I am a strong advocate of not buying all the kitchen gadgets I believe I want and need for a few reasons:
- I am a miser
- I am a martyr
- I like to look at catalogs and feel repressed
Oh for Heaven’s sake. I don’t have the room. And if I don’t have the room, I can not believe how other people find the room. I have lots of storage! I just don’t get it.
There are a lot of things I think look über cool that I don’t have. Have you seen the Krups deep fryer? INSANE. Not to mention INsane. And, inSANE. No, there’s no hidden meaning in that. I just wanted to stress my point. One: I do not WANT to eat more fried foods than I already do. Two: a huge $400 device for deep frying? (Honestly, it looks SO cool…) Three: I do not have CLUE where I would store it.
Bread machines, pasta makers, toaster ovens, smoothie makers… the list goes on and on and on.
One of the items that I have long-admired from afar is the panini press. I stare at them in Chef’s Catalog. I think about what I would make with them. I procrastinate work for 15 minutes more as I read reviews. Look at them on Amazon. But I have never given in. I know that I won’t use it enough to justify the cost and the space it will take.
And honestly? My current Panini press works just fine.
It consists of two cast iron fry pans and a tea pot full of water. Course, you could use any ol’ thang as the weight. (Sorry. I keep breaking into a Southern accent in honor of the best book I have listened to all year: The Help, by Kathryn Stockett. Amazing narrators on the audible book, but I’m sure the printed book is just as delicious.).
Usually I eat leftovers for lunch, but on this day I didn’t have any. Even the disasterous Meatless Monday One was gone, metered out to Buzz as a pill-delivering vehicle. The pills fit quite handily into the penne tubes and he just loved it!
So I was wracking my brain for some good eats. I’ve been way into Cuban (also known as Cubanos) sandwiches lately and have been getting the WORST insipid, greasy versions of them at even well-regarded local restaurants — the exception being the one I had at Mill City Cafe. Lawdy! that sandwich was a dream! (Sorry.)
Amazingly, I had *most* of the ingredients to sort of duplicate that one version I loved so much. But the best part was pressing. This works amazingly well. There’s no tricks to it, except to be patient and keep your flame low to medium low. I do have a grill pan I could use to get the grill lines like you get on a real panini press, but I hate — and I mean HATE — cleaning that behemoth. So I don’t use it whenever possible. Ironically, it’s the same one The Pioneer Woman uses so frequently in her photos (see the first photo in this post with the shrimp). Makes me wonder ’bout her…
(Last sentence must be read with southern accent.)
Here’s me peeking at my lunch:
…I can’t seem to take a non-blurry picture. Guess I’m too addicted to wide open apertures. I’ve gotta work on that.
It seems silly to post a recipe for this sandwich, but I will, just in case someone doesn’t know what I’m talking about. I think it’s funny to call it a Cuban sandwich, since I’ve been eating something like it for almost ever. But it seems like giving it a name makes it taste even better.
Pressed Cuban — or Cubano — Sandwich*
*For a real Cuban, you’d have ham, roasted pork, pickle, swiss cheese & yellow mustard. Obviously, if you read me very often, you won’t be surprised to learn that I didn’t have exactly those ingredients… though… come to think of it, I bet I do have some roasted pork left in the freezer from the last time I made it..
Anyway, I used:
- Sliced turkey breast
- Ham
- Sliced garlic dill pickles
- Yellow mustard
- Manchego cheese, because I was out of Swiss
Heat the cast iron pan on medium low for about 3-5 minutes while you assemble the sandwich. Butter the bread, and layer ingredients to taste.
Put enough olive oil (you can use butter or veg. oil) in the pan, let oil heat a minute and gently place sandwich in pan. Weight down with whatever works for you. I use another cast iron pan and my handy tea kettle filled with water. Cook low and slow, checking after about 3 minutes. Flip and repeat.
Eat and enjoy. Feel smug that you made a great sandwich and saved $100 on a panini grill.
Dayna says
Love your site. Have been following for a little while. Loved your post on the garlic compote. That stuff is great 🙂
Anyway decided to post today because I chuckled when I saw that we must shop the same places….I have the exact same panini press as you show in this post LOL. Works like a charm! Just made turkey swiss melts with rosemary garlic bread last week!
admin says
So fun to learn that 1) Other people are as cheap as me and 2) you like to come visit… and OK, one more: 3) YOU LOVE ROSEMARY!
I love rosemary. Did you hear? I killed my two huge pots of 4.5′ tall upright rosemary? Ugh! I spaced that they were in the unheated greenhouse. Here’s the kicker though: the BUSH rosemary (you know, the more random/bushy/greener vs bluegreen variety) was just fine! More hardy, I guess. Where do you live?
Nat Alea from OK says
Ok Jen, I can’t BELIEVE you would say that you are a strong advocate of NOT buying kitchen gadgets!!! You’re killing me!! That is my all time favorite thing to get. I’m ashamed to admit it but I even moved my WINE so I could have more counter space for my new Kitchen Aid Stand mixer that I got for christmas. Are you trying to trying to make me feel bad?(haha)
admin says
You must know I exaggerate by now! I exaggerate my non-gadget advocacy. I have plenty O’gadgets. I, just like Dayna (another commentor), try to not buy the single-use BIG gadgets. OF COURSE I have a stand mixer (and want ANOTHER ONE). OF COURSE I have a food processor (and WANT ANOTHER ONE). I want a TON OF STUFF. I even WANT THAT STUPID DEEP FRYER. For no other reason than it MUST BE COOL if it is $400!! Gettin’ the picture here? I’m a greedy little consuming machine. I just wanted to ACT like I wasn’t because I don’t have a Panini press. 🙂
admin says
nat. I have one more question for you. This is an ongoing family dispute: Are you a boy or a girl? I know, I know. I should KNOW this by now, but… I don’t. I have read and re-read you comments and, frankly, I see arguments for both. I simply must know. Please advise. And if this rather personal question makes you uncomfortable, please don’t feel pressured. I will simply refer to you as my “shim” or “pat” (from SNL) commenter!
