fun: An Olive Oil Martini

Beware Of Fake italian Olive Oil

__________

†The Levant was a large area in southwest Asia: south of the Taurus Mountains, with the Mediterranean Sea as the western boundary, and the north Arabian Desert and Mesopotamia in the east. “Levant” is an English term that first appeared in 1497. It originally referred to the “Mediterranean lands east of Italy.” The historical area comprises modern-day Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, and Syria. Among other popular foods, Levantine cuisine gave birth to baklava, falafel, kebabs, mezze (including tabbouleh, hummus, and baba ghanoush), pita, and za’atar, among other dishes that are enjoyed in the U.S. and around the world.
 
 

[2] Yummy yogurt bars—refrigerated, not frozen—from Clio Snacks. The halved bars show the consistency of the yogurt (photos courtesy Clio Snacks).

[3] Sparkling Diet Cranberry from Ocean Spray: just 10 calories a can (photo courtesy Ocean Spray).

Some of them are good, some great, some just not right for us. Here, five products that are right for us, in alphabetical order.
 
1. BANNER ROAD BAKING COMPANY GRANOLA

While Banner Road granolas are delicious on any morning, we particularly like them as house gifts. $12 per 11-ounce cylinder, and $6 for the four ounce size (a great party favor or stocking stuffer).

The gift appeal comes from the charming packaging (photo #1), evoking the rustic goodness which the healthy blend of ingredients provides.

The granola is gluten free, some flavors are vegan, some ingredients are organic, and a serving has just 5g of sweetener per 1.7-ounce bar.

This granola is made in clusters, the grains and seeds (oats, seeds, quinoa) baked into clusters that provide sweet crunch. The binders are extra virgin olive oil and, depending on the flavor, honey, maple syrup, molasses or tapioca syrup. Flavors include:

 
GET YOURS AT BANNERROAD.COM.
 
 
2. CLIO GREEK YOGURT BARS

What happens when you cross a cup of yogurt with a frozen yogurt bar?

A very tasty snack: Clio’s Greek Yogurt Bars, a refrigerated bar of yogurt enrobed in dark chocolate (photo #2). They are yummy!

The yogurt is thicker than standard yogurt cups, in:

 
You can turn them into dessert with fresh fruit or a dessert sauce like caramel; or make them food fun by inserting an ice-pop stick

Each gluten-free bar as 8g protein, 140 calories and billions of probiotics. The line is certified kosher by OU.

DISCOVER MORE AT CLIOSNACKS.COM.

Our new favorite low-calorie sparkling drink is Diet Sparkling Cranberry from Ocean Spray, made with their cranberry juice.

At 10 calories per 8.4-ounce can, it’s a caloric bargain. But amazingly, there is no artificial sweetener flavor.

The sweeteners are sucralose and acesuflame potassium (ace-K—see the different artificial sweeteners).

For everyone who mixes cranberry juice with club soda: Here it’s done for you. There’s also a conventional version (with sugar)

CHECK IT OUT AT OCEANSPRAY.COM.

4. SEASNAX ROASTED SEAWEED SNACKS

Many healthy eaters and sushi fans have discovered seaweed snacks: the crisp sheets of nori used to make sushi rolls, repurposed as crunchy yet delicate snacks.

Seaweed is nutrient-rich; the snack sheets are made with seaweed, olive oil and sea salt or other seasoning(s). They’re gluten free, non-GMO, paleo and vegan. SeaSnax is certified organic.

We love them: The crisp sheets of seaweed crunching happily in our mouths.

We eat them as a snack, plain or with beer and wine; as a “cracker” with miso soup; and when we want something to eat with almost no calories. The entire package has just 15.

THe original, plain nori sheet has been joined by flavors; most popular are chipotle and wasabi. A package of 6 packets is $8.95.

FIND OUT MORE AT SEASNAX.COM.

Note: Eat the whole pack at once. If left out for a while, or next to moisture such as a cup of tea, the sheets start to lose their crispness.
 
 
5. SEJOYIA COCO-ROONS

We love coconut macaroons, a cookie usually found plain or coated in chocolate.

Sejoyia offers two options we haven’t seen before: bittersweet chocolate and lemon flavors.

The Brownie macaroon is a bittersweet chocolate (we wish there were a touch more sugar); Lemon Pie is lusciously lemon.

We’re big, big fans of the latter. If you’re a macaroon lover, treat yourself without delay!

ORDER THEM AT SEJOYIA.COM.

And check out the history of macaroons.

[5] Coconut macaroons in chocolate and lemon (photo courtesy Sejoyia).

[2] Some people like their meringue slightly browned (photo #1); some like the full-on treatment here (photo courtesy McCormick).

[3] Deconstructed lemon meringue tart, a work of art. Here’s the recipe (photo courtesy @Chef_Lymalaya.

August 15th is National Lemon Meringue Pie Day.

While meringue was perfected sometime in the 17th century, it took for the 19th century for the modern lemon meringue pie to appear, in Switzerland.

Americans are happy about that: It’s always on the list of the Top 10 Favorite Pies.

We’ll start today with the recipe for classic lemon meringue pie (photo #1).

But here are creative variations:

 
DRINK LEMON MERINGUE!

 
THE HISTORY OF LEMON MERINGUE PIE

Lemon-flavored custards, puddings and pies date to Middle Ages, a time period of more than 1,000 years, from 476 C.E. to 1492 C.E. It was followed by the Renaissance, 1300 to 1600. Meringue was perfected sometime in the 1600s (the 17th century).

The modern lemon meringue pie is a 19th-century recipe, attributed to Alexander Frehse, a Swiss baker from Romandy, the French-speaking part(s) of Switzerland.

It combines a lemon custard single crust pie with meringue, the fluffy topping made from egg whites and sugar, baked on top. Here’s the classic lemon meringue pie recipe from McCormick.

Thanks, Chef!

PIE HISTORY

The ancient Egyptians, who were great bread bakers, worked out the details of early pastry. Theirs was a savory pastry: a dough of flour and water paste to wrap around meat and soak up the juices as it cooked.

Before the creation of baking pans in the 19th century, the coffin, as it was called (the word for a basket or box), was used to bake all food.

Pastry was further developed in the Middle East and brought to Mediterranean Europe by the Muslims in the 7th century. Another leap occurred in the 11th Century, when Crusaders brought phyllo dough back to Northern Europe (the First Crusade was 1096 to 1099).

Greek and Roman pastry did not progress as far as it could have because both cultures used oil, which can’t create a stiff pastry. In medieval Northern Europe, the traditional use of lard and butter instead of oil for cooking hastened the development of other pastry types.

Pies developed, and the stiff pie pastry was used to provide a casing for the various fillings. By the 17th century, flaky and puff pastries were in use, developed by French and Italian Renaissance chefs. These pastry chefs began to make highly decorated pastry, working intricate patterns on the crusts.