August is National Sandwich Month, time to move beyond your standard choices and try something different.

Since August is also National Panini Month, we dragged the panini press out of the closet (no room on the counter!) and invited a group of friends to a “Panini Brunch.” They asked what they could bring, and we told them: whatever you want to drink with your panini.
 
FOR A PANINI BRUNCH

Starting with ciabatta bread, everyone picks his/her sandwich ingredients from a selection of:

 
We added a mixed green salad with a Dijon vinaigrette. For dessert: biscotti and Italian dessert wine (look for Moscato d’Asti or Vin Santo).

 
PANINI HISTORY

A panini press is an electric sandwich grill consisting of two metal plates hinged together. The hot plates are clamped down on a prepared sandwich, pressing it into a dense sandwich while toasting the outsides of the bread with the signature grill marks and warming the filling (in the case of cheese, melting it).

Before sandwich grills, toasters or griddles were used to make toasted sandwiches. Thomas Edison invented an early sandwich grill in the 1920s, but it didn’t take off commercially.

Fast forward: Sandwiches toasted in a panini press became popular in Italian bars and cafés in the 1970s and 1980s. The trend spread internationally, and in another decade, panini presses could be found in appliance departments across the U.S.

The sandwich grill—the panini press is the Italian version— made it possible to brown two slices of bread at the same time.

Panino means “little bread” in Italian, and literally refers to a roll (a “little loaf”). Panino imbottito. “stuffed panino,” refers to the sandwich, but the word panino is also often used alone in context to refer to the sandwich.

In Italian, panino is singular, panini is plural. English speakers adapted the words: panini for singular, panini for plural.
 
PANINI TIPS

 
MORE SANDWICH IDEAS

Don’t want panini? How about:

 
And don’t overlook:

[1] A panino of turkey, cheddar and sliced apple (photo courtesy USApple.org).[2] One of our favorites: turkey, gruyère, caramelized onions and tomato (photo courtesy Rick’s Picks). [3] Grilled veggies (photo courtesy PotsAndPans.com). [4] A panini press (photo courtesy Breville).

What’s your weekend cocktail?

For the next three weeks, when watching the Olympics, it could be the Caipirinha, the national cocktail of Brazil. It’s made with the national’s official spirit, cachaça.

In the U.S., cachaça is considered “Brazilian rum,” but don’t call it that in front of a Brazilian!

[1] The national cocktail of Brazil: the Caipirinha (photo courtesy JamieOliver.com). [2] A leading brand of cachaça, Leblon is named after the most affluent neighborhood in Rio.

1. MUDDLE the lime and sugar into glass; then add ice to the top of the glass.

2. ADD the cachaça, stir, garnish and serve.
 
MORE CACHACA RECIPES

 
THE OLD-FASHIONED GLASS

The Old Fashioned glass, also called lowball glass, or rocks glass, is a short tumbler used for serving an alcoholic beverage with ice cubes (“on the rocks”). It gets its name from the Old Fashioned cocktail, invented in the 1860s in New York City.

Old Fashioned glasses are made with a wide brim and a thick base for muddling (source).

Bottoms up!

[1] Lay out the ingredients for the easiest DIY dessert. [2] Ricotta salata, made in a mold, is salted. It’s better for a DIY with savory toppings (photos courtesy Good Eggs). [3] and [4] Crunchy Wasa Thins in Sesame & Sea Salt, also available in Sea Salt & Rosemary (photos courtesy Wasa).

You may know ricotta from cannoli and cheesecake. They’re delicious desserts, but require some preparation.

For summer, there’s another option: The 5 Minute Ricotta Dessert Bowl, as created by Good Eggs, a top-quality online grocer in San Francisco.

Yes, in just five minutes you can set ingredients on the table, DIY-style, and everyone can have fun (and good nutrition!) customizing their bowls.

 
RECIPE: DIY RICOTTA BOWLS

Ricotta is actually not a cheese but a by-product of cheese-making which uses the whey drained from other cheeses. Whey is the watery part of milk that remains after the formation of the curds. In fact, the name means “re-cooked.” Here’s more ricotta information.

You can even make your own ricotta at home. Here’a a recipe from Williams-Sonoma.

Turn it into a build-your-own dessert—no cooking, no heat, cool comfort food.

Ingredients For 4-6 Servings

 
Savory Ingredient Options

Use the same nuts/seeds, yogurt/sour cream and crackers, plus:

 
HAVE A RICOTTA TASTING

Set out different brands, from big commercial brands or the store brand, to freshly-made ricotta from the cheese department.

Taste each type plain: just a spoonful.

Good Eggs uses Bellwether Farms Sheep’s Milk Ricotta in this recipe. In Italy, Sheep’s milk ricotta is preferred over any other for its delicate flavor and texture. If you can find it, grab it.
 