Brook Parsons says
LOL. Okay, I hate blogs…and bloggers even more, but, having said that, you are now cracking me up and I think I am hooked on your site. Nat is obviously a girl, a woman, lass, dame, maiden, a damsel….but not a wench. No man would move wine for more counter space unless it was for a drill press, welder or shop lights. Also, men don’t get kitchen “power tools” for Christmas (men buy kitchen “gadgets” for their women thinking it brings bonus points for a later time), therefore, Nat is a woman between the age of 36 to 52, enjoys knitting and lives in Oklahoma. That said, am I a man or a woman? I am an advocate of quality kitchen tools, as long as they are used enough to offset their cost, and have a proper storage space.
admin says
HA! That comment — I think — might be my favorite of all time! Not that I have all that many comments, mind you, but… Here’s the deal: I started this stupid thing because of the dumb Fiesta Movement application (no, no. no bitter apples here…). Then — because I really do like to write — decided to keep it up, even though I didn’t win the damn car. (I really did want to win that car). I have absolutely no idea why I am even doing this. None at all. Seriously. It’s driving my husband insane. He wants me to put ads on it and make some money!! I don’t have nearly enough traffic to make ads worthwhile… BUT, thru the whole process I started looking at other blogs and trying to sort of figure things out and be “part of the blogging community.” …and all that stuff. And guess what I have learned?
I don’t like blogs and bloggers either.*
So. What now? Any advice?
*Of course there are exceptions to this rule. There are a handful of sites (see? I don’t even say “blog” if I can help it) that I love. And writers (not “bloggers”) that I love. But most of them just drive me batty. Which of course then drives me batty as I try to figure out if I am being a total hypocrite!!
*pant pant* rant done. You made me laugh and laugh. Thanks for that Brook. And yes. Another androgynous name. These are proving to be very delicate situations. I thought Nat was a boy. But then each successive comment made me question that assumption. But either way I guess will be offensive if I am wrong! OH THE DRAMA!
Nat Alea from OK says
Oh man, I love the mystery!!! I am MOST definately NOT pat!!!!! That person gave me horrible nightmares when I was in school. Can I say that I’m a beautiful stacked woman who is only 21, can eat everything I want AND still weigh 100 lbs, instead of a 40 year old woman with 4 dogs and 2 semi adult kids and supposed to be actually working but now spend all my time at work reading this site (blog). I do love blogs and read a few, but you and PW are the only 2 that I come back to all the time. One of these days someone at work will catch on to what I’m doing here at work. Brook, did we go to school together? Because you know me so well (hahaha). That was exactly the reason my husband gave me a stand mixer, even though I do make a mean bread now. My name is pronounced as Natalie, but my mother thought she was cute by splitting my name up to have my middle name Alea. It must be an Okie thang. In all seriousness, I do love your site Jenn, and your recipes and pearls of wisdom get me though the day. You’ve made me now want to plant rosemary, and try your cracker recipe.
Brook Parsons says
Nat….it would have been too easy for me to spill your name as “Natalie” an easy conjunction of your pseudonym. We still don’t know how many cats you own (a sure sign of crazy)? That said, I’m with you Nat, I love the vids and other fun that Jen posts. For Jen, I think your husband should just work longer hours and make more money so that you do not have to advertise on your blog.
admin says
Oh man! nat alea… Nat-a-lea… NatALIE! DUH! duh! I feel so stupid. I am much smarter than that. Ugh. I was reading it a-LEIGH-eh. Still. Too bad, I was getting used to you as Pat. Nat/Pat/she/he/shim. (cue that creepy Pat giggle here). It’s hard for me to concentrate right now, cuz I’m listening to the Apple iPad event.
Thanks for coming by. You guys are making this so much more fun and relevant for me. 🙂
Nat Alea from OK says
Now I know you don’t do anything but eat bon bons and watch SNL all day you wild and crazy girl! THAT should tell you how old I am since I’m quoting Steve Martin. I completely agree with Brook that your hubby should work longer hours.(Just kidding hubby). Sorry Brook, no cats, my husband isn’t that attractive when his eyes swell shut from his cat allergies. I do knit like a fiend though. So, that’s about as crazy as I’ll get, unless you count the time when I was driving on my way to work and realized that I still had on my house slippers instead of my nice boots! That was yesterday by the way and gave my daughter a heart attack when I stopped in the middle of the road and said Holy Shit really loud. but I totally blame that on the alzheimers!!!!!!!
Judilori says
I am a cheapie too. Just ran a brick from my yard (pretty clean to begin with) thru my dishwasher and going to cover it with heavy duty foil. Voila a panini press!!
admin says
Judilori: yah baby. But tell me this: does a small sliver of you still look longingly at the ‘real’ ones in the catalog??