MORE WAYS TO USE RICOTTA

Use it both sweet and savory dishes, including stuffed pasta (lasagna, manicotti, ravioli, shells, etc.).

[1] The best cookies use jumbo chunks of top-quality chocolate (photo courtesy Good Eggs | San Francisco). [2] Here’s the cookbook
(photo courtesy Ten Speed Press).

May 15th is National Chocolate Chip Cookie Day…and so is August 4th.

It may be that one is simply Chocolate Chip Day, and the other Chocolate Chip Cookie Day. Emails for clarification have not been answered.

But who would complain about a second Chocolate Chip Cookie Day?
 
WHAT IS “THE BEST?”

In subjective areas (as opposed to who crossed the finish line first), “the best” is in the eye of the beholder…or more accurately, on the palate.

You know what you like. If you’re still searching for CCC* perfection, consider this recipe. The only challenge: finding room in the freezer for the cookie sheet!

RECIPE: VIOLET BAKERY CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Ingredients For 16 Large Cookies

__________________
*Chocolate Chip Cookie!

†We use Callebaut or Trader Joe’s chocolate chunks.
 
Preparation

1. LINE a small baking sheet or pan—one that will fit inside your freezer—with parchment paper.

2. BEAT the butter and sugars in the bowl of a stand mixer until combined but not too creamy. You are not aiming for light and fluffy; that would make the cookies too cakey. Add the vanilla and the egg yolks and mix well.

4. SCOOP individual portions of cookie dough onto the lined baking sheet or pan; or use spoons to pat each portion into a little ball. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze for at least 1 hour, or up to a month. You can bake them right away, but the cookies will be slightly flatter and less even. When ready to bake…

5. PREHEAT the oven to 355°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and arrange the cookies evenly on the pan, leaving enough space between each one so they have room to expand during baking: They will almost double in size! Rest the frozen dough on the counter for 5 to 10 minutes before placing in the oven.

6. BAKE for 18 minutes, until the center of each cookie is slightly soft and under-baked, but the edges are crispy and golden. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the tray for 10 minutes before serving. These cookies will keep for up to 5 days in an airtight container.

TIP: If your cookies aren’t as crisp the nest day, place them on a piece of parchment on a cookie sheet and warm them in the oven. The heat will drive out the extra moisture, making them crisp again.
 
THE VIOLET BAKERY COOKBOOK

While the chocolate chip cookie was born in the U.S.A., this recipe comes from London’s popular Violet Bakery. Alice Waters calls it “a little corner of Northern California in east London.”

Get your copy at Amazon.com.
  

[1] The skillet cookie made by Michelle of HummingbirdHigh.com. [2] Lindsay of PinchOfYum.com adds a layer of caramel and a sprinkle of sea salt to her recipe.

Beyond eggs, steak, cornbread and other popular skillet dishes, you can make skillet apple pie, cinnamon swirl bread, even pizza.

But today, it’s all about the cookie. The recipe was baked in a 12″ diameter skillet, if yours is 10 inches, you’ll get a taller cookie (increase the baking time another 5 to 10 minutes).

You can make it your own, with a mix of dark, milk and white chocolate chips; next time we might toss in some dried cherries. We substituted pecans for the hazelnuts.
 
RECIPE: SKILLET CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIE

Ingredients For A 12-Inch Cookie

 
Preparation

1. ADJUST an oven rack to the upper-middle position and preheat the oven to 375°F. Melt 9 tablespoons butter in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium heat.

Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until butter is dark golden brown, has a nutty aroma, and the bubbling has subsided some, about 5 minutes.

Transfer to a large bowl and stir in the remaining 3 tablespoons until completely melted.

2. WHISK the dark brown sugar, granulated sugar, vanilla extract and salt into the melted butter until the mixture is smooth. Whisk in the egg and the egg yolk until smooth, about 3 seconds.

Let the mixture sit for 3 minutes, then whisk for 30 seconds. Repeat the process of resting and whisking 2 more times, until the mixture is thick, smooth, and shiny.

3. WHISK the flour and baking soda in a separate bowl. Stir flour mixture into the butter mixture until just combined, about 1 minute. Stir in the chocolate chips and optional nuts, making sure no flour pockets remain.

4. WIPE the skillet clean with paper towels. Transfer the cookie dough to the empty, cleaned skillet and press it into an even layer with a spatula.

Transfer the skillet to the preheated oven and bake until cookie is golden brown and edges are set, about 20 minutes.

5. USE potholders to transfer the skillet to a wire rack; let cookie cool for 30 minutes. Slice the cookie into wedges or diagonals and serve.

It was an accident. Here’s the scoop.